In Praise of..... Swimming Trunks - 1

In days gone by swimming trunks were bulky items in thick material with high waists seemingly designed to obscure all hint of sexual interest.

That could be circumvented of course for photographic purposes but not in public.

1

2

Now-a-days trunks are much more interesting with skimpy cuts and flimsy fabric intended to promote speedy performance in the pool. By a happy coincidence these same requirements provide 'man fans' with tantalising glimpses of bulges (3) ...........

3

...........and shaved stomachs (4).

4

It takes little effort to conjure up 'mitchmen' style fantasies of these young athletes helping each other with their intimate preparations for competition.

Or perhaps their older coaches do the job for them.

The Captured Swimmer by Mitchell (Tight Bondage)

Mitchell - Angry in Speedos

This picture called 'Angry in Speedos' is one of my latest pubications.

It's tight (very tight!) Speedo Bondage in a similar vein to my masthead picture:
'My Dishonest Gardener'

I spent some time on depicting the young swimmer's face
so it would seem individual and real and not just a caricature.

This topic leads into my next posting which is to be the second in my series of articles labelled

'In Praise Of......'. The first one covered Jock Straps and their natural home (in my opinion!) on 'big men' The second is to be about Swimming Trunks.

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Top Choice for letter 'C'

Choosing my favourite artist for the letter 'C' is another tricky one. Of my short list discussed over the last few days, Cavelo covers the broadest range of fetish topics. But as I have explained, his style just doesn't work for me and style is a major criterion for my favourites. Copper and 'C' are focussed on spanking which is fine but leaves me wanting more. Most of Chooi's output that I have seen does not depict fetish topics explicitly although there is a nice little selection of male bondage art. Which leaves me with Chris - I like his style, I like his men - the only thing that makes me hesitate is that his work mostly hints at fetish themes rather than depicting them. But on balance Chris has to be my choice and so joins Amir and Brick in my personal fetish hall of fame.

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Copper

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Chris

I have included Chris (Musclemaxx) in this survey even though his fetish credentials are a bit sketchy simply because I like his work. He features big muscular men indulging in sex and there are usually domination overtones and sometimes mild bondage motifs. The men are generally clothed in skinhead or gym clothing which is stretched tight by their greatly exaggerated musculature.

The general style of shading and abundance of detail in the clothing etc is very reminiscent of Tom of Finland (not to mention the wildly exaggerated masculine endowments). Some of the backgrounds of trees and fences look as though they are plucked straight out of Tom's work. However the faces he shows are much more interesting than Tom's. The over developed body proportions and small heads probably limit the appeal of Chris's work but I love the sensual feel his pictures have. One cannot but admire the intricate detailing but sadly this means that new works are few and far between.

More at http://www.pridesites.com/fetish/musclemaxx/index.html

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Chooi

Chooi is a recent discovery for me.

He depicts extra large, hairy men enjoying sex and involved in some form of domination or abuse when manual restraint or bondage is likely to be applied. The large size and hairiness of the men in these pictures gives them an extra flavour of strength and masculinity so that their submission is just that bit more erotic. That is why I have included him here.

The example I've given is less explicit than much of his work but is a 'mitchmen' favourite because of the victims subjugation and fearful anticipation of what is to come.

As with some other artists featured in this series the cartoon-like style is deceptive. On closer inspection the pictures are filled with subtle shading effects and dramatic lighting - and check out the dragon tattoo on the upright man. The drawn figures are superimposed and skilfully blended with backgrounds which are either real or computer generated. The street scene in my example is particularly effective.

More at http://www.dchooidoodles.com/

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Cavelo (revised 2015)

 

1

Cavelo might justly be described as the 'giant' of our 'C's. His work is highly regarded and there are plenty of examples in circulation on the web. His images depict a wide spectrum of bondage, torture and other fetish subjects in a variety of different settings. This military 'interrogation' by him is a good example. It succeeds in creating a genuine sense of struggle with a simple, easily comprehended torture mechanism (more severe than it seems at first sight if you take the sticks into account) and a pair of tormentors who are seen to be actively involved with their prisoner, not just standing and watching. By keeping them clothed in their military uniforms, Cavelo points out that they are agents of a powerful, impersonal and intransigent organisation and consequently the plight of the totally defenceless prisoner at their hands is quite hopeless. It's a theme that runs through his work.

There is only the faintest suggestion that these captors may be personally, sexually interested, via some interesting shapes in their camouflage, but you can see the 'rope puller' is more focussed on the reactions of the captive to his pain than the tenderised meat drawn up before him. His sight-line reinforces the downward slope of the captive's body and draws attention on the prisoner's face emphasising his distress and predicament. In a way this lessens the erotic impact of the picture, although there's no question that this is intended as erotica if you examine the sensuous treatment of the captive's subtly-engorged organs.

Cavelo's eroticism here is not so much 'hidden' as 'disguised' (click on the label below for other articles about hidden eroticism). This may simply reflect the censorship regime of it's time. In the 1980's restrictions were already beginning to collapse with changing attitudes to nudity and sex, but were also coming under further attack from publishers (like Drummer) who were trying to push the boundaries of S&M imagery as well. Playing down an explicit linkage between sadism and lust was perhaps offered as a quid pro quo. Or perhaps it is a reflection of Cavelo's own values, that the erotic is meant to be understated or not of primary importance,

2

This depiction of a mass punishment is an unusual and imaginative subject. Normally fetish images with multiple captives set out to show the variety of different strokes available for different folks. This is a far more focussed image and shows Cavelo's interest in the psychology of torture and not just the mechanics of it. The prisoners here are lined up to witness the punishment of their buddy but their clothing, prepared in identical fashion tells us unambiguously that they will be suffering exactly the same treatment themselves, when their turn comes (or have already depending how you read the picture). Cavelo uses the sardine-like crowding together of the prisoners to emphasis their powerlessness and unimportance as individuals. The extreme muscularity of their attacker underlines his total power over them.

Once again the erotic element of this picture is played down with a row of mostly flaccid organs, and to some extent the violence is too, with the current victim only partly visible at the edge of the picture as though to suggest that his punishment is only a contributory detail of the picture, not it's subject. Only he shows any arousal, but we do not know whether that is the cause of his punishment or a consequence of it.

Both these pictures come from a collection used for a story called 'Camp Alpha'. I don't have a copy of it but the pictures seem to have been assembled together rather than specifically drawn for the story line. The guards are seen wearing a variety of different military uniforms including modern fatigues, Nazi blacks, and Foreign Legion. The captives in the picture above don't seem to be wearing any uniform at all.

Cavelo has a distinctive approach to figure drawing which combines two contrasting styles. Naked parts of the body are drawn with complex, highly detailed, almost anatomical musculature, usually rendered in dark tones with carefully graduated shading and bright highlights. Clothed parts of the body are outlined and detailed with fine lines drawn with the economical precision of a well-trained graphic artist and these parts appear much lighter. As can be seen in the example above, this draws attention to the flesh and muscular definition and indeed this technique seems to be borrowed in part from the presentation practices of the Body Builders circuit, involving fake tans and baby oil. However, removed from this context it tends to make the prisoners look unnaturally dark-skinned and healthy.

3

This is a fairly well known spanking picture and remarkably powerful considering how little is actually going on. The impact flows from initially from the evident efforts of the tied up, young athlete to escape from his tethering and gagging, which is clearly as unexpected as it is unwelcome. The nature of his binding has a spontaneous, improvised quality that perfectly chimes with the implied situation of the coach finally running out of patience. As in the last picture the victim is only partly visible, in this picture the cut-off has the effect of assisting the perspective, bringing him closer to us. We can just see his tackle, slightly aroused, but again we don't know if that is a result of feeling the paddle, anticipating it or the cause of his punishment.

The dark shading of the coaches skin accentuates his prominent veins, indicative of exceptional lean muscularity, but in this image his skin is much darker than his trainee's and this somehow seems to appropriate to their difference in build and ages too. He contemplates his handiwork with obvious satisfaction and this time Cavelo offers several clues to his sexual state:- the part-opened jeans, the hand in pocket and carefully-positioned paddle. The slightly sinister sun-glasses make you wonder if this situation is less spontaneous than it appears.

4

Cavelo's interest in clothing goes beyond modern day dress and he indulges this in a lot of globe-trotting and historical scenarios which make for some spectacular imagery as in this scene set in a Japanese mansion or palace where a naked, muscular western captive is being beaten, watched by two notables whose rank is evidenced by the exaggerated shoulders of their 'kataginu' gowns and their swords. Cavelo uses cropping to further good effect here, enhancing the drama and sense of movement in the picture

The fine, delicate quality of Cavelo's outer detailing seems particularly appropriate for this Far Eastern scenario but I'm not sure the blocked-in central figure works that well considering he is the focus of the drawing in every respect. Cavelo's technique here doesn't communicate a great deal of clarity about what his body actually looks like - even allowing for the fact that he is upside down (which always causes visual confusion). The dark shading gives the skin a strange 'plastic' appearance and the broken patterning somehow breaks up and obscures the overall body shape - exactly like a camouflage pattern does - so there's not a lot to lust over other than his general predicament.

Technique aside, there's a powerful supplementary psychological overlay at work here in the meeting of two cultures where the Westerner who intrudes and offends is brutally punished like a common criminal despite the civilised sophistication and might of the nation which stands behind him.

There is an interesting resemblance too between this image and those of Tagame which is due in part to the setting of course, but the upside-down suspension and public beating is also typical of that artist's work. Not so the build of the victim which in truth is a little glamourised for the period portrayed.

 

5

This is not a very good quality image but I have included it for it's amazing drama, set this time in Indian Territory in North America where three cowboys have been readied for torture by Native American captors. Their naked suspension, stretched between two posts is pretty original, exposing them to attack as completely as it is possible to do. Raising them several feet clear of the ground emphasises their vulnerability even more, it also renders escape virtually impossible and creates a dramatic spectacle of their punishment.

The idea of grouping the three men closely together, two of them even sharing a post between them forces them to witness their companions suffering and anticipate their own. Cavelo has created overlapping patterns of out-flung limbs and upright posts which form a miniature arena in which the captors prowl wreaking revenge as they see fit. The sinuous curves of the trees chosen to make the posts with their stubs of cut off branches lend an air of desolation to the scene, like the remains of a forest ravaged by fire. It is all quite nightmarish. There's an ironic echo of those terrible uprights in the majestic pillars of the beautiful but bleak wilderness around them, it is a brilliant, artistic embellishment, a touch of class.

 

Cavelo has borrowed his concept here from the pulp literature illustration above, but has made significant alterations which elevate an already great concept to a higher level and it is superbly realised. I would dearly like to present a better reproduction here - any offers?

 6

In this Western scene there's a much more direct contact between the captor and prisoner. A great deal of the drama comes from the impressive frame Cavelo has constructed to restrain the cowboy and he really looks as if he is hanging from it and suffering some discomfort from the tugging on his genitals too. The provision of a foot bar for him to stand on allows his body to arch forward erotically but seems improbable and over-staged. Cavelo's characterisation of the native Americans is a bit glossy, too, they look altogether too pretty and well dressed which diminishes their menace considerably. 

The clinical precision of his technique is visually gratifying, it's a very attractive picture but it doesn't really do full justice to the gravity of the situation depicted. This is quite a good example of the plasticising effect of the body shading, I guess you either like it or you don't. There is a good balance however between the foreground and the lighter background and the texturing of the tee-pees is very stylish.

7

One of Cavelo's most notable works is the set of about 50 illustrations he did for a Zeus comic book based loosely around the myth of the labours of Hercules and recounting a supposed 9th labour to obtain the loincloth of the King of the Manazons. The image above shows one of the many ordeals Hercules has to undergo and there are other very imaginative and well drawn episodes. In fact it works better as a set than as individual drawings. In this example you can see straight away that Cavelo ha

s trimmed the detail to suit the publishing requirements but there's also a sense in which the image on it's own is somehow lacking in context. The head of the King in the foreground, the character jerking off in the background, both seem significant but we can't really tell from the picture what exactly is going on. It's the text and the flow of the other pictures that makes it all clear of course.

In this example Cavelo's distinctive style (for me) overpowers his subject matter. Hercules is shown with very dark skin colouring, focussing our attention on him, but the shading is so dense that it brings the figure forward visually and detaches it from the rest of the composition. The other lightly sketched figures to the side are visually pushed aside and the sense of them standing around Hercules watching him suffer is lost. It doesn't help that Hercules is looking at us not them. Fortunately our brains are able to use the relative figure sizes to redress the balance once the scene has been fully taken in.

It could justifiably be counter-argued that this artistic treatment elevates Hercules out of the mundane brutality of his torture and into a god-like detachment along the lines of traditional depictions of Christian martyrdom. That's OK, but for me it leaves a nagging impression of the picture being unfinished.

8

There's certainly no attempt here to airbrush away the suffering of the captive in his plight. This young soldier has an attraction that is not fixed in the era of the Vietnam War as defined by the glimpse of his captor, but spans the decades to the present day (paradoxically reminding us that perceptions of barbaric cruelty in our opponents are nothing new - see also my A-Z articles on The Hun and JAD).

This detail shows Cavelo's strengths as an illustrator, the ability to to depict a handsome, characterful and very expressive,face in a few economical lines is a rare accomplishment. Notice the outrageously simple rendering of the ear for example. The complex contours of the side of the cheeks and neck are deftly captured with subtle blocks of shading and with this treatment it retains it's unity and graceful shaping. By contrast, the sharp delineation of muscles in the man's torso and particularly in the upraised, nearer arm don't convey the same sense of unity, volume or shape.

9

This image has a similar degree of conviction, expressing the extremity of the torture by the contortions of the captive's body this time rather than his face. The sentiment is rammed home by the seeming indifference of everyone witnessing it, including his fellow prisoner in the background.

This prisoner is adorned with body hair suggesting added maturity and strength. It underlines his helpless humiliation, forced to bow his head to a young zealot of different persuasions. There's clearly a sexual dimension to his humbling too, but it is expressed in the most indirect manner - by his open mouth and his kneeling position between the open legs of his captor - whose depiction I fancy is also showing a hint of arousal via the shaping of his rolled back sleeve. Hidden eroticism doesn't come much cleverer than this (click label below for other examples).

10

My final example is of another of Cavelo's recurring themes, The Inquisition. Historical dramas have traditionally made a good disguise for homo-erotic S&M, but the Inquisition had a unique reputation for the single-minded pursuit of recantation and conversion through unspeakable cruelty. It's proponents targeted specific individuals (rather than representatives of a race or an army as was the case in the images above) making their attentions all the more terrifying for the isolated victim. Any imagery showing the Inquisition thus automatically acquires an aura of horrific anticipation and fearfulness.

Cavelo captures that sense of terror in the victim rather well and surrounds him with a gang of gleeful, sadistic persecutors awaiting their turn and a couple of calculating priests directing operations. They are all equally indifferent to his humanity and all directed and authorised by faceless, distant law makers who cannot be appealed to directly or persuaded. With the physical torture removed, this is a scenario most of my readers will relate to quite strongly I imagine. It does not help our victim that his tormentors are enviably masculine and erotically gleaming with the sweat of their exertions for - as in the previous image - there are clearly sexual motivations at work here. These are expressed most obviously by the captive's forced open legs and the tethering of his private parts for some punishment undefined, but perhaps related to the fiery basket in the foreground.

More subtly, the captive's right hand seems to be reaching behind in the general direction of one of his tormentors attractively packaged groin, as though seeking to win him over in the traditional way of gay men. However the cylindrical object offered up to his grasp is not a comforting physical appendage but a burning candle intended to punish that hand for it's sinful gropings.

There's another interesting detail on his other side where one of the Priests is reaching out to touch the captive's body. Judging by the point of contact these pair might perhaps be discussing the stigmata of Christ and it's theological relevance when selecting points of torture for the wretched victim. Or perhaps it's just a hypocritical, comforting hand. Then again it might simply represent a Priest's furtive, salacious enjoyment of the trembling and convulsing of his doomed victim's naked body.

For me historical imagery tends to lack immediacy and modern relevance, which I regard as a pre-requisite if erotica is to work it's dark magic on us. It's hard to get worked up about someone who would have lived and died centuries back. This example is more ambiguous than some since the costumes we can see are equally appropriate to modern times. You can also re-imagine the scene as a modern day film set where the actor playing the captive is the only one who didn't know that the director was aiming at extreme realism for torture and subsequent scenes. For this 'Stephen King' reading of the image, any lapses in historical realism are unimportant, in fact they are advantageous, serving to convey the frightening, underlying reality.

Cavelo's heyday was circa 1978-85 when a good deal of his work was published by Zeus and Drummer. I believe he was still producing stuff quite recently through his fan club (see below) but he doesn't have a very visible, organised web presence (see The Mystery of Cavelo)

(Note: This article was completely rewritten in Nov 2015)

 

There's an interesting biographical note on Cavelo at Boomer's beefcake and bonding (!)

Cavelo used to have a fans group on Yahoo but that's gone now.

Any information on it's whereabouts would be welcome.

Click on the A-Z label below for more articles in this series

or you can consult my index page (tab at top) or use the search options here.

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Cadete

Cadete is known for his photo manipulations but has also done artwork which I have included because I like the way he depicts handsome male heroes in bondage, helpless in the grip of evil villains. It must be said there isn't a great variety in his pictures and the style is very simple but no less effective for that.

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - 'C' of Sweden

'C' of Sweden depicts spanking scenes. Spanking as a 'mitchmen' fetish is primarily about domination, submission and humiliation - men on men and that is what I enjoy in 'C's pictures. He normally portrays the subject in a serious, almost non-sexual way. The participants are often fully clothed (save for the recipients bottom perhaps) and sexual organs are hardly ever shown. This does not eliminate the erotic appeal of course. The use of clothing gives the characters an identity and helps provide a narrative for the picture. Indeed partly removed clothing (as in the illustration) is often more erotic than nudity.

My only caveat is that 'C' often uses historical settings with characters wearing moustaches and/or elaborate costumes - these pictures don't work so well for me.

*
'C' employs a variety of styles ranging from simple line drawings (as illustrated) to highly detailed pictures reminiscent of lithographed Edwardian cartoons

(highly appropriate to this rather archaic sport!).

He also does more artful pictures shaped with shading and toning rather than lines.

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - The Letter 'C'

C is for :- 'C' of Sweden, Cadete, Cavelo, Chooi, Chris (Musclemaxx) and Copper.
.

Cyrano - St Andrews Crucifixion

I have omitted from this list Cyrano who specialises in crucifixion and mutilation scenes drawn in a fairly naive style. Cyrano's drawings are interesting and provocative. His style closely resembles that of Mahoney
(is it the same person? Info from readers welcome).

Cervone - Slave Train

Another notable artistic omission is Cervone, but despite some memorable images most of his work is non-fetish (slave train above being a notable exception) otherwise he would certainly be included.

Colt - From Manpower

Colt (alias Luger alias Jim French) was an even more difficult choice. I admire tremendously his lush, semi-photographic style. His pictures are loaded with masculinity and suggestions of submission and domination (which is the essence of the 'mitchmen' world). Colt's phallic stool legs were something of a trademark and provided a hidden erotic message when the pictures were doctored for publication by clothing offending organs. For initiates of course, the barely visible chain links and dripping glass conjure up even more provocative ideas!

All of these artists are likely to get their own article in due course.
(this article revised, March 2015)

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below.

In Praise of Jock Straps - A Selection Of Mitchells Jock Art

Naturally my fascination with men in Jock Straps (see previous posting) is reflected in my own drawings and I've attached a selection here. I put my pencil where my mouth is!

I was quite shaken when at the age of 18, I was told by an older work colleague that Jock straps were standard issue in the British Army at one time. My imagination ran riot over the possibilities should a young soldier ever be captured - see below for example featuring a GI captured in the jungle.

(from Mitchell's Series: 'The Lost Patrol')
.

Being educated at a rugby-playing school I was already fascinated by the
strong thighs and rounded buttocks developed by players straining in the scrum.

What better display for them than the straps of a jock?

(Picture below from Mitchell's Story - 'The Strange Case of Manley RFC')

Of course the simplest attraction of the jock is the fact that only the genitals are covered.

Even 'dressed' the wearer is vulnerable to a predator.
(Picture below from Mitchell's 'Inspired by Tom' Series)

And scrumming leaves rugby players vulnerable in other ways too!

(picture below from Mitchell's story 'The Strange Case of Manley RFC')

 

All the pictures here and others like them can be seen in the Galleries at my Yahoo Group

which is also called 'mitchmen' . The link and more info can be found in the side bar.

  for other gay art by Mitchell at mitchmen blog click on the 'mitchpix' label below

In Praise of ......... JockStraps

I know that not every man will share this view,
but I have a firm belief that jock straps look great - but only on big men.
When slim lads like the guys above wear them they just don't work.
.

The guy above looks better but is really still too thin
for that chunky waistband.

No, a thick trunk is needed to stretch the waistband so the proportions look right.

 

Obviously the more stuff you can get in the pouch, the better. 

There's an added frisson that comes from evidence of maturity.....

.....but given the right build,
youth itself is not an impediment to the erotic exploitation of the garment



The requirement for shapely bulk is also true of the rear view.



The buttocks should bulge out over the leg straps
like they were a restraining harness.
.

Finally they should not be pristine white. I'm not into excessive soiling, but clothes that have been worn mould to the body in a most sensual way. Jockstraps need lots of washing to achieve that state because they are made to be strong with thick material. But it's worth the wait while they soften.
You can't beat a big man in a jock! 

(revised Feb 2017, Jul 2018)

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Best of the letter 'B'

Picking out my favourite in the letter 'B' category is tough - there are several artists that excite me here so I know my choice is going to be somewhat arbitrary.

If I were making my choice on drawing style and sensuality it would have to be Blake - I love how he draws his beleaguered men - but the subject matter is just too hard for me. I feel the same about Bastille's sleazy orgies though I admire his intelligent artistry.

I like the inventiveness of Bishop's bondage positions but the female nuances in his figures kill the fantasy. Belasco's hard black and white style reminds me of the war story comic books of my youth and fills his stories with action and drama but somehow the sensuality and interest isn't quite there in individual frames - I can't put my finger on exactly why.

That leaves us with Boundex and Brick - both use cartoon styles so we are not really talking about sensuality here (apart from Boundex's shiny buttocks whose charms are not inconsiderable!). For me the main attractions in the work of these two artists are the depiction of male bondage itself, the use of clothing which creates a connection with the real world and the story-telling. It's a hard choice but Brick just edges it for me because his men have just a touch more realism and his pictures are more varied in subject matter with rather more going on in them. So Brick joins Amir in my personal Hall of Fame!

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Brick (revised 2019)

 

Brick's subject matter usually shows men held in detention and subjected to various indignities (and occasionally much worse!). His captives are often hyper-masculine with big, muscular and very hairy bodies. He makes their maltreatment as humiliating as possible. For such a beast to be carried around while naked and helplessly trussed is a simple but powerful example. This image showing a kidnapped cop being transported naked between punishments stokes the erotic imagination very nicely!

'Rookie Cop' starring the unlucky Officer Ricci, was one of the products of Brick's extended collaboration with writer 'Boi Bill' aka Steve McHalperin. If you search Brick's work you'll also find images he produced for other stories by the same author 'Brick and The Mad Scientists' and 'Russian Reform School' (RRS).

Brick - Military Trainer

 Those of you who have read my articles drooling over military shorts won't be surprised to see this example of Brick's work here. Brick has an eye for sexy clothing. The bulging hairy thighs are just part of this man's armoury of intimidation. This is a detail of a larger image showing two naked grunts, with one transporting the other in a cage.

Brick - Come In

Another hunk being carried. In this image Brick blends the menace of Military authority with the more sinister undertones of rubber wear. We get a glimpse of what awaits the cute captive inside. The gagged and blindfolded victim is only able to guess, but at least he gets the comfort of human contact while he's on his way.

Brick - RSS Trolley

This prisoner doesn't even have that. The are similar elements at work in this picture but Brick's imagination has taken flight with the prisoners intimidating garb and transportation arrangements. If you've ever had a fight with a supermarket trolley you might wonder if this 3-wheeler would make the porter's life any easier. It's apparent instability may be part of the prisoner's ordeal of course, but I think we can assume that there's  a hidden plug to prevent him toppling off. I imagine most men in a captivity situation might take some persuading to provide enough dick for a decent grip.



Brick also uses the threat of what is about to happen in this picture, it's being revealed to one horrified captive and demonstrated to his comrade who is the next man in line. The array of implements on the shelves behind them hint of much more to come for them. I wonder whose shorts are they? The yellow shirt hints that these two have just arrived from the normal world outside - their captors garb suggests they might be a pair of hapless hikers who took the wrong path. Brick places his characters in locations so that the viewer can imagine a story not just the enactment of a fetish.

Brick - No Eye Witness

This picture perhaps answers the question about the red shorts and reveals more about the nature of the prisoners ordeal. A paddling is about to resume after being interrupted by a breakage which tells us the punishment is heavy and protracted. Notice the pink highlight in an unexpected place on the prisoner's torso. The captor's uniforms tells us that this is an institutional process, impersonal and unstoppable. Being forced to wear brief red shorts (like the rubber gear in the trolley picture above) is part of the process of compelling submission. The row of rubber-shrouded prisoners parked behind makes it clear that paddling will not be the end of the story for this prisoner.

We're back with the Kidnapped Cop here. He's being stored and punished in a glass box barely big enough to contain him. The holes in the lid and drain tube at the bottom hint at some sort of  watery ordeal in the offing. For me however Brick's image brings out most convincingly the sheer humiliation of a strong man being compelled to accept degrading treatment. In other images by Brick the punishment boxes take the form of cages, fridges, hot cabinets and even ovens.

Brick - Precinct 69, Crime Hurts

Humiliation is also the name of the game here. Bricks men are always tied up, even when being marched around and the bondage here is designed to make walking difficult and undignified. The prisoners are not even allowed to clean themselves in this prison. The non-conformist hairstyle hints at a reason for this man's detention, it's rather more subtle than simply being punished for being hunky or being a cop.

This picture sums up many of the qualities I have mentioned above, hunky men, humiliating transport, sexy clothing, painful punishment and loss of identity in a pseudo-institutional process.

~

Brick's pictures look like coloured cartoons which gives a sense of lightness and humour, but the underlying subject matter is not funny at all. You might guess that his Eastern European background influences what he draws. The pictures have an uncanny power to make you linger and fantasise about what is happening. Their effect is lifted by the details of the faces, body hair, clothing etc. It's more varied and sophisticated than mere cartoon imagery. He's been described by his collaborator as labouring endlessly over his pictures, we can all be grateful for the results.

(Updated Jan 2019)

~

More Brick at mitchmen: Brick and the Mad Scientists , New pictures by Brick notice

Brick is an elusive artist on the web, he has no website of his own as far as I know, nor even a favourite posting place since Greasetank's demise and his name is not as unusual as you might imagine in gay circles! He has recently (2022) produced a number of new Slave Academy images which you can see at Metalbond and there's now a good collection there if you search on his name. I have also produced an Index of these 2022 Brick new releases.

You should be able to find more at GMBA (current link is at the foot of the right sidebar if it's been zapped again by Google since i wrote this).

For other A-Z's click on the label below or visit my artist index page in the tabs at the top.

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - Boundex

T
he Art of Boundex typically shows images of men, often skinhead types,
who have been tightly tied up, gagged and suspended.

Sometimes they are depicted in skinhead clothing - Adidas tee shirts and jeans - but often they are clad in tight fitting lycra or shiny rubber suits which are depicted in a sensual way and create a strange effect of nakedness and vulnerability whilst clothed. These male bondage situations are bought to life by little side comments or exclamations muffled through gags conjuring up fantasies of revenge, abduction and punishment very much in the 'mitchmen' style.

Boundex's style of drawing is very simple and often all that can be seen of the faces is wild, fearful eyes but the overall effect is strangely erotic - particularly when paddles hover over the shiny rubber clad buttocks of the helpless captive men.

For more examples visit http://boundex.net/

Mitchell's picture 'Captive US Sailor'

Though stripped of his uniform and tightly bound,
 he is still proud and unbowed.

Even his abductors admire his manliness and beauty.

A perfect hostage with which to work.

______

This image is not part of one of my stories, just a study of male bondage

It features of some of my favourite 'mitchmen' motifs

- tight ropes, a muscular body and a handsome face -

Mitchell's A to Z of Fetish Artists - R J Blake (revised 2019)

RJ Blake - Nut Grappling

Much of R J Blake's work is not for the faint hearted, but his depictions of men are excellent. Square jawed and rugged, with muscular bodies sporting just enough hair, they are superbly masculine and sexy. In the example shown above a man grapples with a restrained captive in an encounter bristling with passion and danger. Faint details hint at other ideas and elaborations discarded or left unsaid.
A good example of his style.

(All the picture titles in this article have been assigned by me)

RJ Blake - Restrained Man

The craggy face and hairy torso of this man recalls Palanca's Latino men but there's none of their cheerfulness and fun in this picture. This character studies his own erection as though it were a source of discomfort rather than pleasure. His tousled, dangling hair suggests involvement in sweaty action which has yet to reach it's climax. The disappearing arms suggest his hands are tied, telling us he is not in control of the situation and creating a very open pose which highlights the vulnerability of that formidable organ.

RJ Blake - Deflated

Whilst Blake has a talent for portraying mature men, he's equally adept at depicting younger ones. There's a similar sense of dismay in this man's face, underlined by his drooping quiff which is matched by an equally drooping (and lovingly detailed) cock. Although the cause of his deflation is unseen we can see that his wrists are bound together behind his back, a simple restraint that renders him totally defenceless, masculinity tamed.

RJ Blake - Tight

A different take on youthfulness here. This man's neatly coiffured head hair and faint 'designer' chin stubble would give him a sophisticated, worldly look when fully clothed. Stripped of that a fleshiness and prolific body hair is revealed, a quite different, 'untamed' look that calls out for correction. (Similar qualities can be seen in seemingly related figure featured in the preview for this revised article),

The bondage here is cruelly tight, strangulating even in places - but the young man's libido is clearly not intimidated by it, unlike his predecessor above. Some folk do this for fun! There's the faintest suggestion that Blake considered a noose-like extension as well, but he's clearly less interested in the mechanics of the rope above the waist. I cannot work out exactly what is happening at the back of his neck, is that a hand reaching in?

This image showing just the head and front of the torso is typical of much of Blake's work concentrating totally on the focus of his interest. Where a fuller body view is shown, as in 'Deflated' above, it's liable to be bare outlines outside the key erotic area. 

RJ Blake - Whipped

Whips are often perceived as punishing the victim with cuts and skin pain like spanking. In this image Blake captures the full, jarring, smack of the lash and shows the captive's physical and erotic response. He shows little interest in other elements of the scene - he barely hints at the prisoner's restraint and shows nothing of his attacker. 

For once the captive is shown clothed (well partly). This is an army uniform and that's one of the few forms of clothing Blake ever shows*. Although he was still publishing work as recently as 2010, he was most active in the 70's in the wake of Vietnam, Korea and WWII, so this military interest (sometimes overtly depicting POW tortures) is not entirely surprising. His pictures were published in Drummer at that time but there's little sense of a controlled S&M leather dungeon ritual in them. It's uncomfortably real sometimes.

  (*There is actually a hint of sagging trouser showing in the first image of this article but it's clearly not an important detail to the artist).

RJ Blake - Hooked

There's an even sharper focus on the prisoner's feelings in this image. Probably not a fishing accident! It's a beautiful study of action and reaction. The tension in the cord finds a direct echo in the corded veins of the subject's neck. His knotted brows and rivulets of perspiration underline his efforts to endure the pain and threat of injury in a calm, manly fashion, as befits his handsome features. Even the spiky-looking body hair seems to speak of inner stress. The characteristic quiff and curled hair at the nape of the neck form the ends of a curve that pulls his head down towards the wicked, tugging hook. The overall look of this image reminds me very much of the work of Rex.

Blake's wispy, insubstantial lines contribute a nightmarish, 'is-this-really-happening?' flavour to his pictures and you can glimpse it here, but in other examples it's neutralised or lost altogether by well-meaning but clumsy contrast and sharpening enhancements, driven mainly by the limitations of viewing art on modern monitor screens. There's a prime example below.

RJ Blake - Tension

Blake elaborates on the hooking theme here, possibly inspired by the ritual suspension scene in the 1970 movie 'A Man Called Horse'.  Indeed, the less defined detail suggests this could be an example of a Native American 'trial by fire', which is another of Blake's areas of interest. (see also Sergey)

His depictions frequently show men throwing off copious bodily juices (of all descriptions) in their plight. This is a foretaste of Mike Carcel's modern day obsessions, although the frenetic struggling shown here is at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum from the eerie, disturbing, calm resignation that pervades Carcel's images - victims and persecutors alike.

RJ Blake - Sulky

 I'm closing with this, almost vanilla piece, partly for underwear fans, who get two for the price of one if you look closely, but also because it's an image that reads quite differently when you understand Blake's motivations and dark intentions. I can't show examples of his more demanding pictures in this forum but suffice to say that they usually involve sharp implements more than they do rope. In Blake's imagination, this innocent-looking young man, who is probably a soldier and probably a captive, faces that fate. His sober face and bulging underpants present a Ying and Yang of anxiety and excitement. 

RJ Blake - Riding The Samurai Wedge

Blake's art with it's economical subject matter and sketchy style is at the opposite end of the artistic spectrum to someone like Homoeros, although they tread similar paths. Blake pushes the boundaries of S&M in the same discomforting way that Dante did. His heroes are attractively drawn and oozing with masculine qualities that almost define 'homoerotic'. That makes even his least fetish-y pictures well worth a look.. 

Having said that, it's hard to find even innocuous examples of his work on the web. I can only direct you to the good old stalwart GMBA which seems to have resurfaced from a period of suspension by Google. Ask there if you can't find anything listed (the archives get zapped from time to time). The latest link I have for GMBA (it moves around sometimes) is in the sidebar towards the bottom.

This article was expanded and revised in March 2019 (ref1407) 

 For other A-Z articles click on the label below or visit my index of artists