Etienne/Stephen - Index to articles (updated)

Etienne is one of the all-time greats, an inspiration to me. 

He's rather neglected these days, so I feature him regularly here at mitchmen blog.

This article lists all the mitchmen articles about his work.

 

For simplicity, I nearly always label his images using the name Etienne, although many were published under the name Stephen. 

 

Etienne - Time For Your Injection, Sir.

Left, Right or Up The Middle? 

Click on the label at the foot of this post for medical-themed images by other artists. 

 

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Etienne: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, 

Just scratches the surface of his vast body of work, 

but there are lots of supplements:- 

 

Etienne - Night Patrol (complete)

 

Etienne - Sailor Beware (complete, 2 versions)

with linkage to Royale Studio's 'Shanghai'd Sailor'

 

Etienne - Golden Pasha (2025)

 

Etienne - Fishing is a Dangerous Sport (2025)

There's also a series about his other Fishing/Angling pictures 

 

There's interesting AI makeovers of Sailors Beware in 2024, Car Wash (aka Slave Wash) in 2025, also Services Auction in 2026 

 

Plus more sailor images by him in:

 In Praise of Sailors - Part 15  (also in Part 20)

He's honourably represented by dedicated entries in the 

'Riding The Wedge' series

and in 'Depictions of short men'

-
There's also 2 examples of his jail pictures in  

'You're Going Down - Part 1' and 'You're Going Down - Part 5'

He's also included in the 'Strip Poker' series

A Truckstop image headlines the 2020 Most Popular Post series

~

His influence on Ulf is illustrated in Ulf Retrospective 2003 

and on Felix Falkon in A-Z of Fetish Artists - Falkon

For the Royale Studio connection, see Sailor Beware, above

-
There's an illustrated note on his style in 

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Tagame

and in A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sean  

There are numerous other references to his work in other articles, which you can find using the blogger search function in the banner and also one in the sidebar top right. For simplicity, I nearly always label his images using the name Etienne, but his other, less unique name, Stephen may bring up other references. 

Another Etienne, AI makeover

Etienne - Services Auction

 There's been quite a fashion, recently, for AI-artists doing makeovers of familiar, Etienne pictures. This is the latest that I have run across, and it's a little different. 

 

Stonecrooze - Services Auction makeover #1 (after Etienne)

 As expected, it breathes fresh life into the imagery, building on the military connection which is of more general interest these days than the (implied) leather club of Etienne's original. Stonecrooze has made the characters more mature and hunkier (I love the hairy legs). This is all great.

 

The jockstrap detail, which is the focus of the image, also benefits greatly from the increased realism. However, the fickle finger of the instructor(?) is no longer pointing at 'it' directly, instead, he seems to simply be delivering a more general reprimand. 

 

Of course there's a reason why Etienne drew him standing and pointing the way he did. It's ambiguous, a sort of not very well 'hidden eroticism'. That ambiguity puts the soldier's look of consternation into an entirely different light. He's not just facing a lot of pain at the hands of a succession of men. Now the auctioneer seems to be pointing out a very different threat, calling for a different brand of bravery. However, in the makeover, instead of looking bewildered, the soldier now looks stoic and resigned.

 

This adjustment of the pointing pose does correct some of the awkwardness in Etienne's original - have you noticed how his biker is hunching his soldiers to squeeze himself into the frame? Running out of space is a common problem for artists who draw with the heart (or crotch) more than the head, from left to right before thinking it out, overall. It irritated Falkon (Etienne's contemporary), but fans might find it charming.

 

The makeover is still a great image, if not entirely faithful to Etienne's original. However, Stonecrooze takes his makeover further, playing with the balance of the original composition by moving the auctioneer/instructor character around. 

 

 

Stonecrooze - Services Auction makeover #2 (after Etienne)

This variant creates addresses the imbalance caused by the isolated paddle post and creates a more natural relationship between the characters. The faces of the two characters are better as well, grittier.

 

 It ends up catering more for bottom fans than spankers, but I have to say that the revised jock is splendid, so no wonder Stonecrooze has brought it to the front.  The rearrangement has also circumvented the AI mistake in drawing the signage posts. 

There's also a variant of this image which shows the aftermath of the affair, but it's a bit too raw for me. You can see all 5 variants at Stonecrooze's Deviant Art site

~

 

More by Stonecrooze at mitchmen

Spanking Art, Featured Artist

Mitchell's 'Working Late' makeover 

 

~

 

See also Index of Etienne's art at mitchmen 

 

Click on the labels below for other related posts 

Art Bob 3 - Games and Puzzles

Art Bob - Unknown Title

We're missing the title of this image and without it the intent is far from clear. These men in a locker room seem to be playing dice, but why? Apart from the foreground figure everyone is already naked, not surprising in a locker room, but it seems to rule out gambling for clothes. Perhaps, some other forfeit is in play - or is there a prize for the winner? Perhaps the one staring us in the face?

 

There's a faint hint of a spanking for the kneeling guy and the intertwining of the leftmost pair is slightly suggestive too. The head and reaching arm lined up with the lower regions of the man in the foreground might also be significant, but it's all very obscure.  

 

Though muscular, the characters in this drawing are not Art Bob's best creations, you can't help thinking that the foreground figure might be a better bet, if only we could see more of him. Ah, well!

 

Art Bob - Low Score

 There's a similar mystery around this image - even with the title. Another locker room, this time one for golfers who are not normally a subject for homoerotic imagery. However, golfing terminology has much to offer. Here for example it appears a round of 'threesomes' has just finished. 

 

The hairy hunk in the foreground is studying his scorecard, and his face seems to be flushed. It's presumably him who has got the low score, which would make him the winner, but he doesn't look very happy about it. The slender pencil held between his drooping fingers, certainly doesn't suggest any other form of excitement either. 

 

By contrast, behind him, his companions already look as if they are shaping up to celebrate the 19th hole with some inappropriate activity. The one on the right looks very smug about it, his face a nicely drawn detail. He seems to be lending the blond a satisfying hand already. The phallic golf clubs give us corroboration of what's afoot. The blond's one is upright in his hand (not a driver, I might observe, if that's not overthinking it), whereas a bagful of irons (two at least!) lurks at his opposite number's rear.

 

There's a level of maturity in all three men in this picture, faces and physiques, that gives it a less playful, more intense atmosphere than Art-Bob's usual fare, but what exactly the storyline is, I cannot discover.

 

 

Art Bob - Four Alarm Fire

It's the title of this one that is bemusing, but on the surface, it's more clear what is happening. Firemen are being aroused from their slumbers to tackle a fire. This image predates the modern rise of firefighters to the level of erotic icons (gay and straight). 

 

The slightly guilty looking face in the top bunk may point to a hidden erotic agenda, his hand seems to be resting on the head of the chap below, while the bedpost seems to be betraying mischief that hasn't yet had time to dissipate.

 

The foreground figure, hastily buckling up his jeans may also reflect an interruption. Be that as it may, he is a delicious creation, lightly erotic and nicely observed. The treatment of his jeans is so casual, yet so right. The man putting on his socks is also interesting, with nice vest detail, but why is he wearing gloves? 

 

The character raising the alarm is a more conventional Art Bob type, more caricatured but oddly separated from the others. His underpants feature the artist's favoured chequer pattern and some weighty-looking contents which will not see action until the fire has been put out. 

 

Art Bob - Evening Clean-Up

Art Bob captures the simplest of homoerotic torments here. A man watches his buddy as he unselfconsciously cleans his lower regions with flies gaping open, after a hard day's work on the farm. On one level, it's an image that simply expresses admiration for working men, but the artist has added other telling detail.

 

There's the discomforted look of the watcher and the bulge in his jeans. He delicately wipes (hides?) his face as if embarrassed. The water dripping from the bowl suggests an elevated level of erotic intensity, but the drip that seems to be falling from his friend's groin and running down his thigh creates the impression that he likes being watched and admired. It's plainly just an illusion.

 

Art Bob - Down on the Farm

This piece hardly needs the title, which seems like another commonplace, seemingly apt phrase chosen by the artist yet not quite matching what we see. I suppose the double entendre was too good to ignore. In any other context, we might imagine 'going down' is about to be enacted, but the astonishing involvement of the cow and cat diverts our thoughts into a very different direction. It seems incredibly daring but not entirely attractive. The idyllic scene outside seems like another world. 

 

The drawing of the figures is of a high standard, I particularly like the realistic gap at the back of the milker's jeans. Neat. Much of this artist's work suggests involvement with the world of fashion. 

 

Art Bob - Hero Worship

There's a tremendous energy in this picture caught by what seems like hasty sketching. The interlocking curves of the cowboy and his steed beautifully reflect their engagement and struggle, their determination to ride and not be ridden. Tom of Finland also tried to capture this 'man v beast' scenario in a intense sketch, which as far as I know, was never completed.

 

Both artists seem to have recognised a relationship to sexual power in man's attempts to control mighty beasts, which encompasses Bull Fighting as well as Rodeo riding. The rider's backward arching body communicates sexual appeal directly to us, and also to the onlooking cowboy in Art Bob's image above, as the intense shading of his groin implies. Unfortunately the reproduction process has faded his jeans to invisibility, which diminishes his contribution to the image. 

Forward thrusting groins like this figure regularly in this artist's work. There are some others, heavily disguised examples, in Part 2 of this article. I've added a more obvious one below, aptly named 'Horse Play', but it would be remiss to leave the subject of farms without mentioning one of Art Bob's best and most innocent of images.

 

 

Art Bob - Hay Antics

Two young men playfully grapple in the hayloft. It's a nostalgic musing on the truly innocent joys of youth in an idyllic environment, far from the pressures and sordid reality of town living. A scene recounted in many a tale of 'coming of age'.

 

The stalks of hay delicately held between the blond's fingers suggest he has provoked this 'attack' by tickling his buddy.  It's clearly a game his friend is happy to play and you can sense the mutual affection that underpins it. The characterisation of the two lads is at the realistic end of Art Bob's scale with no hint of boyish silliness or unmanly panic. This is the real thing. 

 

There's a pitchfork in the background which might be seen as signalling lurking erotic intent, danger even, but it's hard to see this picture as anything else but a spontaneous expression of friendship which might lead to a stolen kiss and the liberation of a deeper love between the two buddies.

 

Art Bob - Horse Play

This picture has similarities to the art of Spartacus and is not unrelated to the Hayloft image. It's innocent youthful fun on the surface, a study of males at play. Like the rodeo image previously it has a tremendous sense of movement and physical endeavour. The figures have a balance which seems to connect to the artist's interest in ballet which I noted in Part 2 of this article. 

There's balance too in the mirroring poses of the two 'carriers'. It results in the overlapping of their lower bodies, which are one side-step away from direct erotic contact. If the carriers are removed from the image altogether, the two remaining characters are aligned for an even more intimate engagement.

That hidden, erotic subtext derives an extra twist from the characterisations of the two 'teams' which are totally different. The two on the right look playful and innocent, their opposite numbers look older, more serious and distinctly calculating. One of the 'innocents' looks out to us soulfully, as if he's suddenly realised this contest is not what he thought it would be. A discovery no less dramatic than the one that the Hayloft wrestlers might be on the verge of making. 

 

Art Bob - Hang On Man, We’re Cutting Out!

In this image, the artist takes that encounter between innocence and experience further. The fantasy of bikers leading astray 'healthy', young men was a popular theme for gay artists around this time, notably explored by Etienne's Surfer and Bikers images in 'Road Kings' and also by Tom of Finland. 

 The rapid sketching technique seen in 'Rodeo' feeds the comedy here as well as the sense of movement and urgency. The artist hints more explicitly at the logical destiny of the arching body and thrusting pelvis, although it seems an improbable result in terms of the stereotyping of these particular two characters and the physical situation they are in. By intention or accident, the sketching has also created the (more predictable) impression that the pillion rider has a rocket up his backside. 

Unfortunately, in this image, virtually all the background detail is lost, save for a gesticulating arm far behind them, which perhaps implies these two have been up to some mischief.

 

Art Bob -2 a.m. Daddy

Many of Art Bob's images seem to reference heterosexual life, often to illustrate the peculiar attractiveness of straight men to gays and the rivalry between gay men and women for the hand of their beau. '2 a.m. Daddy', however, is a completely unvarnished and somewhat puzzling example of married life. 

I suppose we must view this scene in the context of an era when probably the majority of gay men chose to marry women in order to avoid persecution and live a 'normal' life. That decision was probably influenced in may cases by the relentless, popular characterisation of gay men as effeminate and degenerate. That wasn't how they viewed themselves, of course, but they knew no better.

Art Bob may be representing one such man, wondering how different his life might have been, what else he might have been getting up to at 2 o'clock in the morning. The depiction of the two children is an impressive example of the artist's capabilities as an illustrator.

Art Bob - The Hour Of Decision 

A straight outlook is more directly implied in this image, by the photo on top of the dresser and by the obvious desire of the man getting dressed to please his date, who seems to be the person in the photo and watching him. 

He has a voluptuous physique and there's an erotic, masculine kinkiness in the bow tie coupled with his nudity (somewhat clichéd and devalued to gays, these days, by commercial, heterosexual exploitation). The artist may be hinting at conflicting inner feelings by presenting him with a choice between conventional black and jazzy stripes. Does he mean a choice between being dull and straight and being a more imaginative gay? This was the double life led by many men.

The contrast between his overall nudity and chunky shoes and socks adds even more pungency to his simmering erotic appeal. In addition, the open drawer with its trailing tie, in matching stripes, note, suggests an inner excitement suggestive of his true orientation. Very clever.

 

Art Bob - That's Not Music! That's My Brother

According to the Physique Pictorial caption this is a phone call to his girlfriend, but I suppose we might imagine that's just his cover story. Otherwise, this is strictly neutral territory with no hint of anything more between these two men than commonplace, sibling rivalry and a weak play on a phrase that predates the Hollies 1969 hit 'He ain't heavy He's my brother' by over 50 years. 

The guy on the phone is appealing enough, with a physique, one of Art Bob's best, delicately detailed with light hair. Except for what we can see of his groin, that is. Notice the flecks of shaving foam on his pecs and belly, titillating us with the thought that this straight guy has an awareness of his body image which wasn't at all normal in the 1950s. His younger brother's dress with tight jeans and bare, muscular top suggests similar, promising traits! 

The 1950s retro decor, complete with cheese plant and 'moderne' lightshade is a delight.

  

Art Bob - Detour

Three images by Art Bob, which I have presented in the past, also feature heterosexual themes. In 'Detour' it injects that frustrating but irresistible allure of 'essence of straight' into a situation rife with homoerotic desire. (Follow the links in this section for more commentary).

 

Art Bob - We're Waiting

 

'We're Waiting', is a more comical play on conflicting desires in a mixed erotic triangle. It features strip poker and a secret gay who is one of that predatory breed who believe they will always get their man. Surprisingly often they did, annoyingly, but their chances were enhanced by the prevalence of men living double lives or in mistaken marriages. Nobody here cares about the woman's feelings.

 

Art Bob - Pick-Up

'Pick Up' gently mocks the artifice of women that suffer under a similar illusion, largely based on their self-presentation skills and female artifice, as represented by the dropped handkerchief (or knickers). It's a world I suspect Art Bob was very familiar with in his day job. In this case we can see it's pure delusion.

I have resorted to a magazine cover for this example, it's over-cropped at the sides but is the only copy I have which, for once, shows the background detail as it was meant to be seen. Note the philosophical comment in the magazine title on the bottom row.

~ 

Read this series from Part 1 

I am mulling a Part 4 for this series, watch this space!

Art Bob 2

Read Part 1 of Art Bob

Art Bob - GoldBrickers

We'd call them 'slackers' or 'malingerers' these days. Three men trying to get a Doctor's note for a few days off work. Or perhaps it's just an excuse to be examined by the handsome, young Medic. The degree of disrobing he requires of them suggests he has an exacting and thorough technique (and equally dubious motivations?). 

 

The hunk in the foreground is wearing shorts that are both rolled down at the waist and rolled up at the leg to create a sort of loin cloth effect. He is faking a fever by putting his thermometer on a hot radiator, which itself is puffing out smoke signals of appreciation for the assembled, hot "hunkage". 

 

The current examinee, standing with his flies wide open and nothing underneath apparently, presents himself for the medic's stethoscope, nervously tensed. Anxious perhaps, that his pants will drop at the slightest provocation, revealing something he'd rather keep to himself. 

 

The guy stripping off at the back, for me, is the most interesting, strong jawed and lightly stubbled, he has a cute haircut and muscular arms. A glimpse of buttock tells us he's going to be examined totally naked.  

 

Art Bob - The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall

Everyone's already naked in this image, queuing up nervously to get their jabs, of which there are to be a great many, as witness the multiple plasters on those who have gone before. If that wasn't daunting enough, one of them - 'Mr Bigger' - has fainted and is being carried away by his buddies. 

 

Physique Pictorial captioned this as a military induction scenario, which implies the men are strangers and need to demonstrate good masculine resolve in front of their new peers, even if they are naked and defenceless. 

 

There's some interesting detail, a stray hand seeming to pull back the guy at the front of the queue (or perhaps it's tickling the fainted man's foot). The nearest culprit gazing upwards innocently. The recruit at the very back appears to be humping someone. This provocative, but discreetly obscured, forward thrusting pose is seen in other Art-Bob images. 

 

Art-Bob's contemporary, Spartacus, often drew large group scenes like this with sporting and naval settings.  

 

Art Bob - Life Savers

This situation is sort of medical too, but following a book of Life Saving instructions suggests this is about novices getting in practice, rather than a real emergency. Admittedly the 'victim' does looks a bit glum, depending on whether you see his eyes as open or closed. The 3 oil rigs in the distance seem as if they might be an interesting phallic representation of the group's feelings. They also suggest it's based on a geographic location known to the artist.  

 

The portable radio and shades in the foreground are a nice detail. The basket weave, kepi-style cap appears in another image below, US readers may recognise the style, but it's new to me. 

 

Art Bob - Skiing Mishap (my title)

 Another young man seeking his buddy's help with a bad case of burnt bottom after misjudging the strength of the sun rays on the snowy ski slopes. The ointment and liniment on the bench suggest his friend is equally stricken, but he still looks highly dubious about the prospect of mutual oiling in that particular area.  

There's an odd-looking detail in the grass beyond them that looks rather like a big cat with menacing fangs. It's actually a bearskin rug, and it appears in one of other pictures in the set (see below). Perhaps to parody of the pain the boys are experiencing.

This is one of six drawings in The 'Skiing' Series. Two others are known to me. One shows the blond trying on his skis, wearing nothing but a hooded top, unzipped to the waist. In the other, he's being roused by his buddy from sleep to go skiing before the snow melts. Both seem to simply showcase the boys' physiques. I suspect there's a narrative in which the snow melts, and they resort to nude sunbathing with disastrous consequences. 

 

Art Bob -The Young Carpenters 1

More bottom pain awaits one of the protagonists in this diptych. Our increasingly hapless blond is working with his buddy again, this time nailing shingles on a roof. He loses his balance and his buddy's efforts to save him only result in ripped clothing.

There's some nice physique drawing here and a distinctly balletic composition, brought out by the light hand used to sketch the background detail. In other images Art-Bob depicts ballet scenes and tights more explicitly. 

The difficult perspective here presents no problems to this accomplished artist.  

 

Art Bob -The Young Carpenters 2

This sequel is quite a well known image, you may have seen it converted into a spanking picture. The blond has landed in a barrel of nails which his friend considerately extracts from his posterior one at a time.

The bulge and shading of the legs of the buddies jeans here is quite effective. 

 

Art Bob - The Artist (my title)

 Many of Art Bob's pictures seem to simply be vehicles for male physique drawing. The artistic hunk in the foreground is a deceptively casual creation. But while he lazily touches up his painting, two naked, young men, posing for him in the background must sustain as pose that must be getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute. So it's also an illustration of the control any visual creator has over his models. 

 

There's a more overtly erotic ingredient in the positioning of the right-hand model's head just in front of him, seeming to suggest he's being obliged to give service, which in a way he already is. There may not be much of a bulge in the artist's jeans, but the dripping paintbrush is equally telling. A rather stylish example of 'hidden eroticism'.

 

Art Bob - Artist With His Model 1 (my title)

There's a similar theme here, with an exceptionally muscular, young model being prepared for his shoot (as it were!). The miniature figure on the floor behind him suggests this is a sculptor's studio, so he's probably in for a long stint. What's more, the coat draped over his shoulders and the broken window behind him, with snow and icicles visible, indicates that this is the proverbial, freezing garret. 

Oblivious of this, the artist takes great pains and time to get the skimpy, modesty covering adjusted just right. The sculptor's clothing, complete with trendy deck shoes, is the product of an artist well versed in fashion sketching, but perhaps not the typical attire of bohemian artists.

 

Art Bob - Artist With His Model 2 (my title)

 In the sequel, the sculptor has given the poor model ear-muffs to wear - in response to his complaints about the cold presumably. To add to this indignity, they are particularly feminine, fluffy muffs. He is also obliged to pose holding a household broom instead of a manly spear, highlighted by the contrast with the authenticity of the helmet.

The sculptor working on his model looks at him as if mystified by his grumbles. Of course, he's wrapped up warm himself. At first sight he looks like a painter cleaning his hands with a rag, but he is actually modelling a figure, you can see the shape of the legs, matching those of the model.  

 

Art Bob - Crowded Quarters

 

In their youth, men are usually undismayed by having to share quarters and bare all to other men. The two hunks in the foreground here seem happy to improvise, doing their morning ablutions in close proximity without any apparent concerns. The close arrangement of crotch and elbow is not without erotic interest, nor of course the bent over pose of the nearest man.

 Their younger flatmate, waiting his turn, seems to positively enjoy the spectacle of them jostling at the sink. While they are preoccupied, he seems to be holding up someone's undershorts for a closer examination, as if wondering how they would feel on him. Art Bob seems to have liked this criss-cross pattern, it crops up in a number of his drawings. 

This man also seems to be holding a rosebud which I'm not sure how to interpret. Is it a symbol of his crush on the owner of the pants? Or of what he imagines extracting from them? Maybe the forward thrust of his pelvis and the shielding of his crotch by the backside of one of the hunks provides the answer. Well we can all dream!

 

Art Bob -Water Shortage

 This picture has a similar 'sharing' theme to the one above, but is almost the opposite in emotional terms. These four men jockeying to get some of the water that is dripping out of the shower head are definitely not happy with the arrangement. When it was published, Physique Pictorial related it to military service, when of necessity, washing arrangements were often improvised. 

 

Comrades in arms usually make the best of such inconveniences, but the levels of embarrassment on display here seem to go far beyond that. There's a certain, very mitchmen-esque pleasure to be derived from their predicament. 'Trim' No 3 bizarrely observed that "the English might consider that these boys deserve this fate". Be that as it may, we are deprived of Art-Bob's usual cute faces as a result and must content ourselves with some luscious physique detail.

 

The picture is not without erotic humour, however. The muscular blond in the foreground is rubbing his backside, almost as if he has felt a surreptitious touch. Beyond him, a comrade looks back over his shoulder, as if he might have felt the same thing, as they bathe, accidentally cheek to cheek. Or perhaps it's his wandering hands that were responsible, and he's feigning innocence but can't resist observing the reaction of his target. 

 

The same might be said of the figure on the left, whose willowy physique is another example of Art Bob's forward thrusting pelvis action which produces a natural bunching of the backside and possibly in this case, embarrassment for the man in the middle soaping his hair, he's seen what we can't!

 

~

 

More Art Bob in Part 3 (article pending)

 

Read Part 1 of Art Bob

Art Bob 1

Art Bob was a popular gay artist in the 60s with an unmistakeable, playful style. He depicted young men enjoying life and getting into 'interesting' situations. I've never reviewed his work here before but have previously posted sample images, also one more recently at the mitchmen account at BSkySocial.  

 

Art Bob - A Little Pull From A Buddy

 

Many of Art-Bob's images will be well known to my readers, so I'm starting this article with one of his less familiar ones. It shows a guy helping his dormitory buddy into a tight-fitting suit -  a diving or flying suit perhaps or, given the imagery on the walls, some sort of spacesuit. 

 

It's not exactly clear what he's doing to help, except that he's using a thread. The suit area below his foot shows cross-stitching and yet the suit seems to have a zip. Sewing it all up seems decidedly kinky. 

 

Even more surprising (for the 50s) is that his foot is placed firmly on his buddies' groin. You don't have to be familiar with foot fetish to perceive the erotic nature of this gesture, the recipient is clearly 'getting it', as it were! For the avoidance of doubt, rockets thrust skywards behind them 

 

The would-be astronaut is a typical example of the artist's usual fare of young and slightly gauche subjects, but his buddy is something else. Stubbled chin plus a hairy and muscular physique, complemented by a rare sight of Y-Front style, white underwear. Hunks like this pop up refreshingly in other pictures by Art Bob. 

 

The title is an example of Art Bob's humorous innuendo. It seems charmingly coy to us but was necessarily so in 1959 when this was published. Most of the images presented here were drawn in the 50s, an era of repression on both sides of the Atlantic. 

 

 

Art Bob - A Stitch In Time

This picture also has a sewing theme. Another hunky buddy helps to fix his (nervous) chum's jeans. The pithy title suggests it's a repair, but these look well past being fixed 'in time'. In the 50s, fashionable young men started to have their jeans altered to fit more tightly round the bum. The most professional technique involved unpicking the centre seam of the pants, like this, cutting away a 'dart', and then sewing it back up. 

 

Needless to say, few lads were accomplished sewers, but if they were lucky their mums or girlfriends would do it for them. Otherwise, they had to call on a 'best mate', whose expertise might be just as lacking as their own. Doing the alteration with the jeans still in place is a typically male solution to the problem of getting it as tight as possible. But it's not without risk, as the stick-on plaster shows.

 

Quite why the helpful friend is nearly naked for this task is a mystery, but who's complaining? His muscular body is clearly shaved below waist level. The 50s furnishings in the background are a delightful detail, not least because the artist's style exactly complements it. No modern home could be without a cheese plant back then. 

 

 

Ronald Wright - A Stitch In Time?

Art-Bob's 'stitch' was very well-received and was reproduced in a number of contemporary beefcake magazines. English artist Ronald Wright was so impressed with the idea that he made his own version, copying the original composition pretty much exactly, but dressing the characters differently and relocating it (bizarrely) to a sports locker room. It's not a patch on the original, but the deliberate reversal of the characterisations is quite interesting.

 

 

Art Bob - Just The Ticket

Buddy collaboration features in this image too. Two lads in a beach buggy are trying to talk a cop out of giving them a ticket. While the cop is distracted, another member of the party reaches out of the boot (US, trunk) to let down his tyres. You don't notice it at first because of the absurd perspective and distance. It's quite an artistic hand, feminine potentially. The passenger feigns innocence on both counts.

 

The characterisation of the cop is decidedly odd. Wearing a bow tie, tight shirt and sun shades that look as though they belong to a fashion model, he's not exactly the epitome of authority.  

 

Beyond the cartoon joke, the check shorts of the passenger are quite sexy and the flash on the driver's trunks hints at, yet disguises, suggestive shaping. In the distorted, visual vocabulary of the image the driver's hand appears to be nudging the cop's groin, possibly grasping something - and the cop seems to have noticed. The hidden eroticism of the time (see label at foot of post for more).

 

 

Art Bob - The Rescue 1

 

Still at the Seaside, a young man strips off on a jetty to rescue a drowning man. He's not wearing any underwear which only underlines his heroism, putting himself in double jeopardy!

 

The artist has gone over the top with wide-eyed boyishness which doesn't gel at all with the mature, hairy muscularity of the character's physique. However, there's a nice sense of urgency in his improbably confused undressing and off-balance pose. The grasping hand projecting from the water is masterly. 

 

 

Art Bob - The Rescue 2

In the sequel, we see a handsome, young man being dragged from the water by his rescuer, whose concerned face now shows rather more maturity. His discarded clothes can be seen on the jetty in both pictures, the sketchy style seeming to morph them into fishing nets! 

 

The water ripples are delightfully stylish. The lower legs visible beneath them don't reflect reality, in contrast to the hand in the previous picture. That might simply reflect hasty sketching, but there's a modernist argument for showing something that's there, even if you can't see it. You can compare Art-Bob's depiction of dripping water with Tom of Finland's below.

 

Art Bob produced a number of diptychs like this, but these images are a far cry from his usual frivolity and whimsy.
 

 

Tom of Finland - Sailor Rescued From Drowning 1

 

Tom Of Finland's 1963 mini story about a drowning sailor rescued by a biker may have been inspired by this couplet. It's equally brief.

 

Tom of Finland - Sailor Rescued From Drowning 2

 

Interestingly, Tom's and Art-Bob's images interleave rather well to produce a more complete storyline, despite the disparity in technique and dress. Both seem to have decided it would be prudent not to attempt to show the moment where the two men come together in the water.

 

There may be more images in Tom's story, he usually did sets of six around this time, but if he did, I don't have them. 

 

 

Art Bob - Down The Road A-Piece

 

The final picture shows two sailors who also need rescuing. They seem to be stranded in the desert with their kitbags and an empty fuel can. A cowboy is gleefully directing them to the nearest gas station - which is clearly miles away! Little wonder they both look so downcast and dismayed. 

 

The cowboy seems to have his horse with him, the reins are in his hand, but he doesn't seem to be offering to help, perhaps he wants to enjoy their predicament for a while, as do we. 

 

Perhaps his offer of help comes with conditions and he's pointing out the unpalatable alternative. He's dressed pretty provocatively for that species and there's a telltale handkerchief in his back pocket which they haven't seen yet.  

 

I love the depiction of the sailors in this picture - both the butch seated one and the boyish doll-like one on the left. This artist shows his understanding of the sexiness of tight sailor's outfits and mangled caps. His depiction of them can't be faulted. Which is why I posted it previously in the In Praise of Sailors series.

 

More Art-Bob in Part 2