TWT
This Week in Texas
1975
TWT History--per The Banner Project

All Years:

1975  1976  1977  1978  1979  1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
TWT Reborn: 2006  2007-8 GAB 2009  2010  2012-13       These were mainly partial years, total 195 issues plus 43 issues of GAB in 2008

This section features downloadable and searchable PDF files of TWT.
The magazine started with 8 pages and by the end of the year had reached 32.
Access to this publication is courtesy of the U of H LGBT Resource Center,
and partially from the Jay Allen Collection.

TWT began April 5, 1975.

Volume 1-1
4/5/75, PDF

Volume 1-2
4/12/75, PDF

Volume 1-3
4/19/75 , PDF

Volume 1-4
4/26/75, PDF


Volume 1-5
5/3/75, PDF

Volume 1-6
5/10/75, PDF

Volume 1-7
5/17/75, PDF

Volume 1-8
5/24/75, PDF

Volume 1-9
5/31/75, PDF


Volume 1-10
6/7/75, PDF


Volume 1-11
6/14/75, PDF*


Volume 1-12
6/21/75, PDF


Volume 1-13
6/28/75, PDF


Volume 1-14
7/5/75, PDF

Volume 1-15
7/12/75, PDF


Volume 1-16
7/19/75, PDF


Volume 1-17
7/26/75, PDF


Volume 1-18
8/2/75, PDF


Volume 1-19
8/9/75, PDF

Volume 1-20
8/16/75, PDF

Volume 1-21
8/23/75, PDF


Volume 1-22
8/30/75, PDF


Volume 1-23
9/6/75, PDF

Volume 1-24
9/13/75, PDF

Volume 1-25
9/20/75, PDF

Volume 1-25
9/27/75, PDF

Volume 1-27
10/4/75, PDF

Volume 1-28
10/11/75, PDF


Volume 1-29
10/18/75, PDF


Volume 1-30
10/25/75, PDF

Volume 1-31
11/1/75, PDF

Volume 1-32
11/8/75, PDF


Volume 1-33
11/15/75, PDF

Volume 1-34
11/22/75, PDF

Volume 1-35
11/29/75, PDF


Volume 1-36
12/06/75, PDF

Volume 1-37
12/13/75, PDF

Volume 1-38
12/20/75, PDF

Volume 1-39
12/27/75, PDF

NEW SCANS!
When I began the project of digitizing all issues of
TWT in 2014 I only had my ordinary office scanner,
way inadequate for the job. And the results I admit
showed it. Also, I had to borrow issues of TWT from
various archives, taking years to get all of them.

Now, courtesy of the U of H I have access to a
complete set, allowing me to do the new scanning in
a more ordered method, and the biggest help was
being able (in mid-2019) to buy an almost professional
level scanner, making all my work much better.

The year 1975 was done during February 2023.

The scan dated 6/14/75 was from a hard-bound edition of TWT,
meaning that it could not be done on a flat-bed scanner like
the others. Instead a special tripod webcam was used, taking digital
snapshots. It was essentially impossible to make the scanning surface
flat, so some distortion may be present, along with some shadowing
on some pages....I did the best I could.


Some TWT History

TWT began fairly anonymously, in that no names were given for who was behind it until July of 1976.
But, in those years it was not uncommon for people to be more closeted (to perhaps protect their day jobs...
I volunteered for a gay newspaper in Norfolk in 1979 where very few used their last names).
The first masthead gave only a box number, and by June 1976 a street address (2110 Lexington, Houston).

  

There were no mastheads at all for July 3, 1976 and then the next week the new ownership was announced,
thanking founding editor Lyle Black. New owners were Jim Cagle and Jim Chappell. The next week a new masthead
appeared, and new address, 1110 Lovett, with the name Montrose Ventures Inc. For much more info on Cagle
and Chappell, see the article at the bottom of the page for 1976. Oddly, the change over was the first mention
of Lyle Black's name. (also see the bottom of the 1976 page)

 

In 1975 Jim Cagle and Jim Chappell, owners of Studz News, bought the fledgling publication
"This Week in Texas." That same year they met Chuck Patrick who began working for the magazine,
doing about every job needed. Patrick was named Publisher in 1978. For the first several years no
traditional masthead (stating the names of the staff) appeared, just the almost generic paragraph below.

It wasn't until the July 27, 1979 issue that a regular masthead was given, below, with staff names.
Editor/Publisher was Chuck Patrick. Also heavily involved was Patrick's partner, Jim Veteto.
From 1976 on TWT was led by two men, Chuck Patrick and Alan Gellman. That's Patrick on the
cover of the 9/20/75 issue. When Patrick became sick in late 1990 he sold the magazine to
Alan Gellman, who had already been working for the publication (along with Steve Miles,
Gellman's partner). Patrick died a year later, 11/10/91. Gellman was publisher until his
death, 1/27/93. Steve Miles survived until 11/13/14.

Chuck Patrick departed from TWT due to health reasons in December 1990,
and died the next November, with Alan Gellman taking the helm.

  

below, amusing story about Chuck Patrick

  

During 2000 Gellman did a series called That Week in Texas

TWT's initial run lasted until August 11, 2000.

But it was to be reborn, about three more times, until its final end in May of 2013.
I've pieced together these time frames for the four "generations."

TWT Generation One - March 1975 - August 11, 2000
Generation Two - June 23, 2006 to early 2008
Gen Three - March 13, 2009 to April 29, 2010
Gen Four - March 9, 2012 - May 24, 2013

Approximately 1513 issues.

More information can be found in those sections of this TWT library.

 
 

The Iconic TWT Logo

It first appeared on the 10/14/78 issue

and Bumper Stickers followed

This Week in Texas bumper sticker, they were black on metallic silver, and you could
win prizes if the TWT staff spotted one on your car and then you saw the photo of it,
and your license plate, in an issue of the magazine

In June of 2020 I asked TWT Art Director Blase DiStefano about the iconic logo...