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| Manara - Cowboy |
This rather cheesy cowboy is reminiscent of the 'Boy's Own' heyday of Cowboy Comic books. However, that coy smile coupled with a semi-relaxed pose seems to typifies male awkwardness. His neat attire and fly-away neckerchief don't suggest a man at work, but one who is looking to make an impression but not quite sure how to carry it off.
Milo Manara is noted for erotic art and sometimes he even has men in his pictures like 'Texa'
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| Ariel-X - Devoratrix |
I'm not really into the Fantasy sub-genre of Science Fiction but I've always been fascinated by the depictions of men in them, usually as scantily-clad, muscular heroes. Unlike more prominent artists working in this area, Ariel-X gives them handsome faces in the modern taste and (thank goodness) relatively, short hair (I'll let the mullet on this one pass).
Clad only in underwear and a butch belt, he is splendidly ill-equipped to face the formidable 'Devoratrix' which has just appeared out of the darkness and is already curling his spiny tail around him. Our hero is probably unaware of the danger coming from behind, but it might have been more prudent anyway to have drawn his sword for this exploration. Now, blinded by the light of those (presumably malevolent) eyes he raises his lantern in the hope that the tiny flame will scare the creature away. Fingers crossed!
As a 'hero in trouble' image this is the full monty, dramatically confronting the seemingly defenceless, physically exposed human with an enormous predator whose likeness to earth reptiles unaccountably stirs inbred fears in all of us.
All the images in this post will enlarge if you click on them
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| Ariel-X - Gifthinder |
This hero going ou on a limb is even more attractive with a less chunky build, a trace of manly stubble and charming fair hair suggestive of a less-than-manly interest in hair bleaching (or perhaps it's the sun that's done it). His near-white pouch is cleverly topped by two criss-cross belts and judging by it's trailing threads it's seen lots of action. I'm not surprised at that. The artist has conjured up a moist, rain forest for this setting which won't be doing those tattered remnants any good either.
Our hero of course has more immediate concerns as he's confronted by the threat of carnivorous creepers (straight of of Little Shop of Horrors). They bar his way through the forest canopy but terrifyingly he's armed only with a spear, I guess he dropped his sword in an earlier incident and it fell to the forest floor, way below. Now he seems resigned to the worst, seemingly offering himself up to them. Perhaps they've mesmerised him. Perhaps he's mesmerised them! He does me.
A more subtle use of light here and some beautiful colour toning.You get a real sense of the hero balancing precariously (and once again neglectful of the danger at his feet).
A less extravagantly visualised adversary could give this image, a beautifully sinister edge.
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| Ariel-X - Sola Heros |
This man is understandably more circumspect about descending this path whose depths have a fiery glow and seem to be throwing up embers like a volcano. The danger seems less imminent but a predecessor only made it to 6th step, which would give anyone food for thought. Nearby lies a curious, Christmas bauble-like object which might be the object of his quest. The curious rock formations around him are suggestive of altogether different challenges, perhaps that's what attracts him so.
As we bid farewell to summer in the North (and look forward to it in the Southern hemisphere), this image takes a slightly wistful look at the humble swimming trunk. A tiny piece of fabric that speaks volumes of men and their lives, as we dream of them.
This image is a good example of how briefly-cut swimming trunks showcase male anatomy. The low waist dips at the front to highlight the model's rounded, abs 'washboard'. The leg line traces the a curve across the top of his thighs and together they give extra shape to his bottom. In this case that rounding effect is enhanced by the bold pattern at the back.
I have a slight obsession with men in briefs like this (click on 'patterned briefs' label below to see more). At one time no man would be seen dead in such attention grabbing designs and I suppose that's part of the attraction. In some ways we seem to drifting back to plain-ness ang grey-ness which brings out the earthiness and modesty in a man, but invisibility too, I fear
These trunks are officially known as the 2eros, Honolulu Ocean Swim Brief (from 2014)
The model is Ryan Greasley. If you want to see more of him in these trunks (and the yellow variant), there's a video of his 2eros modelling session on You-Tube. Nice stills at Underwear News Briefs (!)
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| Gabo - Astronaut |
I've always found the wide, round collars of astronaut outfits rather sexy, highlighting as they do the neck curves and short hair of these modern day adventurers. Gabo dresses his make-believe voyager in the reverse combination - helmet, gloves and very little else! These two viewpoints in their different ways both express the contrast between the protective, cloaking qualities of the uniform and the vulnerability of the man inside when operating in deep space.
If you like men you probably find the inaccessibility of the helmet a bit off-putting and it reminds me rather uncomfortably of that Star Trek scene in 'The Wrath Of Khan' where it becomes an improvised cage that the spaceman's head has to share with an eel-like parasite which tunnels into his ear and takes control of his brain. Ugh!
At the other extreme, this style of minimalised dress is typically used by strippers to theme their performances with an iconic, macho identity such as a cop, soldier or workman, using trademark garb that can be kept on as the disrobement proceeds. I can't say I've ever seen an astronaut stripper though. This technique also used to be a titillating feature of underwear advertising in the days when the sight of men in their underpants was slightly shocking (actually it still is in real life, but the media is a world all it's own that makes little effort to reflect the lives of real people these days)
Gabo is an artist who specialises in fan art, recasting male models as idealised images and dressing them up as though they were dolls like Action Men, GI Joes or Barbie's Ken. I like his clean, crisp style which keeps the images in respectable territory. The real life model upon whom this image is based is the oddly named Ardilla Genocida. There's more examples of Gabo Art at my blog for adults.
More at Gabo Art at Twitter, Gabo Art at Deviant Art
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| Jagdish Kumar - Super Commando Dhruva |
I've alluded to superhero-ism in recent posts and this is a slightly exotic incarnation of the species, 'Super Commando Dhruva' seen jumping off the obligatory Art Deco architecture to rescue someone or right a wrong. He might share their outside underwear fetish, but his muscularity is built on a more slender, more athletic frame than the likes of Superman or Batman. However he's more substantial, more manly than 'Spidey' (whose anchoring technique he seems to emulate). As you might expect from his Indian origins, there's a touch of 'Bollywood' in his handsomeness.
The pose seen here with head bowed and arms drawn backwards here is not aggressive, quite the reverse, passive and vulnerable. It looks like he's falling rather than diving purposefully. The lines swirling around him are distinctly suggestive of being tied up.
Notice the clever architectural references helping to set the mood:- a glassy skyscraper, a soaring spire (with a slightly dubious cap), a gothic pointed window and a delighful octagonal clock resembling a classic wristwatch design.
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| Maverick Willett by Blake Brooks |
I have a weakness for snug fitting shorts on big, handsome men! Nuff said.
There's also some clever photography in this image. It's a commercial shoot and the underwear is meant to be the main focus. That's achieved by setting it's vibrant colours against a background entirely comprised of understated, earth tones. That includes even the model's body, although the colours there are rich enough to stand out.
The architecture background with it's soaring spire conjures up a sense of aspiration (reaching for the stars and all that). The model is seen mounting a ladder, as if heading towards that elevated goal with only his underpants to assist him. Which goes to show how far a sexy pair of undies will get you!
The determined set of his face adds to all that but also picks up on the hovering mood of the city of superheroes, which the familiar skyscraper inevitably remind us of .
