Eric Stryker

Who was Eric Stryker?

Michael Skrzypcak best known by his stage name Eric Stryker, was an American gay pornographic performer and model. 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.

He was born in Erie, Pennsylvania and served in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. After retiring, he worked for a time as a construction worker in Phoenix before moving to Los Angeles, where he began modeling for Colt Studios. He appeared in over fifty porn films, chiefly for Le Salon, Huge, and Buckshot. His most popular titles included A Matter Of Size, Arcade, Asian Knights, Student Bodies, Good Hot Stuff, and Rawhide. Stryker's co-stars ran the gamut of the classic porn star roster, including J. W. King and Bill Henson.

In 1984, shortly after his lover died from AIDS, Stryker was himself 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. 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 PBS documentary, It Starts With A, his last film appearance. 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 first persons with the disease to publicly display its symptoms. On February 19, 1988, he died of AIDS at Sherman Oaks Community Hospital. He was 33 years old.