Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Julius

Julius - Military Prisoner Tormented

Julius is a prolific artist and (like Tom Jones) he occasionally dips into fetish topics. His comic pictures are instantly recognisable – black and white with simple inked outlines. These are frames from stories so there is good use of clothing and background detail to add context and variety to the pictures. His straight forward technique enables him to bring out details like ropes which might be lost in a more 'photographic' style.

The bondage scene in the picture above seems almost incidental to the story he is telling, but it's representative of a steady undercurrent of cruel domination in his work, often interwoven with love and infatuation which is true S&M.

He often depicts sexual encounters with the characters standing and seen from the side – as in 'Military Prisoner' above. Julius demonstrates considerable skill in using line shading and occasional solid areas create a sense of depth and solidity which pretty much overcomes the absence of conventional signals of perspective like converging, receding lines. However the technique falters a little when angled perspective is required, as in 'Over the table' below.

Julius - Over The Table

Julius hardly ever shows characters in full length poses, even in the background (see top picture), usually preferring 'thigh upwards' close ups instead. This cinematic/photo technique adds intimacy and sexiness and the opportunity for sensual detail but in the picture above, the captive's body is little more than bare outlines with minimal detail or shading hinting at muscle shape. The treatment of the older man seems quite different. Julius is very good at showing older men as sexually attractive creatures. In this arena he probably has no equal, furnishing them with authentic stubble, strategic wrinkles and heavily muscled, often hairy, bodies. These features provide body shape signals that compensate for the absence of conventional shading but one is left with the impression that the mature man is the main focus of the artist's interest.

Julius - Groping

This picture is drawn in an attractive, softer style and the detailing of the clothing is nicely done. It highlights just how little use Julius normally makes of body shading in his comic pages. Younger characters abound in Julius' art as he pursues his cross-generational agenda. They usually have rounded chins and snub noses creating a pleasant puppy-fat appearance. However they are rarely depicted in so much detail as the young man in 'Groping' above, the minimal technique seen in the preceding image is more common. Frequently they are relegated to the edges and corners of the frames from where they worship their elders and betters. Even in this image, it's the older man who has the more interesting and characterful, smoother Latin look. 

 Julius - Glominius Files II

When Julius chooses to show man on man interactions the resulting images can be pretty impressive. However, he conjures up some pretty, bleak worlds where might is right. Fleeting scenes like this form a background commentary of continual threat and danger, constantly threatening to engulf the more innocent souls who pass through. It's a traditional embellishment to hero-in-danger stories but in Julius' hands masculinity oozes out out the image (in more ways than one) merging the physical threat with the sexual.

 Julius - Flogging the Tormentor (from Ramon and Julian)
 
Thankfully, the bad guys sometimes get their come-uppance, Julius captures this ones horror at the role reversal, although the punishment doesn't seem to have impaired his libido. Interestingly, Julius chooses to show the slave administering the revenge flogging without referencing the colour of his skin. In pictorial terms he too takes second place to the hairy, mature villain. This may be a way of circumventing racial taboos, but this is 1997 and Julius doesn't shrink from using clothing indicative of race in other stories. It's almost as though the artist doesn't really acknowledge the identity of the younger people in his pictures, which is surprising and slightly disturbing.

The use of angled perspective here is more successful than my previous example but Julius is hampered from fully expressing the drama of the scene by his own preference for close-ups and the need to conform to the 'portrait' page orientation, to match the rest of the story. As a result the scene looks rather cramped and the drama of the sweep of the lash is considerably muted.

 Julius - Punishing a Rustler (from Ramon and Julian)

Where Julius employs male bondage in his stories he gives it a context which enriches the appeal of the images and stokes the imagination, compensating for the relative lack of sensuality in the style. Frustratingly they are often stand-alone scenes, there is no tantalising precursor of capture and stripping to whet the appetite for this climax. This scene is just as crowded as the one above but Julius' preferred sideways viewpoint is more successful. By drawing back a little he is able to incorporate some extra background detail which also enhances the scene.

Julius - Vikings II

Abductions are part and parcel of the Julius experience, inevitable in a story about Vikings I suppose, but examples involving an adult males are less usual. Although it's a bit 'posed',  I quite like this depiction of the cornered captive who's been secured with some attractive rope work. Note the hair colours - Vikings are blond!

Julius - Marine

 From my point of view, one of the most important contributions Julius has made to erotic art (and it is borderline fetish) is in his depictions of uniforms and clothing in general. His comic pages are positively stuffed with these, all depicted in remarkable variety and detail and it's clearly an area of great interest to him. This single example scarcely does justice to his capabilities in this field (and I may revisit this aspect of his work).

Unfortunately the 'favourite faces' and recurring close-up poses do become a little repetitive over time. Which is not decry the individual pictures which are mostly very sexy with attractive looking chunky men. His excursions into fetish subjects – abductions, spanking and rope bondage – are important ingredients in his stories but he doesn't delve deeply into the subject. In that sense he is not truly a fetish artist but some of these pictures are quite memorable and rank alongside the 'specialists'. 
 

Julius - Pole-tied

 
My final example is perhaps a taste of what might have been. This image had been rattling around my collection for years seeking it's proper attribution until I finally spotted that the faded signature was that of Julius with his trademark two digit date appended. I would never have guessed him as it's creator from the subject matter or the style. It's 3-dimensional technique and convincing depiction of  genuine restraint shows an interest and commitment to bondage that is far from evident in other work like that shown above.

I don't know if Julius is still active,
his own website at 'Julius Toons' is gone now but a search engine will throw up lots.
There's a good selection at Daddy's Here
 

For earlier articles in this series click on the label A-Z below.

A mention of Josman

Josman - Portrait

Josman is a highly accomplished artist and in my book his craggy portrayals of mid-life male faces are probably the best around.

Josman - Nightcharm (Detail)

Although he occasionally portrays leather-clad men in his stories it isn't in a fetish context so I don't intend to cover him in the A-Z but I can't resist including a sample because his artwork is so good.

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Joseph

This is an artist I have revised my opinion on recently and I have redrafted this article (Oct 2014) to reflect that. His work is pencil drawn and you get a sense of his polished style from the dramatic scene below.

Joseph - Make You Beg

This is an audacious imagining of an electro-torture experiment, full of drama with all the men showing varied expressions of lust, pain and amusement, giving the image an unusual depth. Joseph draws from live models and this shows in the variety of authentic-looking faces and bodies but some of the resulting compositions can look a bit posed, lacking true engagement between the characters. This is not to single out Joseph who obviously is very talented. You can see the same effect in some of Tom of Finland's later works which are magnificent realistic drawings but lack the spark of his earlier, less studied work.

Joseph - Tool Shed (my title)
 
This scene is something of a fetish convention. An apparently 'straight-acting', muscular man pauses for a ciggy break in the middle of putting a group of interested youths through their paces in the 'tool' shed. At least I assume they have volunteered for this class and not been caught vandalising his dahlias!  Having already dished out some spanking, clamping and serious pain restraint, he now seems to be pondering the possibilities offered by his lighted cigarette. The portrayal of the older man in this picture is fascinating and the inclusion of background detail helps to weld the figures together.

Joseph - Power Lunch

Much of Joseph's work deals with inter-generational stuff – some of it too near the knuckle for my taste. But the upside of this preoccupation is some splendid renderings of older men with mature faces (not necessarily pretty) and hairy, trim bodies. Note the attention to detail here in the hairy, veined arms. Some of Joseph's pictures are very raunchy.

 Joseph - Water Sports

A locker room scene which invites the viewer to imagine what has gone before. The slightly anxious expression on the new arrival's face is very intriguing! Water sports are not the easiest fetish to draw but this is a good example. You may recognise the seated figure, it's copied from a vintage photograph which also circulates widely with Marky Mark's head superimposed.

Joseph - Strapdown (my title)

No age issues with this dungeon scene, which is just as well considering the advanced level of S&M portrayed. I would say don't try this at home but the technicalities of the electro and pumping tests shown here wouldn't help you much in emulating it. The artist has comprehensively captured the pain of the captives through their agonised expressions, distended veins and tensed limbs. Note the over sized feet (shades of Palanca) complete with frantically twiddling toes! The man on the bench is clearly suffering the most but one suspects his colleague is merely 'on hold' pending his own examination.

See lots more at Male Art by Joseph and at Joseph's tumblr site

(This article completely revised, October 2014)
For earlier articles in this series click on the label A-Z below.

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Tom Jones

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Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Jonathan

Most S&M and Spanking enthusiasts will know of Jonathan's Art which is widely circulated on the net. His pictures depict humiliating, spanking punishments inflicted on cute young men by every conceivable sort of authority figure and there are revenge scenarios too. The victim's embarrassment is an essential ingredient made plain by words, facial expression, blushing etc. The pictures are cheerfully coloured and usually have a festive, jolly atmosphere as the victim receives a deserved comeuppance - often witnessed by amused bystanders.

Jonathan - House of Fun

'House of Fun' typifies this and is drawn with an interesting viewpoint and nice facial detail. Jonathan is not the first to draw on the surreal imagery of circuses and clowns to create a sinister sense of concealed, wicked intentions, but the spanking context and oversized details of the clown are highly original. It gives the picture a satisfying extra layer of mysterious interest. The swaying crowd (which I suspect is unintentional) and dancing flames on the fence create a sense of rhythmic movement in the background and comment on the spanking action and the victim's pain experience. Meanwhile the prancing ringmaster and his trailing whip suggest the devil is lurking and urging the clown on. Note the suggestive shape of the 'hand' lying on the floor. Jonathan's pictures are often full of details like this, contributing to the story and fuelling the viewers' imagination.

Jonathan - I Said Don't Litter!

These backpackers (apparently gay, judging by their tent) are being punished for camping or littering at a remote beauty spot. This is a favourite of mine because the armed land-owner (or warden) has tied them up to be punished. I love the chemistry of buddies being punished together, one suffers while the other anticipates. Blond and brunette pairs like this turn up quite often in Jonathan's pictures. The other ingredient in this picture that makes it really special for me are the dinky little shorts still lying on the ground where the boys were forced to take them off. It's a classic example of clothes emphasising undressing. They look so skimpy, I'd love to see what they looked like when the lads were wearing them.

Jonathan - White Interrogation

Some of Jonathan's pictures have a darker atmosphere and I find these particularly interesting. In this example, a young tourist has fallen into the hands of Police in foreign lands and is systematically abused by them. The leering looks of the policemen all armed with heavy paddles and the suggestive positioning of the ashtray and burning cigarette, create a truly menacing atmosphere which scarcely needs the elaboration of the lad's fearful expression and flying perspiration. At least one of the cops seems to be aroused by his helpless prisoner. Again, the discarded clothing and trainers underline the nudity of the victim – and his youth. Jonathan has explored this scenario in a number of pictures.

Jonathan - Police Sting

In 'Police Sting' the man receiving the birching is unusually mature-looking by Jonathan's standards, his blond buddy is more typical. Although both men are naked below the waist, their manly tackle is hidden and this is typical and this reflects not just publishing considerations but the broad nature of the spanking fetish which transcends mere sex. When Jonathan does show sexual organs they are of normal size and generally not erect. As we have seen in 'White Interrogation' and 'House of Fun', however, sexual overtones are not entirely absent.

I should perhaps say that this selection of pictures is more representative of my own fetish interests than Jonathan's pictures as a whole. I have not even mentioned his vast range of Dad spanks Son OTK (over the knee) pictures. Maybe another time!

These pictures are essentially cartoons with a touch of realism. The anatomy is pretty good and although the perspective is a bit wobbly sometimes there is usually a good sense of depth. Despite the wealth of detail the images are always easy to understand. The result is great entertainment.

Jonathan's art is much loved by the spanking community and rightly so. Considering the narrow focus of his subject matter it is amazing how he constantly produces new ideas. Unlike some other prolific artists he doesn't seem to 'churn out' pictures which all look much the same. The consistent quality of his pictures and the intelligent humour in them make them a pleasure to view.

As far as I know he does not have a web-site.

His work appears from time to time at Man's Hand and there is a lot posted at Jock Spank Blog and other groups dedicated to spanking. Seek and you will find!

For earlier articles in this series click on the label A-Z below.

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson is one of the early artists in this selection, as you can tell from the hairstyles his men sport. The pictures mainly feature whipping and belting although I also have a piercing picture.

Johnson - Bondage Island

He has two distinct styles. On the one hand there are hard edged ink drawings featuring lean bodies, angry faces and fierce punishments. The caricaturing of the faces is not particularly attractive but produces a very grim scene. We're not having fun in the dungeon here. This is serious and somewhat disturbing. It's as though the artist doesn't really like men and the general tone of these pictures reminds me of old heterosexual porn. That said these pictures have interesting incidental detail (like the mattress in 'bondage island' above) and the shading is stylish and professional.

The second style consists of much softer pencil worked drawings something like the style of Esposito. The characters have more voluptuous bodies (and hair) and their faces seem less pinched and angry. The fetish proceedings are equally severe in nature but have a less intense atmosphere with balletic poses and discharges of impressive creamy fountains. These pictures are less detailed and not so realistically rendered like the vanilla example shown here.

Sorry no link info.

For earlier articles in this series click on the label A-Z below.

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Joe T

Joe T's world is inhabited by predatory leather men who abduct sportsmen, cops and the like in order to subject them to S&M tests. They are undressed of course, but rarely stripped totally naked - although they sometimes are obliged to swop their street clothing for leather garments (and oversize restraints). Their captors generally remain fully clothed in conventional jeans, T-shirts etc, perhaps with a leather garnish of jacket or chaps. I appreciate this. For me, men look more undressed if they have lost some but not all of their clothes. Retained clothing suggests an identity e.g. hated cop, naïve young jock, it helps to fuel the viewer's imagination. It's not an easy option for the artist, however, as drawing clothes requires considerable skill. JoeT's lovingly detailed depictions of leather jackets, boots etc are very successful. 

 

Click on pictures to enlarge

Joe T - Tied and Gagged

Like the artist 'JF' (see mitchmen A-Z article on JF), JoeT portrays the helplessness of his captives and particularly their fear as they are tied up and gagged. The captors are suitably intimidating with muscular bodies,cropped hair and square jawed, 'not quite handsome' faces which have prominent cheek bones creating a striking Eastern European appearance. 

 

Joe T - Skin Wars

The prisoners look on helplessly as the items required for their ordeal are marshalled in front of them or as their buddies succumb to the same treatment. On the whole, JoeT's villains seem content to secure their captives in painful positions and perhaps take control of their orifices with plugs and tubes. They don't inflict severe torture or violence upon them but make ominous threats. The victims are quite likely to end up totally immobilised, suspended or tied to a frame to contemplate their fate – whilst their captors seem to be casually going out to a bar or club, leaving their toys and playthings behind – at least for now. This bizarre mix of unresolved S&M fantasy and everyday reality is fascinating. 

 

Joe T - Rubber Slave

JoeT's art has a certain kinship with that of Boundex (see mitchmen A-Z entry) Their styles and subject matter are somewhat similar but JoeT favours the persona of leather rather than rubber and he also places his characters in more specific situations. His pictures are cartoons but with a high level of detailing and simple perspectives that create a good sense of depth. 

 

Joe T - Leather Slave

His characters take on the appearance of male dolls at times (see Leather Slave). You can see this in the stiff, bow-legged stance, the shiny almost plastic skin texture, the oversized boots and the representation of the main body joints - thick neck, arms attached to the side of the body and the short legs growing out bulbous groin areas. You wouldn't drool over these men as sexual objects but that doesn't matter, the erotic charge comes from the angry look in the eye of the “slave” and the disparity in their status.

You get a strong sense in his work that he is describing a rich fantasy in his own head which is anchored in real life. He occasionally draws on popular culture for inspiration, musicals like 'Les Miserables' and 'Phantom' for example whilst the 'Wasteland' and 'Outbackers' themes seem to acknowledge the post nuclear apocalypse worlds of Science Fiction as conjured up in the 'Mad Max' films for example. You feel you are getting to know something about the artist through his work. For all that, JoeT is elusive on the internet, postings are irregular, he protects his work and his sites come and go.

For earlier articles in this series click on the label A-Z below.