Michael Skrzypcak (September 24, 1954 – February 19, 1988) best known by his stage name Eric Stryker, was an American gay pornographic performer and model.[2][3][4] He was known for his handsome blond features and his muscular physique. He also performed as Noel Kemp for Colt Studio, Mike Kelly, Mike Saunders and, Michael John Saunders.[4][5]
Eric Stryker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Skrzypcak September 24, 1954[1] Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1] |
| Died | February 19, 1988 (aged 33)[1] |
| Other names | Noel Kemp, Mike Kelly, Mike Saunders, Michael John Saunders |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
In 1984, shortly after his lover died from AIDS, Stryker was diagnosed with HIV. His response was to focus his activities away from the life of a porn star and become an activist for AIDS awareness.[clarification needed] Stryker continued his studies in architecture at Woodbury University and his regular workouts. As he put it, "I live for the day." He worked with the AIDS Couples Group and lectured around the country for the AIDS Project Los Angeles. In 1987, he appeared in the documentary It Starts with A, his last film appearance.[6] In his last public appearance, his body showing the effects of Kaposi's sarcoma, he marched in the Christopher Street West parade in Los Angeles in a tank top and shorts, becoming one of the early persons with the disease to publicly display its symptoms. On February 19, 1988, he died of AIDS at Sherman Oaks Community Hospital.[1][7] He was 33.
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c d Manshots, September 1988, Obituary listing for Stryker
- ^ Obituary of Eric Stryker from Manshots, September 1988, "Manshot's magazine: 1988 - 2001, publication Model listings. Gay Erotic Archives. February 2006.
- ^ Men of Advocate Men; model listing for Jan/Feb 1986 and Apr/May 1986; Gay Erotic Archives.
- ^ a b Noel Kemp/Colt Studio, model profile as Noel Kemp at Gay Erotic Archives.
- ^ Eric Stryker, model profile as Eric Stryker at Gay Erotic Archives.
- '^ It Starts With 'A (documentary for television also released on videotape). United States: PBS. 1987.
- ^ Graham Thompson, American culture in the 1980s, pp. 96-7, Edinburgh University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-7486-1910-0, ISBN 978-0-7486-1910-8.
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