Ulf's Weird Punishment

While researching the next post in my Ulf Retrospective series yesterday I was amazed to rediscover this image, which connects directly to my "Weird Punishment" set just posted.

Guys in Uniform - Ulf Style

 I don't think there is very much doubt that this picture was inspired by the "Guys in Uniform" image below.
Ulf has made some significant changes, the most important being to convert the looming threat of stinging punishment into an overt act, creating a scene reminiscent of his early 'angry' work.

At the same time he's also made the prisoner more comfortable
by giving him a raised platform to lie on, compare the stressed, grovelling original below.

I sense Ulf's giving the captive the 'Heroic American' treatment here.
The original's a Brit of course.

"Guys in Uniform" Original Image

Ulf made numerous other modifications,
polishing up physiques and clothing and substituting new fetish iconography for old.
His trademark background detailing helps bring the scene to life.

There are pluses and minuses for me, but you can judge for youself
how this makeover compares to the original.

You can view more of the "Guys in Uniform" originals from this series at GIU7

Ulf is not the only artist to be inspired by "Guys in Uniform" imagery,
see my A-Z article on Harry Bush  (yes the bikini boys man!)

Weird Punishment - Epilogue

Some of you may have recognised the Weird Punishment images as being from an old series published by "Guys in Uniform" Studio back in the 70's. "Guys in Uniform" was descended from Basil Clavering's "Royale Studio" with some of the same participants involved in both set-ups. "Guys in Uniform" was even more short-lived and only slightly less notorious for it's attempts to portray the artistry of Erotic Military Punishment.

This set scaled new heights in this department invoking iconography from the dark world of rubber fetish and mixing it with symbols of recent dictatorships for added intimidating effect. This provides a perfect, confusing backdrop for the unfortunate, young hero of the story whose erotic charms are deftly displayed in a succession of tableaux as he plays the helpless pawn of these ruthless exploiters. (This model also appears in another GIU series dressed as a sailor).

The original images in my collection have all been copied from magazines and suffer from excessive greyness and lack of clarity. In my amateurish efforts to 'improve' this I stumbled across the technique used for 'Weird Punishment" which I thought created some dramatic imagery, bringing out hidden detail and highlighting some of the erotic qualities of the images.

Today material from "Guys in Uniform" studio is hard to find on the web. It's name is not sufficiently distinctive for a search engine to pick out (which is why I'm trying to promote the 'GIU' tag) and it's commonly mis-named as "Men in Uniform" (MIU). It's also confused with Royale Studio from 20 years earlier (understandably given their common ancestry and inspiration). You're most likely to track examples down via this route.

I published a series of articles here in 2010/11 covering 9 different photo sets I had identified from GIU with representative samples of the imagery. This set was amongst them and I have now updated the original article with all the images I have from it, so if you want to see the original pictures that inspired 'Weird Punishment' visit GIU7.

Weird Punishment - 3

 8. Condemned

(failing to satisfy)

 9. The Formal Ritual

(solemn and dreamlike ...but) 

 10. The Bite of the Cane

(is quite real - and there's no escaping from it)

 11. Returned To The Cells

(to prepare for next time)

The End

Read this article from Part 1

Weird Punishment - 2

4. The Prisoner Warned Again

(Complete obedience is demanded)

5. The Prisoner's Self-Abasement

(preferable to punishment, but unwittingly provocative)

 6. The Intervention

(This guard's seen enough)

7. A Humble Plea

(for another chance)

continued
Read from Part 1

Weird Punishment - 1

 1. The Prisoner Summoned

(wears his punishment shorts)

2. The Prisoner Assessed

(judged to be fit and suitable)

3. The Prisoner Stripped
(resist and you'll be sorry)

continued

Guys in Uniform 13 - Highlander

Guys in Uniform Studio - Frank

This cheeky chappy looks an unlikely porn star, but he featured in one of the 'Guys in Uniform' Magazines published in the 70's. As you can see he was called Frank - but so were a good many other of the models for this studio! (see below.) Unlike the Royale Studio, the model identities were shrouded in mystery. Supposedly they were real servicemen and Frank with his tattoos (it looks like he's got the Parachute Regiment badge on his arm) and neat haircut could easily be one, he's certainly not a professional model.

As usual, these pictures feature vintage British military clothing which naturally has to be removed in short order - except for belt and boots. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of Frank actually wearing the shorts properly, though I imagine they did exist (any help out there?) These self conscious, half dressed poses don't quite work although what Frank reveals is interesting enough.

In the next sequence Frank begins to put on a thick leather apron-like body suit which must have been the prized possession of the 'Guys in Uniform' Studio, it features in many of their pictures and would easily qualify as a more sleazy entry for my 'men sharing clothes' series. You can see it also in my Guys In Uniform post no 6 here, worn by another 'Frank'! It would have cost a great deal more than the Army surplus uniforms and skimpy athletic shorts which were GIU's usual fare so I suppose they wanted to make good use of it. In this picture Frank No 1 doesn't seem to be very excited by it but of course 'flaccid' was the only publishable cock-state at this time - and even that was risky.

The numerous straps and appendages on this suit will appeal to the bondage enthusiast although Frank seems to be having a bit of trouble with them. His tall lean frame looks good in these shots and the juxtaposition of military and fetish 'uniforms' is strangely atmoshperic. You will note that his boots look well polished, in true military style.

The fight goes on. A nice glimpse of Frank's backside. This is the best picture of the group. The strap diving between his buns makes you want to try the gear on yourself! Frank has donned an authentic Army beret for this part of the shoot and he wears it like a true pro. It's a hat that can easily make a man look foolish (dare I say silly?) but young servicemen can usually be relied upon to adjust their headgear so it looks rakish.

Frank takes a rest. I've included these less interesting, closing shots for completeness and to give a decent look at the body suit. He's been given the 'Highlander' label here but I can't identify Frank's cap badge as belonging to any of the Highland Regiments (or the Parachute Regiment for that matter). Perhaps some military buff can help me out here!

In this final image Frank is fully buttoned up but suddenly looks like a freckle faced youth, which is a bit incongruous. These pictures are all scanned from magazines so the quality it not as good as the originals would have been. This sequence would have probably led on to a 'group' fetish scenario but I've not been able to track it down so far.

Guys in Uniform Studio No 12 Changing Shorts

Changing Shorts

1

Guys in Uniform Studio - Runner

This group of pictures from the 'Guys In Uniform' Studio features the same model as my last post on GIU, No 11 Military Intimidation in which he threatens a dejected athlete. This time he's in rather nice athletic shorts that reveal a good deal of detail of what lies within. I don't know if this is the Royale wet fabric trick again, but it works for me!

2

Trying to sequence these vintage pictures by reference to clothing is often quite futile as the photographer clearly tried out various clothing combinations and undress sequences. Here the model has removed shorts and one legs-worth of shoe and sock. The bare foot in this picture is an angular treat in the Etienne mould.

3

Here he is apparently removing his shorts, or perhaps underwear, but this time with no shoes or socks on at all. Another interesting foot shot. There's a tantalising glimpse of cock in the shadows. 

4

Now we see him removing what looks like a jockstrap, again with no footwear on. It's a bit frustrating for lovers of orderly strip sequences but the photographer must have had fun directing proceedings.

5

Here he is donning a pair of 50's style soccer shorts and little dick comes out into the open, flaccid, of course - and cut which is not particularly common in the UK. Around this time there was much pushing of boundaries regarding frontal nudity, for Guys In Uniform it was all in vain.

6

In the final picture our hero wriggles into a football/rugby style shirt with hoops and button up neck. Not very alluring visually, despite the hitched up leg hems and subtle bulge. Modern day sporting gear is rather more flattering, but the attraction of gays to sportsmen then was equally potent.

GIU Continues in Part 13

For previous posts about Guys In Uniform Studio and Royale Studio, click on the GIU/Royale label below

GIU11 Military Intimidation

Two vintage military pictures from the now defunct 'Guys in Uniform' studio.

GIU managed to seek out models with exceptional thighs and cram them into skimpy shorts and the result is more erotic than nudity is. Their combination of ordinary clothing with more sexual dress created a sense of bizarre, unpredictable events going on. This 'through the legs' shot expresses both threat and domination which was central to their work. The dangling strap here is a tingling bonus in the threat department. This pose also appeared regularly in Royale Studio's work, hence my confusion and error in GIU10 but this is definitely by Guys in Uniform, run by the same people of course.

 

The athlete's cross-legged pose is quite boyish and submissive but shows off his nicely adult pecs. He averts his eyes, a mixture of resignation and secret defiance. Touches like the real uniform and the hair on the soldiers legs give a sexy sense of naturalism absent from most modern studio work.

The second picture is slightly posed, but provides another great view of those powerful thighs. The strap is revealed to be an awesome instument of pain, so no wonder the athlete looks sulky and resentful. The pugnacious face of the soldier is unmistakeably adult - no boy on boy action here. The athlete's hairstyle isn't really military standard which allows the imagination to conjure fantasies of scantily clad soldiers running amok amongst the general population. In reality it's probably just the way he turned up on the day of the shoot!

For more pictures from 'Guys in Uniform' and Royale Studios use the GIU/Royale 'label' below.

GIU continues in Part 12

Royale & Guys In Uniform Studios - Conclusion

Royale studio and it's successor 'Guys In Uniform' trod a unique path portraying men, not as beefcake or highly polished seducers, but as ordinary guys with natural looking, sexy bodies. They dressed them in clothing that signified male-ness and placed them into situations suggesting submission and subservience under the threat of military/authoritarian control.


Guys in Uniform - Chained Nude

This Guys in Uniform image (sadly imperfect) is a classic domination scenario which looks back to the artsy AMG style. It's is unusual for it's virtually naked captive. The scarcity of frontal nudity and extreme forms of discipline in these pictures was dictated by the laws of the day and may initially disappoint modern tastes, which have become accustomed to high quality imagery of muscular bodies, exceptional erections and elaborate bondage and beatings. But for anyone who cares to linger, these pictures rekindle the lost art of anticipation, of savouring the plight of the prey. It's a process which is generally swept aside by the rush to nudity in modern porn and replaced by interminable studies of oral mechanics.

Royale - Man dressed as a Scout

This Royale picture of a rather mature scout shows that the use of clothing is no hinderance to admiring a man's body. It's use gives the characters an identity and the pictures a context which makes them far more memorable than variations of naked men beating other naked men. This is not to deny the intimacy and erotic power of modern video and photography which admittedly puts these studios in the shade as far as sensuality and realism is concerned. But Royale and Guys in Uniform pictures have a special masculine quality that sets them apart and they retain their erotic power still.

I haven't covered all the GIU and Royale material that I have in this series and intend to return to the subject again in the future. I hope that posting the material will help keep it alive for future generations of gay men.

Guys in Uniform - 9 Sailors in the rigging

Sailor dropping his pants

More sailor imagery featuring the tattooed man we saw in an earlier post as a soldier. The flap front whites are perfect for erotic purposes and have been tightened up to create revealing contours. The bowed head of the matelot dropping his trousers (like an oriental genuflection) conveys not only submission but the possibility of a spanking too. GIU pictures often seem to be steering an erratic course between artful suggestion and overt sexual display. The bucket probably denotes a floor scrubbing punishment in the offing which is of course a convincing explanation of why trouser removal is appropriate. Well it might have been in those days!

A Flogging In The Rigging

I believe this picture is from a different series but it has similar ingredients - tight clothes and indications of painful punishment. We have seen both the rope and rigging props before and we will see them again in interesting circumstances.

Although the men and the scenarios are interesting erotically, the pictures in these sets somehow lack energy and bite. GIU pictures always looked posed, but as I have pointed out, there is often an artful eroticism which lifts them if you look harder. In this case it's as though the naval setting did not inspire the muse of the photographer.

Guys in Uniform - 8 The Cheeky Sailor

This review of Guys In Uniform would not be complete without a look at sailors (as those of you who know my interests would expect!). 

 

Sailor in the Rigging

 

Examples of this set have been circulating quite a lot on the net recently and were a new find for me. They also appear in part 3 of this survey, on the pages of the magazine which 'No 3' is reading. The usual tight clothing and chunky thighs are in evidence and the Naval Uniform suffers a mild adaptation for erotic purposes. Instead of shorts it's the sailor's jumper that is rolled up in order to display his curvaceous abdomen.The belt holding it up looks like an authentic piece of kit but it doesn't belong in this combo! The jumper top is authentic Royal Navy issue but he also sports an incongruous US Navy cap, presumably to add a nationalistic edge to the storyline. I have to say it doesn't look particularly good worn this way. It's no worse than the liberties taken with Army kit but when you add in the theatrical rigging the result is the wrong sort of camp compared with the usual products of this studio.

 

RN Flogging

 

However, all is not lost, this model's great assets are not allowed to go to waste! There's still an element of the glamour pose in this picture as the USN submits to a traditional RN punishment but we're back on the tracks here! This picture actually shows off two of the most attractive features of the Royal Navy uniform - the square collar (left) which flatters strong shoulders and the flannel undershirt (right) with it's square cut, open neckline which presents the erotic curves of youthful necks to tremendous effect.

Guys in Uniform - 7 Willing to Learn

1

This series is an example of the more fantastical imaginings of "Guys in Uniform" Studio (GIU). The guards shown here are wearing military helmets representive of ruthless authoritarianism, but the rest of their gear delves into the nooks and crannies of leather fetish and bdsm. 

You can just see the leather apron from the previous post worn under a rubber trench coat on the right. There are also waders and rubber boots, harnesses and corset-like, heavy, leather belts not to mention the classic white jockstrap seen here struggling to control its contents. The combination is all the more disconcerting because of its strangeness.

 2

 The contrast with the prisoner could not be greater. He is diminutive in stature, dwarfed by the intimidating guards, but like the other models we have seen, he is clearly no wimp. His shoulders are broad and his muscular thighs bulge out of neatly-fitting, traditional, sports shorts. The stretching exercise shown here creates the impression that this is an examination or a punishment fatigue. His close-cropped hair adds a touch of military authenticity.

 3

Stripped of his flattering shorts the prisoner suddenly seems quite boyish and shy. He submissively places his hands behind his back and averts his eyes from the guard's stony stare. He looks lost and the camera's remote viewpoint accentuates this. However, some judicious cropping (below) brings out the power play.

 3a

This image is actually a late example (1978) of hidden eroticism. At this time it was quite possible to sell gay magazines showing naked men in high street shops but arousals and explicit sexual content were not tolerated. Thus there is no frontal nudity in this scene and the two men are not directly facing each other - or even looking at each other's bodies it seems.

However, the direction of the prisoner's gaze is carefully angled to suggest he might be or has been looking at the guard's shapely jockstrap, which itself is almost hidden in the shadows. If you click on the full picture to enlarge it you will also see that the guard's feet are also spaced apart quite suggestively converting him from a stern custodian to a teasing provacateur (of uncertain intentions). The naive observer would miss this but it alerts other interested viewers to the possible existence of more explicit and racy material.

4

This is one of the better photographs in the set with the naked captive exhibiting shapely buttocks and a sexy tuft of hair projecting underneath. I know some of my readers will appreciate the view of his feet too. The multiplicity of straps curving round the guard's buttock cast an erotic light on what otherwise seems like over-dressing.

GIU gave this set the title "Willing to Learn" in one of their magazines, which is a trifle disingenuous but certainly fits this scene where the novice appears to be receiving instruction on where to direct his attention. Or is that crooked finger promising a different, more penetrating lesson for him?

In the original images the German helmet bears the swastika insignia of the the Nazi party which I have doctored out as being inappropriate for a gay blog in 2016. In 1978 the symbol was associated more with the the excesses and cruelty of the Gestapo rather than Facism in general. The purpose here was to invoke the threat of terrible cruelty not to promote a political ideology. An IS fighter with his black flag would be the modern equivalent. Tasteless shorthard for terror.

This image was used as part of an advertisment (below) for the racier material and the the words bottom right are part of the copy which simply reads "Now! Great Guys, Great Color, Great Prints" 

Underneath the Studio offers 20 assorted 5"x 5" color prints for $15, 
note that it is specifically targeting the US market.

5a

 The novice sets to his task, which is doing lots of press-ups of course. Well perhaps not!
As a portrayal of submissiveness this image is hard to beat despite being incomplete. The impressive fleshy, bottom display is humiliating for him and provocative for everyone else. That hint of chubbiness perhaps won't appeal to everyone, but if you like this model, he also appears in GIU8 as a cheeky sailor.

5b

Those dissenters from the chubby fan club might be mollified by the scene that is revealed as we draw back to see the full picture. A cane has suddenly appeared in the hands of the principal guard and the young man's fleshy buttocks suddenly acquire an altogether differently enticing character. This is a lousy copy, but you can almost sense a surge of excitement inside that lurking guard's jockstrap.  

This guard's sudden transformation from tempting allurer to agent of spanking retribution would not surprise the readers of the original magazine, the British Police were still routinely employing entrapment tactics against gay men at this time, that background spices the scene with a cruel authenticity.

The cane has always seemed to me to be the most vicious of spanking implements, ever since I saw an errant classmate reduced to tears in front of the class by a single stroke - and that from a teacher who had up to that point seemed like a genial old man. It's sudden appearance at this stage is raw threat and supremely erotic.

6

In ordering these images I have been primarily guided by the state of undress of the participants and this image could fit almost anywhere after image 2. I've placed it here because on the original magazine page it is set alongside image 5a and it does make a decent link between 5 and 7 as the young man rises to his feet for the next part of his next ordeal.

The arm wrestling here seems a little bit tame. You can see the potential of the idea but it's the posing of the prisoner that makes most of these images work and he's not performing so well for us here. It seems rather static and lacking in edge. It probably doesn't help that the youth of the second guard suddenly becomes apparent in this picture (and the next)

7

The prisoner is certainly back on form in this picture. The artificiality of the 'wheelbarrow' pose creates a spectacular visual effect that is quite arty. It will be a familiar arrangement to spanking fans, but it's appearance in this wierd pseudo-military scenario is quite unexpected, contrasting with the very basic and unathletic intimidation tactics that have gone before.

It introduces a curious sense of formal ritual implying this unfortunate young man is merely the latest of a succession of pawns subjected to this humiliating process. Like all rituals it's simultaneously ridiculous and scary. It is designed to make him feel exposed and powerless while the guards enjoy the sense of pleasure and superiority that comes from imposing their order on him.  It's very grotesqueness underlines their arbitrary power.

7a

This version of the picture is of higher resolution and clearer but it has come from a different, 'mainstream' magazine and has been self-censored by the publishers. However, you can see how the wheelbarrow position enhances the enticing plumpness of the target area.

 

8

After all the intimidating build-up, the final restraint and punishment is portrayed more symbolically, and this composition is quite balletic. The prisoner's outflung arm and eye contact with the camera, as though appealing to us for help, successfully conjures up a sense of pain, fear and desperation to escape. The way the guards hold open the prisoner's legs in these last two pictures is highly erotic even if we can't see very much down there.

9

In this image the principal guard has uncovered his cock and it proves to be moderately aroused (but still pointing downwards, which was OK). You can see his jockstrap pouch has been pushed to one side. The pose of the young novice seems the epitome of submission. On his knees with legs wide open and arms folded behind his back he looks up respectfully at his Master who towers above

 
......and I do like that tuft of bum hair.

10

Another, highly effective portrayal of domination and submission. The Guard's pose is more relaxed in this image and more effective than the rather tense shoulders in 9. The prisoner bows his head and shows him his neck in an exceptional act of resignation to whatever is coming his way. As a final treat we even get a glimpse of his scrotum.

11

I interpret this image as the exhausted prisoner being returned to the cells, with a guard of honour out of respect for his endurance, but there are other ways of fitting it into the sequence. Interestingly the second guard is reduced to a beast of burden here which makes you wonder what else his colleague might have in store for him.

~

This set of images by "Guys in Uniform" Studio must be one of the most impressive of all the 'Royale' genre. Yes, the posing is a little stilted, the models less than God-like and the photography not quite as luscious as we have become accustomed to these days. The clothing the guards wear is somewhat bizarre, but that strangeness is threatening in itself and the pure fetishistic essence of these images - domination and submission - is startlingly focussed and is not overly impaired by the cautious treatment of the sexual elements. I would love to see what a photographer like Justin Monroe might make of this subject.

I have produced a modified set of these images
that play on the sense of strangeness (Wierd Punishment)