The Art of Amalaric, Part 7 - Institutional Slavery

 For some of us, enslavement is the ultimate homo-erotic fantasy and the mass abductions carried out by 'MOSLA' and their associates (reviewed in Part 1 of this series) make entertaining reading, although the industrial scale of their (illegal) operations would be (thankfully) almost impossible in the modern world of surveillance and social connection. However in the Rodeo and Stud Hunting stories, reviewed in Part 5, Amalaric seems to take for granted the existence a legal framework for enslavement, allowing for public exhibition, sale and even the freeing of some deserving captives without any consequences. In the '1001 Nights' series and other stories he develops this idea into an entire, alternative social and labour system where no man is safe.

701 Joe Connolly's First Day

We visited this fictional realm previously in the discussion of Image 418 in Part 4b, which showed Rod Lancaster undressing at a processing centre for new slaves, having been selected as one of the 'winners' of the official, Government Enslavement Lottery. Joe Connelly (above) suffers a similar fate in his story except that in his part of the Union new slaves are dis-robed before they even leave home to be taken to the processing centre. Joey is reduced to total nudity on his parent's front lawn, in front of all the neighbours.

The lottery system of selection described by Amalaric is totally random and indiscriminate, not unlike compulsory Military Service in many respects, except that the enslavement is permanent and founded on an altogether different concept of discipline and obedience. The economic and social rationale for it (oh yes, there is one!) is fleshed out in both Rod Lancaster's story (see 123rd of '1001 Nights') and Joe Connelly's (link below). Rod's story covers the reception process and the legalities that flow from his change of status, Joey's focusses on the 'pick-up' and the grading system for slaves.

Joey's removal from home provokes both sympathy and pride amongst the on-lookers. Sympathy for the upending of his life and the humiliation of being publicly deprived of clothes, but pride in his manly bearing through the ordeal, not least because being reduced to total nudity means he has been assigned to the most select slave classification of all, the top 10% who can be sold with a 'No Limitations On Use' clause in their papers. Joey only learns that is to be his fate himself when he's ordered to remove his underpants. He and his acquaintances know that life with that elevated status will be far from easy but, perversely, it's seen by his fellow citizens as a recognition of very special qualities and that commands their respect. In due course it will also guarantee a substantial premium on his price at auction.

Alone in his bare cell (above) Joe has a brief moment to weep for the life he has lost and the trials that lie ahead for him.

The 24^th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

702. Intensive Training

It's not easy for parents to relinquish their off-spring to this system, but even if it's not demanded of them by the law, financial circumstances sometimes dictate that prized family assets must be surrendered to pay the bills. Here a father bids farewell to a son who recently celebrated the age of majority only to discover his adulthood had long been mortgaged to a loan company.

One of the first surprises for Rod Lancaster at his induction ceremony (see 'The 123rd of '1001 Nights') was the introductory whipping, a process which is automatically inflicted on all newbies regardless of whether they've done anything to deserve it. This lad will soon encounter this quaint custom too. In fact he faces weeks of intensive training and firm discipline intended to prepare him for the rest of his life as a slave and to reconcile him to that fate.

This image shows the catacomb-like depths of a slave training facility where the young man is already being taught to pay attention and be obedient. He wears only the traditional white underwear he arrived in, signifying a status where there are legal limitations on how he can be used and treated. However he has also discovered that this 'safe' style of dress (featuring a delightful ball-bulge in this classic, Amalaric, underwear image) is capable of attracting attentions of a sort he'd never even thought about before. Especially when his hands aren't free. His father here seems to be belatedly giving advice on such matters. The oriental lantern and monolithic wall in the background ominously link the scene to the most ancient and exotic of secret rites.

From The 195th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

703 Drug Dealer Auctioned Off

As well as the individuals chosen through the Lottery, serious criminals and wrong-doers soon become a natural shoo-in for the 'slave experience' as well. Few upright citizens would quarrel with the sentence of 'a lifetime of servitude' imposed on this convicted Drug Dealer from LA. Chained naked to a post on the auction block he can look forward to a simpler life, dedicated to repaying his debt to society in a more useful, albeit less than comfortable, role.

704 Ricky Castor, Reckless Driver, up for Auction

On the other hand, eyebrows were raised (and other parts too) when Ricky Castor came up for sale at the same auction. He'd been given the same punishment after running over the Mayor's puppy in his car. But at least he was allocated to the lowest grade of slavery, restricted to forced labour with limited punishment options. He's even allowed to keep his jeans on (most of the time). His disbelief and dismay at the harsh sentence was understandable, but it did no harm to the price he realised.

It's usual for for men being sold to mount the rostrum bare chested (like Toby in Part 4, image 409). But it's also common for them to be stripped naked in the course of the bidding (as in image 703 above) in order to achieve the best price. Some men will strip themselves on demand, but Ricky had to be cajoled into providing a Stage 7 display (704, above) for the bidders and he baulked at the full Monty. The handlers quickly stepped in, restrained him to a post and removed his clothes for him, much to the crowds delight.

(The auction dress code for 'The Slave Emporium' is discussed in The 38^th of 1001 Nights )

Ricky and the Drug Dealer were just two of the 30 or so men who went under the hammer in The 245^th of 1001 nights at Aquadude Bunker. Their notes illustrate the wide variety of offences and misfortunes that can bring men to the auction block. They ranging from illegal immigration to child support defaults and more are being added all the time, so beware!

Notice that the artist here uses an identical image for the auctioneer of both sales, it's just a role and the men will scarcely notice him anyway in their anxiety to find out where the process is taking them.

705 Wayward Slave Learns Discipline

For some men this auction is not to be their last, but is just a stepping stone to their ultimate destination. Promising individuals may be purchased by an intermediary who will seek to add value by developing their 'kerb appeal' with exercise and hard work and by taming wayward spirits for owners who want productive workers not entertaining challenges. As you might expect resentment, rebelliousness and bad attitude amongst compulsorily indentured men is not unusual, but it's likely to rebound on the perpetrator by attracting the sort of buyer who will happily teach them the meaning of discipline.

This X-spread punishment has an air of improvisation and haste about it that seems to be reflected in the slave's confused wriggling. The restraint arrangement lacks the formality and gravitas of Amalaric's favoured, weighty X-frame but there are practical advantages in terms of accessibility. The extreme spread is a testing stretch for the captive and imposes an awkwardness on him which piles humiliation on top of the inflicted pain. It has the ring of a punishment for an immature action.

From The 194^th of 1001 Nights at Aquadud Bunker

706 Retribution In 5 Movements

When it comes to sheer simplicity, this hands-above-the-head restraint outdoes even the X-spread. It also suggests a serious intent to punish, rather than simply rebuke. That's borne out in the extract below. We do not know the nature of this man's infraction but he will certainly be learning not to do it again in future. Judging by the streams of perspiration trickling down his body, he already is.

Amalaric tells us: “Strung up stark naked under the bright lights, the prisoner was whipped steadily for twenty- minutes...(then) after a forty-five minute period of reflection and recuperation, the second of the five flogging sessions would then proceed”.

The concept of a break for rest is a sensible practice since, as the author points out in the 262^nd Night, flogging is quite strenuous activity for both parties and the opportunity for them both to think about where the punishment and their relationship are going is not without merit. This man can rarely have looked more desirable to his master than he does here and there's a hardening hint that the experience is not without compensations for him too.

From The 208^th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

707. The Beast Tamed

Of course there are men who cannot be induced to obey simply by violence and the paradox of erotic enslavement is that few 'owners' want a man reduced to a totally emasculated subservience. They would rather he retains his essential maleness but accepts that, like it or not, it is now his lot in life to obey his master - in whichever form of service is required of him.

'The Beast' in this image is a man who was 'acquired' in a hunting expedition rather than by formal legal process and his rage at that is understandable and uncontrollable. Bringing such a fearsome man to accept repeated punishment, let alone intimate handling is a tall order but it could bode ill for his future if he stays angry.

Fortunately for him, Amalaric conjures up a sort of 'Man Whisperer' with mysterious powers to calm and tame recalcitrant stallions where conventional training has failed. With patience and skilled handling even the most spirited of beasts can be tamed and this image records the magical breakthrough moment where 'The Beast' freely submits to another man's touch in a decidedly ticklish area.

However there's still some way to go, he's not got his jeans off yet!

From The 226th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

 

708. Lot 101 Reality Dawns

In time the reality of permanent enslavement will dawn on a captive - that there's no escape from the manacles and discipline. This man's emergence from darkness into light in this rather beautiful picture seems to represent that realisation.

This man's adjustment was doubly difficult, since surprising as it might seem, he didn't measure up to MOSLA's lofty product standards. Rejection is a blow to anybody's pride but it's potentially a blessing in disguise if it means he lands a less 'exacting' position.

For whatever reason he was off-loaded to a less discriminating establishment, 'Cost Cutters' where men are simply priced for sale by the kilo, surely the ultimate insult. It's hard to imagine this man being dismissed so casually but someone may have got a bargain out of it and as you know bargains make us feel good and that surely can't do his future prospects any harm if he's clever about it.

The 101st of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

709. Personal Examination

At MOSLA, as sale day approaches, Platinum Clients are given access to the conditioned bucks to examine them. Men who have painfully reconciled themselves to serving a lifetime of hard, physical labour and have trained hard in preparation for that manly destiny, may discover at this point that their dedication has unwittingly forged qualities of a different sort, ones that are desirable in their own right. Those fanciful rumours of more intimate services being exacted from them may turn out to be true after all.

The simple act of transferring this image from a 'Gigolo' porn movie to the darkness of the MOSLA dungeons illustrates that the boundary between rent boys and slaves is a fragile one.

The 155^th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

 

710 On The Block

On sale day, lesser mortals get a chance to view and assess the offerings close up and it's not hard to examine the excitement that would be generated by being allowed to be in the close proximity of large quantities of succulent male flesh, deliberately presented in the most appealing way and trained to serve. Even the Auctioneer (see image 703) has descended from his rostrum to get a better look and assist the potential buyers in their appraisal of the product (see link below).

Nor is it hard to understand the discomfort of the offerings themselves as the weird and wonderful, the wealthy and wishful encircle them and visually devour them. It would be only natural to close your eyes and wish you were somewhere else, but soon enough one of these men will become your owner and master and then you will have to look him in the eye.

More at 'On The Block' at Aquadude Bunker which has several more images.

711 Tighty Whitey Night

In this arena, there's more to marketing than simply butching up the goods, gimmicks also have their place although resorting to such practices is hardly flattering to the natural attributes of the men who go up for sale. However, 'Tighty Whitey' auction nights have been a great success at 'The Slave Emporium', a phenomenon which probably needs no explanation. The rule is that underpants are removed only after the fall of the hammer and there's a strict 'no returns' policy too. So buyers have to decide whether that bulge is authentic and does the restraint of that man imply there's still some spirit in him, some aggression demanding to be tamed - or is it simply a sales ploy to excite them? That is the gamble they must take.

In this image Amalaric uses a different, suaver-looking auctioneer whom you might imagine could draw higher values from the punters. Like his colleague in previous pictures, he too is re-cycled in other images pretty much without change (as is the room). If the slave's unique identities have ceased to matter in this nightmare, their 'purveyors' are even more anonymous.

The 133rd of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

 

712 2-for-1 Sale

The gimmick of a 'two for the price of one' sale is a nice idea particularly with men like this involved. It wouldn't really work in the context of an auction where it's the bidders who set the price. However, it's not unusual in auctions to offer one of a group of similar items on it's own, with the winning bidder for that one having the option of buying the others at the same price. It's a clever way of levelling up prices but would potentially generate a cruel situation if, for example, these men are inseparable buddies or brothers. If the winning bidder rejects the option to buy number 2, he'll be sold to a different buyer at a different, probably lower price.

Amalaric says that every effort is made to send slaves to the auction block in prime condition, well groomed and oiled. These men make that point very well and buyers can expect them to be fitter and healthier than most men their age. The industrial setting here subtly spices their unique appeal, it's very clever marketing! Fortified by the presence of a buddy, you sense they must feel a sense of pride in the admiration that comes their way on the block, even revelling in mutual nudity. It's a brief moment of genuine glory before they move on to a lifetime of humbling labour under the threat of the lash.

The different auctioneer and surroundings here help to add to the impression of streams of men going under the hammer one after another on an industrial scale. At the same time the auctioneer's barely changing poses indicate that it's a routine, repetitive job to him and the individuals who go through his hands (as if!) mean no more to him than the commission earned on their sale price.
Amalaric's frivolous fantasy is full of uncomfortable truths.

There's a delicious companion piece for this image in '2 for 1 sale' at Aquadude Bunker

713 Customisation

At the conclusion of the auction, the newly sold slaves will meet their new owners for the first time. It's common in this world for the sellers to offer customisation services such as tattoos, piercing, circumcision or branding, whether as permanent evidence of ownership or simply for decorative or practical purposes. Even gelding may be sought for particular usages (if the slave's category permits it). These practices represent a measure of the commitment of the buyer to his purchases, but it's a painful gesture and one they probably won't appreciate very much.

You may recognise the man on the right, previously seen skulking about in the Rodeo scenes in Part 5. I suspect he's not the actual purchaser here but simply the man who does the honours with the irons, which at least reassures the anxious slave that he's dealing with a professional.

It's fun trying to spot where Amalaric sources his images, this one's easier than some (answer at the end) 

From 'Customisation' at Aquadude Bunker

Related posts: 'The Fifth of 1001 Nights' , 'Seventieth of 1001 Nights' and 'Peasant Rebel' all at Aquadude Bunker. Also 'Backyard Branding' at Telemachus, plus Garage Sale (link below)

714 Waiting His Turn

This buyer has also made a double purchase, but not in the pressured, hurly burly of the auction room but directly from the Slave Emporium showroom, where there is no competition and less risk of getting carried away. Of course it's usually pricier and one is more susceptible to the sales assistant's cajoling, which in this case was fired up when he found he had a first time buyer on his hands.

It was relatively easy to sell him some customisation choices from the catalogue, not least because he was keen to observe the process himself. It's recommended that buyers introduce themselves to their purchases and establish their authority from the outset by administering a initial token punishment in situ. As a first timer he was also offered a demonstration of the latest training aids and practical instruction in using them for creative discipline.

Since this man has purchased two men, each must witness the other being put through this intense acquisition ritual and it's hard to know which situation might be worse:- not knowing what is coming or watching it and then getting the same yourself. In the image, No 2 turns away, unable to look and doing his best to maintain a manly demeanour as the procedure drags painfully on.

From 'Waiting His Turn' at Telemachus

 

 

 715. The Stud Depot

Where there's a buck to be made you can be sure that some cut-price, glossy superstore will muscle in on the action and it has to be admitted that there are synergies with the DIY business of supplying tools for doing work, although having a slave is the exact opposite of DIY if you think about it.

Introducing Amalaric's Stud Depot where trained workmen are sold alongside the tools of their trade and as you probably know there's always a good selection of useful hardware accessories available too, chains, ropes and fixings to make your new acquisition feel at home.

I have no doubt that if this was available as a legal route to acquiring a pliable (Todd-like!) workman it would be raging success.

From 'Home Depot' at Aquadude Bunker

716. Garage Sale 2 (at Telemachus)

This beautifully simple picture is based on a fantastic, unintended consequence which flows as inevitably as night follows day from the premise of a world in which men can be sold like chattels. Where such a market exists, there will always be shady characters who will move to exploit the demand it creates, but without following the legal channels and regulations supposed to control the business. We've seen how MOSLA operates on a fantastic scale on the edges of the legal market but this takes us into the very extreme, yet most domestic of black market operations, public and yet clandestine - selling slaves, no questions asked, in a Garage Sale.

Jeb, the subject of this story, was previously served up to us as the dishy Ryan in the story of 'Bobby' (Part 3). Indeed it's not too hard to imagine this tragic episode following on from that memorable comeuppance as Ryan seeks to drown his sorrows. However, it's actually Jeb in the official storyline who finds himself at a loose end one evening and wanders into a sleazy bar he's not visited before. There he falls in with group of rogues who spike his drink and cart him off in their van. After a difficult night of softening up, he ends up hungover and hanging from the rafters of their garage with a price tag in his ear, like a pig. The clue is in the title if you know Amalaric's work

“Jeb’s blue eyes widened in sudden comprehension as the garage door opened to full sunlight and the first of the day’s early bargain hunters.”

This image is populated by a number of Amalaric's stock characters we've seen before - the burly, slave-master type at the back and a selection of typical buyers, ranging from the urbane to the slightly weird. I particularly like the way that the seated man is looking up at Jeb with a mixture of lust and genuine admiration. Such is the paradoxical status of a slave, unenviable but worthy of respect (a bit like a refuse operative). Regardless of that, other men's plans for Jeb seem to have been foiled by an unseen, more generous purchaser who's in the process of removing him to his new home. Of course, Jeb is really a fake as slaves go, he doesn't have the right papers, although the official-looking brand he's been given (did I mention that?) will fool some of the people. But as long as he's kept secure and away from prying eyes it doesn't make much difference what papers he's got.

See Garage Sale at Telemachus

Same story, different, less-boyish stud in The 196th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

Of course, it wasn't like this in the old days.....

717 Somewhere South of Marrakech

For some the 'old days' never went away. Here the artist visualises a bustling, traditional, slave 'market place' with an assortment of characters on offer. I wonder if any of these have been illicitly shipped out to take advantage of the less regulated environment of the Middle East, or were they sourced locally?

The secret of collage is selecting good quality ingredients and most Amalaric images have at least one stunning representative of manhood, this one has several. Some stand around waiting to be sold, others are restrained, perhaps out of necessity or simply to allow unhindered inspections. The bandaged knee of the chap in the background is an unexpectedly frank presentation technique, no doubt the trader has a tale to tell about it, perhaps he's an Olympic athlete ('ex-' I should say).

Rebellious spirit is not necessarily a deterrent to buyers and the man in the frame, may have been chosen to be a demonstration 'piece' for exactly that reason. Somewhat surprisingly 'try before you buy' is integral element of the slave trading fantasy, the whip lays ready just in front of him.

At the right a soldier keeps order and I dare say offers protection from those who would steal the trader's wares. He gives the proceedings a stamp of respectability, or at least official recognition and his presence will have extinguished a few lingering hopes of rescue. The captive in underwear may be one of those, he thoughtfully eyes the weighty manacles that symbolise his future – or is he wondering why everybody else is naked?

From 'The Souk At Marrakech” at Telemachus

Amalaric's cumulative detailing of the customs and regulations of his Sci-Fi, modern slave system builds across many separate pieces into an impressively complete edifice (somewhat like the erotic, naked body building world created in the IFNB blog does). Punishment episodes form a major part of these writings and of the experiences of the unfortunates caught up in them but there's a lot of pleasure to be had in simply getting to grips with how the complex jigsaw all fits together. It's intended as erotic entertainment but it also gives us surprising insights into how slavery works (from both side's points of view) and why we are drawn to it.

Next Time – A Slave's Life

Read this series from Part 1

Quiz answer: 'Customisation' is derived from a 'Russian Captured Guys' image

mitchmen at war No 19 - Special Duties for GI's

 If you think my tales of ordinary soldiers being conscripted as 'personal servants' for Officers (see 'Batmen') was a purely British phenomenon born of the Public School and Class System, the story of GI's sent to the Pacific Island of Belangor (affectionately known as Bell-End-cor!) may change your mind.

US Soldiers serving on Belangor were a peculiarly handsome lot and their superiors delighted in sending them out on training missions that involved wading through muddy rivers, so that their uniforms clung sexily to their bodies. On return to camp the whole lot had to strip naked and shower under the watchful eye of instructors and other 'interested' parties.

 It had all started 6 months before when Corporal Suchak had approached his superior, Colonel Madison, with a novel and audacious proposal for improving Officer morale. 

 

 

Madison was wary of Suchak's plan, codenamed 'The Full Treatment', because it involved diverting valuable men from combat duties. But Suchak knew from personal experience that when Madison said 'No' he often meant 'Yes, but I must know nothing about it'. So he wasn't put off and began an unofficial recruitment campaign around the Army base.

 

 

 

Suchak had spotted Private Lowery swaggering round the base in his tight, revealing shirt and pants some time before. After some clandestine observation to confirm his suitability for service, he put his name down on his selection list for Belangor. The MP's soon found an excuse to pick him up, the most minor of infractions could be used to effect a requisition into Colonel Madison's 'fatigues squad'. Within days Lowery was labouring in the tropical heat of Belangor wondering what he had done to deserve it. But the best was yet to come.

 

Sooner or later most of the enlisted men on the island were 'seen' by Colonel Madison. It usually meant that one of the Senior Officers had requisitioned them for some private R&R. The men soon learned that stripping off your shirt was a sure way to get chosen, but Lowery wouldn't be told, he liked to show off his physique. General Norvis, the Commander of the Island no less, had spotted him on one of his walkabouts and you can guess the rest....

 

Inevitably, Suchak's dubious activities eventually reached the ears of someone higher up.

General Norvis, was summoned to explain just what he was doing on Belangor. 

Norvis knew the game was up, he'd make sure Madison and Suchak got the blame of course,

but perhaps he could salvage something from the mess.......

 

 

THE END

For more tales of the privations of WW2, click on the 'War Comics' label below

Mitchell's Art for October - Captive Soldier Milked

Mitchell - Captive Soldier Cuffed, Gagged, Milked

When Corporal Tom Culver had been captured he'd expected to be grilled for information, but not like this. Nothing in his training had prepared him for this. He 'd been stripped to his underpants in his prison cell before they'd brought him here. Then they'd led him through the enemy camp, hands cuffed behind his back and the opposing soldiers they'd passed had stared at him, amazed at the sight of the scantily-clad captive passing amongst them and nudging each other knowingly.   

The Guards left him in the Interrogation Room, standing at attention as nearly as he could, with just this single Officer there with him. He sat behind his desk and looked at him, without saying a word. Culver was anxious anyway and feeling as if the man's eyes were scanning every inch of his body, he soon began to fidget uncomfortably, shuffling his bare feet on the wooden floor. To break the silence he recited his name, rank and number as military regulations required him to do, respectfully finishing with the obligatory "Sir!". 

It brought no response at first, then the Officer smiled thinly and got to his feet, chair creaking as his weight lifted from it. The Officer's leather boots creaked too as he skirted the desk and came to Culver's side, so close that Culver could smell the leather of his shoulder belt.

"Thank you Corporal". The Officer spoke quietly with a distinct accent, "but I will let you know you when I want you to speak ....or to make some other noise" he added with a strange smile. He rifled in his pocket and said "Open your mouth". Culver hesitated, starting straight ahead, then as the silence lengthened, he obeyed. "Very good Corporal" the Officer said and stuffed a wad of fabric into his open mouth. It was still warm from his pocket. Then he tied a strip of fabric round the Corporal's head to hold the gag in place. "There, that should remind you" he said, "Now is not the time for talk".

He put his arm round the back of the Corporal's shoulders and squeezed them reassuringly. "Let's get to know each other first. I expect you feel a little nervous, but there's no need to be". As he spoke his free hand began to trace across across the contours of Culver's chest. "You're a fit soldier, I approve of that" he said, his fingers working their way down across his undulating abs until they reached the depression of Culver's navel and gently pressing on the wrinkled knot invoked a penetrating sensation Culver had never felt before. Further down he followed the waistband of Culver's underpants left and right then slipped a thumb just inside and plucked it gently. "A manly garment" he observed, "functional and modest". Culver quivered as his hand drifted across his rounded pocket framed by the branching Y-seam and gently stroked it. He wanted to break away but did not dare, he felt the grip on his shoulder tighten. "Don't be frightened" the Officer cajoled him.

Suddenly the roving fingers poked into fly opening of his pouch, questing within, Culver twisted away but the arm across his shoulders had dropped to waist level and pulled him back, lifting him almost off his feet and denying him leverage. While he hesitated about resisting more actively his cock was winkled out of his haven with surgical efficiency and soon drooped forlornly out in the open. 

The Officer released him. "Thank you Corporal" he said and began to remove his jacket. Draping it over the desk, he unbuttoned and rolled up his shirt sleeves. "My colleagues would have you in agony by now" he said "but I use other ways". He flicked open the top two buttons of his shirt to reveal a glimpse of muscular, hairy chest. "Both ways are hot work" he smiled and Culver quailed as the restraining arm snaked round his waist once more pulling him into an aura of manly sweat.. 

Over the next ten minutes the Officer's quiet voice coaxed Culver into a completely relaxed state. As his fear of pain receded, his determination to resist faded with it and soon the hand gently manipulating his manhood began to elicit a response. Once that had started there was no stopping it. Released from the shackles of fear and drunk on the warmth and comfort of close physical contact, Corporal Culver gave up much more than he had ever intended to.

Only then did the Officer return to his desk and pull from his top drawer a riding crop.

~ 

This is a picture that reflects my long-standing passion for underwear, particularly in traditional, white formats like the Y-fronts seen here. It's been rekindled by the ongoing Amalaric Art Series which features an unending parade of undergarments of this type. In captivity it's shaming and creates a sense of acute vulnerability - as Corporal Culver will testify if he ever gets the chance.

~

click on the 'stories' label below for other mini-stories by Mitchell at this blog

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There are lots more illustrated stories and pictures at the 'mitchmen club' at Adonis Male which requires (free) membership for unlimited access

A Footnote On Amalaric's 'Cruel Justice'

Amalaric - The Wizard

I wrote in the last post about how the severe punishments meted out to Steve Delgado, Doogie and the Slaves of Oz had made me think about why we are drawn to these stories and about our 'limits'. 'The Wizard' (above) is here to impart wisdom to this discussion but his butch appearance and super erotic loin cloth suggests a very simple answer:- it's entertaining and sexy to see men in danger, particularly when they are not fully clad (it's also perfectly normal, just ask Daniel Craig fans!). However Amalaric's captors usually take the captives way beyond the threat of danger and he describes at length what is only touched upon in Bond movies, namely sustained bodily attack.

Of course, we all approach these tales from our own personal perspective, but it's probably common to see this treatment as a sort of rough sport, like Boxing, American Football or Rugby. A sport which is character-building and which the recipients should be well capable of handling and still come back for more, just as sportsmen do.

Indeed, in some of the stories the men virtually volunteer their services in exchange for escaping the law or some other imperative or, naively, just to prove their mettle (John in Jarheads, Part 5). In other cases men are just 'picked on' to suffer, but we can view the arbitrary selection process as a 'shit happens' aspect of life that we are only too familiar with ourselves, thank you very much.

Deep inside, we know their tormentors are really genuine admirers (like us) who only want the men for their male qualities and (unlike us) just happen to have the power and inclination to take whatever they want. Those taken are not expected to like what happens to them, although Ric in 'Jarheads' (Part 5) seems to hope they might – eventually. But besides the unpleasantness there's a streak of fair play and compassion in their treatment, of 'order' in fact, that respects the captive's manhood, humanity and his right to life - if not his right to freedom for the time being. As they say, what doesn't kill you leaves you stronger, although I would hesitate to suggest these men should be grateful for an opportunity to serve in an Amalaric experience.

The characters in the 'Cruel Justice' stories have all earned retribution (at least they have in the eyes of their tormentors but we can see there's an element of doubt about just how much retribution they have earned). In any case they are not given any choice in the matter, there's no sense of fair play and the outcomes are pretty extreme. Arguably Dave in '24 Hours' is in the same boat at the height of his suffering and other characters certainly suffer extreme examinations too, but they do survive them.

Rob Tells Of His Shame

These are just fantasies and the people in them are not real so Amalaric doesn't usually ask us to consider the consequences for the abductee. Apart from, that is, from a striking chapter in 'Bobby', whose first victim, Jim, experiences something of a breakdown after he is released and, in a moving epilogue, is nursed through it by a compassionate, gay friend (see 'Bobby' Chapter 4 at Aquadude Bunker).

In 'Oz' and 'Steve Delgado', Amalaric shows us the captives' humanity less directly, we simply see their undeserved suffering at the hands of ruthless wielders of power who are (fortunately) not at all like us – i.e. the uncaring, exploitative inhabitants of Oz and the repellent, corrupt Sheriff  (whose return in a different persona to torment Doogie is instrumental for me in dragging that story into this group too). As gay men we are only too well aware of this sort of oppression and I found myself getting off the bench of neutrality for once to sympathise with the victims.

Of all these stories, Oz presents us with a particularly challenging outcome, confronting head on the question of what happens when the owner/keeper no longer wants his captive. Usually Amalaric leaves that question hanging (so to speak). Sometimes he resolves it by selling the problem on to someone else, preferably abroad (e.g. Ric sells Rob in 'Jarheads'), sometimes he consigns them to indefinite detention (as a slave for Coach Devereaux or for Steve it's a long prison sentence). Occasionally escape happens, but more often freedom is given with a 'gagging deal' to avoid repercussions (e.g. Ryan in 'Bobby' and Todd Sanders). In Oz, however, it seems the end result for all the rebel, former slaves is very simply to be a painful death.

The possibility of death as an outcome for those who (for one reason or another) cannot be freed is occasionally hinted at in a number of the other stories (e.g. Party Animals) or it may occur to the victim himself, forming part of his torment (e.g. Devereaux in 'Academy Thugs', Dave in '24 hours'). However in general we only hear of deaths actually happening in war or at the hands of judicial forces (See 601, The Reprobate and 602, The Barbarian King in Part 6). The deaths are not usually described, the (bloodless) crucifixion in Oz is matched by only one other explicit execution to my knowledge, another tragic crucifixion scene, described but not illustrated in the early, Roman Slave story 'Army Deserter'.

Both of these are secondary characters, but in Oz we also see a large group of leading men, with whom we strongly identify, all set to suffer an unpleasant death, separately or together and it's chilling. This dramatic effect is enhanced by the fact that the erotic temperature in this piece is on a very low simmer and less distracting than usual. The only significant sexual passage results in a nasty death that is the turning point of the story, so there's little comfort there! Amalaric's audacious cannibalisation of the 'Gay' Land of Oz gives this satire a double-edged bite and the child fantasy connections in the story (like the Joker in 'Batman') infuse it all with a mocking sense of madness that is all pretty disturbing. These elements set Oz apart from the other stories. There's a seriousness about it that gets through to us, but all these stories teach us quite a lot about ourselves and our limits.

Part 7 of 'The Art of Amalaric' will follow in a few days

 

The Art of Amalaric, Part 6 - Cruel Justice

 

601. The Reprobate

You may not recognise this image but for me it's one of Amalaric's best, although it's not typical of his work, apart from the presence of an exceptionally beautiful, captive man experiencing a punishment. The mediaeval setting is unusual but it conjures up another era in which absolute power existed for some and punishments sometimes plumbed extremes that shock and repel us. 

That goes some way to explaining The Reprobate's apprehensive look.

'Reprobate' tends to be a mild term these days, a synonym for a 'likeable rogue', but in this era it meant a person who was wicked and beyond salvation in a seriously religious sense. Described as a serf and rebel leader, this man looks too well-groomed and exercised to be a mere peasant, but a higher status is no protection from the ultimate punishment. The 'costumes' in the picture graduate towards a simpler, more basic style in the foreground as though reflecting this man's fall from grace and privilege. Those closest seem more modern and natural to us, without compromising the overall historical feel.

Of course, the Blacksmith could be simply making fetters for the captive prior to incarceration, but his totally naked state (on a cold winter's day) plus the bowed head of the clerical figure just in front of him, tells us something much more unpleasant is going on. It's quite normal for Amalaric's captives to experience rough treatment, quite often it's inflicted randomly but without malice by their Masters, but for those caught up in the judicial processes of the State, retribution is cold, calculated and unstoppable. You can read more at the link below.

Frame restraint in various forms is a recurring feature in Amalaric's work, but this is an unusual example, The crossed arms stance creates a surprisingly powerful impression of helpless vulnerability although the X-frame itself seems quite flimsy, a token restraint in a ritual which the captive seems to have accepted as inevitable. This and his physical beauty tugs at our emotions.

In this image Amalaric demonstrates that photo-manipulation can outdo rendering, retaining subtle human characteristics and details that are hard to create from scratch. The setting is more picturesque than his usual fare but provides a believable context. Unlike most of his collage-style works the principal characters are tightly integrated in this composition, convincingly connected by placement, perspective and eye-lines.

Another prominent photo-manip artist, Baron, is famed for producing photo-like images. He labours over minute details so that the 'joins' and sources of his material are completely disguised. Amalaric may swap heads or bodies but he doesn't usually pursue that level of refinement. Paradoxically our brains end up perceiving Baron's, mostly historical, images as movie stills rather than 'real' photographs. Amalaric's picture here looks more like a painting than a photograph and in a way that seems more authentic.

The face of the captive here may look familiar to you, we've met him before in a more modern predicament (if you want time to ponder where, I give the answer at the foot of this post). Swapping him into a historical scene doesn't have the same enriching effect I talked about in Part 5, here he's just an actor.

Read Reprobate at Aquadude Bunker

602 The Triumph Of Respublica

This image shows another rebel, one with the highest of aristocratic credentials in his homeland of Britannia. Now he's a captive and obliged to take part as 'booty' in the Triumphal Parade of his Roman conqueror. It's waiting for him just through the archway.

Stripped of his clothing like a common slave, he is mockingly adorned with the Royal Treasures which previously defined his elevated status. Now they and he are nothing but the spoils of war, the best specimens that could be extracted from a conquered people. They are all the property of a new owner. 

But this proud man's humiliation, subjugated and reduced to a display manikin, is merely temporary. It is only the ceremonial prelude to his formal punishment for leading the rebellion and for this crime, there is only one sentence.

From 'Fate of the Barbarian Kings' at Gay Bondage Fiction,

(this chapter can be read without taking out a subscription)

~

Steve Delgado and the Sheriff's Daughter

603 Steve Delgado, Locked Up

You don't have to be an aristocrat to experience the grinding wheels of Justice but of all the hunky men who get caught up in the tendrils of Amalaric's black fantasies, Steve Delgado must be one of the most unfortunate. He's a modern day 'Miserable' who is relentlessly pursued by his Nemesis and all because of a crime that never even happened.

Steve is a drifter, earning a crust as a casual labourer in a small town in Arizona. As the title of the story suggests, he has a fling with the Sheriff's daughter. It's all perfectly legal, if morally objectionable to some, but their love nest is raided by the Sheriff's Deputies and Steve is flung into jail protesting his innocence.

The inspiration for Steve's visual characterisation is an image that I published at this blog some years ago in a post entitled: Hang Around. The model is a man with a hairy body and a fresh-faced, boyish, innocent look. He seems woefully unsuited to coping with Amalaric-style torments and that mismatch gives an extra twist to the black drama that follows.

His pose here, somewhat in the manner of a martyr preparing himself for his fate, is most apt.
(he models a classic Stage 4 undress with visible underwear waistband).

 

604 Steve Delgado, Appointment with a Bull Whip

At first Steve is simply bemused since he hasn't committed any crime. But Debbie, it transpires, is the Sheriff's daughter and Daddy doesn't approve of their liaison at all. Sheriff Cummins is chillingly painted by Amalaric as the archetypal, small town, bullying cop. He runs his domain with an iron fist and basic values, aided and abetted by a set of fawning lackeys who share his liking for brutality and domination. A rootless drifter like Steve is an easy target for them.

Steve's protestations about his innocence and rights are brushed aside They make no secret of their intention to abuse him for as long as it takes to get 'the truth' and they find justification for further brutality in his every act of resistance. They already have him bare-top and restrained in shackles (inverted Y-style) when Debbie arrives to watch. She then alleges that he forced her to have sex with him.

The Sheriff immediately has him stripped naked and takes a bull whip to him.

605 Steve Delgado Between Punishments

That whipping is not to be the end of it.

More brutal interrogations follow as the Sheriff ensures that the law takes an inexorable course towards a rape prosecution. Steve realises to his horror that Debbie is enjoying his maltreatment as much as the cops do. Denied access to a lawyer it dawns on him that he has no way of stopping the assaults.

Steve's isolation and mental torment while in the Sheriff's custody is convincing conveyed through a series of very simple images in which his tormentors are absent or else have only a peripheral presence.

 

606 Steve Delgado Kneeling on a Lead Pipe

In the days that follow Steve is relentlessly tortured until he confesses to raping the Sheriff's daughter. His resistance is finally broken after being forced to kneel on an iron bar, alone in a cell for hours on end with agony mounting by the minute, while the Deputies sit just outside enjoying a game of cards and beer and watching him. 

Amalaric's image illustrates that crucial scene of lonely suffering. Like Dave's Shibari experience in '24 Hours', (Image 315), it looks innocuous, but it's not, the passage of time wreaks havoc on unnaturally-pressured bones, joints and muscles.

607 Steve Delgado's Balls Are Shaved

Once having confessed, Steve is fair game for the Deputies 'medical exam' which naturally includes a milking, supposedly to prove he was capable of the crime. They also obtain other DNA samples by using invasive, humiliating techniques.

Steve's virile, hairy body has been a object of repeated, scornful comments throughout his ordeal and at this point the Deputies amuse themselves by shaving off his pubic hair. Shaving is a fetish procedure that is rarely as satisfying in imagery as it is in the flesh or the imagination, but Amalaric's illustration is one of the clearest and sexiest I have ever seen. His unusual 'reconstruction' captures well the sense of vulnerability and exposure and the humiliating posturing involved. The absence of lubricating foam gives this ritual an edge of rough crudeness and risk as emasculation is added to Steve's list of humiliations.

 

608 Deputy Doyle Prepares To Fuck Steve

Steve probably wouldn't appreciate the muscular beauty of his final, (very hairy) assailant. Deputy Doyle is shown here stripping off in an 'inset' image that telescopes two viewpoints into one. So we sense Steve fearfully waiting, but unable to see what is happening. The cop stiffly standing guard over him (note baton angle and hand!) likens the scene to an execution. It's not quite that bad, but Steve's written confession guarantees him a long prison sentence and his ordeal continues even in there. A truly wicked twist in the story leads to an erotic climax of biblical dimensions.

Even by the usual standards of Amalaric's stories, this is a harrowing tale. Not simply because of the nature of the tortures meted out on an undeserving victim, but because of the unrelenting, cold-blooded vindictiveness of the Sheriff, who is determined to brutalise and eliminate a man he considers unsuitable for his daughter (she herself joins the Amalaric list of evil, manipulative women). Amalaric paints Cummins with remarkable skill as the stereotypical Southern small town Sheriff, a repellent, self-satisfied, know-all tyrant, surrounded by toadies and full of casual contempt for those who fall into his clutches and thus become subject to his well nigh, unlimited power. Just reading his dialogue made my skin crawl. Unlike some of Amalaric's other central characters, Steve does not volunteer or assent to punishment, nor does he make any foolish mistakes to bring it down on his head. A doom-laden narrative charts how he is inexorably propelled into incarceration, caught up in a maelstrom of relentless taunting and cruelty. It's not an easy read, but it's hard to put it down.

In essence the story of 'Steve Delgado' is not so very different from the enslavement fantasies but there's an element of familiarity and reality in this scenario (possibly born of movie influences) that makes it seem much more possible. Amalaric's choice of a boyish-looking man to play Steve in the imagery makes his terrible treatment somehow seem all the more horrific, like punishing a defenceless child. Steve's appearance is very Anglo-Saxon but his surname is actually Hispanic (a detail which is perhaps more obvious to US readers than the rest of us). It tempts us to re-imagine this story with a Steve who is ethnically Latin, or even Black, that's an alteration that would make for a very challenging read indeed.

'Steve Delgado and the Sheriff's Daughter' has not been available on the web since the demise of the 'Chained Muscle' site. Amalaric plans to re-publish it at Gay Bondage Fiction in due course.

~

Dungeons of the Emerald City

Steve Delgado's life is arbitrarily taken away from him and he is cast into a different world of imprisonment. This is also the essence of the story of 'Dungeons of the Emerald City'. Emerald City is the capital of the land of the Wizard of Oz and Amalaric's fantasy is built using the constructs of that tale, but it is a long way removed from Dorothy's experience of that domain. He channels the setting and zany characters into a dark, dark tale which has no red slippers escape option.

609 Joe Skelton On The Block

Like Dorothy, Joe Skelton finds himself inexplicably transported to a fantastic world formed from earthly ingredients but refashioned into a bizarre, cartoon-like form. Almost immediately he falls into the hands of a gang of munchkins, but these are not the cute, harmless creatures of old, but violent opportunists. It seems that men like Joe, regularly turn up out of the blue in these parts of Oz. The munchkins make a living from capturing and enslaving these confused and bewildered humans. Before long Joe finds himself up for sale on the Emerald City's Auction Block stripped to his underpants (of course) for the big occasion.

 

610 Slaves In The Fudge Factory

Joe is purchased and set to work in the Fudge Factory. It's a comic name (with ambiguously humorous, fetishistic overtones) and we're told that....

“...the floor of the cavernous factory presented a fine sight of straining muscular torsos,
gleaming with sweat in the filtered light....”

Nice as that may sound, it's essentially hard labour for the slaves in terrible conditions, which the overseers ensure is not without regular punishments and sexual bullying. Despite the ambience of a childlike fantasy, we get a not too pleasant glimpse of the reality of enslavement from the slave's point of view.

 

611 Insurgents Night Operations

So far this seems like a weird variant of the familiar Amalaric tale of enslavement - until the cruelty of the munchkins drives the slaves to unite and revolt. They begin to wage a violent, organised, guerrilla campaign against their oppressors and as the illustration shows, widespread death and destruction follows. By showing their humanity, striking back at their oppressors instead of just escaping from them, these men change our perceptions of them.

 

612 The Scarecrow

Bobby Jacobs, like Joe, had somehow been transported to Oz. He too was 'harvested' by passing munchkin Slavers and sold to work on a sugar plantation. Liberated in an 'Oz Liberation Front' raid, he naturally joined the rebels, but was re-captured when an informer betrayed a planned raid to the Emerald City Authorities.

In Oz, runaway slaves are normally returned to their owners to return to work (after due punishment), but as rebels these captives were condemned to death by the State. Bobby was crucified on the plantation where he had worked, without nails so he would suffer a slow death, alone in the fields save for the curious stares of passers-by. Amalaric shows nature carrying on prettily around him, unmindful of his suffering.

The original Oz scarecrow was a man without a heart but not devoid of compassion. In modern story-telling we still draw on the idea of a man or a soul trapped within the scarecrow, but horror movies have shifted the emphasis to associations with mysterious death, isolation and exposure to evil. Jotto's take on the Scarecrow theme which I posted earlier this year suggests a mysterious, horror lurking within the scarecrow. Amalaric brings it out and makes it explicit and real. 

 

613 In The Custody of the Mad Munchkin

Most of the rebels end up in the bowels of the enormous, underground 'Dungeons of the Emerald City'. It's a magical place in some ways, but populated by creatures who delight in inflicting suffering. Here simple death is often the least of the unpleasant fates available. Amalaric assigns a particularly grisly one to the captive shackled to the slanting post in the centre, but all these beautiful men face terrible torments. Two of them look anxiously towards us, as if wondering if their turn has finally come. We do not know what happens to Joe but can only fear the worst.

There is a variant of this image and a brief extract from the story describing the nature of the Emerald City Dungeons in the 13^th of the 1001 Nights at Aquadude

 

"Dungeons of the Emerald City" is not really an entertaining enslavement fantasy, despite outward appearances, but a bleak tale where Amalaric shows us very clearly the implacable nature of institutional oppression, which as gay men we can (still) identify with only too well.

“Dungeons of the Emerald City” is not currently available on the web.

Amalaric plans to publish it at Gay Bondage Fiction.

 

~

Just Deserts

 

614 Doogie Gets Rowdy At The Board Walk

The story of Doogie Muir, the uncontrollable teenager, is another example of merciless punishment, but one much closer to home. Doogie and his friends have long been raising hell in their community, the nature of their misdeeds is not spelt out but 'the townsfolk' have decided to take action. At 19 years old, Doogie is too old to be taken over the knee, but the corollary of that in this world is that he's gonna get something much worse. This super image of one of his numerous arrests sets a promising scene for his comeuppance.

 

615 Doogie Strung Up In The Garage

Retribution comes in the form of an arrogant 'rent-a-cop' from the College which Doogie's supposed to be attending. A 'cop' whose demeanour and imagination bears a disturbing resemblance to that of Sheriff Cummins. He is aided and abetted but Doogie's own, weak Dad who despairs of controlling his wayward son.

Doogie is manhandled into the garage and stripped, initially to his underpants to receive the strap. His friends who arrive for a pre-arranged outing and some nosy neighbours are invited in to witness his humiliation and even to take part in it. Later Doogie is stripped fully naked (above) for a further series of punishments which continue late into the night, long after the 'witnesses' have left and eventually transition into arcane techniques which are definitely in the 'unusual' and adult category.

Afterwards, the averted eyes of his friends and by contrast the eager interest of certain neighbours are an ongoing reminder to Dougie of the full extent of his humiliation.

This seems harsh justice indeed for (mere?) Anti-Social Behaviour. So why don't Doogie (or the witnesses) simply report this terrible, non-judicial beating to the authorities? Amalaric gets round this by getting the City to legalise it. The City Council adopt the suggestion of short, sharp, shocks for troubled youth and set up a proper centre for it's implementation.

616 In Need Of Discipline

You'd think Doogie's friends and associates would have learned from witnessing the terrible treatment of their 'leader', but being of a certain age and afflicted by the youth disease of relativism - 

“(so and so) got away with (something similar), Miss”

 - they drift back to their old ways and in due course they get their own visit from a Cop. That a stomach churning moment is splendidly captured in this image. He has come to escort this young offender to the new centre set up to bring all these unruly youths into line. 

 

 

617 Doogies Friend

Summoned to the same place, Jim Peterson discovers that the improvised restraint of Doogie in his father's garage has given way to a very formal X-Frame in the re-purposed barn and his correction session is not for just an evening but two days of what will be continuous chastisement in various forms.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, he, like Doogie, emerges a changed man. 

Above, Jim warily looks round to catch a sense of what's coming next.
For some reason, I love his bare feet on the concrete and the pile of discarded clothing.

From 'Just Deserts', published at Gay Bondage Fiction as 'Bad boys get what they deserve'
You can read the first chapter without membership

618 Televised Flogging

The semi-judicial nature of the punishments meted out to Doogie and their evolution into a more formal corrective system for his friends links into the story of Mike Walker. 

Mike, a 26 yo, repeat offender became the first of his community to fall under similar, newly enacted, punishment laws. He experienced a fully legal flogging, not exactly public, but televised to a select, paying audience so as to augment the City revenues. 

Amalaric helpfully explains all the provisions of the new law regarding age limits, permitted implements, target areas, number of hits, dress code and display arrangements – it's all so involved protecting these boy's health and safety! 

As you can see, Mike is a truly exceptional specimen of a man and this has prompted the cameraman to get in very close. Mike's bowed head adds something special to this image. The Civic Punisher waits in the wings, poised to strike with crotch bulging and weighing his whip impatiently. His physique is no less impressive than Mike's and ideal for television, which may well have helped him land the job, out of what must have been a very long list of eager applicants.

Mike, we learn, was “soundly whipped while stripped completely naked in a brightly lit cell beneath city hall”. We can only speculate what effect it had on Mike to be whipped by a muscular Adonis, instead of the overweight oaf he might reasonably have expected.

from 210^th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker

Amalaric's in-depth explorations of these fantasy scenarios, filling out the fine details of procedures and their implications make fascinating reading and are scattered throughout his works, notably in the '1001 Nights' series.

 ~

For me, these examples of 'Cruel Justice' differ from the 'rough and tumble' of the various punishment and enslavement yarns I explored in previous Parts of this series, having a more serious edge that prompted me to question what draws us to this genre of fiction and I will offer a discussion on this in a separate post, next. 

Meanwhile the fictional legalisation of the unthinkable touched on in the concluding images leads us in Part 7 into the subject of 'Institutional Slavery'

Read this series from Part 1

~

Answer to the quiz question set for Image ref 601

The face of 'The Reprobate' is the same as Dave McGuinness, the indentured builder in '24 Hours' (Part 3, image 312 et seq)

 

Amalaric - 'A Barque Full Of Briefs' (with narrative by Mitchell)

Amalaric - A Barque Full Of Briefs

The men of Lickchester Rugby Club were disappointed with their Caribbean Cruise. Admittedly it had been very cheap and it was certainly an atmospheric 'experience'. The dress code had come as a bit of a shock, but they'd got used to it after a few days and it did seem a sensible solution to the sweltering, tropical heat and the crowded accommodation. However, the food was terrible and the crew wouldn't tolerate any larking about or misbehaviour. They'd been unexpectedly harsh with the prop forward who'd helped himself to an extra ration of bread from the storeroom while no-one was looking. 

Fortunately, the Team were used to strict discipline from their Coaches and were still looking forward to a few weeks of complete relaxation in the sun at their ultimate destination - The Old Demerara Plantation Resort. Situated on a remote island that didn't appear on any maps, privacy from the prying eyes of the press was guaranteed. Apparently the management always laid on lots of strenuous activities for their guests, but most of the guys were planning to just crash out by the pool,

......after all nobody was going to be cracking the whip, were they?

Narrative by Mitchell (mitchmen)

~ 

Holiday Tip: Look before you book! 

~

This image was especially created by Amalaric to commemorate the currently on-going review of his work here at mitchmen. It reflects our shared enthusiasm for men clad only in traditional white underwear and inspired me to create this Rugby Team storyline to accompany it. It's a fantasy which owes something to the story of the Raytown Softball Team (published at  Telemachus12). 

You can substitute a team from your own preferred sport.

The Art of Amalaric resumes with Part 6 shortly 

The Look of Naive Disbelief

 

Topher Dimaggio breaks the bad news gently to a naive novice.

This is 'The Look' No 21, for others click on 'The Look' label below