Leather Sex Appeal - 9

When leather and fashion thinking collide the result is not necessarily pretty.

Fortunately the model is, so we can overlook the 'Gladiator' style briefs and focus on the juicy muscularity and cute man-boy face. A case of one stud is enough.

Leather Sex Appeal - 8

In today's picture the amount of leather gear on display is challenging my 'more is less' guideline and it's been posted a lot on various blogs this year, but the image is so sexy I could hardy leave it out.

Muir Caps are tricky garments. You need the right shape of face and the right degree of butchness to wear them this way. This chap gets away with it and the cap sits nicely above those wonderful sticky out ears!

Caps like this are normally part of a uniform and look odd on a naked body, undermining the authority associations and emphasising the loss of clothing, the exposure of the ordinary man beneath.

A 'strong vs vulnerable' ambiguity pervades this picture. The hairy, muscular body (wonderful thighs!) radiates power and masculinity - the bands strapped round the arms emphasise this characteristic nicely. I'm not so sure about the body harness, it suits him but does it signify restrained strength - or submissive captivity? The rake of the cap over the eyes is self consciously cute and the coy, teasing way he slips the jock down is completely at odds with the power imagery. Maybe that's why he looks so lovable!

Leather Sex Appeal - 7

Another example of less is more.

The firm looking cup and the slender straps cutting under the thighs suggest restraint and containment rather than comfort and support.

Leather Sex Appeal - 6

A good leather man can make even Gloves seem menacing, as though the hands become transformed, hardened by the outer shield.

When it comes to leather I'm a great believer in the dictum, 'less is more' and I've tried to select pictures that reflect that. This man wears only gloves and G-string but there isn't any lessening of the intimidating 'leather aura'.

There is more leather in my current series at mitchmen (Yahoo) see sidebar

Leather Sex Appeal - 5

Collars are erotic emblems of submission and belonging,
but padlocks and gags symbolise domination and control.
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This gag is particularly effective because it gives a sense of the bulky plug within
but the captive's face is not distorted by it nor his expression hidden.

His poignant appeal for release is plain to see.

Picture courtesy of Mr S Leather

Leather Sex Appeal - 4

I'm dubious about the idea of slavery in S&M,
but a handsome man newly tamed by a collar is highly erotic.
 

Aficionados may complain about his highly styled hair
but it's a detail that can easily put right when he acquires a Master
and begins to be taught the ways of leather men.

Mitchell's leather themed picture story, 'The Legend of The Path of Pain'
can be viewed at the mitchmen club at Adonis Male (see Gallery Hub tab for link).

Leather Sex Appeal - 3

An image from the 80's also attempts to connect leather to cool fashion
 but it's still sexy despite - or perhaps because of - the naivety.
These guys are in for a shock when they enter the leather den.
But sure of a warm welcome.

Leather Sex Appeal - 2

This outfit is ideal for a novice seeking acceptance.
He'll be able to wear long trousers when he's proved himself.
But it looks like there's a bit of attitude needing adjustment first.
Luckily he's brought his own correction belt.

Mitchell is a long time fan of shorts in combination with generous thighs.

Leather Sex Appeal - 1

To accompany my new mitchmen series 'The Path of Pain'

An example of a regular looking guy
transformed into sexy leather man.
for his induction into the society..

The Legend of The Path of Pain

Mitchell's new story, 'The Legend of the Path of Pain' is set in the world of Leather and S&M.

Marlon Brando - The Wild One

Brando's images in the 1950's (see attached PP00a) are often credited with originating the link between leather and illicit forms of sex but the connections with S&M, motorcycling, Hell's Angels etc. go back a lot further than his films. Today, leather retains these attractive, ancient associations with animal strength, masculinity, independent rebelliousness and danger and it isn't surprising that it became linked with S&M, the domain of sex with claws.

Tom of Finland - Kake the Intruder

The leather drawings of Tom of Finland feature a confident and sexually aggressive leatherman 'Kake'. The image attached (PP00b), in which Kake gatecrashes a young man's session with his porn mags and treats him to the real thing is a universal 'rescue' fantasy (dressed up with a 'conversion' twist).

Rex - Leatherman

Rex's famous image for Drummer (PP00c) seems to epitomise the idealistic, God-like attractions - and dangers - of such men.

Mitchell's new story is set against this background, a world of leather with demanding sexuality and ancient values. It describes what happens when fantasy collides with the real world. To see the pictures you need to join Mitchell's 'mitchmen' Yahoo Group (see sidebar)

Mitchell's Leather Gods Story

The next series of pictures and story by Mitchell will begin at the Yahoo Group (see sidebar on how to join for free) in the next day or so and run over Christmas and the New Year. It has a leather theme and is entitled 'The Legend of The Path of Pain'. It tells the story of a group of men who band together to share their love of S&M but discover through various trials and tribulations that they share something far greater.

Mitchell's Bondage Furniture Series

Mitchell - The High Chair

I have just added some new items to my Bondage Furniture series which explores the beauty of the male in restraint and tension. The High Chair (above) was number one and is still one of my personal favourites.

You can find the complete set of pictures at the mitchmen Yahoo group.

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - My Favourite 'K'

It's my custom to select a favourite artist from each letter based on consideration of fetish content, technical skill, sensuality and story-telling. The letter K has interesting candidates. 

 

Kent's artistry and fetish content is powerful but doesn't spark fantasies within me in the same way as Kok and Kai's equally accomplished work. Klaus von Brandenburg also has great fetish content and story lines to fantasise over but somehow his heroes lack personality and the static situations don't work for me. Kirwan's fetish diversity is amazing and full of observation and humour, but is it sexy? Kuchar and Kalabro's work is interesting for presenting the male body in slightly distorted way which accentuates it's sexuality. If Kuchar's subject matter were a touch less frivolous he'd be amongst my front runners here. 

 

 Kalabro - Electrocution Proof

But really there is only one possible winner for me and that is Kalabro. His work has sense of drama and action which none of the other contenders come close to. To do this without losing sexiness is quite an achievement (just think how most action hero comics fall tantalisingly short of being sexy, Kalabro doesn't!). The marriage of cute faces and strangely beautiful, angular limb shapes overcomes the absence of sensuality in skin tones and musculature. His subject matter is daring technically and explores dark, dangerous scenarios but keeps on the right side of the 'forbidden' line for me - but I guess that's a matter of taste.

Visit Kalabro's blog at The Erotic Art of Kalabro

Links to other artists can be found in the individual articles

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Mike Kuchar

Every so often a cartoonist manages to create a caricature which is sexy despite it's humorous essence. Mike Kuchar's men are long limbed and slender with pert bottoms and well defined muscularity but they often seem to exude an air of casual clumsiness and sexual naivety like the adolescent whose body is outgrowing his brain.

Kuchar - Sailor's Tattoo

The faces of the sailors have big 'baby' eyes which contrast with their very grown up bulky jaws, thick necks and broken noses. Their facial expressions suggest one of them is more naïve than the other.

Kuchar - Three Captives

Three captives from the Buccaneers series show the same effect in a different way, the slouched bodies and prominent stomachs, even the flaccid organs suggest resignation and a lack of energy, but there's a sort of animal grace in the lean muscularity and the straight-legged pose which accentuates their buttocks. There are plenty of older men in his pictures but they seem to be just as vulnerable and confused as the younger ones - look at the facial expressions in whipping (below) - they both seem surprised - but not very much!

Kuchar - Whipping

Kuchar has a keen eye for the more subtle essences of maleness, the facial and body features mentioned above but also the accentuated nipples and navels and the smatterings of hair on face and body. I particularly like the younger man's face in the whipping scene from Buccaneers. The economical, unfussy style gives these figures a degree of sensuality which is only held in check by the caricaturing of their bodies.
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Kuchar - Crucifixion (detail)
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The final picture (from the series 'And still they come') is more representational - and a good deal less frivolous - but, interestingly, the victims seem equally resigned to their fate. There's a neat flavour of 'buddies sharing misfortune' here, but it's daring and challenging to show it in a static picture. The dramatic upward-looking viewpoint here is quite impressive.

Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA or Gaytoons will turn up more examples. I'd welcome link information from readers

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kok (aka Dorus)

Willem Kok (aka Dorus) started publishing pictures at the same time Tom of Finland and Etienne were around their peak and his early work (as Dorus) shows their influence in the solid jaw lines and placing of distant, background observers for example.

 

Kok - Unzipped

Later on he evolved a more distinctive style of his own in which the skin musculature is depicted by in great detail by a delicate tracery of lines. Detailing individual muscles requires great delicacy of shading or else they become too prominent but Kok pulls it off better than most and creates the impression of a fine translucent skin through which the network of veins and flesh of the muscles can been seen.

Kok -Pin

This interest in skin seems to be reflected also in a preoccupation with shaving (of both head and body) in his later pictures. I find the end result beautiful but a little spooky. However, there is no gain-saying his technique which is formidable.

Kok - Shaving

His models are well muscled but not absurdly so, some of the faces are distinctly attractive, almost in the Harry Bush college boy vein but with fleshy lips and jutting jaws. There's a nice example at the link below. Sexual organs are well detailed but generally realistic except for a couple of Tom of Finland pastiches where crowds of young men worship at the altar of mega-penis.

The subject matter becomes quite intense in later pictures with piercing and cutting scenarios made all the more chilling by the detailed depiction of dungeons and 'operating tables' dripping with body fluids. Not for faint hearts.

There is a good introduction to Kok at Delft Boys

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's - A-Z of Fetish Artists - Klaus von Brandenburg

Klaus von Brandenburg specialises in pictures of square jawed, heroically muscular men who are tied down and being tortured. They are endowed with enormous, overflowing organs which would shame Tom of Finland and seem irresistible to the tormentors who reach out to grasp the column.

Klaus von Brandenburg - Tarzan on his way to his new home

The tortures are carried out in Police Dungeons or fictional or historical settings and he sometimes draws on stock comic book heroes for inspiration - Tarzan, Conan, Superman etc. The protagonists are sometimes surrounded by onlookers enjoying the prisoners agony or perhaps simply amused by the ingenuity of the torturers who employ a vast repertoire of devices on different parts of the body - often simultaneously.

Klaus von Brandenburg - Dungeon 6

Since the victim is naked and frequently secured in an immovable position, there is often more interest in the torture implements which are depicted in great detail and in the bystanders who are clothed and tend to have more characterful faces. Likewise the settings are carefully detailed. It's as though Klaus is more interested in the prisoner's predicament than his person.

Klaus von Brandenburg - Let us begin

The technique is unsophisticated but enthusiastic, the pictures are coloured with pencils or crayons which create a distinctive fuzzy texture and a child-like appearance quite at variance with the subject matter. The depiction of facial outlines and anatomy is cartoon-ish at times but features and musculature are shaded with great care and the artist can deal with perspective when he wants to as in Dungeon 6. The high level of detailing adds a great deal of interest to the drawings and though there is inevitably some repetition in the subject matter Klaus is always sexy and creates some memorable compositions.

See also KvB's 'Cowboy Antics' at mitchmen blog

Klaus posts regularly to GMBA (there's a link at the foot of the sidebar) 
He's also been in touch to say there is a blog with his name on but it does not belong to him.

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kirwan

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Kirwan - Something Different

I confess that when I started this section of my review, I didn't expect to be including Kirwan as a fetish artist since his efforts in this area are usually presented in a whimsical manner which doesn't exactly galvanise my eroto-meter.

Kirwan - Stable Boy

However, on reviewing my collection, I have noticed that he seems to have covered every fetish imaginable at one time or another; from ladies underwear to long johns, from spanking to golden showers, from cops to priests. So much so, that it seems perverse to overlook him.

Kirwan's strength lies in humour and caricature. I admire his ability to capture real personalities in his subjects but a lot of them seem singularly unattractive - in body and face!

Kirwan - Slow Dance

Then again some of his subjects are extremely attractive and romantic. The brightly coloured cartoon imagery belies a versatile technique that encompasses serious and sensitive subject matter. Slow Dance above is a triumph.

Kirwan - Thrashing

By contrast, the thrashing picture is exceptionally graphic and full of action and drama. His command of lighting for dramatic effect in night scenes and dimly lit places is bold and impressive and when he chooses to employ perspective effects the sense of depth is very convincing.

Michael has a website at Mike Kirwan Arts, he also posts regularly at Yahoo Groups like Gaytoons and Homoart

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Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Art - Kenya Shimizu

Kenya Shimizu is a serious artist who works in pen and ink and water colour
producing pictures which are often sexually explicit and feature fetish themes.

Kenya Shimizu - Eye of the Samurai

Like Hasegawa, he references Japanese culture and settings - for example, Samurai warriors and weapons, theatrical masks, tattoos - and of course, bondage.

Kenya Shimizu - Drops of Love

Drops of Love is one of his most memorable images, the treatment is distinctly romantic. 

Compared with Hasegawa, however, the body shown seems to be a vehicle for the art 

rather than an object of desire in it's own right.

Kenya Shimizu - Kiss of Death

The pen and ink works have more edge about them. They are authentically Japanese and highly stylised - sometimes with bold perspectives and slanted sight lines. The crowded, patterned backgrounds are interesting artistically, but compete for attention with the subject matter.

I like Shimizu's work and would happily hang some of the water colours on my wall, but find it hard to get excited about it from a fetish or erotic standpoint. It somehow lacks the darkness and challenge one normally expects from Japanese art.

There's a good selection of his work at Adonis Art of London - Kenya at Adonis Art

Note: I have listed this artist under 'K' simply because that is the first letter of his artistic name (as shown on the paintings). I use this arbitrary method to get round unravelling 'composite' names like MCarcel (Mike Carcel) and initials like 'JAD'. I confess I don't know enough about names in Japan (and Southern Hemisphere cultures generally) to identify forenames and family names either!

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kevin

Kevin is a little known artist who has produced some nice pictures featuring bondage and spanking.
.Kevin - Bound Prisoners

They are precisely drawn with body outlines firmly delineated, but but there is also nice subtlety in, for example the glass window behind the 'stud man' below.

Kevin - Stud Man

The formal poses suggest photographic sources and look a bit 'posed' but the compositions are interesting enough to repay a little study even if they don't quite match the vitality of Kent and Kalabro.

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Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) will probably turn up more examples.
I'd welcome link information from readers

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Art - Nigel Kent

Nigel Kent represents fetish with a capital 'F'. He is not a story-teller, his pictures are focussed firmly on bondage and leather presented in a very intense form.

Kent - Tattoos and thongs

The image is usually a close up view - often exquisitely detailed and the participants are smothered in ropes or thongs and the whole range of leather fetish wear, accessories and attachments. He delights in the effect of body parts bulging under the constraint of bondage ropes and strapping.

Kent - Master A

The observer is not conscious of the bodies themselves - are they muscular? hairy? - you don't really notice. Likewise the faces are usually obscured by masks or cropped by the edge of the picture so their personalities don't intrude either - it's all about the fetish and the sex. Master A shown above illustrates this in a way, but actually shows far more personality than most of Kent's subjects, both in the face and clothing.

Kent - Bodybag

Kent's technique is highly accomplished, a sort of blurry pointillism which creates marvellous texturing effects in denim and cotton garments. It contributes to the stunningly crisp detail in Master A's belt. When used for leather and skin tones the effect is less effective in representational terms but instead, imparts a slightly unreal, unfocussed appearance to the image as a whole which is quite atmospheric.

There's a bio of the artist, a short article about his technique and a selection of pictures at Nigel Kent at TOF Foundation. The Leather Archives blog also has a Nigel Kent bio. A search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) or other art groups will probably turn up more examples.

I welcome link information from readers

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Art - Kalabro

Kalabro is a most interesting artist. In the past he has labelled his pencil drawings using many names - D-extreme, Morpheus, Kal and simply 'K'. He also has collaborators who produce coloured versions of his work with their own names appended - but Kalabro's own style is unmistakeable.

Kalabro - Punish a Pledge

 

The characters in the pictures are marked out by hard muscles. Their thighs and calves are disproportionately large but grafted onto long slender legs. In action poses these bodies are quite stylish in appearance.

Kalabro - Forced March

 

He typically depicts cute and muscular young men in peril but the dangers they face are far more explicit and extreme than your average comic hero has to face! They may face assaults on their manhood (of course!), brutal punching, throttling, even drowning at the hands of massive opponents. These are subjects which are unusual in fetish art. Conveying the action of a fist fight or showing underwater scenes is difficult in drawings and I admire Kalabro's ambition tremendously - it lifts his work into a different league.

Kalabro - Tarzan Beaten

 

There is a fantastical element to all these situations and Kalabro sometimes employs stock literary characters like Tarzan, Mummies and Beast-men to add colour and embellish the drama with our shared knowledge of these beings. The Tarzan example shown here is one of his more recent works and the technique is impressive. I like these sketches which have a freshness about them which can disappear in the hard edges of neat final versions. On his blog he regularly shows the development of a picture from sketch to finished article and you can judge for yourself.

Kalabro - Ben in Peril

 

Although he clearly draws inspiration from Comic Book imagery, there is a great deal of originality and inventiveness in Kalabro's reworking of these themes into adult entertainment. 'Ben in Peril' is a good example, I have never seen this idea before. The beautiful Ben is menaced not only by the whirling propeller sucking him in but also by the possible loss of his mouthpiece and the inevitable exhaustion of the oxygen cylinders. You can conjecture for yourself how he got into this pickle and what is going on above him on the boat. If you search for Kalabro's pictures you will find his heroes in plenty of even more challenging situations!

Interestingly many of Kalabro's pictures do not depict explicit sex. The erotic intention is always apparent but it's main thrust lies in the brutal subjugation and destruction of beautiful young manhood. Not everyone's cup of tea I suppose, but in a way that's the hook, Kalabro dangles beauty in front of us and then destroys it. Or at least he pushes it to the very edge of destruction and leaves the rest to you. It's all (relatively) bloodless, certainly no worse than the average Hollywood film.

Kalabro has a good blog at The Erotic Art of Kalabro where he shares and talks about his recent work.

It's not been updated for a while and he seems to have moved to Patreon.

 

UPDATE, Feb 2022 - I have added an extension to this article with lots more pictures and an update on where you can find his art in Best of Kalabro

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!
For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kai

Makoto Kai is an accomplished draughtsman with a dark mind. This iconic rubber mask picture doesn't simply show a fetish, it explores the psychology as well without detracting from the eroticism of the picture.

Kai - Gas Masks

The hose connecting the two captives is not a new idea but the simple representation here expresses a clear relationship between them which is quite thought provoking. The technology attached to the squatting man at both ends is equally interesting, the use of the hose as a frame for the picture is intellectually pleasing - and the radioactivity warning sign shows a nice sense of humour (or if you prefer a very dark mind indeed!). Even if you are uninterested in all this stuff, the picture is sexy and memorable.

Kai - Acupunked

Kai's simple and elegant technique is a delight and in other pictures he draws more directly on the traditions of Japanese calligraphy to represent bodily fluids as curling waves, the example here gives an idea of this. And yet alongside all the refined artistry is a very intense and explicit S&M message which would please the most ardent enthusiast! It seems very Japanese.

Kai also has produced coloured pictures which are more representational but my final sample of his work remains in the graphic mode and nicely complements my own fascination with rugby players with a twist of humour.

Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) will probably turn up more examples. I'd welcome link information from readers

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kaarlo

I don't know a lot about Kaarlo (I believe the name is Finnish) but the style of his pictures suggests the 1970/80's. Those I have in my collection are mostly dungeon scenes in which 'leather men' appear to be subjecting innocent-looking acolytes to demanding initiations. The pictures are carefully detailed with authentic-looking backgrounds and the leather men dressed in full regalia.

There is a sense of real action conveyed by writhing bodies and facial expressions. 

The flowing hairstyles and willowy, totally naked bodies of the initiates unmistakeably mark them as outsiders or novices when contrasted with the leather garb of their mentors. The Afro hairstyle and exotic moustache worn by this one (not to mention his jolly smile!) doesn't exactly suggest a dominant personality to modern eyes. It's a fashion born of the flower power era, but a contemporary viewer would (for example) reference the TV character of Jason King (ca 1970) played by Peter Wyngarde. His spy had a similar flamboyant appearance but also a disturbing combination of sickly charm with a penchant for ruthless violence.

This depiction of a wild S&M scene stars another Afro character who actually appears to black, unlike the leather man in the previous example. He's wearing a skimpy thong and corset-like belt that have a hint of femininity about them, but there's no doubting his masculinity in Kaarlo's depiction, even if you disregard his aggressive enactment of the ritual. It's quite a remarkable and attractive cameo.

The blindfolding leather hood in Kaarlo's work is a striking and slightly sinister symbol of domination but the prisoner restraint here, though spectacular is relatively modest. 

Fashions aside this scene is really quite timeless.

 More suspension and hooding in this picture but I've included it not so much for it's merits as a fetish picture, as for the 'flying' top ingredient. That's an image that is also featured in other well-known pictures: 'Time Out' by Ulf and 'Athlete' by Zamok. This manifestation suggests that the source inspiration is considerably older than I for one had ever imagined. 

The butcher's block and meat suspension rails are somewhat unsettling elements in this picture but the leather 'Master' looks like a regular guy-next-door. He probably won't have much energy left for nastiness after 15 minutes raising and lowering the lucky devil who's getting his oats here.

I'm surprised that this W-shaped restraint platform hasn't been adopted by the S&M community, combining as it does the arm spreading capability of a cross with an unusual ass-revealing, leg separating, ankle fixing and all in a compact design that can easily be stored between visitors. 

Visually, the tapering shape and sub's arm spread create a cup/bowl-like receptor into which the dom lowers himself for cleansing. It's quite a powerful composition. The irons heating up in the brazier behind them cast a darker shadow over these simple pleasures. For me this picture captures the essential connection with danger and dark sex which makes leather so alluring.

Kaarlo - Robinson Crusoe 1 (Shipwrecked)

 I can't leave Kaarlo without a mention of his 'Robinson Crusoe' series of 12 pictures 

charting the famous traveller's (trouserless!) ship-wreck. 

In his explorations of the island , he stumbles on a couple of locals who are intent on humiliating a fellow villager. Crusoe too is captured by them and both undergo suspension and whipping

(not dissimilar to the imagery above!).

Crusoe eventually escapes with his new friend, only to discover that the ship that has appeared in the bay is stuffed with young pirates who are very excited by the new arrivals.

Kaarlo's images aren't great art but they have a vitality and inventiveness that amply makes up for the technical weaknesses.

Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) will probably turn up more examples

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!
For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below