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The Official Handsome Productions 
Business Prospectus, circa 1977.

What is handsome productions? It's several things, actually.

Originally, handsome was a small production company that handled the affairs of the Backdoor Men, one of the myriad of Cleveland bands that pounded the boards during the 1970s. Handsome Productions was originally the brainchild of Dave Lach, the band's soundman and all-around handler of affairs.

Handsome Founding CEO Dave Lach

When the Backdoor Men went dormant in 1987, so went Handsome.

Handsome was resurrected in 2000 when the Backdoor Men decided to get together and make a new record. The legendary Dave Lach was present for the resurrection, and blessed it forthwith. The results of that reunion did indeed become a record, the critically acclaimed ' Mohawk Combover,' available today here at Handsome.

But there's more. The Handsome crew was entrusted over the years with an enormous collection of taped music created by the late Peter Laughner -- perhaps not a household name in this vast country, but a name near and dear to the hearts of many a music fan. If you've ever heard 'Ain't it Fun,' a cut on the Guns n' Roses record 'The Spaghetti Incident,' you've heard of Laughner. If you've ever heard Wilco's Jeff Tweedy sing the line, 'take the guitar player for a ride,' then you've heard of Laughner.

And if you've ever heard the dead boys or Pere Ubu, you've heard a chunk of Laughner's musical vision; he essentially co-founded both bands.

At any rate, Handsome Productions, with the authorization of Peter's estate, has become the primary source of Peter's music for his legions of fans around the world.

Peter Laughner's flame is kept burning ably by our resident Laughner scholar, Derek DePrator. Derek never inhabited the planet while peter was in it, but in many ways seems to have inherited his soul, and a very large measure of his talent. Based in Cleveland , DePrator maintains the Laughner catalog for Handsome and is also an outstanding musician in his own right, having played with many of the area's outstanding bands, including critic faves Cobra Verde. Derek currently fronts a great rock outfit called the Square Casanovas, makes solo records, and plays gigs and recording dates with numerous local and national acts.

So: handsome is several things, including a record label of sorts.

Feel free to float through the site, and contact us if you think you've got anything to add.