Tips For Your Holiday - No 7

Kyle was hoping that the men in this beautiful country would be as exotic as everything else.
A barman tipped him off about a cruising area and he went looking for it without telling his friends.
And he just disappeared, they never even found his speedos.

~

Holiday Tip:  Don't assume that the resort environment is the same as at home.

When seeking out the gay cruising areas in foreign lands,
Make sure you know which routes are best to avoid.
Don't wander off the beaten track

~

This is Holiday Tip No 7, for others click on the label at the foot of this post

Marc DeBauch updated

 

Marc DeBauch - Sonoran Sunset

I have now revised and extended my mitchmen A-Z post about the art of Marc DeBauch with many more pictures. The sample image above is an exceptional example of his skill in bringing erotica into the realm of conventional art. The hairy highlights on the cowboys torso and legs are rendered with great artistic skill revealing that body hair has a texture but it also provides a sweet erotic kick. 

The attractive sunset colouring is almost chocolate box romanticism were it not for the explicit, simmering nudity and the thicket of highly suggestive cactus shapes around him. He's actually surrounded by spiky threats - from these plants and from the barbed wire fence, which he's (sensibly) not quite leaning against. If this is a cowboy cruising area, it will be filled with painful snags for the unwary as daylight fades!

Read the mitchmen updated Art of Marc DeBauch

Visit his website gallery (more gallery links in the main article)

The Look Of Obsessive Lust

 

click to enlarge

 

  Moral No 1 - Don't get too carried away with success

 

 Moral No 2 - Don't assume people are what they say they are

(Oh, and look up what 'literally' actually means)

~

This No 27 in 'The Look' series at mitchmen blog,
click on the label at the foot of this post to view the others
or use the mitchmen search function (top right in sidebar) 

The Art of Noxsatvrn

Noxsatvrn - Alpha & Omega (my title)

 This picture by the Indonesian artist Noxsatvrn superimposes a very detailed bondage image on a background of complex, mystical patterns with a distinctly asian style, dominated by what appears to be an all-seeing eye, a mysterious 'presence' embedded in wings, writhing snakes and bones. It's reminiscent in some ways of the work of Hasegawa which was also decorated with cultural symbols, but not as densely or mystical as this. He too sometimes hinted at ritual violence but not quite as explicitly as can be seen here. 

 

Noxsatvrn - In the caress of dawn and drowsy stars

This splendid image of an unclothed, chubby man is a world apart, also infused with symbols, but ones that have a modern, western ring. The bulls that surround him may be an allusion to Taurus, the western zodiac sign, which seems to suit this man's appearance. Their angry red eyes could be an indicator of temperament, but give the picture a slightly demonic air. 

More symbolism attaches to the man's nakedness and linen wrap, it's coupled with the bed of bull-rushes which lead us in the direction of birth in the Christian tradition and of course Taurus is a birth sign. Another visual pun on bulls and 'bull'-rushes suggests that the aim of the piece is not so much enlightenment as entertainment. Even the title, provided by the artist, is more romantic and wistful than the picture seems to warrant. It all seems to add up to an eclectic interest in all things spiritual.

*The prominent, arrow-shaped leaves may also have a symbolic meaning but it escapes me.

 

 

Noxsatvrn - The Goat? (my title)

 This could be another zodiac sign featuring Aries the ram, although his feet look more like those of the goat which has devilish connections with the wizardry of flying on a broomstick so we are now in the area of the occult. The goat is also closely associated with lust and you sense this man (another chunky beast) might have an earthy sexual nature to match the suggestively shaped tip of his broomstick.

 

I wouldn't normally post an extreme image like this at mitchmen but the clever artistry persuaded me.

In this image the earth seems to be giving up a victim of ritual violence who is being borne aloft to some higher domain by wings which may belong to birds, angels or simply representatives of the forces of spiritual elevation. However, the thorny branches wrapped round the victim's neck seem to be restraining him, taking possession of him and this appears to connect with the quite different, pagan tradition, The Green Man, representing death and rebirth with men reproducing and returning to nature.

The blood-stained white roses which feature so prominently here have literary connections to beauty, love and selfless devotion in the myth of Aphrodite but there's another obvious sexual connection between blood and the loss of virginity and purity, which is often represented by whiteness. 

 

 

Noxsatvrn - What's Happening?

 

There's a similar naturalistic theme here, with tree-like creepers encircling a naked man's wrists and neck as if to restrain and strangle him and he cries out as if in fear and pain. This time the star-like blooms we can see are passion flowers. Their strange, complex structure is often associated with the passion of Christ (and much more besides) but there's a more obvious, simpler connection to the passion of sex and that might equally describe what this man is experiencing, particularly as the plant's tendrils are encircling his nipple and brushing his cheek in a far from threatening way. The red lumps on the plant's stems may suggest blood but are typical of the buds of new growth (you've probably seen them on roses) rather than anything sinister.

 

 

Noxsatvrn - Male Diptych (2019)

This artist's interest in plants is equally evident in this image which shows bulbs sprouting between the legs of two men, who eye each other across the boundary created by their separate, decorated frames which contain references to their different cultural backgrounds. The plant on the right is a crocus (a spring flower, note, and source of saffron, the flavoursome spice). Unfortunately I can't identify the other flower. 

 

The poses of the two men are modesty itself and both seem to have saintly halos, but the sexual significance of the bulbs at their feet and the growths encircling their bodies seems obvious. Desire knows no boundaries and that's reflected equally in the appearance of the two men, not conventional beefcake but mature and slightly chubby, one of them ginger. 

 

 

 

Noxsatvrn - Woof, woof

 

This contrasting image defiantly celebrates love between chubby men who love the way they are. They are both handsome, sexually desirable and utterly cuddly and the treats that help make them what they are, are not guilty pleasures but innocent joys that connect them with a depth of emotion touchingly represented by bejewelled hearts which are entwined and knotted together as one. 

The artist has adapted his abundant symbolism here for a purpose that is lighter in tone but in a way is equally spiritual. It's seems the reverse of the strangling vine and the disabling bondage of sexual desire - but is it? Or just a different flavour of the same human condition?

Noxsatvrn - Winter's Lullaby

Another light-hearted but poignant celebration of chubbydom. A mature Pan-like creature happily drowses, still holding the pipes that typically celebrate the summer of human desire and bearing the fruits of autumn on his head (no doubt having consumed the wine they yield). 

The wintery surroundings and setting sun show the turning of seasons and the end of the day. He's flanked by owls (creatures of the night and symbols of transition) also squirrels collecting food to see them through winter which show that this is not the end, the regeneration of spring lies ahead.

 

Noxsatvrn - Kawataro

The artist focusses on his Japanese interests for this image showing a tightly bound, tattooed man with traditional knotted hair and fundoshi loin cloth, standing in an ocean of raging waves in which are floating water lilies and strange, slightly frog-like, beaked creatures.

These last are the legendary Kawataro or Kappa and we met them in a previous mitchmen article about Hasegawa. They are credited with the ability (and inclination) to drown people and water lillies have similar associations. All this symbolism is dominated by the stylised, setting sun of Japan. I can't read the script but assume it spells the title of the picture.

It's clear this man is threatened with imminent death but, being blindfold, cannot see the portents all around him. However, the bright, gaudy colours of the setting sun suggest something more triumphant, more significant, lies beyond the horizon.

Once again this beautiful image shows great technical skill, recreating the traditional style of Japanese painting - although the sun imagery for me is a bit garish.

 

Noxsatvrn - Ritual (my title)

 This final image is the most Asian of this group and the most overtly erotic, with muscular, animalistic deities drooling over a suspended, captive man against the background of an intricate arched frame.

 

Below them are a ram's head, smoking joss-sticks and a magically gleaming knife mysteriously balanced on it's tip. It hints at the erotic, the ritualistic and the macabre. 

You sense this is judgement day - and it's not going very well.

~

Visit Instagram for more of Noxsatvrn's imaginative, complex art

Royale Studio 01e - Another Topless Sailor in the rigging

 This image appeared on the cover of Man Alive No 22 in 1963. It's credited to Hussar Studio on the inside cover, they were an associate of Royale Studio who seemed to do less contoversial imagery. This is pure beefcake with just a hint of Royale bulge. I haven't identified the model yet, he isn't named in the magazine as far as I can see.

See also 'Fighting in the Rigging' for date info.

I've added this to the Royale 'Sailors In The Rigging' set at the mitchmen Royale Studio Open Archive.

Art by ED Draws

ED Draws - Cobweb Crawler

 

A sequel to my last post featuring a different predatory creature after his dinner. It's a spider and he's already got his victim sewn up in the tightest bondage you will ever see outside of a pyramid. The eroticism of this predicament is very much in the mind and doesn't really rely on fear of spiders.

Another web victim (aren't we all?) is depicted by the great Hasegawa in another mitchmen. He gives the situation more overtly erotic twist by having the victim naked and binding him in threads that look translucent and silky. His spiders however don't look as nasty as this one. In Malex's take on the subject, the spider passes his captive on to a carnivorous plant, like a religious offering (in Malex in Space also at mitchmen)

Click on the 'encounters-with-creatures' label at the foot of this post to explore other mitchmen posts related to this subject.

 

ED Draws - Satanic Cornfield

 

The artist invokes a selection of horror movie themes here to create a deadly threat of a different kind. The blindfolded victim is stark naked and showing a delicious glimpse of root to tease us. It suggests that this Satanic rite is driven by sexual desire as much as declaring allegiance to the Devil. The victim has a touch of the comic about him in both senses of the word, seeming surprisingly unconcerned considering he's just had his chest carved up. It's almost as if he's looking forward to meeting the demonic guest of honour at this party. His torso is seductively portrayed with clever shadowing and highlights and no doubt the Devil will enjoy him.

The Guard cum Priest is attired in a strange cross between religious robe, star trek uniform and bondage suit, but it gives him an intimidating, faceless presence. The evidence of extensive sewing repairs suggests the garment has great age, in keeping with the ancient rite but might also indicate that proceedings such as these tend to get quite boisterous later on. On the other hand it might simply be a rebellious punk statement. Compare the design with 'The Captor of The Young Knight' in the recent mitchmen update on Brosfate's Art

The Priest's knife, with it's unpleasant serrated edge, is the stuff of classic horror, as is the full moon and Cornfield setting although the latter seems a surprising venue for a supposedly secret rite. The undulating corn leaves behind them resemble flickering flames and also give an impression of a haunted wood or a petrified forest. 

 Jotto invokes the more traditional role of The Cornfield in the mitchmen post 'The Red Barn'.

ED Draws - Satanic Ritual

The Devil himself appears in puff of writhing smoke in this ritual, looking rather neat and stylish. It's not the same ceremony as the preceding image and this celebrant is clearly not being forced to take part. There's a sense that he might be sleepwalking or 'under the influence' but he's awake enough to be pretty excited about it and to have taken the precaution of bringing a crucifix with him. That might make any intended intimacy a bit difficult, if legends are to be believed. The sideways look that the devil is giving us suggests he's thinking the same thing. 

I'm no expert on demonic matters but I believe the circle around the pentagram is also a boundary which creatures of the other world can't cross, not even with their tongues I presume, so this man is less exposed than it appears, but nevertheless he's looking quite wary and taking no chances. Presumably he's just getting off on the weirdness and pondering the possibility that the legends got it all wrong. 

Contrast this with the imminent horror of LeoArt's recent image at mitchmen - Devil's Toy.

See also Platter's demons which are not to be trifled with lightly either.

ED Draws - St Patrick's Bondage

 There's a touch of the sinister too about this image, but of a more down to earth variety. A comprehensively tied up and rather attractive red-head is being milked by a leather man who has a slightly disturbing look in his eye. The red-head seems to have picked that up as well and looks as if he might be regretting his impulsive decision to submit to bondage with a man he's never met before.

I like the shiny nipples here in the style of Tom of Finland, but I haven't a clue why the St Partick theme is given such prominence, maybe there's an autobiographical element to this scene, a reminiscence of a memorable pick-up, but which one is Ed?

ED Draws - Pet Dog

Full-on doggy-fication involving the use of masks is a notable feature of this artist's work and he does it rather well. I prefer to see men's faces, but I do like the dildo/tail device simply as a symbol of domination and humiliation and it seems particularly effective here, exploiting the gap at the back of a jockstrap (which I imagine to belong to a sportsman). The bondage and submissive pose in this image make it's inclusion a must anyway.

 

ED Draws - Cyclops and Wolverine

 The male domination theme is even more explicit in this image but more simply expressed and more powerful on that account. Bringing such a strikingly masculine man to heel with a simple collar and lead is humiliation enough for him without any need to resort to more showy dog accessories. His kneeling position is not totally submissive, an attempt to preserve a modicum of male dignity. The top's grip on his hair, forcing him to receive his ejaculation is an acknowledgement his reluctance to do so. It underlines his power but gives respect to his captive's manliness even as he submits.  

The superhero connections of this pair add another layer of humiliation for those steeped in the genre, converting the customary playful rivalry of these men into something more intense.

 

ED Draws - Fiery Hero

This looks as if this might be another superhero like 'The Human Torch' but I've not seen him depicted with a beard before. There is an element of fetish interest in the proximity of fire to naked male bodies (see label at the foot of this post for other examples) but a more earthy attraction here lies in the ripped pants/trousers which suggest a particularly lustful opponent has just been encountered. The flames might therefore be construed as the aftermath of subsiding passion. 

Notice that the attribution on the picture is Edward, I presume it's an earlier identity. The style is slightly less refined but nevertheless the hairy abdomen descending beneath the hero's waistband is highly erotic. 

 

ED Draws - Superhero Feat

I have a similar ID problem with this picture, it came with a 'Super' title which is not particulalry helpful but what's going on here is heroic by anybody's standards. This simple beefcake image is utterly transformed by the presence of a raging fire into something that is visually and dramatically exciting. There's something about the neatly trimmed beard here which accentuates the hero's nudity and the sense of danger creates an erotic tang. With an uncut cock looming in our faces, the urge to offer help is almost irresistible! It's just a great picture.

~

ED Draws uses a nice clean modern style and depicts highly masculine men. Examples of his pictures are quite easy to find with search engines, he seems to have several sites (e.g. ED Draws on Only Fans), but I haven't found a 'flagship' location with significant numbers of posts.

Tentacles with a difference

 

Ernest Guillen aka Anubis 1000 - 'Creature'

I often complain about tentacle artists producing cliched images with disembodied arms manipulating passive, open-legged men but this is a quite different, highly original take on the subject. It has the added bonus of not relying on a fantasy creature, instead employing essentially an octopus, albeit one with phallic shaped tips to it's tentacles. It seems to be this last feature that has attracted the attention of the diver because he is climbing out of his swimming trunks, already sporting an erection, as though about to join an orgy. Indeed, the octopus seems to beckoning to him seductively. 

The attractions of a multi-limbed embrace seem to have blinded the diver to the Octopus' beak which we can clearly see, half open, at the centre of the curling arms. It may be that the diver is acquainted with the image known as 'The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife (below).

 

In that picture, the beak of the Octopus brings sexual pleasure to the woman. Is this to be a similar encounter, or will nature take it's normal course? That course being dinner for the Octopus, of course. A glum-looking fish swimming by at a safe distance seems to indicate that the pleasure in this encounter will be one-sided.

~ 

I haven't seen much work by this artist but I like the subtle message in this picture, the semi-cartoon like depiction and classy colouring. He has a gallery at Deviant Art with a wide ranging selection of images

 

For other encounters with strange creatures, click on the label below

Specific Octopussy examples can be found within mitchmen articles about Ajay, Luxuris, Naomichi, Logan, Mister X, Priapus of Milet, With No Title and Yael