Art by Leon

 This is a revised and extended version of an article about Leon in the mitchmen A-Z of fetish artists series, first published in 2010

Leon - Bootlicker

You probably know this image with it's distinctive Tom of Finland flavour*. Leon's would-be sub, practicing on empty boots and pretending he's restrained is rather charming. He's very neat in appearance and has even kept his socks and underwear on. The reality of the roleplay he's imagining would probably be very different.

*I don't think Tom ever did anything exactly like this. The little known image below is more typical of his rather less earthy approach.

Tom of Finland - Boot Worship

A little-known boot-worship sketch by Tom of Finland ca.1978. It's another example of an imperfect sketch being better than the polished final product in some ways. The depiction of the face, without hard edges added, is marvellous.

Leon - Down-Trodden (my title)

A man who pairs up with a true master can expect to be kept firmly in his place. This man is much more mature than the kneeling sub above and that makes his humiliation all the more acute, but it seems he's experienced enough to take it like a sub should, in fact he's positively aroused by it. 

His clothing is intriguing. It's not exactly dungeon attire, suggesting this is not a staged roleplay. Rather it's almost as if he's just come off the street. The dark vest/singlet is the garb of a man who does manual work, which accords (stereotypically) with his hairy torso. The slim shoulder straps, however, are more like gym attire which offers another explanation of where those shapely pecs came from. His trousers though look more like part of a suit than workman's clothes. 

Leon imagines boots as having phallic qualities here by illustrating a symmetry between the toe of a boot and the tip of a cock. 

Leon - Power Down

Leon's art comes from the 80's era of Drummer and this must be such a magazine illustration. It's a notably different take on fire fighters compared with the chocolatey, bare-top beefcake that spawned a thousand calendars. There are a variety of fetish references included in this picture - Helmet of course, but also the mask with air tube, axe and thigh-length boots made of rubber. The daring analogy with enemas reflects the pre-AIDS era of celebrating all things gay and pushing boundaries. Physically daring as well, to use a high pressure hose.

Leon - Electro

There's a distinct touch of Tagame in the depiction of this man being subjected to electro-stimulation with an arty embellishment suggesting deeper pleasures. Once again he shows a mature man with a stocky build and very hairy torso. These days this open-legged pose has become a tentacles cliché, it seems too static and relaxed for a situation in which either energetic squirming or arcing rigidity is to be expected. Nice draughtsmanship though., with an arty embellishment implying deeper pleasures.

~

Leon has an accomplished style so it's surprising but I haven't found a website or gallery link for him. 

More Leon at mitchmen

Hunk Hunt - Jase Dean 4 (True Male)

When it come to asserting masculine credentials, the Fireman seems to be one of the few professions still revered in homoerotic iconography. Construction Workers, Cops, Sailors, Soldiers and Bikers, don't seem to cut it any more. Maybe that popularity is because Fire Fighters also appeal to women, they like the connotations of rescue.
(well I wouldn't refuse help if he arrived looking like this!)

In this picture by Simon Barnes, the sweaty musculature, drooping waistline (precariously sustained by a single, long strap) and shaved lower abdomen leave little doubt that Jase is up for being ogled.

This image by ASN recreates the famous, much copied, beefcake photo of 'Fred with Tires' by Herb Ritts, which adorned a million bedroom walls back in the 80's. It's a ringing proclamation of earthy manhood but the change of venue, from anonymous workshop (in Ritt's picture) to a whizzy Motor Sport set-up for Jase, adds a touch of modern glamour. The exposed underpants are also a modern finesse (click picture to enlarge, as usual, if you can't see). Jase's tyres are wider than Fred's and pay testament to his strength, but they conspire to produce a less elegant pose. 

 

This image is much more effective.
Arguably the best of these 'workman' shots, it's certainly the sexiest.
Jase adds his own brand of youthful 'come on' that includes
 scratching his head as though wondering why anyone would bother .

The blacksmith is another reliable shoe-in for muscular strength and partial nudity and he would probably be another homoerotic icon in his own right if the trade was more visible today. They still pop up in fantasy movies fairly regularly, I featured 'Thor' at my gateway blog some years ago and more recently Blacksmiths have turned up in my articles on BrosFate and Homoeros.

The role seems to fit Jase like a glove (which he isn't wearing unfortunately)
The leather apron seems to have morphed into a something resembling chaps,
but ones with a willful mind of their own. The sexily low-slung belt does not dispel this disordered impression, but it makes a great picture!
I've not ID'd the studio yet.

 Meanwhile, back at the deserted factory,
Jase is wrestling with the eternal temptation to slip off his slip.
As we saw in the last post, earthy Industrial surroundings
seem to trigger that desire in him.

Jase slips off his underpants down, but only as far as his thighs,
which is actually sexier than simply kicking them off, ask a stripper!

One of the less appealing facets of this type of arty photography is that the model is expected to expose his bare bottom to damp, cold, dirty factory floors and walls (amongst other trials, like sitting in cold baths and tepid showers to prevent steam).

I imagine some photographers delight
in inflicting such discomforts on attractive models.
Jase looks as if he's wondering about that too
and that story about having to keep the underwear clean.

Whatever the reason Jase decides to get back on his feet
to grasp the nettle handle and boldly reveal all, well almost.
There's a charming mix of coy daring and inner modesty
in this crouched position, just below the level of the window.
The non-commital facial expression, seems to await a reaction.

In this pose his thighs obscure more controversial regions,
but I can't say I feel cheated, quite the reverse,
those generous, meaty haunches
 are a marvellous, erotically-charged sight.

Praising the worker as a naked hero is not new, it comes from Victorian times
and survived the corrupt magnifications of the Soviet and Nazi eras.
It plays a more decorative role in our aspirational modern culture
where physical labour is mostly applied to pens and keyboards.

I don't know for sure if this picture comes from the same shoot but it's a nice fit.
For some reason it seems to bring out the model's nudity rather than his muscularity which is the opposite of what you might expect but seems at one with the  unassuming and slightly equivocal strip-down that preceded it.

In fact Jase's playful side seems to have resurfaced here,
it looks like he's hiding behind that mighty wheel, rather than heaving it.

After all those exertions in messy places a long hot shower is called for.

Actually, if a photographer's around it probably won't be hot,

But Jase seems to take that in his inscrutable stride.

There is something of an enigma about this model and this unusual image
seems to have captured two sides of Jase by some spooky, supernatural process.

One a man with doubts and uncertainties, his mirror image calm and optimistic.

If Jase's chunky thighs didn't grab you, this flash of vulnerability should.

But I'll stick with the thighs for now,

the strong man is back to grace this image, wearing chunky boots 

that maintain a tenuous link with our 'working man' theme.

This picture restates the prohibition on frontal nudity 

but, as with the drawn-down vest in the last article, 

the curtaining shirt tail switches our attention 

to the outer thighs which look absolutely massive. 

Jase's cupped hand provides an extra tease.

That humble shirt is also working to highlight his bicep muscles and contributes to the framing of an impressively thick neck. Some may not like bulkiness like this but I do and David Vance has brought it out in a pleasing way where others have failed.

Providing a matching pair (so to speak), this rear view provides the perfect complement and that shirt tail is working hard again to showcase a most perfect set of buns. The check pattern seems to add a sense of upper body bulk which eluded the photographer of 'The Wheel' above although we can all see it's all there in other pictures. The shirt also seems to draw out the boyishness in the  model's face.
No one will ever love you as much as that shirt does, Jase.

Except, possibly, David Vance who sees him here as a reclining, god-like figure,

Perfect beauty , unselfconscious, lazily dreaming as the world whirls by.

Or perhaps, in this surreal fantasy

 as one who stands at, or crawls toward the threshhold of deity.

Emerging from the shadows with buns that make you cry with pleasure.

Make the most of that sphere, it's the only ball Jase will let you see.
(But I do love sticky-out ears!)

And yet a man is just a man and this simple 'academic' pose is ages old

It might have sprung from the hand of da Vinci,

and the sober colours from the brush of Rembrandt.

The same line of classical thought seems to have occured at Snooty Fox,

Perching Jase on a pedestal as a modern  version of 'The Thinker'

Jase supplies a slightly irreverent interpretation of the role,

proffering the hint of a smile and seemingly poised to leap off

before long in search of more interesting pursuits.

Even lounging at the beach, Jase can summon up a myserious aura, 

those piercing blue eyes would make anyone quiver,

but if I'm honest, it's his 'sunny side up' that really mesmerises me.
It's shallow I know.  

So you won't be surprised by this late entry from the poolside.

   It shows, somewhat unexpectedly, an elegantly lean physique

topping off those sturdy thighs and chunky buttocks

and proving the wheel photographer wasn't so wide of the mark.

Jase is a remarkably attractive man,

But I wish he didn't look so worried!

When I'm looking for 'hunk hunt' images, especially with muscular subjects, I can usually find ones featuring objects with fetish connections, like big chains or leather garb or rope at the very least, but this is all I can find for Jase..

The rope is casually curled around Jase's torso,
but with that cap he manages to make it look just like
 a bit of sailing paraphenalia , which is probably exactly what it is.
Even I can't detect a darker message, faced with those flirty pursed lips.

~

I hope you have enjoyed this little tribute to Jase Dean.
For avoidance of doubt, I don't know Jase and I haven't haunted his social media to compile this article. The views and musings in it are purely my own based on the imagery presented here and are not claimed to be factual statements about him.

I seek only to entertain and pay tribute to a beautiful man with an interesting personality that shows through his fascinating and inspiring portfolio.

 Read this series from Part 1:  'Funny Things Happen At Christmas'

The Bondage Leanings of Michael Stokes

Michael Stokes is perhaps best known for his calendar style images of uniformed men

 and in particular (for me) some great shots of the luscious Colin Wayne
(who sadly has yet to offer up his body to a rope-master!)

Fireman Colin Wayne

However, sprinkled amongst this photographer's work are some evocative bondage references

This rather genteel restraint of Attila Toth harks back to the coded messages of 50's/60's vintage beefcake put out by AMG and WPG. This model wears more clothing than they did then, but that does not detract from the image and has the effect of placing his imagined captivity more in the present day, 'real world'. The model's lean, clean cut, boyish look is somewhat reminiscent of Tin-Tin style adventures. His light build and youthfulness is contrasted with a heavyweight rope that would secure an ocean liner, thereby implying an predicament of some severity, which is nicely reflected in his slightly mystified expression.

 This example is a dramatic contrast in technique, with the model clad in a seriously sexy grubby jockstrap (and dare I say moist? - click to expand!). He's blindfolded and secured with rope that's more believable than Atilla's, even if the knots aren't!. His bindings are configured asymmetrically for artistic effect but it opens up his torso to the looming electrical monstrosity towering over him, which seems to represent an undefined but rather unpleasant threat, and judging by the way he's reeling away, it already has him in it's thrall. It's like a 1950's B-movie with invisible beams but the modernistic villainy is set alongside an elaborately carved chair. It's worthy of The Inquisition, but with an upholstered seat, probably unsuitable for serious torture exercises. 

I haven't identified the model yet (do any of you know?)
Answer in comments below

 Rodney Santiago seems to have wound up in the same dangerous place, three years later according to the dates on the photos. However, there's a distinct sense that the danger has gone, the model seems quite relaxed in restraints that seem tokenistic and almost girly. 

The imagination has to work hard on this one but we can feast on Rodney's buns.

 In these two images Stokes conjures up a whole world of captivity with Kyle Clark as the hapless victim. His slightly gaunt-looking face (no doubt a by-product of engineering that amazingly cut torso) gives him a mature and slightly 'hard' appearance which is the direct opposite of Attila's boyish appeal above. To me this suggests a worthy captive, a more equal contest between man and chains, 'the Beast being tamed' if you like. The second picture, where a mask is added, amplifies that idea and if you switch between the two pictures you'll see Kyle seems to relax/droop into his restraints in a submissive way that is surprisingly erotic.

These two pictures play with captivity in general.
In both cases the element of nudity introduces a distinctly erotic flavour but not the same one. 

Bryant Wood's chain gang convict on the left would barely register on the sexual senses were it not for the spectacular, gleaming torso artfully revealed. Convicts are not meant to look like this! One can only conjecture the effect on the other prisoners but it's as if Bryant is sadly contemplating how all the effort put into that physique has only made it into fodder for hard labour. 

The right hand image is quite different. With total nudity implied, this is a caged victim of a very different hue, alert and anxiously awaiting the attentions of his captor, which are not expected to be benign. I've commented before on the difficulty of making cages and prison bars look erotic, but the photographer has made a decent job of it here, with the help of a striking model and a tantalising glimpse of his pubes.

Lest you doubt the erotic intent of Michael Stokes' experiments with bondage!

This image will probably still be posted on the internet when all of us have gone.

It's Pure Lust Dust.

I think the model is JR Bronson but will accept corrections! 
If I'm right Michael Stokes has certainly brought out the best in him

This image is simply magnificent on all sorts of levels. It isn't really depicting bondage but flirts with spread-eagle restraint and crucifixion alike - or even descent of an angel. The loin cloth contributes mischievously to those associations, but it is in any case a garment that I find erotically interesting with all sorts of historical and cultural connections that fire the imagination.

It took two brave men to make this picture, the photographer and the model. 

It doesn't have the same intrinsic beauty as the preceding picture and fetishists will look upon the result with different eyes to the rest of the world, but no-one could deny the powerful impact of the clever, pseudo-medical imagery. It graphically spells out the pain of an invisible sort of restraining bondage, one which most of us will never have to experience. Great stuff. Good job.

We finish with this cover of one of Michael Stoke's publications 

which returns to a more classical theme of Herculean pulling.

The straining makes all the difference!

See more at Michael Stokes Photography

also Stokes Photo on Twitter and other social media,

Michael Stokes on tumblr