Guys in Uniform - 7 Willing to Learn

1

This series is an example of the more fantastical imaginings of "Guys in Uniform" Studio (GIU). The guards shown here are wearing military helmets representative of ruthless authoritarianism, but the rest of their gear delves into the nooks and crannies of leather fetish and BDSM. 

You can just see the leather apron from the previous post worn under a rubber trench coat on the right. There are also waders and rubber boots, harnesses and corset-like, heavy, leather belts, not to mention the classic white jockstrap seen here struggling to control its contents. The combination is all the more disconcerting because of its strangeness.

 2

 The contrast with the prisoner could not be greater. He is diminutive in stature, dwarfed by the intimidating guards, but like the other models we have seen, he is clearly no wimp. His shoulders are broad and his muscular thighs bulge out of neatly-fitting, traditional, sports shorts. The stretching exercise shown here creates the impression that this is an examination or a punishment fatigue. His close-cropped hair adds a touch of military authenticity.

 3

Stripped of his flattering shorts, the prisoner suddenly seems quite boyish and shy. He submissively places his hands behind his back and averts his eyes from the guard's stony stare. He looks lost and the camera's remote viewpoint accentuates this. However, some judicious cropping (below) brings out the power play.

 3a

This image is actually a late example (1978) of hidden eroticism. At this time, it was quite possible to sell gay magazines showing naked men in high street shops, but arousals and explicit sexual content were not tolerated. Thus, there is no frontal nudity in this scene and the two men are not directly facing each other - or even looking at each other's bodies, it seems.

However, the direction of the prisoner's gaze is carefully angled to suggest he might be or has been looking at the guard's shapely jockstrap, which itself is almost hidden in the shadows. If you click on the full picture to enlarge it, you will also see that the guard's feet are also spaced apart quite suggestively, converting him from a stern custodian to a teasing provocateur (of uncertain intentions). The naive observer would miss this, but it alerts other interested viewers to the possible existence of more explicit and racy material.

4

This is one of the better photographs in the set, with the naked captive exhibiting shapely buttocks and a sexy tuft of hair projecting underneath. I know some of my readers will appreciate the view of his feet too. The multiplicity of straps curving round the guard's buttock cast an erotic light on what otherwise seems like over-dressing.

GIU gave this set the title "Willing to Learn" in one of their magazines, which is a trifle disingenuous but certainly fits this scene where the novice appears to be receiving instruction on where to direct his attention. Or is that crooked finger promising a different, more penetrating lesson for him?

In the original images, the German helmet bears the swastika insignia of the Nazi party, which I have doctored out as being inappropriate for a gay blog in 2016. In 1978 the symbol was associated more with the excesses and cruelty of the Gestapo rather than Fascism in general. The purpose here was to invoke the threat of terrible cruelty, not to promote a political ideology. An IS fighter with his black flag would be the modern equivalent. Tasteless shorthand for terror.

This image was used as part of an advertisement (below) for the racier material and the words bottom right are part of the copy which simply reads "Now! Great Guys, Great Color, Great Prints" 

Underneath, the Studio offers 20 assorted 5"x 5" color prints for $15, 
  the spelling is specifically targeting the US market.

5a

 The novice sets to his task, which is doing lots of press-ups, of course. Well perhaps not!
As a portrayal of submissiveness, this image is hard to beat despite being incomplete. The impressive fleshy, bottom display is humiliating for him and provocative for everyone else. That hint of chubbiness perhaps won't appeal to everyone, but if you like this model, he also appears in GIU8 as a cheeky sailor.

5b

Those dissenters from the chubby fan club might be mollified by the scene that is revealed as we draw back to see the full picture. A cane has suddenly appeared in the hands of the principal guard, and the young man's fleshy buttocks suddenly acquire an altogether differently enticing character. This is a lousy copy, but you can almost sense a surge of excitement inside that lurking guard's jockstrap.  

This guard's sudden transformation from tempting allure to agent of spanking retribution would not surprise the readers of the original magazine, the British Police were still routinely employing entrapment tactics against gay men at this time, that background spices the scene with a cruel authenticity.

The cane has always seemed to me to be the most vicious of spanking implements, ever since I saw an errant classmate reduced to tears in front of the class by a single stroke - and that from a teacher who had up to that point seemed like a genial old man. It's sudden appearance at this stage is raw threat and supremely erotic.

6

In ordering these images I have been primarily guided by the state of undress of the participants, and this image could fit almost anywhere after image 2. I've placed it here because on the original magazine page it is set alongside image 5a. It does make a decent link between 5 and 7 as the young man rises to his feet for the next part of his next ordeal.

The arm wrestling here seems a little bit tame. You can see the potential of the idea, but it's the posing of the prisoner that makes most of these images work and he's not performing so well for us here. It seems rather static and lacking in edge. It probably doesn't help that the youth of the second guard suddenly becomes apparent in this picture (and the next)

7

The prisoner is certainly back on form in this picture. The artificiality of the 'wheelbarrow' pose creates a spectacular visual effect that is quite arty. It will be a familiar arrangement to spanking fans, but it's appearance in this weird pseudo-military scenario is quite unexpected, contrasting with the very basic and unathletic intimidation tactics that have gone before.

It introduces a curious sense of formal ritual implying this unfortunate young man is merely the latest of a succession of pawns subjected to this humiliating process. Like all rituals it's simultaneously ridiculous and scary. It is designed to make him feel exposed and powerless while the guards enjoy the sense of pleasure and superiority that comes from imposing their order on him.  It's very grotesqueness underlines their arbitrary power.

7a

This version of the picture is of higher resolution and clearer, but it has come from a different, 'mainstream' magazine and has been self-censored by the publishers. However, you can see how the wheelbarrow position enhances the enticing plumpness of the target area.

 

8

After all the intimidating build-up, the final restraint and punishment is portrayed more symbolically, and this composition is quite balletic. The prisoner's out-flung arm and eye contact with the camera, as though appealing to us for help, successfully conjures up a sense of pain, fear and desperation to escape. The way the guards hold open the prisoner's legs in these last two pictures is highly erotic, even if we can't see very much down there.

9

In this image, the principal guard has uncovered his cock. It proves to be moderately aroused (but still pointing downwards, which was OK). You can see his jockstrap pouch has been pushed to one side. The pose of the young novice seems the epitome of submission. On his knees with legs wide open and arms folded behind his back, he looks up respectfully at his Master who towers above

 
......and I do like that tuft of bum hair.

10

 

Another, highly effective portrayal of domination and submission. The Guard's pose is more relaxed in this image and more effective than the rather tense shoulders in 9. The prisoner bows his head and shows him his neck in an exceptional act of resignation to whatever is coming his way. As a final treat we even get a glimpse of his scrotum.

11

I interpret this image as the exhausted prisoner being returned to the cells, with a guard of honour out of respect for his endurance, but there are other ways of fitting it into the sequence. Interestingly the second guard is reduced to a beast of burden here which makes you wonder what else his colleague might have in store for him.

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This set of images by "Guys in Uniform" Studio must be one of the most impressive of all the 'Royale' genre. Yes, the posing is a little stilted, the models less than God-like and the photography not quite as luscious as we have become accustomed to these days. The clothing the guards wear is somewhat bizarre, but that strangeness is threatening in itself and the pure fetishistic essence of these images - domination and submission - is startlingly focussed and is not overly impaired by the cautious treatment of the sexual elements. I would love to see what a photographer like Justin Monroe might make of this subject.

I have produced a modified set of these images
that play on the sense of strangeness (Weird Punishment)

 

Go to Guys In Uniform - Part 8

Guys In Uniform - 6 The Leather Leotard

Servant of Leather

The set showing two Soldiers acting out domination scenarios, which we saw in the last post, continues in an unexpected direction. The submissive man helps the other to dress in a curious leather garment. It's something like a heavy apron. It appears in a number of GIU pictures which I have and appears to have a huge fetishistic significance. This is conveyed to some extent by the ritualistic feel of the dressing scene above, which is suggestive of a classical soldier donning armour prior to combat. 

 
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Leather Suit
 

This picture shows the garment more clearly. It's worn by a different model who has a very chunky build, and it's obvious that only a big man should attempt to wear it. Even this man is in danger of being overwhelmed by it. From one standpoint there is an air of intimidation and menace, the bib top prompts mental connections with blacksmiths and even butchers. But there's also a feeling that this strong man is actually constrained by the garment, he is a servant of it. It diminishes his manhood, and his face is the face of a prisoner. 

 

Go to Guys in Uniform - Part 7

Guys In Uniform - 5 Two guys in rolled-up shorts

Two Big Guys In Uniform

GIU models were regular guys, the two shown here have ordinary, imperfect faces and bodies but big masculine personalities. GIU's odd uniform of rolled up shorts and gaiters makes another appearance. Whatever the aesthetics of the look, there is a sense of sex and danger in this image. It looks as though GIU was trying to use standard military wear to achieve a 'rough' version of the 'tight shorts' look, shown in the picture below.

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This picture is not by GIU, but this look was a standard pin-up device from the 50s onwards. I won't sully my pages by showing one here, but you may have seen a similar pin-up pictures of women in tight shorts and vest like top - often posing with a large beach ball. The shorts of the man on the left actually create a similar effect to the female version - but look much better, of course. 

 

Incidentally, this picture of the two sailors made a great impression on me when I first saw it as a youth. The shorts were legitimate outdoor wear but wearing them so tight with revealing bulges and undone zips seemed shockingly sexual to me then.

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Submission

Picture 3 is an impressive submission image. The implication of boot licking isn't really essential, nor is the nudity, the power of the image comes from the kneeling model. With his head resting on the floor and hands voluntarily placed behind his back, he makes himself defenceless and totally submissive. The upright military posture and casual downward look of his companion provides the yang to his yin. I marvel at the ability of this studio to create such memorable power images. 

 

Go to Guys In Uniform - Part 6

Guys in Uniform - 4 Athletes disciplined

Guys In Uniform - Athletes Receiving a Reprimand

Guys in Uniform often employed conventional military power relationships in their scenarios. Here, two soldiers dressed in sports gear/gym kit are reprimanded by a uniformed soldier in what appears to be a formal disciplinary hearing. 

This picture is a bit stiff, but that reflects the military formality of the scene. The man on the left has impressive chunky legs and his submissive, hangdog look is very effective. His companion looks less concerned, seeming to smirk.

These are different models to previous Guys-In-Uniform posts, but we have seen both these vests before and the sports shoes. The reuse of items of clothing is valuable in verifying that these pictures are from Guys-In-Uniform Studio (GIU). 

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Guys in Uniform - Athletes Made to Strip Naked and Grovel

In the second picture, the scene has moved beyond regulation treatment. The hunkier soldier is now naked, revealing a stunning upper body physique. He is crawling on the floor, away from under the desk, as though he has just been punished.

His colleague is also naked but appears to have defected to the other side. Arms crossed, he watches a third young soldier (clad in Guys-In-Uniform, regulation tight vest and shorts). He is being humiliated and punished with an ear tweaking.

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I don't have the rest of this set, but it looks as if the offenders are being forcibly undressed at the desk and possibly bent over it to be spanked. There's some stunning imagery here, although the overall composition is a bit confusing. If anyone has the missing bits, I'd love to see them!

 

Go to Guys In Uniform - Part 5

Guys In Uniform - 3 Boxer caught with porn

'Guys in Uniform' had a flair for using clothing to show off the models in a sexy way, but they didn't just rely on tight shorts. I talked about the numbered vests in the last post. In these pictures, the guys wear those vests to highlight below-the-waist nudity.

1. Boxer Relaxing

The first picture looks like a scene setter, a boxer has dropped his shorts whilst enjoying a porn mag featuring a sailor (more of whom later!). Obviously, discovery and punishment will follow. The clingy vest highlights his upper body but leaves the groin uncovered. At this time in the UK, nudity began to be OK, but erections were not. This compromise is both sexy and attractive, but it pushes at the boundary. The just-visible jar of Vaseline is a classic 'hidden clue' doubling up the sexual charge for those who see it and understand what it means. For modern eyes, the natural-looking pubes are refreshing.

So much about this 'simple' picture is clever. The boxing shorts with their distinctive label and chunky waistband are emblematic of manhood and toughness. In this pose, they also seem to suggest ankle restraints. The soles together position of the feet is a classic unconscious, awkward, youthful habit which charms the older viewer. The resulting open legged stance produces some nice shapely curves in his legs.

2. Made to Grovel

 

Picture 2 shows the same vest, but not the same model (I think!). This is the best shot I have showing how the GUI tight vest brings out the shape of a fit body, including the parts it doesn't cover.

The khaki shorts, rolled up to seem briefer, are another 'Guys in Uniform' icon. As a compromise between authentic clothing and sexy apparel, it's not completely successful. I've always wondered why they didn't roll them up on the outside, which was a common practice in that era not only for shorts but for jeans and shirt sleeves as well. (James Dean style).

The gaiters worn by the man with the cane are another slightly odd feature, they serve no purpose with shorts but as a form of strapping there is a bondage connection, I suppose. The same comment applies to the riding boots (on the right) although they do work as fetish garments here.

Although a cane is being brandished, this picture is really about bullying, domination and vulnerability. The partially undressed state of the men is sexual of course but also makes it seem like normal discipline has broken down. This slightly disturbing 'edge' is evident in other pictures by this studio and no doubt contributed to their downfall.

Apart from this, the mitchmen motto 'putting men in their place' could hardly be better illustrated.

 

Go to Guys In Uniform, Part 4

Guys in Uniform 2 - Caning by Numbers

This post is scheduled to be upgraded and extended

(Jun 2026)

 

1 Caning by Numbers

Another Guys in Uniform gym punishment series, this time it's a uniformed soldier handing it out. You'll recognise the tight shorts, the numbered vests feature in several other sets as well. They cling and show off the model's bodies, but the numbers are depersonalising as well, heightening the sense of control. Another nice pair of legs, but the dunce's cap doesn't really work for me.

2 Jump To It!

In the second picture, the man receiving the punishment (number 4) is restrained by cords on his wrists, quite daring even in the 70s. Much of this set seems rather 'posed' and not quite as sexy as the previous one we looked at, but this image capturing the victim jumping in the immediate aftermath of a stroke is original and rather good. 

Eventually, the lads turn on their uniformed tormentor and give him a taste of his own punishment - a favourite device of GIU.

~

 

This set was heavily inspired by the 1960, Royale Studio storyette, 'Tough Schoolmaster'. Several elements and picture compositions are directly copied from that source.

The use of serving Guardsmen to make this set led to a full-blown scandal in 1976, with GIU images appearing on the front page of the tabloids.

 

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Go to Part 3 of Guys in Uniform

Guys In Uniform 1 - Cane stripes

The set reviewed in this article is shown in full at 

Guys In Uniform 1 - Double Discipline 

 

Royale (1950's) and Guys in Uniform (1970's) were two studios that specialised in producing sexy pictures with a strong flavour of military discipline. The pictures pushed at the boundaries of acceptability for their times, and the men in them were reputedly genuine servicemen. Both of these facets shocked the establishment and provoked repeated police raids and prosecutions, which eventually caused them to collapse. 

 

There's an interesting article about their history and the connections between the two studios. Originally published at 'milism' (now defunct) it's now been recreated at the mitchmen Royale-Hussar blog with the permission of the author, Squaddie John.

Guys in Uniform produced some outstanding images which have always inspired me. Although they inevitably reflect their times, they still have impact today, and in this series of articles I review some of my favourites. 

 

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1 Ready for Punishment

The chances are you will have seen today's images before. They come from a set produced by 'Guys in Uniform' and is probably the best known example of their work - with good reason! The situation of two men in PT kit up for punishment with a cane is erotic enough for spankers! You are immediately struck by the tight white shorts which are lit to show off the target areas very well, and the glimpse of bulges between the legs is amazing, especially for an era when nudity was a no no. We can see that these are men, not boys!

Tight white shorts were a universal icon in gay imagery at this time, these days a picture like this would feature white underwear, but otherwise the image is timeless. The hems of their shorts show off chunky thighs, while the ankle socks with blue hoops (also classic sports wear in their day) reveal solid calves - these men are fit!

2 Waiting his turn

They way these men are dressed is intended to reflect the military setting where discipline would indeed be administered in gym kit, underwear would be entirely inappropriate. In picture 2 punishment is in progress, but my eye is drawn to the man facing the wall, he has a beautiful figure and the upright posture (a cross between at attention and at ease) is manly but submissive. It creates a visual effect that is a treat for neck freaks like me. The bare backside is a departure from military standards, but is well worth it in this man's case.

The man wielding the cane is less convincing, his shorts are not really shorts at all
 and his face and hair don't conjure up the look of a military disciplinarian
 - You need a Nick Moretti or a Spencer Reed for that!

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More Guys in Uniform in the next post.

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Summary of 'M' Artists

I have covered 23 different fetish artists in my survey of the letter 'M' - a staggering number including many whose subject matter is very controversial. Selecting my customary 'favourite' is going to be a major challenge. There are three criteria which I usually employ - Technical quality, Fetish content and Sensuality.

Fetish Content is probably the least helpful criterion in this case, such is the array of peversity represented by these artists! For a whole host of 'M' artists it's the subject matter which catches the eye more than anything else - much of it pushing at the most challenging boundaries of conventional taste. Martin of Holland certainly takes the prize for breadth of subject matter - and it's successful erotic portrayal. Malex and Mike Carcel's bizarre festivals of death and torture also stand out. But who could overlook Manflesh and Mack's tragic victims, Macbeth's scary aggressors and Mishima's classic bondage poses?

When it comes to technical skill, Marquis's sometimes quirky but beatiful images are worth a mention as are the figure drawing skills of Mike Carcel. Mishima's delicate Japanese bondage images score for their simplicity and elegance but one other 'M' really stands out in this respect - Max whose work was a revelation when I surveyed it properly for this review. His picture 'Stone Step' demonstrates his original technique and ability to create a compelling, beautifully balanced and wonderfully erotic image.

The final quality I look at is the sensuality of the image, it's visual appeal - a quality typified for me by Tom of Finland's early work. 'Arty' work, comic styles and simple figure drawings like those of Malex tend to loose out in this area although the voluptuous bulges of Mentaiko and the cute, fleshy captives of moc put in a good bid. Manflesh's handsome, hunky heroes also score highly as do the silky skin tones of Martin of Holland and the stylish dramas of Max. But for all round appeal I favour Matsugoroh's sweaty, chunky rugby men and Mishima's subtle eroticism and elegance of style.

Putting all these factors together and adding in my entirely unscientific, personal preferences gives me a final shortlist of favourites - Mishima, Manflesh and Matsugoroh and picking a winner from these is relatively easy - it's got to be Mishima. I've represented him here with a mitchmen-esque captive sportsman.

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Moc

Moc's refreshing style and lightly nuanced peril situations deserve to be better known.

Moc - Safeword

'Safeword' captures a very erotic bondage pose but the addition of an obviously gloating captor and the stop sign is seriously threatening despite the humorous treatment. Regular readers will know I prefer good fetish art to be unlaced with humour but Moc's pictures can be mentally flipped.

Moc - Tight Shift (Caught)

He captures clean cut youth very well and the Tight Shift - Caught picture is surprisingly erotic considering it's lack of explicitness. The dangling cuffs and anxious expressions fire the imagination for what is to follow.

moc - Tight Shift (Getting to know..)

Getting to know... is a later picture in the same series and contains elements of menace and humiliation. Once again the faces tell all and the clarity of the bondage detail and gagging is erotic in it's own right. The glimpse of the officer's badge on his gag identifies it as his own ripped shirt prompting the viewer to imagine the preceding scene. The intertwining of the bodies in this picture is ambitious, visually disentangling bodies is difficult in any picture, even photos. The simplified colour palette of the cartoon style doesn't help much in creating the illusion of depth, but Moc just about gets away with it thanks to careful colouring and the uncluttered depiction of the captive's torso's.

The style is economical but surprisingly realistic thanks to accurate overall anatomy and careful selection of points to detail. The characters facial expressions and particularly the eyes are striking. The expression of depth and anchoring of the posed characters in their setting is less convincing but the cartoony style provides an alibi for this. Moc draws on photographic sources but he transforms them into a distinctive, attractive and fascinating images.

Moc's work can be found at the BoundGuys site

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To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Mitchell (mitchmen) 'Shipping Out'

Mitchell - Shipping Out

I'm taking the liberty of mentioning myself under the letter 'M', but I will not blowing my own trumpet too much, not in this august company! I have quite eclectic tastes but my main fetish interest is in showing bondage, usually in the context of peril and the sample here incorporating forced 'transfer' as well is fairly representative of my work. I do occasionally explore the more extreme topics such as those represented by other A-Z 'M' artists.

To see more of my work, click on the 'mitchpix' label or join my Yahoo Google! Group, see sidebar for link. I'll be starting a new tale with a military theme at the Y group soon.

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

GMBA

The GMBA group which has always been one of my major links for fetish art gets zapped from time to time but is usually reborn again to rebuild the archive. The latest link for it can be found at the foot of the right sidebar.

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Michael Mitchell

Michael Mitchell - Shavers

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No this isn't me. Michael Mitchell produces occasional pieces with a mild fetish slant and his style is refreshingly clean and direct. He guards his copyright and accordingly little of his work circulates on the web.

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Mishima

Mishima - Kneeling

Japan is seen as the spiritual home of artistic, rope bondage and Mishima is one of the most significant artists in this genre. Virtually all of his fetish pictures are simple studies of Japanese men in bondage, usually nude and drawn without backgrounds. These (apparently) simple and elegant drawings are very much in his national tradition.

Mishima - Tied to a Post
Mishima's men and the culture he depicts are also unmistakeably Japanese. In this picture the young man's face has a distinctive, puppy fat appearance quite different to Hasegawa's more Western-looking boys (for example). The traditional loincloth trails down alluringly and is only held in place by the ropes which dive between his legs emphasising the bulge. The line of the head, body and legs follow a beautiful arc. His men are generally adorned with naturalistic body hair on legs and arms as well as the chests (sometimes it is shown in a naively curly way).

Mishima - Suspended

Like many Japanese artists (e.g. Hasegawa), he is interested in bodies that are covered with extensive and dense tattoos. Tattoos in Japan have various associations with criminality, class, bravery and wealth which on the face of it is not dissimilar to the UK but I wouldn't presume to judge what aspect Mishima and Hasegawa are portraying in their pictures. The emphasis given to the tattoo can confuse the eye and obscure the detail of the body and even gives a clothed appearance sometimes, but it's clearly an artistic choice not a misjudgement which is fair enough.

The anatomical detail is often impeccable, like the feet in this picture. 

There is often an air of real, but unseen menace in the pictures, sometimes manifested as staves prodding the captives body, bruises or even blood trickling from the mouth or wounds. When he shows men who are not tied they are often striking fighting poses or wielding knives, swords or staves with fierce expressions on their faces. In many pictures the captives sport impressive (but feasible) erections and may be tethered (and tormented) by chains attached to them. 

Mishima - Affection

Having said that, there are also some delightfully affectionate images too, all the more erotic for the hardness of the companion works. You can see that he used a traditional brush technique for this picture.

Mishima's bondage studies are less startling these days, when bondage imagery is commonplace, but even so you'd have to search hard to find the poses selected here. His straightforward elegant style is very attractive to the eye and the preference for solo, near naked studies renders them both artistic and timeless. For that reason he often pops up on gay art and fetish sites. 
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Theres a selection of his work at Ayhan's blog, sadly Jeunes Asian Art has gone.

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Minoru

Minoru - Bear in a Web

Just an honourable mention for Minoro who does rather nice pictures of bears and chubbies in leathery situations but mostly with no hard fetish content. This example is an exception. The quality of the artwork speaks for itself.

See more at Art by minoru

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Mike

Mike - 'Dave Trussed'

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Mike who? I have at least 5 artists who go by this name including the well known, present day cartoonist and magazine illustrator who produces remarkably erotic pictures, but not fetish ones.

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The 'Mike' represented here produces drawings which are notable for the realistic proportions of the men's anatomy - including the sex organs. The detailing appears to be sketchy but is appropriate for the natural physique of the young subjects. I have darkened this picture slightly to bring out the subtle shading. His view of bodies as sexual objects seems to veer towards slenderness and plasticity rather than bulk and voluptuous curves. The facial detail is often slightly odd and combined with the smoothness of skin suggested by the delicate shading creates a strange ghostly appearance. The solid black background merely serves to accentuate this.

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The pictures I have seen are understated but explore a wide range of fetish topics like bondage, waxing, gags and whips etc. This example is the most interesting and is not only well drawn (check out the fingers) but brings out the anxiety of the subject in a rather striking way.

I don't have any link info for this artist.

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

A-Z Update - Les and Micro

I have added two links to the articles on Les and Micro, they take you to articles by FRGLee on his blog which give a bit of biography and extra pictures by these artists. Well worth a read.

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Micro

Micro - The Suit

Micro is one of those artists whose fetish fame is maintained essentially by one picture which circulates endlessly on the internet. The long blond hair of the novice is the best guide to it's age (other pictures by him feature greasy haired rockers and Tom-like cops in billowing trousers).

The interest resides mainly in the clothing (if that's the right word!) and the immersion chamber threat. It's not exactly explicit but the glimpse of naked buttock cleavage, the frontal bulge and the rear connection of the gas mask tube place us firmly in adult territory. There's something for everyone here from swimming trunks (a surprisingly rare sighting!) to full diving suits and I must not overlook the large boots (and feet) which convincingly straddle the gap between realism and absurdity. The composition is a little stilted but the leer of the handsome 'master' is excellent and the suits well drawn and detailed.

There's an article with more pictures at Frglee , this blog also features diving suits, rubber boots etc.

I don't have any other link info for this artist.

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Mentaiko

Mentaiko - Captive

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I have admitted before, my own shortcomings when it comes to identifying Japanese cartoon artists. It doesn't help that their work often circulates unlabelled but I have never taken time to understand the subject better. However, their contribution to fetish art is so significant that I must mention them when I can.

Mentaiko's work has a pleasing, erotic plasticity in the crucial body areas, I love the shiny buttocks and bulging white loincloth of this captive although the rubbery texturing doesn't work quite so well on his ripped clothing. It's the bondage of course that makes this picture so sexy, the awkward and exposed position and the realistic, strong-looking ropes that snake round his contours. The creasing of the twisted white cloth as it passes between his buttocks is delightfully suggestive. The youth of the subject and, to a lesser extent the fantasy scenario is not really my cup of tea (though it's pretty uncontroversial in this case) but the erotic quality of the artwork is remarkable.

This type of art appears on GMBA (link at foot of sidebar) fairly regularly, but it's usually unattributed. There are plenty of Yaoi groups who specialise in this art and that is a good place to look for more information.

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Mike Carcel

In retrospect, I wish I had filed Mike Carcel under 'C' but he always signs himself MCarcel so here he is jostling with all the other 'M's. Mike is a very prolific artist who often depicts fairly extreme and exotic subjects such as impalement, piercing, mutilation, hangings, crucifixion and even bloodier stuff which is much too extreme to show here at mitchmen.

MCarcel - Pony Boy Races

Early pictures show individuals in exotic and imaginative bondage and humiliation. The 'Pony Boy Races' is a simple but imaginative take on the Pony humiliation theme and hangs on to the masculinity of the characters in a way that compares favourably with Leo's well known Pony image (see earlier mitchmen A-Z post) which is much more elaborate and camp. The bowed heads and dribbling mouths are absolutely typical of Carcel's imagery.

MCarcel - Nailman Busy

His later works tend to show show groups of men carrying out and undergoing much more painful and gruesome S&M activities, and I use this description (rather than tortures) because the victims appear to be consenting or at least unprotesting of their fate - extreme as it might be. In 'Nailman Busy' the crucified man is excited enough to distract his torturer from his proper job, reversing their impalement roles. This rather subtle, black humour is another of Carcel's hallmarks.

His characters are usually good-looking men with realistic, attractive bodies and (as in Nailman) they are often shown pausing in their activity to gaze out of the picture, as though posing for a camera (which I imagine reflects the source inspiration but it's obvious that the artist has made a conscious choice to keep it that way). It creates an eerie sensation of having stumbled on some incomprehensible brutal ritual with the captors proudly posing next to their handiwork happily unaware of it's true horror. You can see in this picture how Carcel composes by assembling different images together and the individual viewpoints and perspectives are actually slightly different. It doesn't seem to detract from the impact of the finished picture.

MCarcel - Slave Pen

Mike's pen and ink sketches are well drawn with close attention to the details of anatomy. He uses cross hatching rather than solid greys to depict shadows and in his later pictures this is used quite sparingly. His technique shows fine body hair particularly well but the compositions are often crowded and the absence of depth shading and background perspective can cause visual confusion at first sight. A few moments study are needed to unravel the detail.

'Slave pen' has a similar montage style to 'Nailman' but the overall fan-like composition is fascinating. The tethering together of the two foreground prisoners has an almost religious artistry about it that gives the picture interest and weight, although pious acceptance and resignation on the part of victims is normal in Mike's world. Most of Carcel's pictures contain at least one little gem of bondage like these. This detached, almost academic treatment and the use of simple outlines may explain why his pictures often seem less shocking than they should.

MCarcel - Michal's Mistake

His men are invariably naked and as a result there is rarely much evidence of a scenario or personal motivations, just men ceremonially torturing and executing other men. The exceptions are those pictures which show Native American Indians torturing their captives. These pictures often include details of the Indian's camp as well as their garments. The introduction of this tangible, cultural detail and it's associations certainly add to the impact and this particular scenario gives full rein to Carcel's inventiveness and cruelty - adding arrows, fire, scalping and even flaying to his armoury.

Mike inks over and then erases pencilled originals to produce his final picture and you can see that some detail gets lost in this process - around eyes for example and the knees in 'Slave Pen'. The active participants in the pictures are often shedding copious amounts of body fluids from orifices and wounds which I suspect looks more subtle in the pencilled original than the inked final version. I prefer the earlier 'Pony Boys' style but truthfully the power of his imagery transcends technique.

~

Mike has produced hundreds of pictures over the years, and I wouldn't even attempt to work out a favourite or claim this to be a representative sample of his work. There should be some at the GMBA archives (link at foot of sidebar) and the MCR Yahoo Group (is, as of 2022, defunct)

However, there's another post of Mike's pictures on mitchmen blog here (added March 2013)

 

To see earlier posts in this mitchmen series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Max

Max - Man in bondage
Max is a modern French comic artist and his work combines stylish technique and attractive imagery. His subject matter is strong on bondage and domination. This picture of a simply bound man with distinctively Gallic features is smouldering with eroticism. The images are sometimes laced with golden showers and cages but there is no leather or rubber, just nudity, sometimes set against severely geometric backgrounds constructed with tiles, stone blocks and cage bars.

Max - Stone Steps

Max shows characters interacting in a powerful way, sometimes simply wrestling, but the more interesting images depict out-and-out domination and he uses bondage to amplify this in a way few artists do. Contrast the drama of the 'Stone Steps' picture with Matt's more typical cowboy bondage (previous post) where the captor is barely glimpsing the possibilities of his power.

Max forces his victim to kneel on a scaffold-like plinth, he uses an upward looking angle and dark shadowing to enhance the sense of the captor's threatening strength, at the same time explicitly displaying for us the captive's sexual purpose. This is more than just a crude 'in your face' visual signal, however, for the man's exaggerated anal opening is at the centre of an 'X' shape formed by the gently curving lines of his inner thighs and upper buttocks. The upper left hand arm of the 'X' flows smoothly into the arc of his captor's penis linking the two together unambiguously. The curving line of the two men's shoulders and arms has an equally satisfying shape giving the composition a coherence which shows true artistry.
 
Interestingly, Max claims on his website that his pictures are not gay, just about fierce men. Matt's cowboy picture from an earlier era is trying to maintain a similar distinction.
Ah! Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!
(The more things change, the more they stay the same!)

Max - Rainbow County (detail)

There's a simplicity of approach in Max's pictures which produces striking results. The Dream Sequence extract from 'Rainbow County' shows a man being tied up. The cap-obscured faces of his captors and a few words of dialogue create a powerful sense of subjugation, fear and foreboding. The rope wound around the victim's neck heightens the danger. This is the essence of bondage - the loss of control, the loss of defences.

In his pictures Max often plays with highlighting and employs an unusual style in which the muscle shapes and areas of light and shade are delineated by contour lines like those used on a map. In Rainbow County it creates a multi-layered effect of angled flat planes giving a sense of bodies carved from a block. In other examples, the results range from giving the appearance of camouflage or of fractured rock to a not quite human, metallic sheen on the skin. The spooky effect is enhanced by the shaven heads and futuristic settings.

Max - Tubes
This theme develops into sci-fi world of scientific experiments with tubes and cables attached and inserted into the helpless captives. Scenes of post apocalyptic destruction are populated with men with partial bodies placed on plinths like statues or pierced by metal struts and incorporated into unidentifiable devices or ruins. It's imaginative and fascinating and I could devote a whole blog to discussing it. In the meantime I can only suggest you go and have a look at the website which has lots of pix at onemaxshow.

One of the reasons for posting these articles is to encourage readers (and myself!) to look more closely at fetish art, to notice and enjoy its 'hidden depths'. In this respect the art of Max is a revelation, an economical mix of technical skill, thoughtfulness and sheer erotic power which is rarely encountered. Bravo!

To see other posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below