Mitchell's 'In Praise of Sailors' - 4

The attractions of the Naval Uniform do not stop at the headgear.
The open necked jackets frame and lengthen the sailors neck
which I find most erotic - see (11).

(11)

The shirt worn beneath the jacket further frames the neck - even if it is just a Tee-shirt. 

I must say Black sailors look terrific in the USN uniform. 

I warn my readers that I have a bit of a fetish for necks!

In the Royal Navy the neck is more open
and the under shirt has a square cut neckline which shows much more flesh.
.

(12)

These young lads are posing in new uniforms for the first time and don’t quite carry off the style - you can see they haven’t got to work on the caps yet! (12) Yesterday’s picture (7) shows more mature men in the same gear but, speaking as a Brit, I do think the US style looks better.
.

(13)

For cold weather there used to be an alternative under jersey in blue
which creates the same attractive result as the USN T-shirt (13).


(14a)

The RN undershirt comes into it’s own when the jacket is removed.
Long sweeps of neck are revealed and the blue trim creates a characteristic naval ‘badge’ (14a).
(This picture is courtesy of Sting Pictures)


(14b)

The blue trim fades with washing - a bit like denim does (14b).
 I don’t know why this should look attractive but it does!

(15)

We can’t leave this area of the body without mentioning the distinctive collars which fold back from the neck at the front and drop as a square down the back. The open-ness created by the fold emphasises the neck line creating an effect which is similar to a hood in modern fashions (15).

(16)
These collars have always seemed deliberately erotic to me
emphasising as they do the sweep of the neck in a most attractive way.

In combination with a short haircut, the result is irresistible! (16)

Continued
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Mitchell's In Praise of Sailors - 3

Whatever the supposed inner qualities of sailors might be,
it has to be admitted that the eye-catching uniform is a great asset.
Naval attire is quite different to other military outfits - for reasons of practicality supposedly.
The caps have no peaks and instantly seem to convey jauntiness and fun.

(7)

The UK and most other Navies have a round rigid cap.
When tilted back they form a halo like circle framing the head
which can make a man look quite boyish (7).
They can also be tilted forward at a jaunty angle.

(8)

The US Navy cap is something else.
In it’s pristine state it can look quite naff - a bit like a cook’s headgear (8).

(9)

But in substance it is soft and malleable and can be trained by the owner into unique shapes which are unbelievably attractive when perched on the back of the head or pushed forward over the eyes (9). This reforming of a formal cap into something crumpled, individual and informal suggests a rebellious cheekiness and individuality which is quite at odds with the disciplinary requirements of the armed forces.

*
I can recall a similar activity when I was at school. It was compulsory to wear the little peaked caps (a little like baseball caps but with smaller peaks) but an individualistic pupil could bend the peak into a curve and perch it on the back of the head creating an impression of casual confidence which was extremely attractive.

(10)

In both Navy and school there is a correct position in which to wear the cap for inspections but individualistic deviation, it seems, is tolerated. The Royal Navy cap is less amenable to twisting in this way but -as this example shows - not totally immune (10).

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Mitchell's In Praise of Sailors - 2

Any man in uniform seems to have enhanced masculinity,
partly I think because uniforms are associated with rugged physical activity
 and bravery in the face of danger.
But Sailors seem to have an extra allure.
Is it the cocky independence? (3)
.

(3)

The proud badges of intimate male rituals? (4)

(4)

The dangerous sexual allure of a male animal? (5)

(5)

Or the simple appeal of fresh faced masculinity? (6)

(6)

All four and more besides I think!

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Mitchell's In Praise of Sailors - 1

I am not alone in finding sailors great objects of desire,
 it has always been so for men and women alike (1, 2).

(1)

The romance of the traveller returning after long cruises in distant parts
 will tug on anyone’s heartstrings.
.

(2)

continued in Part 2

The installments featuring 'sailor art' start at episode 11

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In Praise of Sailors - new mitchmen article

Nautical themes seem to be a recurring mitchmen interest at this time of year with 'The Press Gang' Story last year and 'The Drunken Sailor' this year. To complement my Drunken Sailor series now being posted at the Yahoo! group I will be posting a new set of articles here - In Praise of Sailors. Where I analyse the strange attractions of sea farers - starts tomorrow.

Preview of Mitchell's New Picture Series - The Drunken Sailor

Mitchell's new series of drawings 'What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor?' commences shortly at 'mitchmen' on Yahoo! It's based loosely round the traditional Sea Shanty of the same name with a few 'mitchmen' twists for added spice. As you can see from the picture above, the action has been brought into the modern era and given a US Navy flavour.

  for other gay art by Mitchell at mitchmen blog click on the 'mitchpix' label below

Mitchell’s A-Z of Fetish Artists - Etienne Part 4

In this final part of my consideration of Etienne I have posted a frame from the ‘Marine Training’ Comic. This is a story of a drunken Marine who falls foul of two ruffians but in a dark alley but ends up discovering his inner gay self. By Etienne’s standards this is a relatively humourless piece but full of erotic incident. The artwork is crystal clear and he pulls off (just!) some tricky poses. Men's feet, socks and boots feature strongly once more but play a secondary role to the storyline.

.

It would be remiss to leave Etienne without touching on his leather work. This is a world he knew well and I guess that shows in all his work. He knows what he is talking about and he understands the erotic essentials of submission and domination roleplay.

The illustration I have selected shows this quite well. The cute blond we saw in 'Night Patrol' reappears as a sub. With luxuriant hair, he's Not a typical leather character these days but a favourite for Etienne who drew him many times. This scene could easily be the inspiration for Oliver Frey's 'back alley' leather encounters.

Whilst I may quibble about Etienne’s technique, his work will always stand at the pinnacle for me. His exploration of the standard gay sex symbols - sailors, cowboys, leather men etc gives his work a story-telling strength that amply compensates for any visual short-comings. His delving into S&M practices was revolutionary for its time and he went further than his contemporary Tom of Finland in giving them a dark mood despite the facade of fantasy and humour. Like Greasetank, Etienne had an uncanny ability to capture the attractions of adult ‘maleness’.

See also my article on Etienne's sailors
and Night Patrol and Sailor Beware!

The Tom of Finland foundation has published 2 books of Etienne’s Pictures
Etienne Erotica Books 1 and 2

There is also a Google Group for his work

http://groups.google.com/group/exclusively-etienne