CHARITABLE & COMMUNITY BIO

Since he blew up his closet in 1987, Andy Mangels has been an active voice in many aspects of the general and GLBTQ communities, as an organizer, performer, educational presenter, emcee, auctioneer, titleholder, board member, publisher, editor, writer, activist, and more. Extremely active in charity fundraising, Mangels has produced events that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for social, political, AIDS, and gay charities in Oregon and nationwide...

From 2006-2010, he organized and ran Wonder Woman Day in October, a national event that has raised over $110,000 in Oregon and New Jersey for Domestic Violence shelters and programs. In 2011, the event changed its name to Women Of Wonder Day and expanded to Texas as well, raising an additional $25,000. The events have garnered five Mayoral proclamations!

Since 1988, he has run the yearly Gays In Comics panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego (the world's largest convention); in honor of its 25th year, the Con has invited him to be a Guest of Honor at the 2012 convention. He is a founding member of the non-profit GLBTQI organization PRISM Comics, serving gay comic fans and professionals, and is a member of the group's Advisory Board. He also published a book in 2001, The Perez Archives, which raised over $7,000 for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. He edited the award-winning Gay Comics from 1991-1998.

From 1987-1989, he facilitated and led the discussion group Gay Men Together (GMT) at Portland State University. In the 1980s, he co-founded Oregon Guild Activists of SM (ORGASM), one of the largest pansexual clubs in the world at the time. He held the post of Vice-Spokesperson for the American Uniform Association (AUA) for many years, and briefly served on the National Leather Association (NLA) national board. He sponsored and ran the national event, Portland Uniform Weekend, for 12 years, and published IN UNIFORM The Magazine for four years. He has written for The Advocate, Frontiers, Instinct, Outweek, Bay Area Reporter, Drummer, The Leather Journal, In Uniform The Magazine, Bear, Alternative Living, Oregon Gay News, Portland Mercury, and Just Out.

Other charitable benefits he has organized include: the political revue A Nightmare on Helms Street; four anti-OCA performance shows called Night of the Living Perverts, Return of the Living Perverts, and Escape from the Living Perverts; a cabaret Broadway on Broadway benefit for 9/11 charities with Miss America Kate Shindle; concerts with gay musicians; and many more. He raised $10,000 for the Leather Archives & Museum, and in 2004, he founded the Oregon Leather History Project and website, for which he maintains a significant archives of Oregon-related gay materials.

Mangels performs whenever asked at Rose Court, leather, or bear events, generally singing live. He has formed a new group, Broadway Bears, which will be doing a series of live charity concerts in January 2012. He has been invested with several Court titles, and in 2007, was given the lifetime title of "The Imperial Marquis de Sade of Faith, Hope and Charity." He was also Mr. Oregon State Leather 2004-2005, has won three national leather awards and one local leather award, and was pinned as a member of Mama's Family as "Mama's Wonder Man." In October 2011, he was awarded the prestigious International Court Commendation and bestowed with the International Court Order of the Double Eagle award by Empress Nicole the Great.

When not actively involved in community work, Mangels writes best-selling novels and entertainment books, produces DVD special features, and collects Wonder Woman memorabilia. He lives in Portland, OR with his long-term partner of sixteen years, Don Hood, Rose Emperor XXXIII, and their dog, Bela.

"Andy is indeed one of the men I've really respected over the years. He became visible just after The Leather Journal came out. Andy's history is one from which I've measured the progress, or motion, of the Leather community."
Dave Rhodes, publisher of The Leather Journal (since 1987)

CHARITY EVENTS/FUNDRAISING

• Broadway Bears
Set to debut in January 2012, this group of seven talented singers was brought together by Andy Mangels to perform three nights of all-live Broadway-themed cabaret, benefitting three different charities!

• Women Of Wonder Day - Every October
Since 2006, this charity event produced by Andy Mangels has raised over $135,000 for Domestic Violence programs in Oregon, New Jersey, and Texas!

• The Perez Archives - July 2001
Benefit book produced entirely by Andy Mangels featuring the art of George Perez reaised almost $7,000 for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

• Broadway on Broadway - October 2001
Benefit event for 9-11 charities produced entirely by Andy Mangels, and starring Miss America 1998, Kate Shindle!

• Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M)
$10,000+ contributor and Uniforms Room adoptee
member since 2000

• Oregon Leather History Project (OLHP)
founder, archivist, and curator, 2004-2011

• Check back for more information and history of charity events and fundraisers with which Andy has been involved.

GAYS IN COMICS

• Gays In Comics convention panels
Andy has produced and moderated the panel at San Diego Comic-Con International for 24 years - from 1988-2011. For 2012, he has been invited as a Guest of Honor to Comic-Con International, where he will present the 25th panel!

See the amazing list of Gays In Comics and Prism panels by visiting this page!

ACTIVISM IN PUBLISHING

• The Best Of Gauntlet
(1994, Masquerade Books, essay)

• Gay Comics

• Quantum Leap (Innovation)

• Out In Comics

• various PRISM Comics publications

• "Out of the Closet and Into the Comics" (Amazing Heroes article from 1988)

• writing for The Advocate, Frontiers, Instinct, Outweek, Bay Area Reporter, Drummer, The Leather Journal, In Uniform The Magazine, Bear, Alternative Living, Oregon Gay News, Portland Mercury, and Just Out

AWARDS

International Court Commendation and
International Court Order of the Double Eagle Award
(2011, Imperial Court Council)

Pantheon of Leather: West Coast Regional Award
(2011, The Leather Journal)

Pantheon of Leather: West Coast Regional Award
(2005, The Leather Journal)

• Blackout Leather Productions Person of the Year 2002
"For your extraordinary support, efforts and extended contributions to the Oregon state leather community."

• National Leather Emerald Award 2001
"For your extraordinary continued support, efforts and extended contributions to the leather community."

• Pantheon of Leather: West Coast Man of the Year Award
(1995, The Leather Journal)

• Comics Creators Guild "Best Anthology" for Gay Comics 1993

• National Leather Association: International — Order of Merit
(1992, National Leather Association: International)