Tom of Finland - Mr Universe, part 2 (final version)

You can read Part 1 of this article first if you wish

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 08 (Oiling Up)

 

On the day of the contest, the buddies change into their costumes and oil up. The dark haired one is being assisted here by some very butch-looking young men. The scenario provides an excuse for some fairly intimate contact between them. The bodybuilder has got himself a sexy, dark pouch with a chain for the waistband, and one of the assistants actually seems to be putting him into it. It's a daring ingredient, albeit well-disguised by a confusing arrangement of hands. 

 

The blond changes his clothes, unassisted. There's a sense of his friend getting all the attention, being pampered and hero worshipped. He's playing up to it, too, striking a god-like beefcake pose with modest downcast eyes. His blond buddy does not seem too dismayed or jealous about it. He is, perhaps, proud of his friend changing from a clumsy, ugly duckling into a swan. Interestingly, his beefcake pose resembles the ballet dancer's 'petit pose' and this conjures up another swan connection - 'Swan Lake', which is also about transformations. However, the Black Swan in that ballet plays a very dark role.  

 

 There's no doubt about this image being part of the 'Universe' set, it was explicitly labelled as such (with title) in Scan issue 8, circa August 1961. The distinctive chain pouch helps to assign other, later images to this set. Apart from these, I know of only two other instances in Tom's work where this pouch design is featured. One is in Beach Boys No 2 (1972) where a leather-pouched sun-bather wreaks havoc amongst the straight crowds. The other is a single image included in the mitchmen 'Tailor Group' article (previously referenced in Part 1 of Mr Universe). That one is not part of this set either, the pouch is white and it's being worn in a studio setting, suggesting a porn star being dressed or fluffed up for participation in something very different. Interestingly, though, it's another 'connected' image dated as 1963 in the Tom of Finland Retrospective Vol 1, but the Universe image above is definitely 1961. 

 

Notice the number 1 written in the bottom left corner. This may offer an explanation of the 1961 v 1963 date confusion. That the later images in Part 1 were post-scripts, prequels if you like, inspired by and elaborating on the run-up to the contest.  That doesn't explain image 3, however, which is indistinguishable in style and provenance from the group presented here.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 09

 The boys strut their stuff on the competition stage.

 

Obviously this is only a fragment of the full image and although it didn't appear until later (in 101 Boys Art Quarterly for Summer 1965), it did so alongside other fragments from the Universe series so it's almost certainly part of it. There wasn't much mileage for Tom in drawing beefcake posing when the magazines were awash with photographs of the real thing, so it's not entirely surprising that no copies of the full image have been found. The cropping here might lead you to suppose that Tom spiced it up with some provocative, costume detail deemed too daring to show. However, this publication seems to have used cropping widely and arbitrarily, perhaps to evade copyright challenges.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 10

 

Needless to say, one of the two boys is fated to win the contest. It turns out to be the blond who has appeared to be the more confident and polished one throughout the (my) story. In a flip of image 8, it's now him who is being feted (with exceptional generosity) by his beaten rivals. Tom uses an unconventional viewpoint at the rear of the stage which shows the enormous, equally excited audience almost clamouring to get on the stage with them. This is the era of pop star adulation, remember, with screaming 'Beatlemania' just around the corner.

 

Tom's backstage viewpoint also shows us the backsides of the bodybuilders, who are all, as expected, wearing very skimpy costumes, halfway to being backless thongs. Their two-man lift has parted the blond's legs (and butt cheeks) creating an extremely suggestive view (the serial croppers at '101 Boys' printed an unsubtle fragment of this specific area framed only by a glimpse of supporting shoulders). Despite this sexy detail, the image was used to advertise the series in Scan 9 (Nov 1961).

 

However, the version above is not the complete image.....

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 10 (version 2)

 This version of the victor's celebration was used to promote the series later, in Man Alive #19 (Mar 1962). It reveals that the blond's dark-haired buddy is watching the proceedings from one side and looking defeated, disappointed and envious. 

 

Notice the lines top and bottom that seem to suggest this version was meant to be cropped as well. However, the extra detail is an important link to what follows. The accompanying blurb talks portentously of 'back-stage struggles'.

 

Notice the Number '3' in the bottom corner of this picture (following the No 1 in image 8). 

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 11

  

As the competitors leave the stage, there's an extraordinary confrontation between the two buddies. The darker one attacks his friend, clamping a hand over his mouth as if he's just made some gloating, disparaging remark about him or perhaps disclosed a secret. The cherished trophy is sent flying. This sudden animosity is entirely unexpected*. 

 

But look what is happening at waist level!  He's pulling the blond into a tight embrace, which doesn't suggest their friendship is in any danger. Both their pouches are swollen and nestling together in a remarkably explicit sexual statement for it's time. 

 

The attacker's knee is raised between his friend's thighs, which might be an angry ball-bashing attack, but in reality it seems to be more about contacting his groin and prising his legs open. This detail might just be Tom milking the erotic potential of the scene, but it also seems like an echo of what the loser has just watched other men do to his buddy in image 10. Also, it may be my over-active imagination, but the blond's six-pack seems to have taken on the shape of a giant penis. There's certainly a remarkably strong line tracing down his body to his buddy's groin. 

 

 *Perhaps his annoyance is less surprising if you discount the introductory, character developing images and narrative which I assembled for Part 1. A comment posted here while I was composing this commentary says the set was originally called 'Beating Mr Universe' which implies he's probably just a sore loser. These days we could just blame steroids.

 

There may have been some cropping of his image, but disembodied hands reaching towards the sexy subject of the picture were a popular device at this time. You can see them in Etienne's calendar images and there's a similar 'off-stage' presence in Harry Bush's surfer pictures. Perhaps it's reflecting the cruel plight of men in the 60's who suffered from forbidden desires and were doomed to a life of hiding in perpetual frustration.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 12

 The bystanders drag the two combatants apart. While they glare at each other, the darker one gets a gratuitous groping. It's clear he still has plenty of admirers, the two on either side of him match those seen in image 8*. 

 

Darkie is revealed to have a giant bulge in his pouch, but it's not clear whether it's because of his feelings for his buddy or because of the guy cupping his pecs and furtively snuggling up to his uncovered backside.  

 

The blond on the right seems poised to attack or repel one. This pose can be seen in other fight images by Tom. It's not particularly interesting, but Tom has cleverly positioned his fist in a suggestive position close to the crotch of one of his rival's supporters. 

 

*Tom's fastidious attention to detailing the supporting cast as individuals and regular guys of ambiguous sexuality is one of the joys of his older work. In later years, they tended to become leather clones or cops, which were more or less equivalents.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 13

 

 Relative peace descends and the antagonists return to their post-contest routines, showering off the posing oil and stage grime. Nevertheless, the sense of animosity lingers on. The dark-haired guy has stripped off his 'costume' and is grimly grasping it, as if contemplating using its chains as a flail. He appears to be looking in the direction of his former pal who has just emerged from the shower, but his eyes are closed (or closing) in response to some distracting pampering from one of his loyal acolytes. The masseur appears to be squatting astride his right leg, in a typically ambiguous Tom juxtaposition that appears to suggest his mind is on a service he might like his hero to provide for him. The blond looks on with just the faintest trace of a smile on his face. 

 

The chain pouch confirms this to be part of the 'Universe' series. The picture is taken from 101 Boys Autumn '68, so it sheds no light on the dating of the series. 

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 14

While the blond finishes dressing, cramming his bits into incredibly tight jeans, his dark haired buddy creeps up behind him and pinches the trophy. I'm giving his motives the benefit of the doubt in not using the word 'stealing', influenced in part by his suddenly boyish appearance and cheeky grin. I can't say whether Tom intended it to be seen that way. 

 

You'll notice there's a considerable presence in his jeans, perhaps he's excited by his own daring here, or perhaps it's the result of all the attention he was getting in the last picture. But even that excitement and the enticing ass before him does not deflect him from his villainy.

 

This is another image I have reassembled from two 'bleeding chunks' published in the same issue (!) of 101 Boys, Summer '65. It's pretty obvious where the join is. The little statuette that tops the contest trophy (see image 10) can just be glimpsed between the blond's legs. That's a nice, little innuendo that is satirical as well as erotic if you think about it. Thankfully, the cropping just manages to preserve it. In addition, you can just about see that the leather guy's hand is gripping one of the handles.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 15

 The thief emerges from the contest hall to be greeted by the assembled ranks of the press corps and fans eagerly awaiting a glimpse of their victorious hero. Their expressions of shock and horror tell us exactly what they think about being presented instead with a contestant who didn't even make the top 3 (see image 10). He looks annoyingly cute and confident too! 

 

Is that all there is?, you say. 'Fraid so but we must be grateful for this small mercy from Boys 101 (yet again), for at least preserving this much. It resolves the issue of motivation, the guy just craves attention and adulation. The top of a head, just below the trophy, suggests a kneeling press-man who will probably be seeming to give it to him, by performing intimate tasks.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 16

The disappointed crowd turn on the misguided imposter and strip him of his clothing. This reveals a formidable physique that arguably justifies his disappointment at not winning*. It's possible that this revenge is triggered by the blond himself following him out and confronting him (see the middle head of the trio at the back). The ill-gained trophy falls to the ground yet again, helpfully linking this image into the series.

 

*Interestingly, AMG ran a little article alongside images from this set, reporting allegations of 'result fixing' in real bodybuilding contests, but not endorsing them.

 

This image would surely have been the best of the set in uncropped form and original quality. For once this copy isn't taken from the 101 Boys Art Quarterly, but from John Barrington's 'The Tom Album' (1974). The drawing style of the boy on the right closely resembles the characters in an early 1959 biker series which surfaced a few years ago.

 

~

 

In Tom's normal vocabulary of this period, image 16 would probably not have been the final image in his series. We would have seen the trophy restored to it's rightful owner and the miscreant doing penance in some way, possibly by way of a spanking or by grovelling before his better. If such an image exists, I haven't been able to find it but I live in hope.

 

In all we have 9 images (or parts) which can reliably attributed to the 1961 set out of the supposed 12. 

 

   

Click on this link for an Index of ToF articles at mitchmen blog

The labels below link to other topics 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe, part 1

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 01

Two leather guys (with hunky bubble butts) ponder the possibilities of bodybuilding, having just read that the 'Mr Universe' competition will be coming to a venue near them next year. 

 

As I explain in my introductory article, to the series, this image is dated as 1963 in the Tom of Finland Retrospective Vol 3, not 1961, the date when this series was first advertised. Arguably, it's more sophisticated, stylistically, than some of the images that follow. The boot tops showing through the jeans show amazing attention to detail. Nevertheless, weight-training by a blond and dark-haired couple does figure in the Universe story, so this image makes the perfect starting image.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 02

 

 The buddies embark on a programme of weight training, with their naivety about the subject much in evidence. The blond in the foreground makes a clumsy effort at training with an old-fashioned dumb-bell, which even in 1961* was reserved for comic, circus effect. His dark-haired friend struggles to even lift his more modern, barbell weights. His technique is terrible (bending his back, instead of his legs) but it produces a sight that is sexy as well as amusing. 

 

Neither of them has bothered to change into gym gear for these exertions. So, it's no wonder that the more experienced gym user, watching their efforts, is laughing at them! That's the sort of humiliation that every young man dreads. The on-looker is completely naked and standing suggestively close to the inviting ass, which is screening his nudity from us. It's a juxtaposition which is full of possibilities, but Tom is the soul of discretion. 

 

This particular image, unusually for Tom, has an 'assembled' look, as if separate images have been married together. This was a style that Luger (Colt) would soon make his own. *Like image 1, this image is actually dated as 1963 in the Tom of Finland Retrospective Vol 3. It appeared alongside image 01 above in Physique Pictorial May 1963 (PP12#4) with a snippet bemoaning the neglect of the Universe contest in the generalist beefcake press.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 03

As if chastened by their taste of gym culture, the boys head for the beach. The blond seems to have made phenomenal progress, so perhaps we're a few months further on here. He is giving advice to his less advanced buddy. Both of them still seem to have dressed more with an eye to the posing opportunity offered by the beach, rather than donning serious training gear. Perhaps for this reason, both seem to be finding their physical endeavours positively arousing. 

 

The presence of weight training equipment on a beach is probably less surprising to US readers than those in other parts of the world, where the muscle beach phenomenon is virtually unknown. There will normally be other users of the equipment around as well, of course, so the pair may not be spared further ridicule.

 

This picture has been assembled by me from two separate fragments that were printed in 101 Boys Art Quarterly in Summer 1965. It's not the full picture, one of our readers pointed me to a Tom source where the full size picture can be seen. It's in miniscule size, which I've blown up, but we're not missing much. It's attributed to 1960 by that source.

 

This picture illustrates the difference in style to the 1963 images, but the apparent fuzziness could easily be due to the reproduction process used by the magazine. It may have been pirated.  

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 04

The blond shows his friend how to do an overhead lift, but his serious mentoring turns into farce as the tiny towel he's tied round his waist becomes dislodged and flutters to the ground. There's a deliciously wry expression on the blond's face, an 'oh-oh' moment. His friend is highly amused and another fine beach specimen, out strutting his stuff, is also there to witness his embarrassment. 

 

This image, like No 3, is cropped closer than Tom's original (see link above). The cropping has the effect of drawing attention to the laughing spectator at the water's edge. No significant elements from the full picture are missing.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 05 (extra)

This image of a blond body-builder, turned on by his own physique, is not part of the Universe set, it dates from much later - 1982*. It fits in well, however, as an illustration of the bikers' growing obsession with their new hobby (and the effect on their vanity). 

 

* This image is not at all typical of Tom's other 1982 work, which is all about the leather scene he had immersed himself in. Perhaps it was a nostalgic throwback. In most copies of this image, the wall is washed out and indistinguishable from the mirror, so I have applied AI to bring it out better.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 06 (extra)

 The change in the bodybuilders' physiques as their development progresses means that before long their old clothes no longer fit them.

 This is probably not part of the set either, but it is a near contemporary (1960) and again serves to illustrate the progress of the men's quest to achieve muscledom. The original was (I think) a wry observation on the 1960s fad for sitting in the bath in new jeans so they would shrink to fit.

 

 

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 07 (maybe?)

 As the contest draws nearer, the boys go shopping to get their posing outfits. 

They are both visibly more muscular. 

 

 I don't know for sure if this is a Mr Universe image, it's a maybe. However, the subject fits and the two protagonists look like buddies and are blond and dark haired. The image is listed in the Tom of Finland Retrospective, Vol 2, but is undated. However, it is positioned amongst a group of pictures from 1963. That is also the 'official' date of several of those shown above. 

 

Tom had a bit of a thing about tailors around this time. This image also appears in that article and I speculate that the flared trousers look 1970s, but they were also fashionable in the 60s and often turned up on sailors of course. These days no-one get measured for new clothes and the old jokes about inside leg measurements have gone the way of the ark.

 

Next time - The Mr Universe Contest.

 

The official source for Tom of Finland work is of course 

The Tom of Finland Foundation 

Tom of Finland - The Mystery of 'Mr Universe'

Tom of Finland - Mr Universe 01

If you are a fan of Tom of Finland, you will probably be familiar with this image. It's shows two leather guys pondering the world of bodybuilding and the 'Mr Universe' competition, which seems to be coming to a venue near them 'next year'. This image is often presented as a stand-alone work, presumably because of its aspirational, 'Pride' message, but it's actually part of a 'Mr Universe' series which was widely documented in its time* but seems to have become lost or dispersed since then. This article is an attempt to reconstruct it from contemporary sources. 

 

*The Tom of Finland Retrospective (vol 1) dates this image to 1963, but the 'Mr Universe' series seems to have appeared in late 1961 (see below). It's not impossible that Tom produced this picture later, but it's obviously related, and I have chosen to make it the opening image for my reconstructed series. 

 

According to Valentine-Hooven (in "Tom of Finland, His Life and Times" p101) Tom did the series for Rex Pickering at 'Scan' Magazine, and it was indeed first advertised in 'Scan' issue 9. It was also advertised simultaneously in issue 17 of 'Man Alive' (which we can date precisely to Nov 1961). In the latter source, it is actually advertised as a 'Hussar Studio' product. Around this time, Hussar also published Tom's 'Thieving Cowboy' series, about which there is even wilder confusion over publication dates! See the 2023 mitchmen 'Thieving Cowboy' article for more on Tom's relationship with Royale /Hussar.

 

 

Tom of Finland - The Leather Outfit Thief 01 (my title)

 

  We don't know exactly how Tom viewed 'bikers' at this time, in the 'Mr Universe' image (top) they are drawn as cute boys with bubble butts, looking slightly naive in their leather jackets. However, in a contemporary series illustrated above, the leather man is portrayed as a muscular, god-like creature, worshipped from the bushes by an envious youth. It's another series (like the Thieving Cowboy) in which a set of clothes is stolen, and the same thing happens in the second of the 'Kake' series. In 1964, it's the motorbike itself that gets stolen. All these miscreants end up on the receiving end of a severe belting, and Tom's work is littered with handsome leather men treating eager, initiates in the same way. That's a good excuse for including one of my own favourite Tom images....

 

Tom of Finland - Leather Initiation

 In later life, Tom was absorbed into the world of leather that fascinated him so much. Quite which end of the belt he saw himself is not known, but the experience of having his own drawings stolen in 1954 and widely pirated after he became famous may be relevant. In that context, the aspiration of two biker dandies to become more muscular and, by implication, more manly, makes perfect sense. 

 

 

Tom of Finland - Test Your Strength

 

This image, with the same youthful admirer from the Leather Outfit Thief, is also from 1961. It's actually part of the 'Circus Set' but embodies, in a more positive way, the idea of manly role models for gay men to aspire to.

 

The 'Mr Universe' series isn't about joining the Leather Clan, but it is very much about justice and assertiveness. The scarcity of surviving, intact images is probably a reflection of Tom's attempts to control the distribution of his own work. In 1965 '101 Boys Art Quarterly' was able to publish only fragments of some of the individual images. In the same year, AMG published a couple of (complete) images from the set in Physique Pictorial with a typically waspish comment to the effect that they offered many of Tom's series for sale, but this wasn't one of them!

 

Valentine-Hooven says there were 12 to 15 pictures in the series, I have identified a group of 17 images that seem related, of which 2 or 3 are dubious, but interesting. 

 

The story begins in the next post.  

 

Most Popular mitchmen Posts - Summary of previous winners

As a postscript to my annual mitchmen awards for popular posts, 
here is the updated list of the previous winners, with links to the winning articles.

~

 Most Popular Post During The Year 
at mitchmen (Table MPP 2)

Kalabro - Milking Factory

Above, Kalabro's benchmark contribution to the winner in 2024, 2023 and 2022

2024 The Milking Factory - No 1

2023 The Milking Factory - No 1

2022 The Milking Factory - No 1

2021 IFNB A Fantasy World of BodyBuilders

2020 Etienne/Stephen - Index to Articles (i.e. articles at mitchmen)

2019 IFNB A Fantasy World of BodyBuilders

2018 A-Z of Fetish Artists - Cavelo

2017  Priapus of Milet - 1

2016 A-Z of Fetish Artists - Cavelo

2015 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2014 My Initiation

 

 

 New Post of the Year
at mitchmen (table MPP 1)

Brick - Slave Academy

Brick was the winner in 2022

2024 Ain Postolos - Recruiting Workers for the Milking Factory

2023 Slave Training 11 - Cockaphobia (GIF)

2022 New 'Slave Academy' Pictures by Brick

2021 Come and Get It! (Royale Studio Archive)

2020 The Art of Amalaric – 1 A Slave To Passion

2019 Milking Factories – 4

2018 IFNB A Fantasy World of BodyBuilders

2017 The Milking Factory (No1)

2016 A-Z of Fetish Artists - WooDunArt

2015 The Art of Eddie Chin

2014 A-Z of Fetish Artists - Tagame (Part 3)

2013 A-Z of Fetish Artists - Swarbrick

 

Most Popular mitchmen Post of All Time
(cumulative totals, table MPP 3)

A trainer, dripping with dick champagne, proudly shows off his protégé.

From IFNB, winner of this category three times running.

 

2024 IFNB – A Fantasy World of Bodybuilders

2023 IFNB – A Fantasy World of Bodybuilders

2022 IFNB – A Fantasy World of Bodybuilders

2021 Priapus of Milet - 1

2020 Priapus of Milet - 1

2019 Priapus of Milet - 1

2018 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2017 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2016 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2015 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2014 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2013 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

 

1829 @end 2024 1480 @end2023, 1144 @end2022, 542 visits @end 2021

All Time Most Popular Post in 2024 (MPP3)

 

"A judge caused a surprise in this year's IFNB Open, Western Semi-Final by going on stage and confronting the contestants. Gerry Kabalski (Idaho) said later that the unexpected intervention put him off his stroke and ruined his chances, but the Judges dismissed his appeal on the grounds that it was the same for everyone. Judge Trumble was subsequently suspended"

.

 Art by this year's winner for the sixth year running, IFNB.

 

~

 

I've flipped the 'all time' popularity listings this year to give precedence to hit rates averaged out over the number of years since publication. This is a method that gives recent articles the same chance as older ones. I have retained the 'total number of hits since publication' but as a secondary measure, since it has reached a point where older articles have established unassailable totals.

 

 

Table 1

Articles with the Highest Average Hits per Year Since Publication (2024)

 

Article	Year Published	Ave Hits per year	Position (& last year)	'Total Hits' position
IFNB – A Fantasy World of Bodybuilders	2018	8226	1 (1)	2
The Milking Factory	2017	7209	2 (2)	1
The Art of Amalaric – 1 A Slave To Passion	2020	4140	3 (3)	13
Homoeros Gallery Guide	2018	3981	4 (4)	7
Milking Factories - 3	2018	3937	5 (5)	6
Priapus of Milet - 1	2012	3643	6 (6)	3
Ain Postolos - Milking Fact Workers	2024	3130	NEW	n/a
Etienne - Index of articles at mitchmen	2016	2771	7 (7)	9
Milking Factories-4	2019	2664	8 (8)	14
A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel	2010	2438	9 (10)	5
The Art of BrosFate – 3	2020	2408	10 (9)	22
The Art of Homoeros - 6 (Art of The Cross)	2018	2362	11 (12)	16
A-Z of Fetish Artists - Cavelo	2008	2358	12 (14)	4
The Art of BrosFate – 1	2020	2222	13 (11)	28
The Art of Amalaric – 3 Hunks & Manipulators	2020	1966	14 (15)	40
The Art of Homoeros - 1 (Beefcake Boys)	2018	1782	15 (18)	26
Come and Get It!	2021	1777	16 (13)	78
Another Milking Factory No2	2018	1729	17 (20)	23
A New Life For Our Air Force Boys	2017	1665	18 (-)	21
Milking Factories 5 (Development Lab)	2019	1608	19 (-)	35
A Christmas Criminal	2015	1593	20 (-)	17

Stats compiled 31/12/24

Short cut to Last Years Table

IFNB and Milking Factory topped the table again this year and continue to outscore every other post in the blog on a regular basis. The gap between these two closed a little, but the the chasing pack have been falling further and further behind. All of the top 8 articles kept the same position but there was much jostling further down.

 The two top articles benefitted from new posts on the same subject in 2024 (IFNB Newsletter and the continuing stream of Milking Factory posts). Other entries which benefited from 'connected articles' were Homoeros, Etienne, Brosfate and Chirenon's 'Air Force Boys' which re-entered the chart after a two year absence thanks to it's linkage with Etiennes 'Sailor Beware' story and it's Royale Studio spin-off. There are 3 articles about Homoeros' work in the table and 2 by Brosfate.

 Amalaric stormed this chart back in 2021 and has kept it's 3rd position just behind the two leaders without any extra support this year, a measure of genuine lasting popularity. Amalaric has 2 articles in the chart. Three older stalwarts of the chart have also been quietly maintaining their positions without any extra publicity - Priapus at 6, MCarcel at 9 (up 1) and Cavelo at 12 (up 2). The resurgence of the last two is remarkable, considering that they are the oldest articles in this top 20, no less than 14 and 16 years old and still going strong!

There were three new entries this year, or rather, three 'returners' who ejected more recent upstarts who haven't sustained their early successes (Roa, Planet Gay and Brick). They were replaced by Milking Factory 5 and Airforce Boys (both after one year out) and my own 'Christmas Criminal' (last here in 2020) which I gave a modest plug this Christmas on 'X'. The departers look likely to be followed next time by the only photographic article in the table, 'Come and Get It!', which has become redundant with the transfer of Royale Studio material to the new Royale blog. 

I don't count articles less than one year old in this table. I have indicated where they would have registered in orange but Ain Postolos score is artificial, it exceeds the number of real hits he has had so far, due to being published less than a year ago.

The entry level to this table is 1593 down from 1862 last year. It's well within the range of Ain Postolos if he can keep up with his first year score of 1475 in the future.

The A-Z Index of Artists at mitchmen hit score presently averages 10,777

Table 2 mitchmen Articles With Most Hits Since Publication to end 2024

Posn (last yr)	Title of Post (& link)	Year of Pub'n	Cum Hits	Hits in 2024
1 (2)	The Milking Factory	2017	56,740	5355
2 (1)	IFNB – A Fantasy World of Bodybuilders	2018	56,095	4338
3 (3)	Priapus of Milet - 1	2012	46,311	1936
4 (4)	A-Z of Fetish Artists - Cavelo	2008	39,193	2572
5 (5)	A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel	2010	35,595	1100
6 (6)	Milking Factories - 3	2018	26,027	1170
7 (7)	Homoeros Gallery Guide	2018	24,096	909
8 (8)	A-Z of Fetish Artists - Jotto	2009	23,524	567
9 (9)	Etienne - index of articles at mitchmen	2016	22,590	933
10 (10)	A-Z of Fetish Artists - Malex	2010	20,287	586
11 (11)	A-Z of Fetish Artists - Franco	2009	20,044	716
12 (13)	A-Z of Fetish Artists - Brick	2008	18,080	2671
13 (12)	The Art of Amalaric 1 - A Slave To Passion	2020	18,034	2169
14 (15)	Milking Factories-4	2019	15,882	1489
15 (14)	A-Z of Fetish Artists – Martin of Holland	2010	15,289	537
16 (18)	The Art of Homoeros – 6 (Art of The Cross)	2018	15,049	2001
17 (17)	A Christmas Criminal by Mitchell (1-5)	2015	14,389	608
18 (16)	A-Z of Fetish Artists – The Hun	2009	14,258	369
19 (19)	A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kalabro	2009	12,891	578
20 (20)	A-Z of Fetish Artists - Julius	2009	12,532	403

 

This year again it was pretty much 'as you were' in the all-time table of total hits with the notable exception of Milking Factories-1 which reclaimed the No 1 spot it had in 2022, returning IFNB to second place (and closing the gap in Table 1). These two continue to pull away strongly from the rest of the pack, who are now a long, long way behind them. 

 

This table has a number of older articles which no longer feature in Table 1, but have built up big totals in earlier years which are almost unassailable by new ones. Thus Brick's resurgence here, prompted by the release of new work in 2023 and continued in 2024, doesn't register in Table 1, where under-performance in earlier years depresses it's rating . He nudged past Amalaric's 'Slave to Passion' into 12th place and is closing in on Franco and Malex (two other old-timers). Further down, Homoeros (Art of the Cross) swapped places with The Hun, rising to 16th position and more than reclaiming the ground he lost last year. 

 

The Milking Factory series has 3 entries in this table and all consolidated their positions in the top 20 with Milking Factory No 4 overtaking Martin of Holland to take 14th place. Milking Factory No 2 is just outside the top 20. Homoeros is the only artist to have two dedicated articles in the top 20, although Kalabro contributed to 'Milking Factory 1' as well as his dedicated article, so he has a comparable claim.

There were no new entries to the top 20 once again this year, but there's a gaggle of contenders just outside and performing strongly (including 'Airforce Boys' and Brosfate 3). The bottom two articles, Kalabro and The Hun, are now vulnerable to this wave.

The entry level to this all-time top 20 is now 12,532 about 400 more than last year. It's about 10 times the winning total of the new posts in 2023 and 2024 which is why I have switched to the annual hit rates as the principal measure of 'all time' performance.

 

The mitchmen  'Index of Artists' page reached 99,300 hits at the end of 2024, a 13% rise (compared with 13% last time also). It would have earned top spot in this ranking if I counted it as a post.

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mitchmen blog was first published in 2008 and ten of the sixteen years since then are now represented in this survey, the missing years between 2008 and 2022 are shown below

• 2011 - Top Contender is A Tribute to Bound Gods at 39, down from 37
  
• 2013 – The nearest is still my 2nd article on Mike Carcel at 53 (51)
• 2014 - The Art of Baron is at 30 (30)
• 2021 - Come and Get It! at 79 (77)
  
• 2022 - New 'Slave Academy' Pictures by Brick jumped to 158 from 194
• 2023 - Slave Training 11 (Cockaphobia) at 447**
  
• 2024 - Recruiting Workers for the Milking Factory at 456**
  

**These articles have yet to score enough hits to register in the table properly, I don't count every score less than 2000 hits. 2000 is position 402 currently.

 ~

The articles I post to this blog are very much based on my own interests and fancies but the results of this survey do help me plan future offerings. My readers preferences doesn't always match my own (where are Les, JoeT and Link?). Nevertheless it's gratifying to see such interest in the great gay fetish artists who often have a fairly low visibility on the web.

Remember, this comparison is only made for entertainment, since I don't really know how accurate Google's stats are, they don't seem to add up to the overall hits at the blog and I suspect they don't count the activity of people who just browse through the blog roll.

Thanks to all of you for your continuing interest and support.

 

This annual set of articles is made up of 3 charts

MPP1 - Most Popular New Post of the Year 

MPP2 - Most Popular Post during the Year (All articles )

MPP3 - Most Popular Post of All Time (i.e. cumulative performance)

that's this article!

 

Charts and reviews for earlier years can be accessed by clicking the 'MPP' label below

Tribute to Stan of Sweden - 2

One of the great fetish fads of the sixties was for putting muscle men in skimpy, tight, white, gym shorts. Scott of London was a memorably, sexy exponent of the genre whilst Royale Studio had a claim to be pioneers of the trend with storyettes like 'The Football Ballet' in 1957 and a number of stunning 'Sporting Hunks' 

Bo Johansson by Stan of Sweden

Stan was late joining this party but this contribution to the genre was typically stylish and restrained.

 Bo Johansson is seen here in a different, far from boyish light. In this rear view his shorts look satisfyingly snug, but not unnaturally tight. Their neat new appearance makes an attractive package. The subtly notched leg hem is a true connoisseur's touch.

Patrick Berglund by Stan of Sweden

Patrick Bergland's handsome, classical body-builder pose contrasts with well-worn gym shorts which hint at the hard work needed to produce such a stunning physique and the earthy qualities of the man within. The low waist, slung below the hips, halfway to his groin, trades in practicality for something sexier. The tucked-up legs accentuate the models thigh's and create radiating crease lines outlining his balls, lifted and divided by the centre seam. A surprisingly daring image for Stan.

Hartell Jukka by Stan of Sweden

 The turned-down waist and tucked in legs of this model's shorts create briefer proportions that leave no doubt about the erotic intent. Typically, Stan captures a nervous glance to one side, as if he is embarrassed to be seen making such a daring display of himself. His relatively ordinary, slightly boyish face somehow makes it seem out of character. He leans back against a reassuring pillar in contrived nonchalance, perhaps not realising quite how much his groin is pushed forwards.

Stan has shaped the model's tackle here more in the style of Scott, it's prominent but less explicit in shape (at first sight). The tight centre seam has been pulled right up into the model's groin pushing the dangling assembly to one side where the shadowed outline of his cock can be made out, curving down in front of his balls.

Sture by Stan of Sweden

Stan has also cajoled this model into a forward-thrusting pose, with hands clasped behind leaving no hiding place, not even a prop to hang on to. There's an endearing look of uncertainty in his face, a nervous smile struggling to overcome his embarrassment and the loneliness of standing naked and provocative before the camera. 

His shorts look as if they might be the same ones Bo Johansson was wearing in the first picture. The cut is already brief enough to discomfort any man accustomed to pants that hang from his waist (as was the norm back then). They are pulled high at the sides, defensively, but the waistline still dips low enough to expose a sizeable tuft of pubic hair. The bulk of the model's tackle is even more anonymous here, but the bulging shapes either side of the centre seam and straining crease lines indicate a substantial presence. A curious haze hints at even naughtier details higher up, deemed not fit for publication.  

Billy by Stan of Sweden

Stan has used the same formula here although Billy's incredible 'cut' musculature makes an extremely effective distraction from matters of sensuality. His facial expression can best be described as wary and challenging, confident of his own attractiveness, but less sure about what the photographer is doing with it. 

This image departs from the white, gym shorts formula, reflecting instead the emergence of bolder male fashions in the sixties which even reached into men's swimwear. Mmmm. These belted shorts emphasised the new, daring low waisted style, offering manly reassurance of protection from marauders and support in an emergency.

The forward thrust of the model here seems much more confident, so Stan's fiddling down below comes as something of a surprise. The tucked-up legs don't quite quite fit the glamourous, aloof aura and the massive frontal bulge seems at variance with the impression of boyish innocence. It invokes feelings of doubt and scepticism battling with optimistic desire in the viewer. A bit too perfect perhaps.

Lennart Svensson by Stan of Sweden

Stan picks up another theme of the 50's/60's, taking a leaf out of John Barrington's book with this image of Lennart Svensson wading in the sea in his jeans. It's probably chilly Baltic waters, hence the model's discomforted look, but the scenario is an admiring echo of Barrington's studies of the young men of the Cote d'Azure, like his images of Yves Grangeat, shot for Royale Studio.