To my readers......

SITE UPDATE NOTICE

Thanks for visiting mitchmen, home of Mitchell's Gay Art

The Caps and Collars/ Flat Cap Gang story at Google Groups has been on a break since January,
I am working on it and hope to resume shortly. (see Group News for link)

Link to the Royale Studio Archive in the right sidebar


Message updated 6th Sept 2024

Tuesday, 11 January 2022

Art by @ Anakuodo

Anakuodo - Captive In The Tower

 
A naked man kneels before his captor, bound in a web of green ropes with his hands tied behind his back. 
 
His master places a hand upon his forehead almost as if he's conducting a healing session, a religious induction of a bad boy - or perhaps contemplating something more exacting for his captive subject. They are in a room in a soaring tower with walls of glass so that it seems removed from the world rushing by below and yet feels disturbingly exposed for the captive. The sky has glow of departing sun, heralding the night.
 
 The room is bare but somehow seems luxurious in style. The submissive captive is forced to kneel on a red cushion like a prized pet. He lookes up with a strange, glazed expression as if resigned, but is obviously excited. The master is formally dressed in neat clothing that accentautes his trim physique and creates a sense of distance and superiority. He has removed his shoes as if not wishing to soil the plush carpet and seems poised to draw his captive's head forward into his crotch.
 
This is a curious image, painted in a slightly naive and yet self-consciously arty way but strangely atmospheric.  There's a striking similarity in the sinister atmosphere with the image by David Hueso which I posted last year
 
More by this artist: Anakudou @Twitter

Saturday, 8 January 2022

IFNB - Most Viewed 'mitchmen' Post During 2021 (MPP2)

IFNB - A Competition Hopeful, Well Pleased with his Progress

 

Above, an image from the now-defunct IFNB blog (this year's top article) with artwork on the wall by Matt who also figures in the table at No 19. If you're unfamiliar with IFNB (The International Federation of Naked Bodybuilders) click on the link in the table entry below to read the mitchmen review of the organisation.

 The table lists the 20 most visited mitchmen posts during 2021. Commentary notes follow. 

(Titles have links to the original posts, overall hits in third column, ranking position based on annualised rate of hits in column 4 ).


 
TABLE 1 - Top 20 Posts at mitchmen (2021)
 
Rank (last yr)
Title (+link)
Total Hits
Last year
Pub Date
Note
1 (2)
11987
9435
2018
1
2 (3)
 9931
8863
2017
2
3 (5)
7396
7803
2018
3
4 (4)
6051
8037
2018
2
 5 (16)
5022
2103
2020
 4
6 (10)
4562
3407
2020
5
7 (-)
4053
1671
2020
5
8 (8)
3515
4515
2019
2
9 (9)
3389
3732
2008
7
10 (7)
3116
4583
2012
 7
11 (19)
2533
1735
2010
7
12 (-)
Come and Get It! (Royale Studios Archive)
2304
-
2021
 6
13 (13)
2287
2412
2019
2
14 (-)
2210
-
2021
6
15 (-)
2170
1134
2020
5
16 (-)
The Art of Amalaric – 3 Hunks & Manipulators
2169
1146
2020
 4
17 (-)
2122
-
2021
 6
18 (14)
2076
2380
2018
 2
19 (-)
2064
822
2019
8
20 (-)
2040
760
2020
 1
 
(Stats collected on 31st December 2021) 
 
1
This year the mitchmen review of IFNB reclaimed the top spot it surrendered in last year's table to the surprise, record-breaking 'Etienne/Stephen article index' (which had 15671 hits last year). IFNB this year logged the 2nd biggest hit count ever recorded for a single year at mitchmen. For good measure the follow-up mitchmen article, 'IFNB Revisited' nudged into the chart at 20th position in it's first full year of recording hits. In view of the disappearance of this marvellous and very popular blog I'm considering doing a 3rd IFNB feature sometime.
 
N.B. 'Etienne/Stephen article index, last year's toppled winner (whose sudden popularity then both surprised and bemused me) turned in another reasonable performance by normal standards this year, but not quite enough to stay in the top 20, finishing at 23.
 
2
Milking Factories Nos 1&3 also reclaimed their former lofty positions just behind IFNB. Articles from this much-followed series continued to dominate the table, occuping 5 of the top 20 positions and maintaining similar rankings to last year. This sustained popularity speaks for itself.

3
Homoeros Gallery Guide (another article whose popularity seems bafflingly at variance with the rather dry content) managed to grab 3rd place. A couple of years ago this artist dominated this list but the last two other articles on his artist's work were pushed out by an influx of 8 newcomers,
 
To look at other charts for earlier years click on the MPP label at the foot of this post.

4
The lead article from the on-going mitchmen review of the Art of Amalaric, 'A Slave to Passion' topped the new posts table (MPP1) last year and continued to score heavily in this, it's first full year of hits. It rose to 5th place, overtaking Brosfate-3, it's rival from 2020, in the process. Another Amalic article 'Hunks and their Manipulators' also entered the chart, taking over 'Passion's 16th place. Other Amalaric articles did well enough to finish just outside the top 20.

5
Although Brosfate lost out to Amalaric in their rivalry this year, you can see that he still has the edge in total hits over the last two years taken together. In addition the other two articles from the Brosfate series at mitchmen both broke into the top 20 in impressive style, helped I suspect by my referencing their kinship with the work of TheMightyFoo and Roa, whose articles both scored well in their 2021 debut year.

6
Roa was one of three new articles from 2021 which broke into this all-comers top 20 chart, despite not having been able to register a full year of hits.The others were Royale Studio (Come and Get it!) and Control Room Violation. ( I discussed these posts in the previous 2021 New Articles post MPP1). 
 
It's not unusual for new articles to score heavily in their first weeks following publication, but it's another matter to sustain it long term. There is still a massive gulf between their counts and those of the leading articles above them, some of which date back over 10 years and yet still turn in big scores year after year.

7
Those articles are of course Cavelo (2008), Mike Carcel (2010) and Priapus of Milet (2012) who occupy a solid block in mid-table. MCarcel seems to have regained momentum after a dip to 19th position last year. The unflagging popularity of these three, quite different artists is amazing but entirely deserved. Sadly Jotto and Baron were amongst the casualties from the 'old brigade' this year, dropping out of the top 20. 
 
Apart from these three the list is filled entirely by articles published in the last 5 years

8
Of all the newcomers to the table this year, the one that delights me most is 'Muscle' Matt at No 19. His delightful, bodybuilding youths are loved by many, but rarely seem to be acknowledged on the net outside of obscure discussion groups. I'm glad mitchmen blog has provided a platform for a retrospective appreciation of his stylish and very amusing sketches. That admiration is reflected too in the IFNB image chosen to top this post.

~

This year's favourites are the usual mix of old and new, with photography, cartoons, renders, photo-manips and traditional art providing an impressive, eclectic range of interests. 

As I reported in the last post, overall visits to the blog rose 20% this year and although the winner's total in this table was down on last year, the 20th place, cut off figure rose from 1722 to 2040 (about 18%). 
The mitchmen 'Index of Artists' feature recorded 12,263 hits in 2021, up a modest 3% on 2020 but still less than 2019's record 13,951. However it was still visited often enough to have taken top place if I had included it in this general top 20 table above. I'm glad visitors are still finding the index useful and hope it will lead many more newcomers to a fantastic heritage of gay art they didn't know about. 
 
 Next time I will reveal the most popular mitchmen post of all time, based on cumulative hits - did Priapus of Milet manage to keep his spot at the top in 2021 or has he been overtaken by IFNB or Milking Factories?

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


Keep it tight in 2022!


Wednesday, 5 January 2022

Royale Studio is Top New Post of 2021 (MPP1)

Royale Studio - Sailor Flogged in the Rigging

Above:- One of Royale's incredibly sexy, military photos from the 1960's,
Part of the Royale Studio Open Archive currently being established at mitchmen

~

The table below lists the most popular of the new mitchmen posts published during 2021. I've abandoned the complex calculations I tried out last year and reverted to my old method of simply counting hits with a mention of anomalies in the notes following the table.

(Titles have links to the original posts, overall hits in third column, ranking position based on annualised rate of hits in column 4 ).


 
TABLE 1 - Top 20 New Posts of 2021 at mitchmen
 
Rank
Title (+link)
Total Hits
Hit Rate Rank
Pub Date
Note
1
Come and Get It! (Royale Studios Archive)
2304
6
July
1
2
2210
1
Oct
2
3
2122
11
Mar
4
4
1858
9
May
3a
 5
1664
21
Nov '20
3c
6
1566
12
May
5a
7
1545
2
Oct
2
8
1433
4
Oct
2
9
1391
18
Mar
6
10
1375
14
May
3c
11
1358
20
Mar
3b
12
1350
13
May
6
13
1313
3
Oct
2
14
1278
7
Sept
5b
15
1190
16
Jun
6
16
Assorted Fetish Art by Gabo
1097
27
Jan
6
17
1075
23
Feb
6
18
1026
22
Mar
3b
19
1019
32
Nov '20
6
20
1012
19
May
3a
 
(Stats collected on 31st December 2021) 
 
1
 
The outright winner is 'Come and Get It!', the lead article for the new 'mitchmen' Open Archive of Royale Studios' military erotica from the 1960's. This victory is a bit of a cheat because I have been re-issuing this post every time I add a new folder to the Archive, so the total will include repeat visits picking up the updates. 

The score of 2304 for the top post is a lot less than Brosfate's record of 3407 last year and the 2019 winner 'Milking Factories 4' which scored 2820, but they were both exceptionally popular posts and it's a perfectly respectable winning score in a longer term context. 
 
Overall visits to the mitchmen blog rose by 21% in 2021 to a record 825K hits, restoring the recent pattern of growth after the small dip last year, apparently due to Covid. At this point I must thank all my visitors for continuing to show your interest in mitchmen blog!

2
 
The runner up is the lead article for 'The Art of Roa' series, helped no doubt by the outstanding crucifixion image that topped it. This post also gained 'bonus' hits because I always direct casual visitors to start reading any series at the first article. This article has a valid claim to be the true, top post of the year because it was only narrowly beaten to first place and, published in October, scored a phenomenal number of hits in a short space of time to comfortably top the 'hit rate' table (ave hits per year). It would have won outright given another month. This performance emulated that of the 'Art of Amalaric' articles last year. It's annualised hit rate of 10,775 beat the previous record of 9195 set by Wrestling Arsenal in 2018. Three other articles from the Roa series also made the top 20 (at 7, 8 and 13) all with equally impressive hit rates (see table above). 
 
These stats unequivocally install Roa as mitchmen 'Artist of the Year', underlining his wide popularity and the loss we have suffered as a result of his sudden disappearance from the erotic art scene when it seemed he was just getting going. His renders have some strikingly original moments and strikingly handsome stars too (Sir Graham - yum!). Like many, talented, modern artists, though, some of his characters are disturbingly young, requiring judicious sampling on my part. I too have memories of adolescent longing for an older partner, but unfortunately it's a taboo subject for blogging in this day and age.

3
 
Two other artists also secured multiple entries in the top 20 - TheMightyFoo and  Papa-Con. Both of these make unique contributions to the fetish genre. Foo's frank explorations of homosexual love and the threat of death in a military context are disturbing and understandably controversial, but his renders have a bewildering beauty and are thought-provoking - on both a political and a personal level. He took 4th place and 20th.
 
There's an undercurrent of drama and violence in Papa-Con's work too (at 11 and 18). His wrestling images vividly complete the bizarre, humiliation rituals that professional fighters tease us with and his Abbey series reworks a popular homoerotic theme of secret, ritual punishment, but it's his dramatic and bold, traditional style and inter-generational focus on mature men that makes his work exceptional and very welcome.

The other double entry this year was for the Milking Factory series, No 9 (at 5) and No 11 (at 10), a recurring feature of the table in recent years. No 9 was actually a 2020 post but published so late in the year (mid-Nov) and such a beautiful render, that I've allowed it into this year's table.
 
4.
 
The third placed article qualifies as 'Surprise of the Year'. 'Control Room Violation' is an image by an unknown artist (or more than one artist, I suspect) which I rediscovered by chance in my archives. It attracted viewings on a sustained basis across the year. It exploits the theme of the anonymous, lustful intruder which can be a tricky subject, but the futuristic, quasi-military setting leaves questions of context and consent unanswered, so viewers can imagine their own erotic scenarios.

5

Another surprise (for me at any rate), was the appearance of one of my own War Comic re-workings in 5th place. It involved the denudification of two POW's under torture in 'Bizarre Punishments No 7'. This  re-imagining of comic book scenes that were already tantalising erotic was what drew me into this area, but I've not been able to do as much as I originally hoped, so far. I'm glad this one struck a chord with my readers.

I also gained another entry for my fiction writing in with 'Eddie's Pre-sale Nerves' at 14, an enslavement story inspired by a gorgeous gif of a body-builder nervously flexing his pecs. It's a theme that has slightly obsessed me since I discovered Amalaric's well-developed world of conscripted slavery and much of the credit for this piece is owed to him.

6

Some well established and vintage artists appear in the rankings this year - Paul at No 9 (whose military prisoners in shorts turn me on, but also tread a fine line on age) also Absolutbleu at 15, an uncontroversial colossus, whose sexy, 'Pirate Booty' just missed the cut last year. The detailed review of his work at mitchmen this year was long overdue. Likewise Madeira DeSouza at 17 whose relatively basic style belies some exciting (and often challenging) man-on-man confrontations.

 
Added to these were Robby Cop (12) and Gabo (16) representing newer artists. Robby has a surprisingly original and sparkling erotic style of traditional cartooning. Gabo's 'fan art' fantasies feature the modern style of neat, simple realism.

Also joining this group was Christopher Furminger (19) whose conventional paintings are more true to the homoerotic part of homoerotic art than most 'straight' gay painters who tend to lean towards 'Art' with a capital A. This is another article from late 2020 that I granted a pass into this year's table on the grounds of hit rate and sheer artistic quality.

~

As usual there are a clutch of interesting articles which just failed to make the top 20 cut. They would have squeezed in if I had confined the multi-part articles to a single entry. They include Arsch (lab rat), Luxuris (the exclusion of his voluptuous packets from the top 20 surprised me), 'Spanking' Matt's humiliation scenarios , Ehrlik (another lab rat) and Amalaric's delicious 'Barbarian Prince' (part of the continuing mitchmen series on his work, but the only one that got close to emulating his sweeping success last year). 

This year's table features articles based on photographs, comics, cartoons, renders and 'fine' art, a cavalcade of gay, artistic talent which testifies to the wealth of sexy, expressive art available to us in the age of the internet. Long may it continue!

~

Next time - The most viewed out of all the mitchmen posts during 2021 (not just the new ones).
 
A big, big Thank You! to all my readers for your interest in my blog, 
I hope mitchmen has managed to divert you from the tribulations of the world in 2021
 
This png image - Fireworks Transparent Clip Art, is available for free download
 
 

 HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

from mitchmen blog

 

Sunday, 2 January 2022

Friday, 31 December 2021

Four Sportsmen in Bondage by Rai - 1

1. THE ATHLETE

A rare subject for bondage fantasy

Rai - Athlete A1

Great image, I love the sweep of the athlete's neck  in this submissive bow


Rai - Athlete A2

This traditional athletics kit, is refreshingly free of ads. 
The split side in the shorts has always been an erotic trigger.
The glimpse of inner lining a more subtle treat.

Rai - Athlete A3

Shibari-style leg bindings accentuate the thighs.
A rope harness shapes 'Linford's lunchbox'.
 

Rai - Athlete A4

 A classic tight hog-tie with cheeky embellishment.
Our captive athlete bites the pillow.



2. THE RUGBY PLAYER
 
One of my favourite sporting stereotypes

Rai - Rugby Player RB1
 
Rugby Players are a more common erotic uniform,
but usually young models are substituted for the real life hunks 
and they rarely look as chunky as this man!
His arms look great in the modern type of snug fitting top
(an innovation that has added pecography to the evergreen lust appeal of dinky shorts).


Rai - Rugby Player RB2
 
A roll-call of Rugby iconography
Muscular arms - tick! 
Thick thighs -tick!, 
Lumpy Jockstrap - tick!, 
Knee high socks - tick!
 
This open legged, chair restraint is a great fantasy feeder.


Rai - Rugby Player RB3

 This shot homes in on those fleshy thighs


3. THE SOCCER PLAYER

Rai - Soccer Player SCW1
 
Rai finds another pleasingly chunky man to model as a footballer captive.
 
The appeal of soccer players resided in sexy, truly brief shorts at one time
But the international playboy image has focussed attention on handsome faces.
Modern soccer styles have stubbornly refused to go down the tight, brief route,
but the flimsy clinging material does have it's moments front (above) and rear.



Rai - Soccer Player SCW2
 
We all know that footballers have well developed thighs from their explosive sprinting.
Rai gives us a rare treat by stripping the curtaining shorts away to reveal all
even to the reproductive parts, an equally elusive, legendary attribute of these men.

 
Rai - Soccer Player SCW3
 
We have a better idea of how soccer player's rear's are shaped by their training.
Rai makes the fantasy of stripping one bare a reality.
The captive's, submissive and receptive kneeling pose speaks for itself.

 
4. THE SWIMMER

Rai - Swimmer SWC1


A lean rangy body and skimpy, tight trunks are the essence of the swimmer's appeal.
We rarely get to see them packed out like this though.
 
 
Rai - Swimmer SWC2
 
In recent years, it seems to have dawned on media types
that swimmers look much more interesting when they are out of the water.
This has created something of a vogue for the diving branch of aquatics.
This shibari semi-suspension seems to pick up on the artistic shaping involved.
 

Rai - Swimmer SWC3

Swimmer's slender bodies seem an appropriate subject for contorted positions.
This one is very open and receptive in nature.
Something for the captive to ponder as he waits.
 
~
 
All these images supplied by Rai's Playroom where you will find more eplicit sequels
 
More Rai in the mitchmen Speedo Bondage post 
 
or click on the sport of your choice in the mitchmen label list below

Wednesday, 29 December 2021

The Fortunes of War

Bazz - Men At War 02

He's not the first and he won't be the last!

Bazz has a knack of finding sexy images to do his manips on.


Bazz - POW 21

I'd say the POW's wistful, 'little boy lost' act is ill-advised in this situation.

I like the way he's rubbing his ankle as though it feels there's something missing.
Like an iron manacle for instance.

 

Bazz - Soldier 05

 This is a very nice image and Bazz has added a well-thought caption (although I confess I have cropped off the last line which is a bit crude for my taste. View original).

 Other images by Bazz at mitchmen 

(some have links to his blog, some are examples included in a themed collection)

Tuesday, 28 December 2021

Vintage Bondage - Jeff Golden (Part 4)

1

 Jeff passes out during the night and wakes on Day 4 to find he has been lowered and seated on a bench.
The chafing cock tie has been removed and his libido is in sprightly 'morning wood' mode, 
apparently unimpaired by it's extended trauma (see end of Part 3).

This image will seem pretty tame to modern bondage afficionados but fans of the male body will enjoy Jeff's fleshy torso and the chunky thighs produced by his outstretched legs (and I dare say the impressive apparatus in-between as well).
 


2

In this final part of this story Jeff is subjected to further restraint, which is more imagined than real.
Thus these last two images seem to simulate the effects of diagonal racking and crucifixion without ever going there. Jeff's flexed feet are a particularly eloquent element. It's as if he's awoken to a nightmare of pain, which was set up while he slept.


3

The persistence of his erection suggests that the idea excites him.

But a sterner test is to follow.



4

Now he's laid upon a bench with his chained arms pulled upwards behind him.
Levering the shoulder joint, it forces the torso down and can become very painful.

 

5

Jeff's flailing feet signal the discomfort caused when the arms are tweaked upwards.
His ankles have been fettered like this throughout but this is a good close-up.


6
 
When the feet are restrained astride the bench the leverage on the arms cannot be moderated by adjusting the body. In addition Jeff's ass is fully displayed and his cock has been pulled down, so it too is fully visible in a position that is unnatural and uncomfortable. Once again Jeff's raging erection is used to punish him. But he is also well aware that this area is an open target should his interrogator wish to attack it - so too the fleshy backs of his thighs and even the soles of his feet.



7
 
As his tormentor circles behind him, Jeff can only brace himself,
fearing there may be interference of the crudest kind,
or painful beating of his lower body
or further agonising leverage of his arms.
 
 

8
 
Pain duly manifests itself.
Jeff's resistance is starting to crumble.
 
 
 
9
 
 
Next Jeff is moved to a position tethered, facing downwards, between the uprights of the frame.
It's a minimal restraint really, notionally resembling the in-line racking position.
There's no stretching, but Jeff's movement is sufficiently restricted to allow his tormentor free access.
He can administer punishing strokes to the whole of the back of Jeff's body, 
from his shoulders right down to the soles of his feet.
 


10
 
Which producing deliciously clenched buttocks with a sheen of nervous sweat
trembling in anticipation - or searing in the aftermath.
 

11
 
The clenching of his thighs here creates a thickening worthy of a rugby player.
The post rising between his feet accentuates the anchoring of ankles
and the tempting openness of his legs.


12
 
Eventually Jeff does confess to his crime,.
His captor reveals that he has a private licence to requisition minor felons as indentured labour. 
Jeff feared this all along, it means enslavement from which he may never be freed.
A rope is tied round his neck, symbolic of the chains which will become his eternal companions,
once a buyer has been found for him.



13
 
He begins to fantasise about what sort of man might buy him.
Will he be kind or cruel? Will he beat him or nurture him?
Will he be condemned to labour in the fields or to lie in his master's bed?
Jeff's irrepresible libido takes all these possibilities in it's stride.



14
 
 Already the slave manacles have been put on his wrists.
 As he is led away to await collection by the Auctioneer,
Jeff looks back at the place where his downfall was engineered, 
His clothes which were stripped from him lie on the floor.
But they are gone forever, along with all his other possesions.



15

 That night in a cold, lonely cell, he seeks a last consolation
in an act which is likely to be denied him, or at any rate, rationed
once the State declares that he belongs to another man.

~

I have adapted the ending of this story to the enslavement scenario which seemed an ideal fit for these last images. The format and variety of 'restraint' positions illustrated here are typical of  the 'Bound to Please' series. Jeff Golden's serial torment is paired with that of Rod Garetto in Number 1 of the series and I hope to posts extracts from that sometime (also featuring nice underpants).
 
'Bound to Please No 1' seems to have been delisted from the Bacchus Studio catalogue. It is listed for streaming at Gay Hot Movies and my  browser doesn't throw up any issues with this site, but I can't vouch for it. Also rentable at iafd. Sometimes available to buy secondhand at Adult DVD Marketplace.
 
 
The mitchmen, 'Vintage Bondage' Series:

There's also some retro stuff in my Muscles and Rope series, notably No 11 (Steve Landless by Zeus), No 15 (Robert Black at CanAm & Beau Hopkins at Zeus), No 19 (Can-Am) and No 20 (Rocco De Vega, Zeus). This group highlights the issue at what point does a picture become vintage?