The day it all began

It’s official: Peach ATL Media, LLC, Goliath Media, LLC and Fenuxe magazine are all owned by the same person.

Brian Sawyer, who became listed as the registered agent for the former two earlier this summer, confirmed to Georgia Voice staff last week that he owned all three publications. Fenuxe appears to be a relatively new acquisition: articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State’s office on Sept. 14, with the new company name Fenuxe Magazine Manegement, [sic] LLC.

Fenuxe was previously published by TW Media Group, which was administratively dissolved on Dec. 7, 2016, according to the Secretary of State’s office, though the magazine has been continuously publishing since. Tyler Calkins, owner of TW Media Group, was the publisher/editor-in-chief of Fenuxe, at least as of the Sept. 8 issue.

Sawyer also is the organizer and authorizer for BMSMedia, LLC, which was formed in July and is listed on the Fenuxe website as the design company for the publication.

The new ownership changes came along with most of the staff leaving Peach ATL and Goliath: Most recently, Russ Youngblood, who served a sales role, left that position and now works with Project Q Atlanta, along with former Peach ATL and Goliath Editorial Director Mike Fleming. Fleming co-founded Project Q, and was editorial director of Peach ATL and Goliath until Sept. 8. His departure follows that of William Duffee-Braun, who was publisher and registered agent of the two magazines until Sawyer took over. Art Director Tanner Gill is gone as well.

Allegations fly in David Magazine lawsuit

Georgia Voice previously reported on a lawsuit involving Sawyer and David Thompson, the owner of the late David Magazine, of

September 29, 2017

which Peach ATL was a rebrand. It is unclear how much, if any, effect the suit had on the change in ownership, as requests for interviews have not been returned as of press time.

Sawyer, joined by fellow plaintiffs Charles “Chip” O’Kelley and Martin Marshall — known in the gay publishing world as Matt Neumann — sued Thompson in May 2014. According to the complaint, Thompson seized the assets of David Magazine and transferred them to DRT Media, of which he was the sole owner. The plaintiffs claim Thompson “breached several agreements and transferred assets to avoid fiduciary duties” to them.

The case is ongoing, and most recently Thompson was cited by the court for failing to produce documents regarding those assets, and involvement by the plaintiffs. That led to a court-appointed receiver going out to find what was desired. His report, issued in late August, showed less than $10,000 in now-frozen bank accounts for DRT Media, archived records from David and other publications, computer hardware and web domains as assets of Thompson’s company.

That report also noted billable hours for “receipt and review of Agreement between Sawyer et al and Peach ATL Media LLC.” Attempts to learn what that agreement entailed were unsuccessful as of press time.

To get to what led to the lawsuit, we must go back years earlier, to Feb. 8, 2010, when Gaydar Magazine, Inc. was incorporated. A man named Luis Francisco Lopez Rodriquez, also referred to as Luis Lopez, purchased 50 percent of the assets of Gaydar from Grady Odom. Odom, at the same time, transferred his remaining 50 percent to Marshall/Neumann. Shortly thereafter, Sawyer got involved as a part owner. According to court documents, Thompson was aware of the ownership transfers.

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN

Gaydar famously outbid the former Southern Voice staff about a month later for the ownership of their former publication, which shuttered in November 2009 after its parent company filed for bankruptcy. In that transaction, Gaydar also purchased the assets of David Magazine. This put Rodriguez/ Lopez, Marshall/Neumann and Sawyer in charge of Gaydar, David and Southern Voice by March 2010. At the time, there was a lawsuit involving David Magazine and its printer.

DRT Media was formed in direct result of the lawsuits against David Magazine. When asked in his deposition what the purpose was for forming the company, Thompson responded, “Because David Magazine, Incorporated was damaged … from multiple lawsuits and bad credit. I mean, derogatory credit.”

Sawyer and his plaintiffs allege that Thompson, aware of that lawsuit, then began conniving his way to owning the magazine. He “fraudulently induced Marshall to