Priapus of Milet - Antechamber 12 (from Inner Sanctum 4)

• 2011 - Top Contender is A Tribute to Bound Gods at 29, down from 25
  
• 2013 – The nearest is still my 2nd article on Mike Carcel but it slid again to 46 from 44
• 2014 - The Art of Baron is at 24 (23)
  
• 2020 - BrosFate - 3 is at 28 (up from 98) 
• 2021 - Come and Get It! entered the list at 223 only 6 months after publication.
  

ISM@ - Here It Comes

 If you like spanking art it's worth looking at the new 'Gay Spank Art' gallery.

ISM@RT - It's Your Turn

Gay Spank Art is still under construction but already has an enormous collection including a comprehensive compilation of my own Mitchell spanking images and several artists I haven't come across before like ISM@ whose varied work decorates this post.

ISM@ - Bedtime (afterburn)

'Isma' does conventional spanking cartoons, but I like these relatively mature examples which have a sense of unreality and disbelief about them, very mitchmen-esq!

Visit Isma's blog and ISM@RT on Twitter

  As a postscript to my annual mitchmen awards for popular posts, 
here is the updated list of  the previous winners, with links to the winning articles.

 Most Popular Post During The Year 
at mitchmen (Table MPP 2)

Cavelo - Winner in 2016 and 2018

2021 IFNB A Fantasy World of BodyBuilders

2020 Etienne/Stephen - Index to Articles (at mitchmen)

2019 IFNB A Fantasy World of BodyBuilders

2018 A-Z of Fetish Artists - Cavelo

2017  Priapus of Milet - 1

2016 A-Z of Fetish Artists - Cavelo

2015 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2014 My Initiation

 Most Popular New Post of the Year
at mitchmen (table MPP 1)

WooDun Art - Winner in 2016

2021 Come and Get It! (Royale Studio Archive)

2020 The Art of Amalaric – 1 A Slave To Passion

2019 Milking Factories – 4

2018  IFNB A Fantasy World of BodyBuilders

2017  The Milking Factory

2016  A-Z of Fetish Artists - WooDunArt

2015 The Art of Eddie Chin

2014 A-Z of Fetish Artists - Tagame (Part 3)

Most Popular mitchmen Post of All Time
(cumulative totals, table MPP 3)

MCarcel - Winner 2013-2018

2021 Priapus of Milet - 1

2020 Priapus of Milet - 1

2019 Priapus of Milet - 1

2018  A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2017 A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2016  A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2015  A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2014  A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

2013  A-Z of Fetish Artists – Mike Carcel

542 visits @end 2021

Royale Studio - 'Navy Gash', Image 11

 

Above: A highlight of Royale Studio's 'Navy Gash' storyette

"The sexual chemistry these two men and the photographer
manage to create between them is still amazing".

(from the mitchmen NAGA commentary, publication pending)

~

 

Royale's brochure image for Navy Gash

Royale Studio's “Navy Gash” (aka NAGA) is the story of a novice sailor being initiated into the demanding standards and ways of naval service by two of his more experienced colleagues. In the Royal Navy and Royal Marines 'gash'was military slang  for rubbish or garbage, something that is considered useless, broken or otherwise of little value. The words written on the victim's shirt in the picture above are 'Gash Can'. That gives you some idea of the thrust of this piece which bears striking similarities to 'Navy Romeo' (No 2 in this mitchmen series on the work of Royale Studio in the 1960's).

Royale Studio - Navy Gash, The Cast

The stars of this storyette are portrayed in the picture above with the 'novice', Percy, sitting in the middle. You should recognise the two men on either side of him. We know them as Spike (left) and Tom from the Navy Romeo saga (aka NAROsee mitchmen Royale 02b). In all these images they come across as big men and even in this innocuous cast picture there's a tremendous sense of physical disparity between them and their sandwiched victim (and a salivating display for all crotch watchers!)

 

Royale Studio - Catalogue entry for Navy Gash (NAGA)

Royale's catalogue description for Navy Gash opens with the words 'Introducing...(the cast)' which suggests that it is the models' first appearance for Royale Studio. This implies that Navy Gash pre-dates Navy Romeo (and in fact NAGA is listed in Catalogue No 9, whereas NARO first appears in Catalogue 10).

If you were as confused as me about the performers' identities in NARO and DTS, the Royale blurb for NAGA creates even more confusion because it names the two tormentors from that story as Tom Harding (the same name as in NARO) but the curly haired chap we knew there as 'Spike' is called Ned Willigan here.  

In my article on NARO, I took the name Spike from Royale's own catalogue description for NARO and in the DTSarticle I linked that to a model named Spike Millican, who is described as being one of the 'Navy Romeo' crew in the blurb for his own solo set, but you may recall that I commented then that he didn't look like the same man at all.

So what is going on???????

What seems to have happened is that the writer for the catalogues has mixed up the names Willigan and Millican. That's easily done, these were probably not the model's real names anyway and they were just two of many men passing through the Studio. The confusion was probably not helped by the similarity of both names to that of a very well-known, zany comedian of the time, Spike Milligan (famously one of 'The Goons'). His odd appearance and bizarre personality must have led to some joking at the expense of both Royale models. Indeed Millican is probably nicknamed 'Spike' based on this association, he certainly looks crazy enough for it in his solo photo. The same may have happened with Ned, leading to him being inadvertently called Spike in the (later) Navy Romeo storyline. 

Whatever the case, it seems likely that the curly-haired man in Navy Romeo is Ned Willigan and not Spike Millican and that Millican's own catalogue entry is simply incorrect. Unfortunately I haven't been to dig out further corroboration for this but sharp-eyed readers may have noticed that the NAGA catalogue description shown above is not error-free either, check the words on the shirt here against the photo. 

Royal Tournament, Field Gun Race 1999

The other interesting element of the Royale Studio catalogue description is the reference to the models being members of the 'Earl's Court, Chatham Gun Crew.' This identifies them as being or (having been) real sailors. It's a reference to 'The Royal Tournament', a military display which the UK military services used to put on annually at the Earls Court arena in South West London. It ran up until 1999 when it was halted on the grounds of the cost but it's occasionally revived for charity events.

The Royal Tournament featured displays from all three services - marching bands, army gymnastics, dog-handling skills and formation displays by motorcycle riders, cavalry and artillery regiments. One of the most popular events, however, was 'The Field Gun Race' (above) in which two Royal Navy crews, typically representing naval dockyards (such as Chatham, Portsmouth or Devonport) competed against each other to dismantle a cannon, ferry it across and through various obstacles and then reassemble it and fire it before their opponents could beat them to it. The image above features Porstmouth vs The Fleet Air Arm from the final Royal Tournament in 1999.   In Royale's day the Royal Tournament got a lengthy, Saturday night, peak time TV viewing slot, so Royale's models were minor celebrities as well as being real sailors.

The Gun Race was originally inspired by a heroic incident in the Boer War in which Navy crews transported guns from their ships across very difficult terrain to help relieve the siege of Ladysmith. There's a succinct explanation of the history of this event in Origins of the Gun Race. The Gun Race is still used as a Navy training exercise and I believe it will feature in the Queen's Platinim Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

~

At that time the Earl's Court Arena was one of the few spaces in the country capable of mounting large scale events like the Royal Tournament under cover before a seated audience. It could accommodate military vehicles and even stabling facilities for the horses (it was regularly used for indoor Show jumping events and also for the 1948 Olympics). It was also conveniently close to Chelsea Barracks, home of the Queen's Guards.

The Colhearne Pub (ca 1970?)

Given it's proximity to Chelsea barracks and the large numbers of conscripts in the services at that time, reluctantly doing their National Service in the aftermath of World War 2, there will have been plenty of off-duty servicemen who ignored the prohibitions of their superiors and frequented these gay haunts to simply enjoy the company or offer themselves for rent, where their military identity was an invaluable selling point. Basil Clavering (the man behind Royale) was a willing buyer of course and through these men he could gain access to an even larger pool of less adventurous and non-gay servicemen, who could also be persuaded to perform for him. It's possible, I suppose, that this grapevine effect may have given rise to the myth about homosexuals 'recruiting' straight men and 'turning' them queer.

During the Royal Tournament all the pubs in the immediate vicinity of the Arena will have been crammed with military men taking a break from performing and attending to their equipment, so there would have been unrivalled opportunities for Basil Clavering and his associates to chat up and proposition likely lads from all the services, offering them the possibility of becoming celebrated in a slightly different way and earning some pocket money to boot (no pun intended!). To gay servicemen in those oppressive times it must have seemed an attractive way of having their publicly despised sexuality recognised and valued even.

  I'd welcome any comments on this era by readers who experienced it.

Obviously it was risky for serving personnel to allow themselves to be photographed in compromising situations, they risked lengthy imprisonment, not just expulsion from the services. Royale's description for NAGA referencing the 1959 Royal Tournament actually comes from their October 1959 Catalogue, so the men involved were probably still in the Navy at that time and therefore highly vulnerable.

Royale Studio Magazine Ad (1960's)

Fortunately Royale images circulated largely on the fringes of society. A few relatively innocuous pictures and contact ads appeared in the back pages of British beefcake magazines (like Manual, above) but even those magazines were hard to come by in the UK at that time. There were rigorous censorship laws and uncontrolled Police activity and homophobia* led to the seizing of anything (they) deemed to be remotely indecent. In addition Newsagents, the only available public outlet in those days, were mostly in the hands of conservative private owners whose personal standards determined what could go on their shelves. Even those willing to sell the magazines were likely to hide them 'under the counter' where they were effectively restricted to those 'in the know' and bold enough to ask. 

 Nevertheless the men performing for Clavering did still risk exposure and almost certainly protected their identities with false 'professional' names, hence the confusion described above. In the erotic realm of course it's usual for model's names to be suggestive. The choices for these models are not especially subtle:- Tom Hard-ing, Ned Willy-can and Percy, which is another common UK euphemism for penis, (as in 'I'm off to point Percy at the porcelain').

~

*I don't usually do political stuff here but as a relevant aside, the recent case of serial murderer, Stephen Port in the UK has vividly demonstrated to anyone with a brain that homophobia is still alive and well and institutionally embedded in the London Metropolitan Police today. The catalogue of their 'omissions' in this case would be laughable were it not so tragic - and so obviously deliberate. The features of the case - refusal to investigate, blaming of victims, fabrication of statements and suppression of evidence, are also a familiar story for anyone who familiar with the (non-gay) cases of Stephen Lawrence (1993) and the Hillsborough Tragedy (1989). The vehement denials of the obvious homophobia by Senior Officers (mis-labelling deliberate non-actions as 'failings' and 'mistakes') simply prove the point and sadly demonstrate that nothing is going to change anytime soon, if ever. 

Royale Studio - Navy Romeo, Part 1 - Image 7

The need for Royale models to have a degree of anonymity may also account for the fact that their faces are often obscured or turned away in Royale Studio pictures which feature two or more men together. You can see this in most of the images above in this post but especially in Part 1 of the 'Navy Romeo' storyette. But it's also true that when it comes to censorship, rear views in general are safer ground than frontal bulges anyway.

~

Next time: The Navy Gash storyette in full 

and an updated link to the mitchmen Open Archive of Royale Photos

 NAGA is a rare example of a Royale set where I have a decent copy of every one of the 16 pictures advertised in their listing. They are nearly all numbered, suggesting they have been taken from a thumbnail sheet produced as a catalogue for ordering prints by mail. Despite this however, the reproduction quality is actually quite good, if slightly over-exposed. 

 All the originals in my possession have splinters of white border which have been partially cropped off.  I have tried to (unobtrusively) enhance the clarity of all these images for this post by tidying these awkward borders, straightening where it helps and by sharpening the focus, but those flawed originals will also be included when I post the NAGA set to the mitchmen Royale Studio Open Archive.

Royale Studio - Navy Gash 01

Ned and Tom look down on new recruit, Percy, who is asleep on a trestle table, possibly skivingoff from his work, although according to the Royale summary for NAGA it's his scruffy habits that irk his colleagues most. Ned (left) has come armed (inconspicuously) with a scrubbing brush and flannel. 

They loom over him in intimidating fashion, the image making the most of their torsos and bulk. Tom's great ass and Ned's more subtle, frontal lumpiness are highlighted by Royale Studio's trademark, wrung-out, wet trousers which are very prominent in this series.

 The improvised set seems to represent his Percy's berth with the jumble of clothes hanging on a line behind him exemplifying his lack of military tidiness and pride in his appearance. There's a delightfully ambiguous selection of pin-ups on the wall, seeming to feature a cowboy body-builder on a beach, a glamorous woman in a cat suit and (far right) what might be a typical Royale image of a model posing as a footballer or guardsman.

Royale Studio - Navy Gash 02

Tom wakes Percy up by grabbing his hair. He almost seems to be trying to live up to his 'Hardman' moniker here but considerately supports Percy's head with his other hand.  Ned grabs Percy's shirt with a more determined, clenched fist to shake him awake. He was also the more aggressive of these two men in the Navy Romeo saga. Notice that the boots of both of them are immaculately polished in true military fashion, in striking contrast to Percy's scruffy plimsolls sitting on the floor between them.

Royale Studio - Navy Gash 03

Percy resists his attackers, 'handing off' Ned by putting his palm over his face. It's not the obvious way of him defending himself and you get a good impression that it's taken Ned by surprise. Percy's other hand can be seen in the vicinity of Ned's ass but it's limp.

The jeans hanging on a peg behind them (right) were presumably worn by one of them when they arrived. By including the model's own clothes in these images the photographer plays on the dressing and undressing theme that is a prominent feature of many of the Royale Studio storylines. It obviously starts with the models arriving on set, getting out of their street clothes and donning Royale's, tight, deliberately revealing costumes. The models' story creates a sexy sub-plot beneath the surface narrative.

Royale Studio - Navy Gash 04

The boys roll Percy over and lever his arms backwards in a classic fight hold that epitomises being overpowered and compelled to submit*. Ned is limited to one hand by the cleaning gear he's holding and Tom's pose is rather flat-footed, so it results in a rather static and unconvincing tableau, but it's still a good vehicle for the erotic display of both attacker's nether regions.

 This image isn't actually numbered but it's pretty obvious where it sits.

(*The painful potential of Percy's position is graphically illustrated by Jeff Golden's punishment in Part 4 of the mitchmen review of 'Bound To Please 1')

Royale Studio - Navy Gash 05

Percy is dragged from his 'bed' and hauled away in a shot that equates to Ted's treatment in the opening scene of Navy Romeo Part 2. The leverage on both his arms forces him to bow his head and stumble. Ned enforces the hold even more severely by applying a 'bar' across his upper arm (thus re-asserting a natural talent for sadism which we glimpsed in Navy Romeo 2). Tom seems to be using his free hand to offer Percy support, but it's also 'doubling up' on the leverage in reality. 

There's a good shot of Percy's crotch here with a clear hint of cock, seemingly unaugmented by padding. A typically contrived, Royale perspective shows Percy's face angled towards Ned's very nicely highlighted crotch, in fact he almost seems to be rubbing shoulders with it, but the white-out makes that harder to see. These suggestive juxtapositions might seem accidental at first, but they recur with great precision throughout this and other pieces.

Royale Studio - Navy Gash 06

It turns out the boys are taking Percy to the bathroom (an innuendo in itself). He is forced to stand in the bath with his hands behind his head. Tom's arm encircles his waist, pulling it close so that Percy's body is forced to arch backwards and his lower abdomen is actually in contact with Tom's bare torso. It looks rather like a flamboyant dance hold but there's a genuine sense of struggle.

Ned stands poised behind them with an evil grin, holding a jug of water which looks likes a scaled-down version of the coal hod he uses to drench Ted in Navy Romeo 2. Both aggressors are sporting excited bulges and Ned's balls actually appear to be brushing Tom's ass which looks impressively fulsome. We also get the first hint here that Percy's backside might be worth attention too. The models will have been conscious of their damp clinging costumes throughout the shoot and you get a sense of how sexy it must have felt to be creating these deliberately suggestive scenes in such revealing clothes.

The scene has moved into this bath area with a slickness that creates the impression at first that it's part of the original set, but it's actually a typical, domestic bathroom of the time and the floor covering is quite different to the earlier pictures. Maybe it's Clavering's own 'smallest room' but it seems unexpectedly modest for the mansion and garden he seemed to own (and which we will see in later Royale sets).

Royale Studio - Navy Gash 07

Tom has climbed onto the bath to restrain Percy's arms from behind, while Ned proceeds to pour cold (presumably) water down the inside of his shirt. It's not simulated either, you can see the wet patches. Tom gets the treat of seeing down inside Percy's shirt. I can remember experimenting with water and clothing like this as an adolescent, so this imagery has a special erotic undercurrent for me.

Ned gives us the most impressive display yet of his tight-fitting, bulging trousers and of what used to be called a packet and his certainly fits that description. The bulge may be augmented but there's still visible just the faintest hint of the contours of his actual equipment and you can also see the curve of Percy's semi, modestly outlined.

Royale Studio - Navy Gash 08

Ned ups the ante by dropping his aim and prising open the waistband of Percy's trousers so he can pour water down the inside. It's similar to the treatment handed out to Ted in Navy Romeo 2, but Ned makes it much more invasive (and sexy) here by tipping the water inside Percy's clothes.Tom gleefully tightens his grip in excitement at this development. 

Unfortunately Ned is too eager to bother with undoing Percy's tight, buttoned-up waistband and much of the water cascades out the front onto the floor. It actually looks rather like a stream of urine and some of it is falling onto Ned's own, highly polished boots. I don't know whether that was an intentional ambiguity or not, but Ned's awkward pose, putting his boot in the firing line, suggests it might have been. Percy's expression, a combination of surprise and pleasure also fits such a plot line (rather than simply being an inadvertent lapse from what ought to be a down-beaten, outraged character). Like Ted's attempted escape in Navy Romeo, it gives a pretext (even if it is only water) for the already-aggressive Ned to escalate his efforts to humiliate Percy.

~

We will see what actually happens in NAGA Part 3c.

 Belts come in handy here for improvising a dodge-ball training target

This mitchmen team have a very efficient way of testing the resilience of new recruits.

Its' no good going in for contact sports if you can't take the knocks!

~

I love this picture, the simple arm and wrist restraint is so effective both visually and practically and the sense of unexpected combination of helplessness and bizarre threat in a gym of all places is superb. It's hard to credit but it's from Kink.com.

~

Image of Adam Knox,  from Bound In Public, Arrogant Gym Rat punished (incl video clip)

Brick - Back To School

 After a long absence from homoerotic art, Brick has returned with two great new pictures at Metalbond. It's not the one above, I won't steal his thunder, the link below will take you there.

Brick - Slave Academy 2022

Metalbond is a great source of fetish inspiration and entertainment (with a dash of education). You can use his labels to find other Brick imagery there, but if you are looking, don't miss the mitchmen Brick collection (link at bottom of post).

~

In the older image above, the writing on the door seems to mean 'milking cubicle for men' but I had difficulty translating 'satna' it so I guess it's rude or colloquial, probably both! The picture is a good example of Brick's light touch and economical way of invoking darkly erotic themes. 

Thus the transportation of captives on bare metal trolleys has a clinical and controlling air and the hunky looking man lying on it is greeted by a great atmosphere of threat and menace as he is wheeled in. The tight, rubber garments which the captives have to wear as their uniforms cover nothing, but restrict their limbs while exposing and emphasising the erotic zones of their bodies. They have obvious feminine connections for this very purpose, which may seed confusion in the minds of the wearers, who are both unmistakeably masculine. 

By contrast their tormentors are clothed in anonymous military gear but with bare torsos and terrorist masks which confirm that any resemblance to a place of healing is entirely misleading. The blindfold, upside-down suspension arrangement and dangling chains make that clearer still.

If you like Brick's style be sure to read the mitchmen review of Brick's art  

Much of Ehrlik's work concerns the enslavement and manipulation of beautiful, blond men by those from other tribes* (erotically speaking). In this primitive world, clothing is sparse and brute strength and ruthlessness prevail over everything else. Thus this blacksmith is able to make a living out of forging the irons for an endless stream of young men chosen for eternal slavery. 

 My last Ehrlik post (Booty of the Ivory Isles) seemed to show another such man (or maybe it was this same one) en route to his appointment with the blacksmith, having fallen into the clutches of  hunter (or opportunist) out in the bush.

 

*As the caption indicates, women feature in much of this artist's work, 

and even this dominant male has a slightly androgenous look. 

 

Ehrlik - Slave Herd

This imaginative image illustrates the scale of this trade and the proliferation of muscular blonds available for trapping in this region. This might almost be a herd of human ponies running wild and ripe for the round-up, but they already bear the bonds of captivity and if you look closely you can just glimpse the drivers behind them wearing scary, tribal masks and urging them on. With their hands tied behind their backs, negotiating this rocky passage is an ordeal in itself, let alone what awaits them at their destination which I suspect is more likely to be a grimy, slave auction than a pleasant pasture. Even so it's in their own interests to arrive in prime condition and attract the richest buyer.

Ehrlik - Affixing The Collar

This laid back, arching pose is much favoured by Ehrlik - see the Lab-Rat and Test Subject posts. It's easy to see why, it puts a good selection of manly attributes on display and fetish fans can also appreciate the underlying stress of this position which will become more and more uncomfortable if prolonged and eventually pure torture, inescapable if imposed by restraints. 

Arranging the captive's head so it rests on the anvil for the procedure is a devilish, black twist on the part of the smith. If this is necessary for the collar to be affixed then it obviously won't be easily removed. The terrified captive can only pray that the smith has the skill to land his hammer on the metal round his neck, (he must do - mustn't he?) When he was free to roam he will have heard the stories of ritual sacrifice practised by these people (see A Hero Dragged to his Fate). He has no way of knowing if this is how it will end for him.

 

Ehrlik - The Caress of the Blacksmith

 The blacksmith may simply abusing his position of power here, deliberately forcing the captive into a provocative and vulnerable position for his own sexual gratification. But it's probably more complex than that. He can feel the tremours in his subject's body and savour them, able to distinguish whether this man is simply relieved that the worst is over or one who feels a perverse excitement at the reality of captivity and the caress of his tormentor. More commonly, he will be able to detect the distress signals of failing muscles and the manifestation of a deep, dark fear for the future.

Ehrlik - Branding The Slave

 

Kalabro - Slave Gang

 Dirk still could not quite believe what was happening to him and his team mates. Yesterday they had been celebrating winning the Football Championship in front of their adoring fans. He could remember how their excitement had continued in the dressing room afterwards, as they stripped for the showers. Unusually, the steam had filled the whole room and then Joel, the striker, had suddenly collapsed. As they went to help him someone shouted that the door had been locked. He remembered feeling drowsy himself and that was it.

When he awoke he found the entire team was locked in a dungeon-like cell with bare stone walls. They were all stark naked (even those who had fallen wearing their jockstraps and kit). They had been deposited here and a thin layer of scratchy straw was all that separated their bodies from the cold, hard floor. They soon realised that while they had been unconscious, they had all been fitted with tight metal rings around their cocks and all the rings were linked together by a heavy chain. As they all gradually cleared their heads there was plenty of discussion, speculation and confused anger but no-one could remember much of what had happened, let alone knowing why. Time passed and in the humid confines of the cell, the millionaire superstars were soon reduced to the sweaty men they really were.

Eventually someone came for them. They were led out, walking sullenly in file, one behind the other with the chains that joined them looping between their legs. They were taken down a long tunnel, led by their captain who had been assigned the first ring. The chains swung from side to side as they walked, brushing their muscular thighs as they negotiated corners and tightening up between their ass cheeks as they negotiated steps or when the man behind failed to keep up. 

When they emerged from the tunnel, they somehow hoped it would be into the stadium they were so familar with, but it was a vast arena, as bare as their cells, surrounded not by raked stands full of cheering fans, but a tall wall, and beyond that, bleak, snow-capped mountains. It was not cold, there was a watery sun, but many of them shivered, realising that there was no-one here to help them and escape would be a formidable challenge. There they were arranged in a line in military fashion and waited, gleaming with perspiration and watched from a respectful distance by the guards.

It was Jimmy who saw him coming for them. A big man, bare chested, hairy and muscular - and he was flourishing a whip. Jimmy felt fear spreading through his loins. One of the guards noticed. "Don't worry" he called out, "his whip is worse than his bark, but he'll soon lick you cover boys into shape".

story text by Mitchell for mitchmen

~

mitchmen has always been a great fan of Kalabro's work but it's usually the drama of struggle and mortal danger that provides the kick in his images. This is very different, a study of bewilderment and impending menace. These men are better groomed than his usual heroes, hence my comparison with modern soccer studs, but the bleak, alien landscape they are stranded in, conjured up with a wash of red, is a typical setting, normally home to primitive muscle men contending with giant predators who can't decide whether to eat them or dangle them by the balls.

This image seems to have its origins in the work below. I can't identify it but it seems to originate from the same render kit used by Homoeros. There's no shame in adapting another artist's work and Kalbro's cock chain is an inspired embellishment. In fact, simply by reworking the scene in pencil he transforms it and gives the men character and emotions.

Read the mitchmen review of Kalabro's Art from the A-Z of Fetish Artists

 Kalabro is an artist I keep coming back to at this blog but the original mitchmen blog A-Z appreciation of this artist is over 10 years old now and didn't contain many examples of his work. Although I've added several more references since then (see foot of this post), I thought it a good time to do another, more comprehensive retrospective of his terrific work

Kalabro - Anak Slammed

This image from 'Anak and the Giant' reflects the essence of much of Kalabro's art, a muscular man captured and subject to extreme violence by a more powerful creature. The drama here is not dissimilar to what happens in professional wrestling rings, but in this less artificial setting it's clearly not just rough sport. Kalabro adds an erotic dimension which is not apparent at first sight, not just by making Anak totally naked, but by showing the Giant grasping his cock to execute the throw. You might say Anak's response is not entirely negative. Some boys really enjoy rough games.

 

Kalabro - Anak and the Statues of Doom (detail)

 Kalabro also draws on wrestling imagery for this picture showing Anak again being tormented by statue that has come to life. You may have watched real life wrestlers being subjected to back-breakers over the knee like this and enjoyed the tempting eroticism of their upward arching, unprotected groins. The top man usually has both hands occupied with holding his man down, but an iron-grip (literally) on Anak's throat and a steadying hand on his cock suffices for the statue to keep him under control and deliver another sexual humiliation. This is a detail of a larger image which shows the statue has two more upper limbs wrought into serious weaponry, which Anak also tastes in due course.

 

Kalabro - Adrift

Kalabro - Jake in Trouble (Strange)

Jake is an attractive hero, with a smattering of chest hair proclaiming his virility but I haven't spotted him in any other images by Kalabro. He's been caught wearing swimming trunks but is spared from intimate interference at this point. He's not alone in Kalabro's genre in ending up suspended by his neck.

 

Kalabro - Apeman In The Well

Apeman is, I suppose, a relative of Tarzan (literature-wise). Although he has a rope around his neck, it's obviously been rigged so as not to strangle him and instead is being used to dip him in 'The Well', whose unpleasant waters are populated by leech-like, invasive eels with a very discerning taste for a particular type of man-flesh. Kalabro makes good use of scanty loin cloths to add erotic interest. The thick rope used to bind Apeman's hands acknowledges his strength.

Kalabro - Korak In The Lava Pit

 

Apeman is probably better off than Korak here who is suspended by his nether regions. This is another of Kalabro's signature torments and he adapts it freely for use on other captured heroes. Korak's attachment is probably more painful than Apeman's frightening noose and he is threatened with real mortal danger rather than nuisance parasites, since he's dangling above a bubbling lava pit, near enough to feel the intense heat of molten rock, as if he hadn't got enough to worry about! We don't know if this punishment has a purpose or is simply for the amusement of a sadistic captor but however extreme the threat, Kalabro's men seem to always survive to suffer again another day. 

Kalabro - Milking A Bodybuilder

One of the most popular posts at mitchmen blog is based on a group of Kalabro's memorable Milking Factory drawings. The picture above seems to stem from the same inspiration with a similarly engineered, produce collection system in evidence. Although the bodybuilder is milking himself, he's chained to the bench, suggesting he's doing it under coercion. Thus the stress shown in the big man's face may not simply reflect the joyful agony of ejaculation, but the frustration and pain of being forced to do it over and over again.

Kalabro - Kraig Helpless

Kalabro - Karson prepped for surgery

Kalabro - Breaking Nick's Jaw

 

Kalabro - Nick Gut-Punched

Kalabro - Leyva and The Engineer 2

 

Kalabro - Leyva and The Engineer 5

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, Priapus of Milet, With No Title and Yael

 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.

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

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)

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

Dean Spencer tormented by Andrew Lennox

 This is the stunning cover photo for the 2000 video, 'Fetish Sex Fights -3' made by Zeus in collaboration with CanAm (the early, erotic wrestling site). In this video, Dean Spencer (left) has volunteered to be trained by a Master and Andrew Lennox duly obliges. This crucifixion image comes from the final scene which only lasts two and a half minutes, but is superbly erotic.

1

 The scene opens with Dean Spencer  standing before a T-post mounted on a small plinth. He is naked apart from his boots and we can see he has a trim muscular body, a severely trimmed groin and long, legs with thick thighs.

At this point he's already been stripped, physically tormented and sexually used by Lennox but has remained defiant throughout. Now he waits patiently for his next ordeal. His head is bowed submissively, his eyes downcast.

Sadly, good quality stills for this scene seem to be non-existent apart from the cover image, the images reproduced here are screenshots from the film, blown up and somewhat foggy!

2

The Master returns. He too wears nothing but his boots and you can immediately see that he is a big man. No doubt he's pleased to see Dean has remained exactly where he left him and still keeps his eyes respectfully averted as he has been told he must do.

3

He places his hand on Dean's chest as though he can't quite believe this exceptionally attractive man has become his plaything and has to check he's real. Dean's raised nipples are a magnet for Lennox in this video. 

In this shot you get more sense of Lennox the Master's bulk.

4

He runs his hand over Dean's torso, dropping down to stroke his nearly hairless abdomen but stops short of touching his tightly-strapped cock, instead moving behind him. 

Slow, sensual contacts like this are a feature of this and other Zeus films, it pauses the action and shows off the physiques of the models generating a sexual tension between them. And between them and us! It's a feast for edgers and I personally enjoy it but action seekers may find it frustrating.

5

Lennox takes Dean's wrist and attaches it to the arm of the T-bar (using the clips provided!).

Dean does not resist.

We realise at this point that Dean's wrists have not actually been restrained up until now, although his ankles are, they are shackled to eyelets fixed to the platform to prevent escape (see 1). 

6

Lennox attaches Dean's other wrist to the opposite end of the T-bar, placing him in full restraint with his chest stretched wide. We get a nice view of the Master's rather succulent torso and a glimpse of his cock ring which is tantalisingly erotic.

7

With his sub safely restrained, Lennox quickly homes in on those nipples. Dean averts his eyes as though he finds it distasteful. Possibly that's because they've already received a great deal of attention in earlier scenes. His cock shows little sign of arousal stubbornly flaccid. There's another nice shot here of the master's chunky body.

8

For me, this shot is gloriously erotic. Deans undulating torso is beautifully highlighted, also the incongruous absence of hair and shaping on his deep abdomen which seems to make him seem more than simply naked. Doubly undressed you might say and the hint of grow-back serves to somehow emphasise that. Lennox's hands, placed flat on either side of it demonstrate his control. 

The tiny glimpse of Dean's cock-strap, not quite hidden by the Master's head, tells us exactly what is going on and is surely much more sexy than an explicit, graphic shot. It's as if Dean's entire body is channelling downwards towards his Master and being sucked in, devoured.

9

This is almost a comic moment. Dean's equipment still shows little sign of responding and Lennox sits back as though he can't quite believe it. Dean seems to be frowning too, but his spread arms seem to be saying, "What can I do? It's got a mind of it's own!' 

Personally I don't find this state unattractive, it seems to cry out for comfort. 

Beyond this focus of attention this is a nice shot of the restrained man with arms pulled back. It shows off his thick thighs a treat, I'd love to see them clad in tight shorts (in the manner of Scott of London).  

10

Lennox gamely has another go, his hands gliding up across Dean's torso to encourage him. His crouching figure looks good but there's a submissive element in it. As ever in these scenarios, one starts to wonder who is really the Master here? 

However, Dean's restraint in this image looks more severe than it first appeared. We realise that the post he's tied to leans backwards and since his feet are shackled astride it, he's pinned in a continuously off-balance position which he can't recover from. The relatively loose restraint doesn't help, it amplifies his vulnerability.

11

It's only fair to point out that Dean has been wrestled, screwed and produced a generous ejaculation just before this scene, so this state of affairs is not remarkable, let alone a reflection on his prowess. 

Strangely enough his physique does seem diminished and awkward in this shot, whereas Lennox grows in stature.

12

This is supposed to be an S&M movie so Lennox responds by slapping Dean's torso.
It's another great shot of them both with Dean recoiling from the assault.

13

 Dean looks suitably chastised and bewildered here, but he certainly hasn't lost any of his sexiness. The V-shape of his faintly haired groin arrowing down and framing his root here is extraordinarily erotic. Lennox seems to be brushing the bush with his thumb.

14

Being able to respond to pain in a sexual manner is the ultimate test of a sub.
Lennox continues to encourage him with clawing .......

15

.... and also by pinching, he just can't resist those tits!

Dean's agonised responses perhaps compensate his Master for his lack of response lower down, especially as there's not just pain in his facial expression, but resentment too. It's a demonstration of Dean's natural aptitude for this type of scenario.

16

Lennox stands, assuming even more intimidating bulk and raising his hand threateningly.
Pinned and helpless, Dean shrinks (no irony intended!)

It's a great confrontation image. 

At about this point, the photo at the top of this post would fit nicely, but the ball tweaking shown there doesn't actually happen in the final movie, possibly it was thought too risky.

17

As Dean recoils from another slap his body seems to grow again , the equal of his attacker. His head turns away but he is not cowed. In fact it's almost disdainful. Lennox ends up touching him gently as though regretting his violence. 

You get an impression in this movie that Lennox is greatly attracted to Dean. Dean has a gift for looking petulant and resentful all the time, but there are moments in the wrestling sequence where he's clearly having fun too.

No actors were harmed in the making of this movie. In fact, the violence is very mild, slaps and punches are held back and indicative rather than authentic. The stills exaggerate the effect.

It's a marvel to me how the Zeus photographer regularly manages to crop these live shots so that a tiny bit of cock ring shows, reminding us that this man is nude and something interesting is just out of the picture. Showing his cock is not a legal issue when you have frontals elsewhere, but it's a sexy 'signature'.

18

Lennox, frustrated, raps Dean on the chest with his fist.

Both models look great here. We get the best view yet of Lennox's chunky physique, nicely sheened from their exertions (and another glimpse of cock-ring!). Dean's stretched out body is no less impressive with the restraint obvious even though it's all out of shot. His body is defenceless and we are treated to his stand-out nipples, thick thighs and even a touch of buttock shaping in the shadow.

19

Lennox seems to be saluting him here as he prepares to go,

 "I'll be back" is his ominous parting shot.

The pose gives us an even better shot of his competition-standard physique. His mannish face is a great pairing with Dean's 'pretty boy' appeal.

20

Dean watches him go looking tired and dejected.

21

Dean is battered, bruised and now rejected, but his inner fire has clearly not been extinguished. He looks serious, as he digests in Lennox's last remark with the implication that he will not be released just. He has to stay and suffer more tests. For how long has not been revealed to him.

22

 A shift in the lighting reveals a trickle of body fluid down his torso. It seems an apt echo of the sorrow and weariness that shows in his face. You don't need to be an expert to spot that it's not sweat, it's too thick. 

Lennox isn't shown spitting on him in the film, although it's a logical reaction. It might have been edited out. The only other explanation is that it's the cum that Lennox deposited on him during their sexual interlude. If so it wasn't very obvious prior to this shot but you can decide for yourselves what it is. At one time either of these would have spelled out his humiliation and contempt for Dean, but such rituals are now so commonplace that they barely register.

23

The light fades and Dean is left in his increasingly uncomfortable, leaning position to contemplate his situation, trapped as the sub to the mighty Lennox, who seems increasingly besotted with him. He's got time to think about his real life, the things he's supposed to be doing and when if ever he will be able to get back to them.

~

There's an essential simplicity about this brief scene - just two men and a cunningly-designed post - that I find extremely satisfying. It barely qualifies as S&M and yet it is the essence of that genre, the absence of intense punishment means that we see better the two men and the relationship between them.

'Fetish Sex Fights 3' has a bland rather uninformative title and the Lennox-Dean segment  (1 of 3) has an equally mystifying label 'London vs Sydney, Rubber Rumble' (reflecting the wrestling content). However, this tiny glimpse of the action should tell you that the full movie is a lot more interesting than the title suggests. The  You can view it at Can-Am.