Royale Studio No18 - The Scout part 2 (Article superseded)

This article has been revised and transferred to the Royale Studio blog by mitchmen

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In this rear view, the model looks more youthful, with an attractive kiss curl detached from his fashionable quiff, in the style of James Dean. From behind, the tight clothing works on a slightly more subtle level as he appears to be assessing whether it makes him look more sexy. There's a sense here of an adult recapturing the thrill of adolescence and of schoolboy memories of desire for sexy, older boys.

The tight fit of the clothes in these pictures is not just down to a man wearing boy's clothing, the whole outfit has been completely re-tailored to achieve this effect. The sleeves and legs have been shortened of course, but the seams of both shirt and shorts have also been taken in. This has produced the non-standard 'wasp waist' on the shirt and shows even more obviously in the unusually prominent, rear trouser seam. Alterations to produce a sexier fit on the model were the norm at Royale Studio, the sewing machine must have been red hot at times! You can see too that it's been immaculately ironed.

 

For previous articles in this series see preceding post. For other articles covering other 'Royale Studio' and 'Guys In Uniform' pictures click on the GIU/Royale label below.

Royale Studio 18 - The Scout (Article superseded)

This article has been revised and transferred to the Royale Studio blog by mitchmen 

In the last couple of posts I made a link between Boy Scout imagery and the famous Royale Studios that produced military erotica in the 1950's. In fact Royale used the Scouting theme on more than one occasion. The normal age of Scouts puts them well out of bounds for the purposes of erotica and rightly so. Fortunately, Royale used models for their Scout series who were indisputably adult and the one in the set below is not remotely boyish. 

 

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I only have 4 pictures from this set but I imagine there were probably more. The Scout shirt and accessories from the waist upwards look absolutely genuine but it's hard to tell if the shorts are. Royale always strove for authenticity in it's uniforms but the effect is marred here by the socks which would not be rolled right down to the ankle but would be worn long and turned down just below the knee, like rugby socks. I'm not sure about the beret in his hand, bush hat headgear with a pointed, tent-shaped crown was often worn by Scouts in the UK.

In the jokey fashion of the day, the model is depicted as being bewildered at having to wear this unusual outfit. These days fashion models will wear any ridiculous clothing on the catwalk, but in the Royale era 'men were men' and to be asked to dress as a mere boy would be pretty demeaning. Having put the clothes on, the manly bulge revealed in his shorts would be equally disturbing. We can assume this man has shed such inhibitions, but the Royale liked to play with the idea of the photographer's power over his model, knowing it would tittilate more conservative viewers.

Bulges in pants were not unusual, Scott studios were also notable exponents, but this one is particularly explicit in shape. It hardly counts as 'hidden eroticism' but a close inspection of the shadowing reveals just a hint of cockhead.

continued in next post.................

For previous articles in this series covering 'Royale Studio' and 'Guys In Uniform' click on the GIU/Royale label below.

Short Shorts

 

Pursuing the scouting theme, I found this picture on the Boys in Short Shorts blog, which has a quite a collection of scouting images and some surprisingly short shorts that rekindle memories from adolescence. 

This splendid rugby player comes from the same source.

Vintage style shorts

Those of you who follow my periodic posts of 'Royale Studio' work from the 50's may do a double-take seeing this picture which captures many characteristics of that era. Open shirt, short shorts and pouty model sporting a sexy kiss curl, but it's a brand new picture.

Skimpy shorts like these are a rare beast these days but when filled with chunky thighs they have always been a big turn on for me.

 In this softer pose the outfit acquires something of a 'Scout-y' flavour. Ready to earn a few badges? I've always thought a Brigade of Man Scouts like this would attract an eager following for Church Parades. As a form of community service for older male delinquents it would be very popular and might even do them some good.

Photo's of Marco Solvo, courtesy of Simon Barnes' Hotsnapz

Mitchmen invade the Aquatic Centre

'Piss Pool Discipline' by Mitchell

My latest picture in the Olympic Scrapbook series (which hasn't quite staggered over the finishing line yet!) was inspired by Ryan Lochte who 'confessed' to pissing in the pool, supposedly to mark his territory. Unfortunately the soldiers drafted in to maintain security at the Games took a dim view of such laxity in young men (no, laxity not laxative). This swimmer, emulating his hero during a training session at the pool, was caught in the act, exposed by secret detection devices planted in the water. Now, tightly bound and trembling, he faces a dose of British Army discipline.......details of which will be revealed in forthcoming sequels at the mitchmen Yahoo! group. 

Take it from me, he won't be doing it again!

(see sidebar for more about the Yahoo! Group)

Jeremy's University Challenge

 The students of Kinky College, Mitchester were beaten (250 to 5) by Snooty College, Cambridge in the first round of University Challenge. They blamed their resounding defeat on Jeremy Paxman's harsh application of the rules. As luck would have it Jeremy was booked to address their Student Union the following week and Electrical Engineering Student, Christian Wilde gave him an impromptu tour of the labs. For once, Jeremy was at a loss for words when Christian showed him his starter for 10, with a pain bonus to follow.

With apologies to Jeremy Paxman and Bound Gods.

Hunk of the Month - Logan Vaughn

Every so often I spot a model who just does it for me and triggers me into frenzied Googling for a while, trying to discover what else I've missed of him.

 

Logan Vaughn appeared earlier this year in Bound Gods mini-epic, 'The Cabin'. He's seen as a camper being captured and dreadfully used by Ricky Sinz who does a nice line in 'Mr Nasty's at the moment. Logan's face has a sort of conventionality and innocence that makes him perfect for this sort of abduction scenario. Funnily enough, this exciting plot line didn't seem to get much publicity, but around the same time, Logan's name popped up again as a MenOnEdge feature from the same studio (below).

 In this film, sadly, Logan's face is obscured by a blindfold for much of the time, but you get an eyeful of his muscular body. I like this shot of him spread-eagled and still in his jeans, it seems tailor-made for a Photoshop makeover into a cowboy-indian torture scene.

Needless to say, MenOnEdge take a different route and the jeans don't stay on for long, 

rewarding butt lovers with this pleasant sight.

Logan's latest is a vanilla sex scene for Hothouse with a vaguely sporting theme which plays to his regular guy image. (I suspect he'd look pretty hot in a suit too but I've not uncovered him in that role yet!)

 

In this shot the sweep of Logan's neck and the line of his abdomen are pure, glorious, male beauty. Jimmy Durano seems quite scruffy in comparison. Putting both models in the same orange underwear is visually exciting but also, like a uniform, suggests they are also subject to discipline and control.

The tables are turned here and although it's overly posed, I've rarely seen cock-sucking so well portrayed as an act of submission. No other touching allowed! Plus we get to see Logan's thighs and butt looking most un-bubble-like but very inviting!

 

 

 

What a difference a year makes! 

From my Googling it turns out Logan's been around for some time cutting a chunkier, boy next door image - just right here for the rigours of the rugby field, I'd say.

 

 

 

Finally, I love this image of a youthful Logan with Aaron Felix from Circle Jerk Boys. The closed-eyes kiss is so sweet. He's not much showing muscle to speak of, in fact it's a slender, positively boyish physique, but those meaty thighs are already the star of the show.

I will probably return to Logan in the future.

A-Z of Fetish Artists - My Favourite 'R'

It is my custom to select a personal favourite artist from each letter based on Technical Skill, Fetish Content and Sensuality. Leaving aside the 'one hit wonders', there are some real heavyweights in this group in artistic terms - RA Schultz, Rex, Rohr and Roscoe. Their works show convincing anatomy, design skill and dramatic visual effects.

For fetish content, revisiting the work of Brad Rader has been something of a revelation, Rex's subject matter is varied, audacious and beautifully sleazy while Rohr's blood-thirsty images take fetish to the extremes. The lesser artists in this group - RF, Rick Hard, Riton and Rorc have also contributed striking and varied S&M studies but Rőhm's fascist allusions push the boundaries too far for most, I suspect. Raute's spanking pictures are important in their field but fail the sensuality test for me. 

Rex - Gagged

My opening samples of R W Richards' work set the bar for sensuality in artwork and in their different ways Rex, Roscoe and to a lesser extent Rohr all rise to the challenge. I would also include Rico's solitary work here. 

However, it's quite easy for me to pick a winner this time, it has to be Rex, I think his atmospheric and technically exciting work has the edge over Rader, Rohr and Roscoe. My closing sample of Rex's work shows some elementary fetish ingredients - gag, leather, jockstrap plus one of Rex's less alarming animal allusions. I suspect I may be too naïve to understand what it's doing here! There's a nice touch of humour as the gagged man (another admirably masculine specimen) ponders the inaccessibility of that irresistible organ. Gagged and gagging I'd say.

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Ruuich4n

Ruuich4n - Taming His BF

Just to round off the 'R's, an excellent asian-style bondage picture. The interweaving of the bodies makes for a more exciting picture but is a challenge to the artist who often has to employ poses to achieve erotic effect which are physically impossible - like the arm reaching between the captive's body and leg here. It is well disguised. and generally, Ruui's anatomy is pretty good - always check the hands! The Shibari network of ropes is a form of 'hyper-bondage', harder to escape from and intended as a torture in it's own right. It is most erotic when it has a clear functional purpose and is not just decorative. The close-up, dramatic viewpoint is very effective but the pen and ink style is a bit austere for my taste (even with the added shading) although it does allow some excellent detailing, like the gag strap. Ruui is quite a prolific artist, I've not collected any other samples of his work but he posts at Deviant Art

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Roscoe

 Roscoe - The Big Chair

My last major 'R' is another prominent commercial artist who produces a lot of work on the 'dads and sons' theme and this is reflected in my first example, a rather splendid spanking picture. The leather armchair is slightly oversized in this picture and this means it frames the whole composition very strongly, making a satisfying, balanced image. It also makes the 'father' look small in a Disney-esque sort of way, he can't even place his feet flat on the ground! Despite this, it's bulk seems to add gravity to the punishment rather than diminishing the man carrying it out. However, the older man's authoritarian credentials are compromised by the subtle, suggestive bulges in his underwear. This 'son' is less baby-faced than Roscoe usually draws but, typically, his portrayal combines characteristics of boyishness - over-size eyes and touselled hair - with signals of sexual allure - fleshy lips and luxuriant eye brows. He looks out to us, confused and appealing. I am a big fan of Roscoe's neat drawing style, the boy's lithe body shape and pert buns portrayed with silky skin tones are highly sensual.

 

 Roscoe - Cops Pissing

Roscoe is normally not so much a fetish artist as a portrayer of sexual romps for mainstream magazines. That jolly style infuses this urinal humiliation scene but the racial element in this picture gives it quite a serious political edge for it's time (2003). Of course the 'victim' in these matters is not supposed to look as if he's enjoying it but just to add to the ambiguity, Roscoe leaves the victim's pants on with no clues to his state of arousal. You sense that he likes to challenge taboos! On a purely erotic level, however, this hosing down of a captive's body is an intensely sexual idea and it's a subject where a drawing (with the benefit of exaggeration) can accomplish more than a photograph. The portrayal of liquids in any form, whether as sea, rain, body fluids, wetness etc, is a great challenge for the artist - whatever the medium. You can judge Roscoe's success for yourself.

 

Roscoe - Tongue Bath

'Tongue Bath' is in a more conventional, realistic style and despite the threatening boot in the groin it is free from any controversial overtones. It's a nice picture, but if anything it's a rather tame exposition of the subject matter suggested by the title. If you're giving (or receiving) a tongue bath, the knee must be one of the least interesting areas of the body to explore (both as a picture and in practice!) It's not a fetish that gets much exposure, apart from the foot variant (I'm disregarding licking of the sexual organs and usual erotic centres which hardly count as bathing)! Licking of the rest of the body and face can be intensely intimate, if you don't believe me get someone to lick your closed eye lids. If it makes you squirm, that makes you a prime candidate for getting it in my book! That's an illustration of the strange 'power' relationships in this fetish, the licker can be serving his partner, pleasuring him, in one part of the body but testing him in another with strange and unusual intimacies. What's more he leaves his spittle behind to mark his territory, which the recipient can feel as it dries on his skin. So just who is in control here?

 Roscoe - Innocent

A super image of a forceful sexual 'encounter' with a 'licking' ingredient as a bonus. I love the bondage element and the captive's helpless, up-ended, open legged position. His captor's half-hidden leg is braced on the marble platform, suggesting a controlled and prolonged pumping is in prospect while he savours his victim's foot as a side dish. The modern tattoos and piercings don't fit into this pseudo-historical setting (where presumably anything goes) but they do serve to establish a gulf in experience between the two men. This is underlined by the look of terror on the captive's face. Since he is fully aroused, we can suppose that this cringing reflects a miscalculation of his partner's size or enthusiasm rather than a lack of consent. But it hardly needs amplifying by giving him a youthful face as well, which only serves to draw us into muddier waters where consent is invalid - in any era.

Roscoe - Locker Room Spank

I finish where I started with the coach paddling his entire team for poor performance on the field. Naturally we arrive just as the baby-faced one is getting it but there's no age concerns here. The maturity of his team mates makes their humiliation all the more erotic and the 'buddy' element of witnessing shared punishment gives the picture a power dimension which isn't present in solo spanking. I love the portrayal of the adult coach who (as in the first spanking picture) looks his age but is allowed a (believable) trim body and flattering clothing. There's a sense of forcefulness, drama and pain here which is not always found in spanking images and spoilt only by the lad playing up to the audience (us!). The coach's left hand, suggesting he's quietly enjoying this close contact with his entire team more than he should, is a classic example of hidden eroticism (click link for previous examples).

~

Much to my surprise I cannot find any dedicated studio link for Roscoe's art but there's a good selection at Daddy's Here , his work appears at DelftBoys and in Handjobs magazine

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rorc

 

Rorc - They met after a chat

Rorc is another artist who likes to express extremes, but in this case it's pure violence which is a little easier to get to grips with, but we start with a simple bondage image. Usually, there isn't a lot of sexual interaction in Rorc's pictures, they depict power relationships and the captor often remains dressed. This man has been tricked into being stripped and tied up and in subsequent pictures he suffers painful abuse (a recurring theme). Rorc shows real bodies, with normal muscles and organ sizes, in fact the captives are usually quite skinny-looking with visible rib cages and forgettable faces (not in this example, but see also below). In contrast the the captors are bigger, sometimes overweight and often have characterful Latin faces.

 

Rorc - He Spoke Too Much - 1

Rorc supplies a speech bubbles or other commentary to clarify the situation we are viewing, what has and what is about to happen. You will have noticed that his Spanish to English translations are a bit odd, but they are usually understandable and add immensely to the power of the pictures. They tell you Rorc is not just interested in the physical process of inflicting cruelty, but also in motivations and the effect of threats and fear on the victim (note his semi-aroused state in this example). In the sequel to this picture, the captive turns out to be a queer basher and Rorc depicts a violent attack on him in graphic detail, too unpleasant to show here. I empathise with the anger being expressed and don't disapprove of the statement, but for me it's not erotica. Interestingly Rorc makes the victim ejaculate but not the assailant.

 

Rorc - Together

In 'together' the captive is left to stew while his captor watches TV. The barbed wire restraint is a Rorc favourite but the fun is only just beginning here. At first sight Rorc's style is crude and naïve but considerable skill is apparent if you look at the careful rendering of the TV (a tricky shape in terms of perspective) and the other furniture in the room. The man slouching in the chair is nicely captured, his casual air is somewhat reminiscent of Palanca's crazy characters but without their sex appeal. The restrained captive has believable anatomy, the skinny look is not particularly alluring to me, but the detailing of his restraints and the stand he is attached to is quite remarkable considering the small scale. However, the elements of this picture don't quite gel together, a result of positioning, stylistic variations and the absence of any background or floor. This is Rorc's style and reflects his artistic interests, fair enough, but I just think 'if only...'

Rorc - Hazing

Hazing is more successful as a composition and illustrates Rorc's interest in piss humiliation rituals. These images tend to be more detached than his torture pictures where the agonised victim is a vociferous participant. This one may be based on a photograph and possibly be traced, it has that look about it. However, the result is original and it illustrates the essential simplicity of Rorc's style, the treatment of the beards is a fascinating simplification.

To find other examples of Rorc's work have a look in the GMBA2 archives (link in sidebar)

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rohr

 

Rohr - Punk

 If Rőhm tests my sensitivities as a critic, Rohr pushes the boundaries too. This time we're talking mutilation and bloodshed but as my innocuous opening example shows he has an attractive and accessible style - unless you happen to have a phobia for rats.

 

 Rohr - Impale

This tree trunk impalement in a bleak battleground setting is more fanciful than terminal but the barbed wire is a vicious embellishment. For me the fetish power of this picture comes not from the torture but the plight of the second prisoner, desperately grovelling in the mud to avoid a similar fate. The depiction of the storm and torrential rain isn't totally successful and is a bit hackneyed I guess, but still adds tremendous atmosphere to the picture. I am much taken with Rohr's handsome and distinctively Gallic faces.

 Rohr - Marc Assain's Abduction

Like Riton and other artists, Rohr has produced a lengthy comic strip for 'Project X' magazine. It's entitled 'The Adventures of Marc Assain' and has a theme of abduction and enslavement in a Middle Eastern Harem. This extract compresses a number of fetish humiliation themes into just a few frames. The colloquial French language is a bit of an obstacle but it's worth trying to understand it if you can.

 Rohr - Marc Assain, The Cruel Sultan (detail)

The handsome Marc and the other inmates are intended for the Sultan's highly sadistic sexual pleasure which generally seems to involve much gratuitous spilling of blood (which I have edited out in this frame). Guards who try to get a piece of Marc's ass suffer death by impalement or terrible mutilation for their error.

The comic strip format disguises the horror to a degree but Rohr avoids total cartoonery so there's still a sense of realism. What little humour he depicts is distinctly macabre and tasteless. Nevertheless, in the best traditions of Hollywood horror, it skilfully constructs an sense of genuine suspense regarding Marc's fate as he is drawn into the Sultan's web.

 Rohr - Marc Assain Rescued

Marc is eventually rescued by a detachment of soldiers and his tormentors get their comeuppance, but it's nowhere near as terrible as they meted out to their victims. I like the beefcake sex in this picture, it's hard for hand artists to compete against the deluge of photographic imagery in this area but Rohr has created a nice, original image with a 'buddy' flavour here.

Rohr's drawing style is distinctive and appealing, if like me you dislike the blood and gore, it's still worth looking at his work for the atmosphere, psychological drama and cute French men.

I don't have a site reference for Rohr, but there's a selection at Delft boys.
I would welcome information about him from readers.
Have a look also in the GMBA2 archives for examples of his work (link in sidebar)

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rőhm

 When writing these articles, there are some subjects which I approach with considerable trepidation, including Nazi themes and scat. Unfortunately Rőhm depicts both of these and the result it not always very pretty.

 

My first image gives an idea of his style. Photo images simulating electro-torture are almost run of the mill erotica these days (I'm thinking Bound Gods again) but it is remarkable how the use of 1940's style greatcoats and spectacles in this picture damps down the sense of eroticism, desexualising the torturer and invoking sinister associations that for most people won't seem very sexy either. The victim too is characterised in an unsympathetic, rather grotesque way, even his fleshy body suggests degeneracy and it all adds up to the sense of not very nice sadism. 

 

Tom of Finland also produced a picture of a muscular man being whipped by a Gestapo officer. He gives the victim a more attractive, manly treatment but the historical associations are so potent that it's still hard to accept as erotic fantasy. Rőhm goes further than this in other pictures and shows scenes set in concentration camps which, for me, are very hard to swallow. 

 

In the second picture the setting moves to tropical climes and a more basic form of torment. You will observe that Rőhm does not draw pretty men - either as captor or victim. I suppose the ageing, overweight torturers are fair enough as a device to suggest humiliation but when the victims are scrawny and dishevelled like this, their masculinity is diminished and although both depictions are scarily realistic, they are erotically quite neutral. 

 

In fetish artwork, depictions of quite extreme torture are often 'legitimised' by using the 'hero effect'. That is to say, the victim is very handsome and muscular and although this somehow makes him deserving of being tormented, he cannot really be harmed and will eventually escape or be rescued. It's clear that the authors of these works do actually love their men and this defuses the nastiness.

 

Even in more extreme 'snuff' artwork, like the executions of Bondageskin (above), the sensuous depictions of the victims' bodies and their ability to sexually enjoy their own demise reveals a similar regard but in Rőhm's work this element seems to be absent, the erotic intent is confined to the situation itself, but I suppose you can say the same about spanking images showing only a bruised and welted backside.

Despite my dislike of his subject matter, I do get the point of Rőhm's work and I admire his style which is similar to comic-book techniques. His website erohm.com still exists, the gallery is closed but the home page gives glimpses of his work.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Robin

 

Robin - Sleeping Together

Robin isn't strictly a fetish artist, in fact work like Sleeping Together seems quite cosy to the modern eye. We do have a discarded leather boot here providing a tenuous fetish connection and the hand gripping the younger man's arm hints at an element of forceful passion. The luxuriant eyelashes and prominent cigarettes suggest this work is quite early (50's/60's?) in which case the explicitness of the intercourse shown and the quality of the draughtsmanship mark it out as a bit special.

Robin - Bound

Interestingly, Robin's exploration of bondage shown here is much less adventurous and typical of it's time - the ropes are loosely tied (if at all) and largely symbolic but it's a nice picture of submission. The sophisticated vertical shading marks out an artist who has had decent graphical training. These pictures in their broad-stroked simplicity have something of the quality of woodcuts about them which gives them an artistic quality, perhaps designed to defuse the content in less tolerant times.

I don't have a site reference for Robin and would welcome information about him from readers.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Roan

Roan - A Good Hard Spank

 I don't know about art but I think this picture, attributed to Roan, encapsulates pretty well the homoerotic excitement of real man spanking. I love the glowing red palm (you can imagine the warm sting) and the even hotter(!) area where he has focussed his attention.This is a one-off as far as I know, I don't have a site reference for Roan and would welcome information about him from readers.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Riton Z

  Riton - Dressing Room

 Riton is a French artist who has published a lot of art there in comic form and in the French language of course (mais oui!) both of which probably limit their circulation, but he deserves wider recognition. My first example, bondage in the dressing room, is moderately well known and regular readers will spot my interest in rugby surfacing in this choice (Rugby being one of the few enthusiasms we Brits are happy to share with our near cousins!).

It's quite a complicated composition with a range of field-depths and although the perspectives go a bit bananas on the seats and shelving it's visually interesting and tells a fascinating story. Apparently this is a post match debriefing/initiation and the format is clearly not unusual in this dressing room!

 

 Riton - Fleeing man

This picture of a man fleeing through a wood clad only in his boots shows the same sexy humour and some technical skill with awkward viewpoints. I love quirky images like this. The bare trees, falling leaves and splashes of mud create a desolate setting, cold and wet adding to his naked discomfort and by implication, underlining the fear which is driving him through it.

 

 Riton - Le Bunker (excerpt) 

My final example is taken from the comic strip 'Le Bunker' in which a young man, Gabriel, offers himself for extended S+M training in order to enter the service of 'the master'. It's a long series of 24 pages, so this single example scarcely does it justice but it does give you a flavour of the piece.

Each page features a different sexy test for Gabriel starting with a forced confession of past sexual excesses that could only have been dreamt up by someone from the Catholic tradition. In this frame, the unexpected forced piercing in an unusual, intimate place is a great domination moment - I love the squeal of pain!

The speech bubbles play their part in creating the bunker atmosphere but inevitable the language used is full of colloquialisms and naughty words that easily defeat automatic translators. I have attempted to translate this page (below) as best I can but had to guess at the word exies' in the final frame.

1

“Ça y est! T'es bien cale? Je veux plus t'entendre!”

That's it! Do you have a good hold? Speak Up!

2

“Vaut mieux pas que tu bouges!...”

It would be better that you do not move !....

5

“Je me demande si il est pret pour la suite!!...”

“I ask myself if he is ready for what is coming!!...”

6

“C'est le maitre du Bunker qui a exies' cela

It is the master of the bunker who has (called for) this

Naturally, the humourous comic book style dilutes the S+M element (probably to satisfy a publishing constraint). Gabriel seems to endure his succession of humiliations and punishments with a good humour that is rather disappointing, but nevertheless, for those with imagination it builds up into an impressive saga that stands comparison with Leo's work 'The Estate'.

I don't have a site reference for Riton and would welcome information about him from readers.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below
 or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rico

Rico - The Agony

I have a couple of pictures by Rico dating from the late nineties and both showing a mature man, tied up and being tormented by the hands of unseen captors. At first sight it has the appearance of a caricature with the man's face enlarged and distorted, but in reality it's highly realistic, if not very pretty. The binding of the wrists looks inescapable and his slightly fleshy body is sensuously depicted, squirming under the attack which is serious enough to cause him to loose control. I expect the moustache is a bit of blocker for some, but I would love to see more of this artist's work.

I don't have a site reference for Rico and would welcome information about him from readers.

Update Aug 2018, Thanks to  the reader who identified this as a tickling image and supplied a link for other examples (see comments below)

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rick Hard

 Rick Hard - Branding Dungeon

 

From Rickard to Rick Hard (aka Rick Von Sodom, I believe). This torture tableau is a good example of his work. The fascist uniforms and the array of crude torture weapons on the side table would have been more chilling in their own day than they are now. The participants are rather disconnected and look out at us as though caught in the act or posing for the artist - perhaps the cruellest torture of all!

I don't think I've featured a branding picture before but I wouldn't recommend this as a guide to technique, branding a captive on the buttocks while he's tied to a post is one of life's more impractical tasks. Perhaps that's why he seems to have applied his brand upside down! I like the aproned slave feeding fuel to the furnace while being aroused by the second guard's whip sliding between his ass-cheeks, note this guard's penis-shaped cap.

Rick Hard's style is fairly basic but the rendering of the faces and the uniform detailing show a hand not devoid of talent. The subtlety of his shading has been washed out of the scan above and is better in the other pictures below. The Nazi style uniforms and facial style suggest a date around Tom of Finland's heyday, in fact the prisoner tied to the post is very similar to Tom's 1963 image in which an engineer is tied to a telegraph pole by bikers (below). There's a touch of 1960's artist, Luger (Colt), in the legs-up pose of the right hand guard.

 Tom of Finland - Engineer Tied To Post (1963)

 Rick Hard - Indoor Animal

The black humour lurking in Branding Dungeon can also be seen in this rather expressive picture of a prisoner awkwardly tied to the foot of a (neatly-made!) bed. Men in humiliating domestic predicaments feature in other pictures by Rick Hard too.

 Rick Hard - Tryptich

 

Back to the dungeon. This guard is a caricature with a cruel almost feminine face thanks to the almond-shaped eyes and strange peaked cap. His body is muscular but that takes second place to the prominent billowing uniform, all carefully detailed, even the piped edges are shown on the gloves and boots. The muscular young prisoner is lovingly drawn using a curious shading technique which suggests body hair in places but also recalls depictions of blood vessels and nerve paths in anatomical drawings and it's all slightly disturbing. In the final section his beauty disappears and he becomes gaunt and agonised under the guard's torment. I'm not sure if this is erotic or a moral tale.

Rick Hard - Crop Licker

 Finally a guard descends into the dungeon and holds out his crop for the grovelling, naked prisoner to kiss. The guard's casual hand-in-pocket pose shows he is in total control and has no fear of being attacked. It's a simple but rather effective depiction of casual intimidation and fearful submission. In the context of the other drawings showing severe torture scenarios it's all the more threatening but fortunately the penis-shaped cap reveals the true purpose of the encounter.

Rick Hard doesn't have the most developed of techniques but he does have a knack for capturing erotic domination. I don't have a site for Rick Hard and would welcome information from readers.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rickard

Rickard - Pullem

My solitary example of this artists work is full of dark menace and brooding resentment.
The cold steely eyes and muscular torso make this one stand out
 but the string pulling order doesn't seem to quite warrant the captive's reaction.

I would welcome information on Rickard from readers.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - RF

 

This rather striking piece of bondage art is by an artist called RF. Group (or buddy) bondage like this, where each captive is restrained in the same way is quite an unusual subject. It suggests that their captor must be extremely powerful and well organised and therefore to be feared. The inability of the men to work together to free themselves gives a twist of shared frustration and humiliation, it's different to solo bondage where the victim's isolation from any help or consolation provides part of the thrill. I like the morph-like faces which do have individual characters but seem to have been 'harmonised' by their plight and of course I love the (identical) shorts with their (identical) intriguing bulges. I suspect we're talking control here.

 

Three more captives here, secured by curious horizontal strapping passing through loops embedded in the wall. It's a standard bondage image but again enhanced by the identical group punishment perspective which will seek out the weakest. This time they are wearing underwear but it doesn't leave much to the imagination, which I would have preferred. The men's bodies are not idealised, it's the situation that supplies the eroticism.

The final picture is a solo pose. I love the dotted seams which tell you that he's wearing some sort of long john's or tights which also cover his feet. This sort of garment, which is enclosing and shape revealing, but not normal wear, applies a subtle layer of control to the captive's lower body. The seams draw your attention to areas of interest, like the line diving between his buttocks and the criss-cross thread seemingly holding his bulge in check. It's all nicely understated and the simplified representation of the face allows the businesslike gag to come to the fore.

I would welcome information on RF from readers.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist