I will tip my hat in passing to Toby whose portrayals of baby-faced men pre-date the arrival of the Japanese manga in the West. The example I have chosen, is unmistakeably an adult man with a nicely drawn physique somewhat in the style of Lüger. However, Toby's trademark iconography of youth – the mop of blond hair, snub nose and tomboyish patched knees – was usually assigned to more ambiguous bodies and I would not dream of publishing them or promoting the theme. I just lament for what might have been had his obvious talent been directed towards more mainstream interests.
Toby's drawings were probably never widely acceptable in their own flower-power era and in recent years the sensitivity to this sort of art has increased considerably - although you would not think it from the flood of 'Daddy' material that has appeared of late. Whether you like it or not, in my view it's a foolish and provocative dalliance in the present climate.
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