Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Art - Kalabro

Kalabro is a most interesting artist. In the past he has labelled his pencil drawings using many names - D-extreme, Morpheus, Kal and simply 'K'. He also has collaborators who produce coloured versions of his work with their own names appended - but Kalabro's own style is unmistakeable.

Kalabro - Punish a Pledge

 

The characters in the pictures are marked out by hard muscles. Their thighs and calves are disproportionately large but grafted onto long slender legs. In action poses these bodies are quite stylish in appearance.

Kalabro - Forced March

 

He typically depicts cute and muscular young men in peril but the dangers they face are far more explicit and extreme than your average comic hero has to face! They may face assaults on their manhood (of course!), brutal punching, throttling, even drowning at the hands of massive opponents. These are subjects which are unusual in fetish art. Conveying the action of a fist fight or showing underwater scenes is difficult in drawings and I admire Kalabro's ambition tremendously - it lifts his work into a different league.

Kalabro - Tarzan Beaten

 

There is a fantastical element to all these situations and Kalabro sometimes employs stock literary characters like Tarzan, Mummies and Beast-men to add colour and embellish the drama with our shared knowledge of these beings. The Tarzan example shown here is one of his more recent works and the technique is impressive. I like these sketches which have a freshness about them which can disappear in the hard edges of neat final versions. On his blog he regularly shows the development of a picture from sketch to finished article and you can judge for yourself.

Kalabro - Ben in Peril

 

Although he clearly draws inspiration from Comic Book imagery, there is a great deal of originality and inventiveness in Kalabro's reworking of these themes into adult entertainment. 'Ben in Peril' is a good example, I have never seen this idea before. The beautiful Ben is menaced not only by the whirling propeller sucking him in but also by the possible loss of his mouthpiece and the inevitable exhaustion of the oxygen cylinders. You can conjecture for yourself how he got into this pickle and what is going on above him on the boat. If you search for Kalabro's pictures you will find his heroes in plenty of even more challenging situations!

Interestingly many of Kalabro's pictures do not depict explicit sex. The erotic intention is always apparent but it's main thrust lies in the brutal subjugation and destruction of beautiful young manhood. Not everyone's cup of tea I suppose, but in a way that's the hook, Kalabro dangles beauty in front of us and then destroys it. Or at least he pushes it to the very edge of destruction and leaves the rest to you. It's all (relatively) bloodless, certainly no worse than the average Hollywood film.

Kalabro has a good blog at The Erotic Art of Kalabro where he shares and talks about his recent work.

It's not been updated for a while and he seems to have moved to Patreon.

 

UPDATE, Feb 2022 - I have added an extension to this article with lots more pictures and an update on where you can find his art in Best of Kalabro

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!
For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kai

Makoto Kai is an accomplished draughtsman with a dark mind. This iconic rubber mask picture doesn't simply show a fetish, it explores the psychology as well without detracting from the eroticism of the picture.

Kai - Gas Masks

The hose connecting the two captives is not a new idea but the simple representation here expresses a clear relationship between them which is quite thought provoking. The technology attached to the squatting man at both ends is equally interesting, the use of the hose as a frame for the picture is intellectually pleasing - and the radioactivity warning sign shows a nice sense of humour (or if you prefer a very dark mind indeed!). Even if you are uninterested in all this stuff, the picture is sexy and memorable.

Kai - Acupunked

Kai's simple and elegant technique is a delight and in other pictures he draws more directly on the traditions of Japanese calligraphy to represent bodily fluids as curling waves, the example here gives an idea of this. And yet alongside all the refined artistry is a very intense and explicit S&M message which would please the most ardent enthusiast! It seems very Japanese.

Kai also has produced coloured pictures which are more representational but my final sample of his work remains in the graphic mode and nicely complements my own fascination with rugby players with a twist of humour.

Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) will probably turn up more examples. I'd welcome link information from readers

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

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

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kaarlo

I don't know a lot about Kaarlo (I believe the name is Finnish) but the style of his pictures suggests the 1970/80's. Those I have in my collection are mostly dungeon scenes in which 'leather men' appear to be subjecting innocent-looking acolytes to demanding initiations. The pictures are carefully detailed with authentic-looking backgrounds and the leather men dressed in full regalia.

There is a sense of real action conveyed by writhing bodies and facial expressions. 

The flowing hairstyles and willowy, totally naked bodies of the initiates unmistakeably mark them as outsiders or novices when contrasted with the leather garb of their mentors. The Afro hairstyle and exotic moustache worn by this one (not to mention his jolly smile!) doesn't exactly suggest a dominant personality to modern eyes. It's a fashion born of the flower power era, but a contemporary viewer would (for example) reference the TV character of Jason King (ca 1970) played by Peter Wyngarde. His spy had a similar flamboyant appearance but also a disturbing combination of sickly charm with a penchant for ruthless violence.

This depiction of a wild S&M scene stars another Afro character who actually appears to black, unlike the leather man in the previous example. He's wearing a skimpy thong and corset-like belt that have a hint of femininity about them, but there's no doubting his masculinity in Kaarlo's depiction, even if you disregard his aggressive enactment of the ritual. It's quite a remarkable and attractive cameo.

The blindfolding leather hood in Kaarlo's work is a striking and slightly sinister symbol of domination but the prisoner restraint here, though spectacular is relatively modest. 

Fashions aside this scene is really quite timeless.

 More suspension and hooding in this picture but I've included it not so much for it's merits as a fetish picture, as for the 'flying' top ingredient. That's an image that is also featured in other well-known pictures: 'Time Out' by Ulf and 'Athlete' by Zamok. This manifestation suggests that the source inspiration is considerably older than I for one had ever imagined. 

The butcher's block and meat suspension rails are somewhat unsettling elements in this picture but the leather 'Master' looks like a regular guy-next-door. He probably won't have much energy left for nastiness after 15 minutes raising and lowering the lucky devil who's getting his oats here.

I'm surprised that this W-shaped restraint platform hasn't been adopted by the S&M community, combining as it does the arm spreading capability of a cross with an unusual ass-revealing, leg separating, ankle fixing and all in a compact design that can easily be stored between visitors. 

Visually, the tapering shape and sub's arm spread create a cup/bowl-like receptor into which the dom lowers himself for cleansing. It's quite a powerful composition. The irons heating up in the brazier behind them cast a darker shadow over these simple pleasures. For me this picture captures the essential connection with danger and dark sex which makes leather so alluring.

Kaarlo - Robinson Crusoe 1 (Shipwrecked)

 I can't leave Kaarlo without a mention of his 'Robinson Crusoe' series of 12 pictures 

charting the famous traveller's (trouserless!) ship-wreck. 

In his explorations of the island , he stumbles on a couple of locals who are intent on humiliating a fellow villager. Crusoe too is captured by them and both undergo suspension and whipping

(not dissimilar to the imagery above!).

Crusoe eventually escapes with his new friend, only to discover that the ship that has appeared in the bay is stuffed with young pirates who are very excited by the new arrivals.

Kaarlo's images aren't great art but they have a vitality and inventiveness that amply makes up for the technical weaknesses.

Sorry no link info but a search of the GMBA archives (link in sidebar) will probably turn up more examples

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!
For earlier examples in this series click on the A-Z label below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Kamion

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I don't cover render artists in this survey, it is hard to compare CG techniques with hand produced art. This omission leaves me lots of material for a follow-up series! However, I will mention in passing Kamion whose dangerous subjects would normally qualify with ease.

Kamion - Barbarian Market

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This picture suggests something more serious than mere market trading - or perhaps it's me.

Readers are welcome to contribute their own comments - even if they differ from mine!

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

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - K

There are a number of distinguished artists under the letter 'K' but not all qualify for this review. 

 

Kimura - Rugby Shorts

 

Much as I enjoy Kimura's boy candy (particularly his depictions of shorts) 

it hasn't got an ounce of danger or smut in it. 

 

Kent - Cotton Candy

  

Kent's craggy men are more sexual beings and a terrific advert for underwear sometimes. But although they sometimes accessorise with rope or 'cuffs, that's about as far as it goes.

It's a shame as both artists have stunning techniques - in totally different ways - Kimura soft and romantic, Kent crisp and metallic. I would love to drool over their work at greater length

These exclusions still leave us with a delicious selection of artists, old and new, including Kalabro, Nigel Kent and Kok (aka Dorus)

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

Men Sharing Clothes 6 - Black Shorts and Hooped Socks

For the last in this series (at least for now) I revisit 'Bound Guys' one of my current favourite sites. In previous examples there is a bit of a cloning effect on different guys. These pictures show that the same clothes (shorts and socks) can look remarkably different on different men.

Simon of Bound Guys

On Simon (picture 1) the hoops on the socks show off the shape of his legs nicely. The combination of the unusual black and yellow pattern with the knitted hat and hairy chin and legs creates a casual, youthful, almost hippie-like appearance which is very sexy. In contrast, the shorts seem to contribute little but the square-cut legs subtly highlight a thick muscular thigh.

Marco in the same gear

On Marco (picture 2) the same garments produce a very 'buttoned up' clean and neat effect. The shorts come into their own here showcasing thighs and suggesting a nice shaped bottom. The crease-free socks add bulk to the lower leg and draw attention to the absence of footwear....and of ankle bindings which would extend the pattern of hoops further down the legs. If this is a deliberate design by the photographer it's genius!

Link:- Bound Guys

Men sharing clothes 5 - White G-strings

Dean Lahr in G-string

I think the G-string/posing pouch is a much neglected item of apparel. I know many hate them and it's not real clothing of course but I find them sexy provided that they look 'right', i.e. clean and crisp and showing off the lumpy shape inside. The diminutive dimensions may frustrate size enthusiasts anxious to see the model's true potential, but they suggest constraint to me and a hint of humiliation (as in “You don't expect me to get into that do you?”).

Billy Joe Carr in the same

As far as the 'sharing clothes' theme goes you could hardly conceive a more intimate garment. The men in these pictures from WPG studio (Link:Western Photography Guild) ) sure know how to wear them!