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.

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Read this series from Part 1 

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

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 

Guys In Uniform Studio (Updated 29 Jan)

Article Incomplete

 

Guys In Uniform - Sailor in the Rigging

 

Guys in Uniform Studio* set up in the mid 1970s, producing sexy pictures with a strong flavour of military discipline. It was much inspired by the example set by Royale Studio in the late 1950s, and the personnel involved reputedly had connections of some sort with Basil Clavering's set-up (see below). 

 

As an example, the photo above directly references the 'Sailor in the Rigging' images of Royale Studio and Hussar. 

 

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline

 Guys In Uniform created many Gym Discipline scenarios which also mirrored Royale storyettes which had usually featured a gym horse, providing both context and a handy frame for punishment 

 

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*Ever since the release of the British Photographers' collection of Royale and Guys in Uniform images, this Studio has suffered from being called 'Men in Uniform' in some quarters. However, it always used the 'Guys in Uniform' label in its short existence, as shown in the image above. There was never a Studio called 'Men In Uniform'  

 ~

 

The pictures of both studios pushed at the boundaries of acceptability for their respective times. Royale's beefcake images flirted with homosexual innuendo and sadism, which was strictly taboo in the 1950s Britain. By the late 70s, when Guys in Uniform was formed, gay lifestyle magazines were commonplace and even frontal nudes were permissible (if flaccid). However, the combination of nudity and discipline scenarios' was still highly controversial and problematic.

 

Guys In Uniform - Double Discipline

 This image is similar to Royale discipline scenarios, but they did not show their subjects undressed like this.

 

 

Guys In Uniform - The Investigation

Both Studios openly used genuine servicemen as models, particularly Royal Guardsmen (sometimes in authentic uniforms). This shocked the establishment and provoked police raids to seize their material. In Royale's day, anything to do with homosexuality was hushed up by the press, but in the case of Guys in Uniform there was a full-blown scandal when a tabloid 'exposed' that real Guardsmen were posing for nude photographs in homosexual magazines. 

 

There was an interesting, 2002 article by Squaddie John about the history and the connections between the two studios. Formerly published at 'Milism' (now defunct), I have been given permission by the author to reproduce it at mitchmen - read the 'Milism' article.

  

Guys In Uniform - Cover of Uniform Magazine, Issue 2

 

Like Royale and Hussar, Guys in Uniform supplied their images to the Gay Magazines of their time - Him, Playguy and Zipper. Many of them were printed in colour. They also published 3 issues of their own 'Uniform Magazine' (above). Surprisingly, though, it only had black and white photos.

 

Guys In Uniform - The Harness

Guys in Uniform ventured into one area where Royale and Hussar had not dared. This leather harness/apron was part of a provocative (for its time) exploration of leather and rubber fetish, a subject which formed a major part of their output. 

 

Royale Studio - Man wearing a Leather Harness

 

Recently, a solitary image has come to light suggesting Royale had a similar harness, but images of it were never published at the time. This photo formed part of the Bonham's sale of photographs by Basil Clavering in 2021. 

 

The saleroom stated in their prospectus that the collection of hundreds of Royale Studio images had been "acquired by the present owner in Notting Hill in the 1980s, from a fan of Studio Royale (sic) who had tried unsuccessfully to mimic its success". This latter reference sounds like the 'Guys in Uniform' experimenter.

 

Royale did publish a series of fetishistic images with models wearing pouches made from chains, but the Dolphin set 'Leather Merchants' seems to be the limit of their venture into the leather scene.

 

Dolphin Photography - Leather Merchants

More to come

watch this space! 

~ 

View the mitchmen review of Guys in Uniform pictures in 13+ Parts 

The Third Sailor's Punishment

 The third of this series by miloivinculis shows the Pirate's inventiveness in keeping his crew in line, but it still falls well short of the practice of keel-hauling used by the Royal Navy.

 

Sailor Punishment No 4 is at 'X'

Plus a fuller review of the Art of miloinvinculis 
with website link

Earlier posts:- 

Sailor Punishment No 1

Sailor Punishment No 2 

Subscribers to the 'Follow Me' feed 
need to visit the blog to see these videos  

Another Sailor Punished

Pirate Figurehead

 Another great dunking punishment video from the age of sail.

More art by miloinviculis in 'Third Sailor punished'

 See also the first sailor punished on this ship  

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 Subscribers to the 'follow me' feed need to visit the blog to see the video above:- Another Sailor Punished 

Punishment of a Sailor

The creator of this video snippet calls it a 'Pirate Dunking'. That might suggest it's the fate of a captive, particularly as he's dressed in rags (just about!). But it's a disciplinary scenario that might be applied to any sort of vessel from the age of sail. Both civilian and military ships could be blessed with captains who applied severe punishments to excess. But, at least this unfortunate has escaped the dreaded 'keel-hauling', keeping his superb physique in tip-top condition for the next time.

An impressive example of what can be done with AI in hands not constrained by commercial considerations. He's conjured a great homo-erotic scene without causing offence to anybody! 

It would be nice to see a modern version with the dunkee dressed in white underpants, say, or other revealing, wet clothes. 

More by this artist: Another Sailor Punished.  

 

 Subscribers to the 'follow me' feed need to visit the blog to see the video:- Punishment of a Sailor

Steve Masters Part 3 is coming soon

Steve Masters - Now Hear This! (1962)

This interim image shows Masters' returning to one of his favourite genres, the American Sailor. It seems like the equivalent of a wolf whistle. The elevating guns in the background provide an erotic commentary, but the orientation seems to indicate admirers on the right who we can't see. Likewise, the number '6', missing its usual companion, number 9, doesn't seem an obvious fit with what we actually see. It may be that some of the image is missing, but the positioning of the signature suggests not. 

 Steve Masters Part 3 is coming soon

Read from Part 1 of this article  

 

Art by Steve Masters

Steve Masters - Wolf (1961)

This is one of Masters' most memorable works, imagining life in a prison. There's a strongly masculine flavour and a clear sense of who's who. Overlapping hands establish a connection between the prisoners (illicit for it's time). It can be interpreted as menacing ownership and exploitation - or secret tenderness. 

Masters often used words in his images to spin homosexual puns, but I confess the significance of 'Machine Shop' escapes me. 

 

Steve Masters - Convict (1961)

This convict image shows the flip side of the coin, with a heavily manacled convict being toyed with by the prison guards. It's from the same year (and the same thought process, judging by the prisoner's sexy, sagging pants in both pictures). 

The styling here is closer to Masters' trademark style, with geometric, conflicting and seemingly random lines creating a sketchiness (e.g. the guard's chest) but also a clothes layering effect with the suggestion of a bulging pouch inside the Guard's trousers. 

The ambiguity - is the prisoner expected to lick the Guard's feet or to service that bulge? - is reflected in the second guard's reaction, look at his left hand is doing.

 

Steve Masters -Bulkhead (1961)

This picture was often cropped in its day to focus on the two sailors in the background, undressing and hanging up clothes on a washing line. That playful cameo is framed by two more sailors in the foreground playing out a more serious game. 

At the right, a bare ass tar who stands, arms folded, as if he's waiting for his pants to dry on the line. He looks round, embarrassed and uncomfortable. It's as if he senses he's being eyed up and is uncomfortable about it. Below him, another sailor lounges. He winks at us conspiratorially, as if his catch is in his sights, but he's biding his time to land him. The title encapsulates his thoughts, one man's bulk, another man's head, an abbreviated pun. 

 The lounger still has his pants on, but the fly wide is wide open, revealing plunging abs and sexual intent. There's a substantial arousal within, which doesn't take much spotting, and there's an illusion of teasing detail in the folds. In the complexities of this drawing, these pants double up as very brief shorts, looking through different eyes.

Steve Masters - Fisherman and Frogman

 Steve Masters often drew men in bodysuits and tight-fitting clothes, so the 60s vogue for underwater exploration and adventure (Sea Hunt etc) naturally interested him. He's juxtaposed it here with another favoured theme - fishermen. 

 

In this curious image, the hands of the two men are again superimposed, establishing a mutual connection via the phallic, harpoon gun. The frogman's giant catch has a vaguely phallic look too, but there's nothing vague about the fisherman straddling the rudder of his boat. Not only is the post jammed suggestively between his cheeks, the tiller arm (unseen by us) sticks out between his legs towards the frogman.  The symbolism can be taken further to embrace the function of the tiller - determining the direction the fisherman wishes to take.

 

The Frogman's suit is decorated with a snazzy 60s design, which Masters generally did. That modernity contrasts with the timeless sexiness of the fisherman's skimpy singlet and drooping pants (with rolled up bottoms as per Royale fishermen for example). Low rise trousers were another 60s fad, a sexy rebellion against the high waists that had defined men's fashion for as long as anyone could remember. It culminated in a race to have the shortest zip, only 1" long.

 

Steve Masters - Scuttlebutt (1962)

Rough fishermen and a 'sailor' collide in this image too. It looks like it might be a fashion shoot being conducted on a working jetty. Despite his practical-looking sea boots and jeans, the sailor strikes a catwalk pose* which accentuates his backside. A seagull balances comically on his shoulder, presenting its backside threateningly.

 

* pre-dates the familiar Jim French/Colt image (below) 

Colt - Sailor with Ventilation (my title)

 The fishermen just ignore him, smoking and eating fruit from a phallic arrangement in their lunch boxes. The nearest one is depicted in a very traditional manner, with boots and cockleshell hat. His straightness is challenged by the words on the box he is sitting on. The other, smoking a pipe and with his captain's cap jauntily canted, looks more mature, except that his muscle vest is tight with snazzy 60s flashes and a design suggestive of a nautical Hell's Angels. He's totally naked below the waist - apart from tattoos. He has attracted the sailor's attention, they seem to be exchanging 'looks'.

 

The photographer watches all this closely. He is the modern equivalent of the artist drawing his model, a common device in gay images of this era to legitimise the admiration of a naked man. It may represent Masters himself, he was a fashion photographer.

"Scuttlebutt" means rumours or gossip, originating from a nautical term for the water cask on a ship where sailors would gather to drink and exchange information. The pun on butt is obvious with three on display in the picture, scuttle meaning 'to sink' is a sexy connotation but slightly obscure.

 

~ 

 

View another Scott Master's fisherman at mitchmen 

 

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Steve Masters - False Alarm

More sailors at play. This isn't a particularly good copy, but it's an interesting example of Masters' visual innuendos. Here a naked matelot has been called upon to put out a fire by two of his shipmates. They seem to be giving a novice the ship's initiation rites, because the idea of a fire bucket (full of water or sand) catching fire is as ridiculous as the notorious glass hammer or tartan paint used to haze apprentices. 

 

However, the naive young novice has little choice and clumsily feeds the hose between his legs like a snake. The nozzle ends up looking like an extension of his dick. Aligned with the open fly of one of his tormentors, it also looks as if he's jerking him off, with the resulting fountain (not looking very much like water) dousing the fire. Another sailor watches the fun through a porthole. 

 

 

Steve Masters - Reveille (my title)

This looks like another hazing ritual. A young military recruit is suddenly awakened by a bugle blast and finds his bed surrounded by men in strange, sheer bodysuits, He looks around for help or an avenue of escape but one of them, (totally naked like him), is sitting on his legs, so he can't move. 

 

These pranksters have moved his bed in the night and placed it outside the captain's office. Inside, we glimpse miliaria - and a coil of rope that bodes ill for him if he doesn't co-operate. He is ordered to lay his head on the pillow, where it will be inches away from a dangling cock. The remaining two men are poised to explore his ass.

 

More Steve Masters in Part 2 

 

Steve Master's Biography  

 

Mike Miksche photo album