Steroid Steve is a fictionalized “true” story.
At Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA, during the 1970s, bodybuilding was getting big. Straight bodybuilder “Steroid Steve” has a little problem that brings him shame. He catches the eye of Peter Schutes, who has quite the opposite issue, as many Peter Pipers know. When Peter turns on the charm, he convinces Steve to come home with him. In Peter’s beachside apartment, they find a perfect fit.
Peter’s admiration for the male physique was the theme of several of his stories. He created the character Shamus Little based on a “real” person who worked out at Gold’s and Muscle Beach. This story comes from the pulp paperback Muscle Bottom, which chronicles, through a series of short stories, the life and loves of the adorable bodybuilder with the plump behind.