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MEL: There
are a few people out there who managed to overcome the studio
system & come out with some really interesting work, but
there's not enough of them. OUTCOME: Being a photographer myself I'd be interested in hearing about the vital statistics of your work. MEL: I used two Rolleiflex camera with flash, resulting in a 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" negative or transparency. I estimate I probably took between 45,000 to 50,000 exposures, photographed nearly 200 models. I like to think that I influenced fashion in some small way -- I was tearing and ripping Levis and shorts and cutting T-shits just below the pecs long before both became fashionable. But more important, it was a happy and rewarding period in my life. Although you are the first editor to publish any of my work in the U.S. since 1978, I have an agent in Europe who distributes my photography in 6 foreign countries even today. OUTCOME: Are you still in touch with any of your models? MEL: As a matter of fact, you mentioned JAY HOWARD, Jay was my lover from 1969 til 1980. I talked to him on the phone, we still see each other. We're still very good friends. He lives some distance away but we correspond & speak on the phone every other week. I told him you wanted to interview him, he said no.
MEL:
I know that he worked for BOB MIZER (he says paying no attention to the
racket going on over the phone-ed) before I met him. I can't give you
any information about him other than what he'll let me tell you
but I have his photographs and everything. I told him he should
be OUTCOME: I had models like that too, Tommy and Gary Wilde for example. They did really wonderful work and had fun doing it but were never really into it. It was just a job and they can't understand all the fuss. MEL: Yeah, there were some people I used to get. a lot of the people I ended up using were people who saw my work and wrote and asked me if they could model for me. I picked up several good models that way. SHANNON CONRAD turned out to be one of those. He was straight, he used to work here with my roommate at the time. He saw my work & wanted to know if he could model and I said, why not.
MEL: No, I have not seen him for probably a good 10 years. I ran into him one day at a hamburger place. OUTCOME: I saw a picture of him in IN TOUCH a while ago. MEL: Somebody else told me he was in IN TOUCH. OUTCOME:
They didn't seem to know who he was because they just ran the
pictures without acknowledging him. Maybe the photographer
(J&R Studios) didn't know who they were photographing. At the
time I also saw pictures of him in a local California mag., in
some bar swimsuit contest. I assume that's where the photographer
found him. He had short hair , a moustache and looked great. The
pix were done outside including one of him on a rock similar to
MEL: They didn't use his name? OUTCOME: No, I don't think they pick up on who he was. They just saw a cute guy. That rock picture though raises questions. MEL: This is how long ago? OUTCOME: I really can't remember. The pix were in b&w so it was awhile. MEL: I photographed him over a 3 year period. I probably have more pictures of him than any other model I ever photographed. He was one who wrote and asked me if he could model. He was my most popular model. I got more fan letters and requests and pleas from people all over who'd seen him. I don't know if you saw my magazine REX but that featured nothing but him.
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The trouble is
that most people trying to get into the business only want to for
the money. If a film doesn't make a hundred million dollars it's
not successful.
OUTCOME:
(starts sobbing hysterically while slicing wrists with a dull
knife and sticking head in the oven)
very proud of his work but he was
never very happy about his modeling.
OUTCOME:
Have you run into SEAN PATRICK? 
one
you did. No question it was him. I'd know those cute toes
anywhere!