Erik von Gutenberg is proud to announce issue 4 of Von Gutenberg Magazine now available for purchase in the VG shop!

Von Gutenberg Issue 4 better than ever with MOSH in stunning latex from Polymorphe, ego assassin and Atsuko Kudo. Fetish superstar Perish in never published photos and exclusive interview. Aisl, Olivia and Idelsy in extraordinary outfits show the beauty of this fantasy lifestyle.

VON GUTENBERG, issue 4 is inspired by fantasy, futuristic ideas and all that moves us ever forward. As always, we hope VON GUTENBERG provides a fantasy for you, a respite from your daily actives and allows your mind as well as body to open up further to the fantasy of Love and Sex.

Sex colmnist Midori with a uniwue article, Violet Blue writing about the cyberspace and we the most exclusive fantasy art with legendary Surayama.

Fashion Pure with Cyberesque from Germany and worldwide leading Fashion designers including HW design, Murray & Vern, Hilarys Vanity and many more in that issue.

Enjoy Issue 4, a visual stimulation of all your senses and a collector item for everybody who loves Fashion, Fantasy and unique Lifestyles.

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“All art is quite useless.” ~ Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

There are those who, out of some bizarre, delusional and grandiose vision of self-importance, write books about their art form – and then loudly insist that (because they’ve written a book or two) that they be recognized as some sort of “expert in the field”. These “artists” in turn demand certain rights and concessions, especially if it means they’ll somehow be perceived as superior to their peers, within their very own Community at large. In short, the demand to be vetted and recognized as both an “artist” and an “authority”, while clamored for long and incessantly, usually results in one thing: the “artist” soon finds he doesn’t get invited along to many really fun parties.

I’m speaking of Oscar Wilde, of course, author of the above quote and written in a somewhat autobiographical way in his shocking, landmark gothic thriller, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde cleverly manages to insert himself into his narrative – and brutally criticize himself relentlessly – as one of the main antagonists in his timeless tale of extreme arrogance, and self-destructive vanity. In the end, of course, Dorian Gray is done in by his own hand – and as a result of his own narcissism.

The real Oscar Wilde wasn’t much different from the fictional representation he portrayed himself as within the pages of his book. He was, however, intelligent enough to realize his shortcomings and even to provide entertainment for his readers by mercilessly deprecating himself. It was Oscar Wilde’s belief, as reflected within the quote above, that the realm of Victorian-era “Artists and their Art” was nothing more than a breeding ground of rampant ego, over-indulgence, and violent, self-destructive behavior. The quote above is, within the context of The Picture of Dorian Gray, an expression of envy towards a very non-talented man (the Wilde character) and a painter who has been commissioned to produce a portrait of “a most extraordinary, beautiful young man”: the title character, Dorian Gray. Those familiar with the story know very well that Dorian Gray is so taken and in love with his own image in the mirror, that he cannot bear the thought of aging and becoming less beautiful. He makes a deal – ostensibly with the Devil himself – to remain in appearance forever young, and to have the painting age through the years.

Despite what you may think, this isn’t a story about Oscar Wilde or his creation, Dorian Gray. It is, however, important to use this masterwork as an analogy. For in truth, “art” hasn’t really changed much. It’s been said that Art is an imitation of Life. It’s truly refreshing, then, when someone comes along who is successful at turning Life … into Art.

The all-night, gigantic artistic installation known as Nuit Blanche (“White Night”) started in some great European cities (there is a heated dispute as to exactly which city started it: Paris, St. Petersburg or Berlin) in 1997 as a revolutionary idea to turn some of the world’s great cities into gargantuan art galleries. Since 1997, Nuit Blanche events have become an extremely anticipated and popular staple on the social calendars of several other world-class cities, including Lima, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, Leeds, Atlanta, Los Angeles and, of course, Toronto. New York City played host to its first Nuit Blanche event (called Bring to Light) during the same night that Toronto held their annual event: October 2^nd. The “movement” continues to grow – and the roster of talented artists wishing to participate continues to increase.

The Toronto Nuit Blanche event easily draws over 1 million people into the streets of downtown and West Toronto for one night. The event always begins at 7:00 pm and runs straight through until 7:00 am. Some of the installations – those that would have made Oscar Wilde himself cringe – are, as expected, over-the-top and self-indulgent in the extreme. The world of fine art, as per Wilde’s commentary in The Picture of Dorian Gray, rarely if ever takes advantage of collaborative efforts. Making “art” seems to be an exhaustive effort that ultimately will result in telling some deeply personal aspect of a story, or make an opinionated social commentary, based on the workings within the mind and the emotional investment of a single artist. It’s rare, really, to come across “art” where the credit for the success of the piece can be attributed to more than one man or woman.

This is where our story takes a sudden left turn. For the past three years, one man has been determined to educate and expose to the masses his art form during Toronto’s Nuit Blanche event. He is a man quite well known within his own Community, and he is quickly making a name for himself within the mainstream as both an author, and a self-proclaimed “Guerilla artist”. He is known by the moniker Morpheous – and whether you are irresistibly drawn to his work, or don’t care to understand it, there is one universal truth: what this man does, make no mistake, is “Art.” He is responsible for one of the most viewed art installations of Nuit Blanche, very simply called Morpheous’s Bondage Extravaganza. It’s an almost embarrassingly simple, non-pretentious and easy-to-remember title for a revolutionary (some say controversial) art installation. It’s also easy enough (as Oscar Wilde so brilliantly managed to allude to in Dorian Gray) to dismiss Morpheous’s efforts as nothing more than “people being tied up in public”, and to question whether what the present audience is witnessing or not can be categorized as “art” – or whether its straddling a very fine line between art and commercialized pornography. Considering that, in point of fact, and after conducting a little research, no other art installation during Toronto’s event had a line-up to get into the venue to view the pieces (the lineups for the Bondage Extravaganza reached about half a block long at several points during the evening), it would be very hard for the haughty, self-aggrandizing “art critics” to merely dismiss the installation as “mere smut.” Anyone who witnessed the Extravaganza knows, without question, what they were witnessing was true dedication to a most difficult-to-master visual medium.

Morpheous himself was active (pretty much) for the entire scheduled 12 hours of the event. He took a few moments to conduct interviews, drink some much needed water, and speak enthusiastically and engagingly with both old friends and new visitors alike. Morpheous is an gregarious man, and he is always approachable. He is rarely seen without a smile, and he is well-known for immediately putting nervous new models for his photographic sessions and apprehensive new contacts immediately at ease. One needs to spend only a few moments talking with Morpheous, and they immediately are made to feel comfortable, and welcome. The man just doesn’t have the rampant ego that needs to be satisfied in the way that many “artists” and “authors” do – and this clearly sets him apart from his peers (both in the fetish/SM world and in the artistic community).

By rights, and by virtue of his long good-standing within the Toronto alternative lifestyle community, Morpheous could have taken the route that most other “guerilla artists” take, and claimed the spotlight for himself during his Bondage Extravaganza. But this wouldn’t be compatible in keeping with what everyone knows about the man: while he is proud of his accomplishments over the years (an argument could be made that Midori, the world-famous sex educator and fetish world presenter, for instance, may not have achieved that status were it not for Morpheous’s tireless efforts to promote her during the early days of her career; especially in Canada), he is quick to credit his friends and family with being the true contributors to his success. “I wouldn’t be able to even apply to do a project like this,” he said while doing some rather gorgeous and wicked looking knot work on one of his favourite models, “if it wasn’t for the other people in this room. I owe a lot to some of the people behind me.”

Some of those people are, in their own right, fairly well-known in the Toronto alternative scene. There is a lovely and engaging young dance instructor who goes by the name of elle, for instance, and there is little question that she is as tirelessly devoted to Morpheous’s triumphs as she is to her own. On the night of Nuit Blanche, elle somehow managed to keep the “riggers” (those who performed the actual bondage) and the “bunnies” (the bondage models) within a tight schedule – no small feat when you consider the display space was, from start to finish, literally filled with dozens of mesmerized onlookers. When she wasn’t making sure things were running smoothly, like Morpheous, made sure the gathered media was well-informed, made sure the guests were comfortable, and all through the night did so with cheerfulness and an engaging spirit that simply defied the coming pull of exhaustion.

Then, there were the other performers. It is impossible to pay appropriate respect and attention to everyone who volunteered their time during Morpheous’s Bondage Extravaganza, but it isn’t too far outside the realm of over-used superlatives to say that each and every person who volunteered their skills, talents and time succeeded beyond words in helping to make the entire evening truly a mystical, awe-inspiring display of sensual expression. There wasn’t a single “rigger” or “bunny” present that complained about their use, misuse, or aches and pains: there was this almost ethereal, admiring sense of a true Community being displayed within a relatively tiny space. Sure, the rope work and each individual case of “boy or girl human mobile” (as coined by one of the enthusiastic and eminently beautiful models, Ohhh) was mind-stopping to behold: but the ballet that the viewing audience was deliciously subjected to for twelve straight hours was nothing short of incredible.

There are three others that briefly need to be described for their singular contributions in making the Extravaganza such a unique and collaborative success: the displays continuously exhibited by bondage artists Daddy Aslan (who did a wonderful plastic wrap piece in a lovely departure from the main, traditional ‘rope work’ of the evening),  Lotuslily and a man named Ruairidh from Toronto and an immensely promising young performer named Cannon from Michigan turned an already enjoyable night into an evening of pure visual ecstasy. Lotuslily is already well on her way to becoming an international star within the alternative lifestyle global community, and she certainly didn’t disappoint at Nuit Blanche. But watch, in the future, especially if rope bondage is “your thing”, for these two men Ruairidh and Cannon. They have two unique styles; two distinct stories to tell.

Ruairidh works with rope the way that Jackson Pollack worked with paint: you’re just not sure what it is he’s doing or where he’s “going” and you simply have to continue to watch him work until he’s finished. When he has completed his tying, and his model is turned slowly enticingly in a wide arc for the audience to see, it’s shockingly beautiful to behold. All the pieces suddenly come together to form a single, stunning bound creation: it isn’t a stretch to say that it’s very much like a flowering vine wrapping itself around a gorgeous, statuesque female form, creating a truly timeless and classic image.

Cannon is no less proficient – but his strength lies in how powerful his ability to perform is. He holds both his soon-to-be-restrained subject and the audience completely under his spell. His movements are subtle, but oh, so sensual. When he begins to apply the ropes to his weak-kneed model, it is like watching the Phantom of the Opera himself seducing and enticing the hapless Christine to succumb and completely give herself over to the pleasures soon to be tightly restrained within. This young man is a joy to watch: there are few who bring such delicious, jaw-dropping theatricality to his rope bondage performances.

The people mentioned above were all vital and necessary contributors to the success of the exhibit – but in truth, every single person who gave of their time surely must receive credit for making the Extravaganza such an enormous success. No truer example of a “Community coming together for a common cause” could be as well illustrated.

In a somewhat experimental atmosphere and in a potential-for-explosive-ego-clash environment, Morpheous’s Bondage Extravaganza succeeded far and away in proving one very important thing: When the goal is the collaborative and mutual success of an entire Community of performers and practitioners, and personal ambition and ego are left checked at the door, astounding things can transpire. This installation was one of the most popular of the entire Toronto Nuit Blanche evening, and for good reason: the people from Toronto were able to witness the artistic elegance and beauty that can be expressed using living models and mere rope as a breathing canvas. There can be no greater accolades for Morpheous, or his fellow artists, than knowing he managed to simply make people think. That is the aim of all artists – and for twelve amazing hours, the Extravaganza unquestionably made rope bondage somehow seem more “accessible” and less daunting and frightening to several people who, like the masses, tend to stereotype and associate sadomasochism and fetishism with simple violence.

Oscar Wilde wrote his scathing, personal critique of the art world and personal vanity in 1890. Over a hundred years later, human nature really hasn’t changed all that much. There are still people who create art, or write books, and then just expect that because they have done so, the world should come crawling to their feet to recognize and worship their “genius”. Within the fetish community, there are certain individuals who have written long (and boringly dry) “how to” volumes about bondage. Then, there are people such as Morpheous, Lotuslily, Ruairidh and Cannon who actually do raise the level of perception of intricate bondage (especially utilizing rope) from “sensual foreplay” to “High art”. It’s a wonderful evolution, really: one very high-profile adult magazine editor tried, in vain, to argue in the mainstream media that bondage was, indeed, truly an art when he allowed photos of a reigning beauty queen to be published within the pages of his periodical. Ultimately, his efforts were ridiculed – and the queen lost her crown. Thankfully for both, each went on to much bigger and better things.

The age is different, now: thanks in large part to the development of large-scale art installations such as Nuit Blanche in the world’s great cities, the beautiful “human mobiles” that are created when a talented man or woman lovingly applies rope to a beautiful, semi-clad or naked body – and then effortlessly makes that body appear to float, twist and turn comfortably, alluringly, seductively in the air – can finally take their place as “High Art” within the consciousness of those who earn their living within the creative world. This isn’t pornography: this is a loving, personal expression performed by people who have a true passion for the psyche, sensuality and desire that is associated with the very-human need to turn trust and control over and into the hands of someone else; even for just a few minutes.

For that reason, Morpheous and his fellow bondage practitioners are, without argument, respectable artists. Due to the popularity of the 2010 Nuit Blanche Bondage Extravaganza, Morpheous is already planning for 2011. “It will be three times larger”, he said with a slight mischievous smile. “If you think this year was really sensual and spectacular, just wait for what we get to show Toronto next year. We’ll have lasers and everything!”

(All photos courtesy of Morpheous and Toronto Nuit Blanche, Photographer: Jeff George)

Von Gutenberg Magazine recommends Beauty of Abyss! If you want to get inpsired and experience fantasy art at it’s fines then visit Thomas at his event in Karlsruhe August 27! Location: Blackstage Karlsruhe, www.blackstage-karlsruhe.de , Gablonzerstrasse 26, 76185 Karlsruhe, start at 7pm local time. Additionally you will see Haute Couture Fantasy Fashion from Provoque, very unique pieces and extraordinary designs. We from Von Gutenberg Magazine love the work from Thomas and you will be able to see some of his work in the upcoming winter edition of our Magazine!

On Friday August 27th the well-known photographer and founder of the Beauty of Abyss Photography Thomas Adorff will present his pictures in a very nice vernissage at the Karlsruher Blackstage location. The begining is 9pm and every visitor will get a welcome drink and for sure there will be fingerfood too.

Next to the pictures of Thomas also Susanne from Provoqué will present some of her Haute-Couture dresses. If you miss the Vernissage but want to see the images and pictures of Thomas you will be able to do that till September 17th.
Next to this, Thomas will have also 3 other exhibitions in 2010.

It used to be, not all that long ago, that trying to purchase good resource books directly related to bondage, discipline and all things sadomasochistic was very nearly impossible. Unless you “knew a guy”, had some other kind of “connection”, or were fortunate enough to live in a large enough city where so-called underground publications were considered somewhat plentiful, in the days prior to Amazon trying to find reference materials relating to our lovely lifestyle could prove to be immensely problematic – and even potentially embarrassing. “Those kind” of books were usually only available at Adult shops (colloquially still referred to in some circles as “Adult Book Stores”) – and depending on what US state or Canadian province you lived in, tended to be made at hand to those who desired them only through an awkward and stammering specific under-the-counter request for product.

Thankfully, for those of us who revere our chosen alternative life expressions, the advent of the Internet has made it very easy to get our hands on virtually anything (within legality) we want. That has proven to be both an absolute blessing, by and large, and an abject curse in certain circles. For instance, in relation to the “curse”, some so-called expert materials have been published in the past whose content was either too dry and clinical, or nauseatingly ego centric (and we’ve all read those books, I’m quite sure) to be really only of value as a visible potential conversation piece on a bookshelf in someone’s dungeon or playroom.

For every Screw the Roses, Send me the Thorns (which in the opinion of several fetishists and SM practitioners, Your Humble Narrator included, is one of the worst books related to BDSM ever foisted on us), there seemed to be at least a dozen more similar volumes that were considered only marginally better. In the past, folks used to purchase SM-related books, I suspect, mostly to make a very visible pseudo-credibility statement to their peers. Many of these really, really bad books were purchased by really good people – and I know for certain most of them were never even read, let alone had their spines cracked. As time has gone on, we’ve been far more fortunate: the demand for good, solid, experienced reference material hasn’t died at all – it has, it seems, only escalated – and the quality of materials available to us has also thankfully increased. Part of that may very well be a simple matter of numbers, as more and more books over the past decade have found their way onto more mainstream bookstore shelves.

One of those exceptional books – in my opinion an absolute “must have” for every serious BDSM enthusiast – is How to Be Kinky: A Beginner’s Guide to BDSM by noted Canadian lifestyle educator Lord Morpheous. Do yourselves a favour and buy this book. It won’t just sit and look impressive sitting on your bookshelf: you’ll actually learn a thing or two, and you won’t be able to simply put it down.

What separates this book from similar works? To start with, it’s damned fun to read. I don’t want to give anything away, really – but as an example, early on in the book there is a very well-written narrative, relating an early experience, of Lord Morpheous and his efforts to try and explain to his parents why his dishwasher was filled with sex toys after he’d had a gathering while they were away. Drawing on the anecdotes and vast experiences of his friends and colleagues throughout the book, Lord Morpheous has ingeniously managed to capture the true essence of sadomasochism (it’s grand fun, damnit!) all the while providing witty and expert advice along the way. It’s a clever format: the reader expects or assumes the book to be, perhaps, another somewhat vapid and plodding “connect the dots of BDSM” instruction manual, but in fact its structured very much like a collection of topical (and extremely entertaining) short stories about people and their gut-wrenchingly and often gut-bustingly honest experiences. Naturally, if you happen to learn a thing or two along the way – and you will – that’s an appreciated bonus. Lord Morpheous is regarded as one of the very best rope bondage artists and educators within our realm today, but How to Be Kinky is so very much more than a mere ‘bondage manual’. There is a taste of fetishes from “A” to “Z” within its pages: there’s is sure to be something that everyone can relate to. Other “how to” books have tended to generally disregard entire legions of particular kinks (Screw the Roses, Send me the Thorns for instance contains virtually nothing but a somewhat contemptuous and dismissive reference to cross-dressing), but Lord Morpheous has adeptly managed to give respect and creedence to (almost) every fashion of popular fetishy sensual expression – and he’s managed to do it in a concise but wildly amusing manner.

It’s a brilliant, effective and natural way to introduce anyone (with even so much as a passing interest in kink) to all the positive aspects of what it is we love to do. That makes this book unique – and truly a “must have” for excited newcomer and experienced hard player alike. The novice will learn, in their own vernacular and at their own “level” because the anecdotes are all written in a way to be so appealling and interesting, and the experienced will just love the collection of stories. In short, Lord Morpheous has managed to author the much-desired and nearly impossible-to-reproduce “win-win” scenario; the happy balance in which his efforts truly will appeal to anyone and everyone, from the rookie to the seasoned veteran.

It’s a formula that has found much success in other genres: more specifically, in sports books and even more specifically, in baseball books. I do not know if Lord Morpheous is much of a sports fan: but the man knows how to write, edit and convey tales so well, that I am confident in saying if he wanted to write the definitive work on playing water polo, it would be the world’s best and more informative seller on that topic in history.

Personally, I’d much prefer to wait for his sure-to-follow “Volume Two” efforts on How to Be Kinky. I’m sure Lord Morpheous could explain it perfectly – but I’d rather read about his experiences and lessons in BDSM than just how the hell those water polo guys manage to get snorkels and masks on their damned horses.

Von Gutenberg Magazine recommends The Beauty of Abyss,  inspiring photography and artwork. Thomas is an incredible artist and we are looking forward to see much more from Thomas in the future!

Thomas has also agreed to be in the Winter edition of Von Gutenberg Magazine as well and we were happy to interview Thomas at the German Fetish Ball.

You can find The Beauty of Abyss in the web here: http://www.beautyofabyss.com/

Thomas shows erotic art and erotic photography on his website, has a newsblog and you can find dates when he is displaying his art in different locations. You can follow Thomas and the Beauty of Abyss as well on twitter. 

Von Gutenberg is the leading Fashion, Fantasy and Lifestyle Magazine based in San Francisco and covering the global fetish fashion Couture and alternative lifestyle and latex designers. Von Gutenberg Magazine also features leading artists and photographers in every issue. In the current edition you find Ken Marcus from Los Angeles and Dirk Hooper from Oklahoma.

Online you can find us on our homepage:

www.vongutenberg.com

“Always be yourself… unless you suck.” ~ Joss Whedon

Great ideas – along with great people – are born of strong personal beliefs and convictions. The quote above isn’t exactly the kind of “corporate rallying cry” one might expect to see printed in 10-foot tall letters on billboards, let alone trumpeted loudly via mass-media marketing vehicles such as radio, television and even the Internet. Yet, there is simplicity in the statement; one that must surely resonate with most of us who have any kind of self-importance.

Be honest: we all have an ego to satisfy. Some of us (quite obviously) need to be vetted and fussed over more than others. For instance, Your Humble Narrator and Only True Friend is quite comfortable and secure in the knowledge that you all love me.

Perhaps it is appropriate, then, that our focus for this episode of “Kardynyl SynysTyr’s Fabulous Fetish Fancies” features an up-and-coming design studio whose very name just so happens to literally refer to the cold, hard death of one’s smug self-assuredness.

You may have heard of them. You may already love them. There is no question, if you’re even the slightest admirer of all things ‘latex’ you’ll be wanting a piece from them at some point. They’re known in latex enthusiast circles as Ego Assassin, and all tongue-in-cheek references to anyone’s sense of “self-importance” aside, what they do is nothing short of astounding.

Their friends know them as James and Slinka. Both of them are the brains, the passion and indeed the very industriousness behind what (I believe) is sure to be a revolution within the latex fashion world. Sure, there are certainly other designers out there who are (for now) far more known, publicized and patronized. Your Humble Narrator says this in all solemnity: I have been around latex fashions and latex wear for a very, very long time. These eyes have never beheld the artistry and the workmanship that is so expertly exhibited in the work of the Ego Assassin duo.

So, what’s in a name, anyway?

“Our name and our concept come out a personal belief that our personalities are not fixed,” James told me during a visit to their studio recently. “We all have the ability to adjust and change, if we want to. Anyone can set their ‘ego’ aside and go completely into a different head space.”

“Basically, when you wear one of our pieces, we want you to feel like you’re literally slipping into another skin. You can be anything you want to be; an entirely different character,” James said. “If you believe you’re a goddess or an alien creature (wearing one of our creations), then you’re a goddess or an alien. The medium and the philosophy can fit together really nicely.”

In essence, then, the combined words “ego assassin” are meant to emulate a personal attitude: to wit, a positive, sensual transformation as opposed to any negative, assumed verbal evisceration usually associated with the haughty and self-indulgent club crowd.

In point of fact, James and Slinka are somewhat “obsessive”, if we’re telling the whole truth. They’re both absolute perfectionists when it comes to their work. Simply put, the hand-crafted, painstaking detail that is put into each one of their creations ensures that each and every customer is going to get a truly, unique and exceptional piece – regardless of whether that particular piece is part of their design inventory or not. It is this industrious dedication to quality (very much like their good friends and symbiotic partners, Elastica Engineering, who supply Ego Assassin with a superior quality of high-tensile sheet latex) that somewhat sets Ego Assassin apart from any other latex garment design studio.

I say “somewhat” for good reason, here. There is another aspect of James and Slinka’s work that puts their craftsmanship on a whole other plateau when compared to their peers in the industry.

While James is very clear in stating that “they really don’t have any trade secrets” that he feels needs protecting, it would be a serious disservice to describe in detail the one area of perfection in which Ego Assassin has definitely developed a loyal and dedicated clientele. Friends and customers who have been fortunate enough to have been offered a “sneak peek” at the line-up being currently constructed for Toronto’s Torture Garden Weekend (May 21 – 24) have been amazed at the quality of the images printed onto the rubber material as a signature feature of their collection for the Fashion Show. One such piece, which has been photographed and posted on a few fetish-related websites already, features a near-flawless, ‘color-favorable’ copy of The Great Wave by legendary Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849) across the front bodice of a latex corset. It is but a small and yet staggering taste of the artistry that is so integral to the reputation of James and Slinka as truly formidable garment designers.

Naturally, there are dozens of other printed patterns and designs that have been produced by Ego Assassin over the past several months (“Through a hell of a lot of trial, error, anger and heartache,” James recounts with a half-smile). Once the process and procedure for creating the designs, images and patterns on the latex had been perfected, naturally the rapid interest in their product lines began to grow. The one thing James and Slinka refuse to compromise on is the commitment to quality through patient design, printing and construction processes. “We don’t hide our process, and while it’s really pretty simple it’s also very labor intensive,” Slinka said. “We have no interest in mass production. We’re in an industry where customers are extremely passionate about their clothes. We want them to know that we’re equally as passionate about making them as they are about wearing them. ”

There are certainly other successful latex garment designers throughout North America – and Europe, for that matter. Some entities (specifically in the New York and Montreal areas) have been in business for years, if not decades. However, the universal truth here is that many of those companies tend to produce product that has become somewhat “standardized”. In short, the variance in artistic style, and even quality, has varied little from company to company. Many of those “more established” design houses rely on repeat business from loyal customers merely due to the simple, convenient fact that competition for “name brand” product isn’t exactly fierce. Very few latex garment enthusiasts are 100% completely loyal to one particular brand, for instance.

It is exactly the very uniqueness of the Ego Assassin product that sets distinguishes them from the competition. While they too will build garments for “everyone from hardcore fetishists to soccer moms”, it is their momentous decision to commit to the superior formula being produced exclusively by Elastica Engineering combined with their own without-peer design and artistic skills that truly will make them (if they aren’t regarded as already) the absolute best in the business. That’s quite an accomplishment in such a relatively short period of time.

Their personal story, about how they came to be as a couple, couldn’t be exactly billed as “typical”. As it happened, they met while doing some modeling work. “My first thought of him was, ‘that boy spends way too much time on his hair.” Slinka said of James with a smile. “I mean, boys don’t wear make-up, right? I wasn’t sure I wanted to date a boy who might spend more time in front of a mirror than I did.” A chance meeting at a fetish event a short time later, some shared beverages and a mutually enjoyable conversation led to the discovery of a mutual interest in fetish wear – and specifically, latex. James, who had for years been employed as a professional artist in some capacity, was given the task of making his new lady-love a “one of a kind rubber dress” in the way of a somewhat playful challenge from Slinka herself. Little at that time did either of them realize that a white latex one-piece dress that featured a large “handcuffs” motif across the chest area would quickly lead them both toward the design adventure of their young lives. “It was really quite crude compared to what we’re doing now,” Slinka laughed. “But I wore that dress until it was eventually no longer recognizable as ‘white’, and it was falling apart.”

The white “Handcuff Dress”, as they called it, garnered a tremendous amount of attention at the huge annual Northbound Leather fetish extravaganza that year. “So many people were asking us ‘wherever did we find that dress,” James said. When fellow revelers were informed that James had, in fact, crafted the dress himself, the requests for product started coming immediately. “We even took a couple of orders while out on the dance floor,” he said. That fateful Northbound Leather event (titled, somewhat appropriately ‘Climax’) was five years ago. Ego Assassin, for all intents and purposes, has therefore been “in business” for a little less than five years.

Both James and Slinka credit the immensely popular and respected “Fetish Diva” Midori and Toronto promoter extraordinaire Craig Galbraith of Subspace and Torture Garden fame with being amongst their first true champions of their work. “In the first few years, there wasn’t a real lot of interest in us, especially in our own back yard,” James said. “But thanks to word of mouth from Midori and Craig especially, we really started to develop a loyal following and customer base.”

The quality of their product line has obviously and dramatically improved. Some of their more popular pieces – printed tops, their in-demand “Reverend” Bondage Skirts and a variety of mind-boggling dresses – have garnered attention in some very high profile camps. Their designs have been featured prominently in the Japanese edition of Vogue (Vogue Homme) magazine, and thanks to the enthusiastic endorsements of an admired and in-demand fashion stylist named Nicola Formichetti and the highly-respected fashion photographer Stephen Klein, orders have been placed for no less a talent than Lady Gaga for product that was to be seen in one of her over-the-top popular music videos (Bad Romance). Some of the Ego Assassin pieces were even targeted for use in some of Lady Gaga’s live stage performances.

Good stories about good, talented people usually end with a typically cliché commentary about the past. It cannot be said, though, that “the rest is history” in this particular instance: Ego Assassin is still revolutionizing the latex fashion industry and have started making history. You’ll be hearing about them for a long, long time to come.

Kardynyl SynysTyr

(All Photographs courtesy of Ego Assassin)

Ah, can there be a more sensual and gentle envelopment of sheer intoxication … and ecstasy …than that which comes exotically wrapped within an alluring kiss of latex?

Within the past few weeks, there has been a curious growth in the selection of new on-line forums devoted to all things latex, and across numerous related websites. One very popular website in particular, the wildly-successful and enthusiastically supported Fet Life (as the prime example), saw the formulation of a straight-forward “Where to Buy Latex?” discussion group. Within mere minutes, the group was populated with latex lovers from every metaphorical corner of our globe; each one with a timely and topical suggestion where (within their respective areas), an enthusiast may actually purchase their finest and favored rubber trappings. It should not come as a surprise to any that many of the “known” names in the fetish supply and demand business – Polymorph, Libidex, House of Harlot, Vex, etc. – were undoubtedly mentioned and appropriately vetted. Invariably, a great many of the postings tended to direct adamant potential customers to online aggregators (such as eBay, as the best example) rather than to the individual designer/manufacturer and their respective websites. In short, it wasn’t the brand per se that the enthusiastic forum writers were championing, as much as it was the individual styles and pieces themselves.

In other words, it didn’t seem to matter which manufacturer a particular latex catsuit may come from: it mattered more what selection of colors were available, and particularly, what the cost was.

There is a strange relationship between latex enthusiasts and rubber garment designers and manufacturers. Some die-hard rubberists will forever swear that one particular designer or design house is “without question” the best bang for their hard-earned buck and simply won’t spend their money anywhere else; while another clear across the continent (or ocean, for that matter) another equally anxious purchaser is far more concerned about availability.

Enter, if you will, and with apologies to Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander, a self-described “latex salesman.”

He is perhaps best-known in latex circles as the Mad Scientist. Working in close conjunction with his long-term partner in life, and in enterprise (an absolutely brilliant-minded and drop-dead-fetish-model-gorgeous beauty by the name of Archean), he has managed to create not one, but three successful enterprises which feature and utilize the sensual sap of everyone’s favorite fetish tree (that’s ‘rubber’, in case you’re not quite keeping up with our tour).  Within the time frame of only the past twenty months or so, they have managed to not only have founded the corporate entities known as Elastica Engineering, Sheet Latex.Com and Kink Engineering – but have managed to gain a solid, loyal and extremely enthusiastic customer base. They’ve managed to garner and win the respect of these rubber enthusiasts (and we all know latex fetishists can be a potentially finicky lot) without having to design a single garment.

You see, Mad Scientist and Archean work on the industrial side of things. They’re suppliers – of some of the most innovative, durable, colorful, versatile and coveted natural rubber materials that the wide world of all things “fetish” has ever seen. Their business model is simple enough to understand: Elastica Engineering is the development and production (and major) component of their business and Sheet Latex.Com is the order fulfillment component. What about Kink Engineering, you ask? Patience: we’ll get to that very soon. You won’t be disappointed.

It would do them a serious injustice to give away even a single one of their trade secrets: but suffice to say both Mad Scientist and Archean come from actual engineering backgrounds, and both are directly responsible for the “recipe” which makes their sheet latex product unique, and dare it be argued superior, to all other similar products currently available. An example: during an in-person demonstration of the resiliency of their product line, a single 6” swatch of astonishingly translucent sheet latex (“If you can’t read a newspaper through it, we don’t want it”, Archean told us with a confident smile) was stretched, before our eyes, to a length of at least four feet – and could have been stretched farther still before encountering a catastrophic ripping point.

Over the years, these eyes have seen a lot – an awful lot– of latex. Not once have I encountered latex with quite the sheer strength, and mind-boggling flexibility, of the Elastica Engineering product. My beloved partner in this life and I happen to own quite a few pieces of latex wear that are easily thirty years old – and strong enough to have been stitched and sewn together rather than traditionally glued. It is my opinion that the product we saw demonstrated for us this past week is far, far stronger.

“We really try to give (our manufacturing partner) a continuous challenge,” Mad Scientist said, “so that we can equally continue to introduce, and evolve, new products.”

In truth, Mad Scientist is being far too modest when he describes himself as a simple “latex salesman”. In essence, what he and Archean have managed to do is enter into an enviable partnership with an Asian resource and manufacturer in which the formula which makes the material so strong was co-developed through a (sometimes painful and relatively agreeable) communication process. One of their biggest supporters, and best customers, is the Toronto, Ontario design house Ego Assassin, a rapidly up-and-coming serious and heavy “player” to the latex garment game in North America. According to Mad Scientist, “it isn’t a coincidence” that admiration for Ego Assassin designs, and subsequent orders, have increased significantly since supplier-and-designer entered into agreement with each other. “It’s a symbiotic relationship, like any good marriage,” Mad Scientist said. “We’re both trying to help each other out when we can. That leads to increased orders (for both) at the same time.”

“Ego Assassin was the ‘missing link’ for us in our construction process. We took their excellent introductory course on latex construction – and they worked closely with us to provide us the education and skills necessary to perfect our own process.” (Author’s Note: You’ll be hearing much more about Ego Assassin in the weeks leading up to the spring and summer Fetish wear ‘Season’!) One of the new products being offered by Elastica Engineering, developed with the aid of Ego Assassin, is a “Do It Yourself” latex craft kit, in which the buyer receives all the tools necessary in order to craft their own small latex garments or “toys”. “It’s not enough to give you the expertise to make a latex dress,” Mad Scientist said. “But it’s more than enough to give you a taste.”

However, there are and never will be plans to go head-to-head with their appreciated and revered clientele. “It’s our interest to do more of the bondage-crafting and supply side (of the latex business). Ego Assassin is the master of the runway and we will keep a strict ‘no-compete’ policy with them,” Mad Scientist said.

If it was the garment supply-side alone that was so enormously ground-breaking and successful, that unto itself could end the story here on a satisfactory and appropriate note. But wait … there’s more!

Both Mad Scientist and Archean are self-described “obsessive innovators” (really, can anyone think of a better definition of the professionals known as ‘Engineers?’). This brings us, of course, to the Kink Engineering side of their enterprise. One might make a persuasive argument that Kink Engineering was created out of need: Both Mad Scientist and Archean had more than just a casual appreciation and interest in somewhat more ‘extreme’ methods of restraint, and both are simply observant and intelligent enough to recognize a potentially lucrative supply-and-demand trend.

One of the most recently popular and in-demand prototypical bondage apparatus devices introduced within the past decade or so has been the full-latex enclosure simply called the “Vacuum Bed”, or “Vac Bed” in short. For the uninitiated, a “Vac Bed” could best be described as one of those vacuum “food saver” or “space saver” devices you see featured on popular cooking shows, or during late-night infomercials on television. Naturally, “Vac Beds” are built on a much larger scale and are designed to keep humans (rather than carrots and cabbage or unused blankets and linens) in a stringent state of bondage. The premise of the apparatus is simple enough: Entice a willing man or woman (or even both) to “slip between the sheets” of latex that are attached to a specially-constructed vacuum frame; affix your basic, hardware-store variety home vacuum cleaners’ suction hose to a valve attached to the specialized frame of the vacuum bed, flick the “on” switch – and watch complete immobilization ensue.

One of the standard problems with most Vac Beds has been in trying to discover a fool-proof way in which to keep the seal absolutely tight, all around the frame, to prevent inevitable air leaks – and therefore sometimes a disappointing and early end to a fascinating yet somewhat scary complete bondage experience. Naturally, with the strength of the sheet latex being developed by Elastica Engineering combined with a deep appreciation (can we possibly even declare a ‘fetish’ for?) Vacuum Bed restraint systems, it was a natural progression for Mad Scientist to move towards designing his own. Like most trained engineering professionals, he and Archean weren’t content just to follow a basic, standard pattern pioneered by others. He wanted to create a superior product with superior materials – and Elastica Engineering’s sheet latex products, naturally, were to be the focal point. While they admit their first efforts weren’t entirely and exactly what they’d “hoped for” in the way of perfection, it didn’t take them very long to work out the kinks (you’ll pardon the play on words, of course). They demonstrated their first fully-functional Vac Bed not too long after, and waited someone nervously for their first orders. “Our first sales model for the Vac Beds saw us selling five (units) in the first year,” Archean said with a very satisfied sigh and a smile. “We actually sold twenty-five.”

“That first Vac Bed we built – we can admit it – it was a mess, the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen,” Archean said, noting it still occupies somewhat of a hallowed place within their work space. “But we worked at it, almost non-stop – and we got better.”

Since then, Kink Engineering has expanded their Vac Bed product line to include tongue-wagging, incredibly sensual 3-D versions of their Vac Bed system. “Really, we initially just wanted to tweak the old, standard initial design,” Mad Scientist said. “Our main focus was to solve the air leakage problem, and we managed to do that early on in the process. Like our sheet latex product line, our Vac Beds have evolved: Ours are more bondage intensive, they provide a better play experience.” Kink Engineering Vac Beds now come in a variety of style, colors and degrees of translucence.

We could end our tour right here, with a full and bittersweet telling of how Mad Scientist and Archean met, fell in love and eventually strode into a brave new business world together, hand in hand and heads held high with eternal optimism. But wait! That’s not all! There’s still more!

The engineering twosome have introduced a custom-crafted line of hand-decorated, “Fashion Gas Masks” (Your Humble Narrator calls them ‘Fash Masks’ for brevity). The mask itself is based on two different styles of somewhat popular, but older, European industrial gas mask designs – but it’s what they do to them artistically that sets them apart from similar “custom offerings”. Each “Fash Mask” is a one of a kind creation: whether a customer has a deep interest in a spiked, old-school punk or Goth style, or leans more towards more of the Steampunk aesthetic, Mad Scientist and Archean can assure each customer a one-of-a-kind, wearable piece of industrial-age art that is sure to provide the buyer years of deep satisfaction, and admirable peer recognition, at any fetish event they may attend while wearing one.

Any of the products outlined in this tome are available for order directly from Sheet Latex.Com and Kink Engineering. Other projects currently in development include an interesting (and needed) online blog and “how to” guide being created by Archean. “There are lots of people who would love to buy a latex catsuit,” she said. “But you might be surprised at how many people actually don’t know how to get one fitted, let alone get one on, properly. We’d like to be able to help with that, get more people interested in latex. Rubber really shouldn’t, and doesn’t need to be, so intimidating to people.” Part of her online education plans also include advice (“A distinct advantage when coming from a woman,” Archean said) on how partners can “cross that communication bridge” and appropriately inform their partners of a developing interest in latex wear.

“You just can’t look bad in a latex catsuit,” she said. “It’s all about fit: Everyone can ‘rock’ a properly-fitted rubber catsuit. They’re absolutely beautiful!”

(Photos courtesy of Kink Engineering and Lord Morpheus)

She came, like so many have before her, literally unannounced and figuratively, out of the blue. A somewhat strangely timed and happenstance encounter during a large Fetish convention (ShibariCon in Chicago) was the catalyst that propelled this diminutive, gregarious and energetic flower to indeed (and you’ll excuse the gardenistic superlatives), bloom. A scant ten months ago, no-one had ever heard of her. Now, she is on the verge of becoming the next great, “in demand” rope bondage artist of our time.

There is little doubt that the majority of you have definitely seen her work – if you are an admirer of all things bondage. Her photos have been copied, traded and pasted on Fetish-related websites, and social media websites, for months now. What she does certainly isn’t unusual itself by any means: other, more notable names have published books and self-promoted themselves ad nauseum regarding the artistry inherent to any form of rope bondage. Other notable, high profile fetish personalities have specialized in publishing works that brought the seductive, nearly-meditative and specialized qualities associated with Japanese rope bondage to the forefront of our attentions. But what this particular fresh and aforementioned new sensation does within the realm of rope bondage enthusiasts is, truly, very unique: she does it to herself. While she is an accomplished and self-described “rope top” in her own right, she usually isn’t known for having a willing subject to secure and “have fly” for an appreciative audience. Other self-bondage artists have come before her, to be sure – but few (if any) have displayed the technical expertise; the intense, artistic raw beauty of both her performance itself and the finished “package” (when she has completed suspending herself); and the jaw-dropping speed in which she manages to safely display her sleek, bound feminine form.

We are discussing a beautiful young lady who is known in artistic bondage circles as none other than Lotuslily. She has already developed a massive following across the United States and Canada, and is starting to gain significant attention from our “stodgier than thou” cousins in Europe and Asia. While it is certainly true that Lotuslily has (inadvertantly and without intention) ruffled certain members of the “bondage establishment’s” feathers, it is equally true that noted Masters in the artform, including no less an authority than “M” from the revered Demonsix Group (himself a student of the incomparable Master “K”), has described her efforts as “very promising work here, (with) great aesthetic and design.” “M” has encouraged Lotuslily to ”continue working with Kinbaku” and that her “work is looking like some of the most promising work I have seen in North America in a long time.”

(Author’s Note: There is a common and wrong perception that the word Shibari is the term for Japanese rope bondage. It’s not: The actual term is Kinbaku, which in Japanese literally means “erotic bondage”. The word Shibari, like almost all misappropriated terminologies in our lifestyle, caught on in the 1990′s due to an error in translation on some rope enthusiast early websites and such, and has been propogated as accepted fact – even amongst gigantic trade show organizers. Shibari, in Japanese and in current context, literally means “to tie” – but it refers to a certain tie that is used when using twine or string to artfully tie up packages. While technically Shibari could be  loosely interpreted as being associated with tying up people, to the purist it isn’t correct. Just because it’s become part of the modern lexicon still doesn’t make it “accurate”. The correct and appropriate term for Japanese Erotic Bondage is, and forever shall be, Kinbaku.)

Her meteroric rise to prominence began innocently enough. As a child, she professes to have had a somewhat obsessive  fascination with puzzles. It became a tradition during gift-giving seasons to always ensure that she had a puzzle or two to ponder – and she would sit endlessly, hours upon hours (“except for eating and sleeping”, she said) until she managed to solve and complete the puzzle. Naturally, as she grew to maturity, so did the complexity of the puzzles she loved to tackle. Smaller, hand-held puzzles gave way to larger, table-top monstrosities – the completed 3-D statue and landmark versions began to fill every shelf in the family home – and she was fascinated at the intricacies by which each precision piece was cut in and placed in order to form a seamless work of art. She also appreciated the fact that viewing the Cathedral of Notre Dame, for instance, even in puzzle form, from different angles and perspectives held a breathtaking beauty all of its own.

Her exploration with Japanese bondage, in her own words, began as a somewhat natural extension of both the beauty of the puzzle itself, and the beauty of the completed product. “I’ve moved from static pieces and models to beautiful, living, pieces of art,” she said. “Flesh and rope have replaced cardboard and foam. I can ‘see’ the final vision in the piece I am working towards.” Self-bondage was not where Lotuslily (and you’ll pardon the obvious), “learned the ropes”. She found a simple and “great joy” in being initially bound by expert partners. In her own words, the experience of being bound for pleasure was “incredibly powerful.”

She soon found, however, that in order to grow and be true to the aesthetic that she had quickly come to embrace, if she wanted to give her art to the en mass fetish world, she would need to do one (or both) of two things: she would need to show her skill and talent by tying and suspending willing subjects, or she would need to tie and suspend herself. She chose to do both – and while her skills as a bondage “top” are formidable and are more than enough to satiate the desires of a crowd of curious onlookers, it is in her self-bondage performances where Lotuslily really produces mesmorizing performances. In essence, her body is a blank canvas, her jute rope her brushes, and the entire performance space her stark canvas.

There is no way to adequately provide a justifiable description of just how … beautiful … it is to watch Lotuslily craft one of her self-suspension Kinbaku performances. When she quietly entered the public performance scene just a few short months ago, she immediately began to turn heads. Small, impromptu “demonstrations” at Fetish Nights evolved into more organized, full-scale “happenings” (she was undeniably the “hit” of the Everything To Do With Sex Show, a huge three-day, fun-filled convention surrounding our “favorite physical pastime”, in both Toronto, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia) where turned heads gave way to dropped jaws, popping eyes and ultimately stunned, appreciative, silent and absolute respectful awe for what the massive audiences had just viewed unfolding before them.

To try to put into mere words the beauty, power and magic that is on display when Lotuslily performs one of her self-bondage routines would not be enough to do the lady, and her artform, justice. Sometimes, no matter how talented the wordsmith, there just aren’t enough combinations of vowels and consonants stringed together that could adequately describe just how incredibly mind-blowing it is to watch her perform. It isn’t just the procedure of wrapping the rope and tying the various knots that she uses to “fly” for her spellbound crowd: it’s the speed in which she does so. Watching Lotuslily perform is part aerial ballet (think Cirque du Soleil); part meticulous engineering (there is an absolute beauty in suspension bridges, is there not? Same thing here.); and part pure athletic expression (she might put some Olympic gymnasts to shame, in how effortless and seamless her movements are). In short, in order to get a full appreciation of what sets Lotuslily apart from all the bondage artists who have come and gone before her, you simply have to see her art.

“I cannot find words that truly capture what I feel when I tie myself,” Lotuslily said. “I’m told that it’s peaceful to watch. I suppose in some senses, I find myself in a meditative state. I rarely think of much else other than the technical parts of the ties. But increasing practice brings muscle memory to my fingers, and technicality is of less importance. I often recall precious moments, partners, loves, and smile softly at the moments. Occasionally, I’m so overwhelmed with emotion that it brings tears to my eyes.”

Kardynyl SynysTyr

(Those in the Southern Ontario region can see Lotuslily perform at the Northbound Leather 20th Anniversary Event, at Club Revival, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Saturday, February 20th, 2010. Tickets are available through Northbound Leather and at the door.)

Erik von Gutenberg recommends Erotic Signature as already reported in the last issue of VON GUTENBERG MAGAZINE.

Erotic Signature is one of the leading publishers for beautiful and sensual art books. This event is
the release party for their 3rd annual publication entitled: “The World’s Greatest Erotic Art of Today” featuring over 200 beautiful artworks and sexy photography from all over the world (28 countries are included in the book).

In association with LIFE IS ART (http://www.lifeisartfest.org/) and the HOT JAM ENTERTAINMENT’s sexy dancers, expect an erotically charged night filled with Live Art, Bodypainting, Shibari demonstration (Rope Suspension), Shadow Dancing, Sexy Burlesque and Belly Dancing, sensual visuals for a sensory overload, an extremely sexy and uninhibited crowd, and much more…

Dresscode: Upscale, Sexy and Chic
Attitude: Debonair and Laisser-Faire
Live Painting by Kahra Keasling; Dianne Romero Buitrago; and Michael Diaz
Music by Joe Marella
Shibari Artist Deiter
Sexy Theatrical shows by Pamela Canellas and the Hot Jam Dancers
Sensual artistic visuals by EroticSignature.com

LA FETE EROTIQUE
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2010 @ MI-VI
901 S. Federal Hwy. (NE 213 St. and Biscayne Blvd) Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 www.mi6ent.com

FREE ADMISSION BEFORE MIDNIGHT!!!
(Just mention that you are attending the sexy art party)
RSVP/VIP table: fritze@prodigy.net  -  Tel: 305.375.8040

For some reason, this time of year (St. Valentine’s Day), for one reason or another, almost always seems to be less of a love-fest and more of a “massacre.” Misfortune does seem to happen – and with a vengeance – to couples, and right around this time of year. Personally speaking and also speaking from personal past experience, February 14^th is usually the day pinpointed as the exact date in which couples realize they are never going to be able to  “grow old” with the person sitting right across from them. Men and woman seem to go through a staged piece of “performance art” in an empty show of affections towards their partners – because it’s the “expected” thing to do. The truth is, this vacuous and near-meaningless day, except to those who believe the day is simply for an exchange of bright red cards and candies (namely children), unfortunately for a lot of couples is more a realization that “this isn’t going to work” than an affirmation of “forever in love.” 

Think about it: how many couples have you known whose relationships have fallen apart either on, or shortly before, St. Valentine’s Day? Isn’t it somewhat of a sick, twisted bit of irony that the patron saint (and his patron calendar day) devoted entirely to the notion of “love everlasting” is, statistically at least, merely a stale and staged, obligatory and nearly-catatonic, expressionless and passionless reciting of poetry, flowery speech and near-robotic like handing over of the aforementioned cards and chocolate hearts? Isn’t it true this is how we’ve collectively all been “programmed” since we first exchanged crude, paper hearts in our Grade School classes with the cute little red-haired boy or girl that sat right next to you?

Where’s the truth behind this “Love Business”? And indeed, it is a “business” – a booming one. Valentine’s Day festivities are the second highest average of disposable income expenditures, per person, of any secular Holiday (Christmas is the first, naturally). That’s a lot of diamond rings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets. Is that what “love” is all about? Is this what St. Valentine had in mind? Who the hell was St. Valentine in the first place?

Oh, wait: “Valentine” was the name of several martyrs who died vicious, horrific deaths; none of which are associated with “love” in any fashion. While that unto itself might be somewhat considered “Cosmic Righteous Karma” (when taking into account our earlier discussion), what’s the real deal with this whole “love” thing then, huh? What’s the real story behind the red hearts and those that are so essential to February 14^th?

You’d best be prepared for a bit of a shock, gentle readers: St. Valentine’s Day actually has its genesis in the one thing that is very near and dear to our little candy-red hearts: Fetishes. Specifically leathers, feathers, furs, whips and yes – even blood.

See, there is one thing that evolving religions (most notably Christianity) always have done very well: they “borrow”, adapt or outright just steal festivals that are popular to the mass population of the particular time period, give it a “wash” in the waters of acceptable recent doctrine, and mold and shape it (sometimes with force) into what amounts to the exact same festival but with a new spiritual focus. It’s a really good way to keep control of your population, after all: give the people their gods and goddesses, keep their flagons filled at the festivals with wine and ale and encourage a little “letting loose” every so often, and they’ll be quite content and happy. In Roman times, that usually meant if you were a Senator, Governor or Consul and responsible for any segment of the population’s collective happiness, the best way to keep your head on your shoulders, and not have it severed by any number of opportunistic political assassins, was to give the populace what they wanted.

The populace wanted Festivals. Specifically, they wanted festivals that involved wine, food, open-air spectacles, games, – and, of course, sex. The February Festival of Lupercalia was regarded as “beginning of the fertility period” of both the Earth, and (of course) women. The Lupercal (“Wolf’s Den”) is the cave within the Second of Rome’s legendary Seven Hills in which the babies Romulus and Remus (the mythical founders of Rome) were suckled by a “Capitoline She Wolf” – and therefore the inference is that the Romans are celebrating not only the very reproductive re-birth and nurturing of the Earth (the beginning of another harvest season cycle), but they were celebrating the very genesis of Rome itself.

Without going into long, long detail about the carnage and carnality that this particular Festival ultimately became infamous for (no less an exceptional ancient chronicler than Pliny the Elder has graphically described many Lupercalia rites and rituals), it must be said that Lupercalia was all about excess. Some of the festivities included the sacrificing of livestock (usually goats) and engaging in head-to-toe “body painting” in the blood; extreme indulgence in wine and strawberries (more about them a little later); and an insatiable appetite for sexual release and pleasure. Lupercalia was, after all, the start of the fertility cycle in Roman eyes, and stimulation was absolutely essential to the long-term success of the crops in the field and the (leather) crops in the hands of noble farmers seeking approval from the gods and goddesses for good health, good fortune and especially great “fertility.”

What seems to be the most revered Ritual of Lupercalia, (certainly the most written about) featured scores of women lining the streets of Rome, backsides turned street side, in the hopes that one of the Luperci (the acting “High Priests”, a mostly ceremonial but much-desired role amongst the noble farmers), dressed in ritual goatskin leather garments and covered in blood, would bless them with a hard strike from one of these leather “crops” (which actually are long whips with double-tailed extensions, but sporting a very long, riding crop-like handle). These leather “crops” were called februa – and each woman who was selected by the passing throng of noble farmer-priests, all day long and throughout the Seven Hills of that ancient capital, to receive whip strokes felt that they had been purified by the pain, and their future ability to reproduce was assured (if not immediately realized) for another year at least. In case you’re wondering, the month of February actually does derive its name from these ritualistic leather crops/whips. The Romans had a deep, deep seeded belief that being whipped was purifying (kind of like pushing a yearly “Sexual Reset button”), and the women who lined the streets and offered their bodies up to be whipped would, at times, injure themselves in the fight for the Luperci’s attentions. The februa, the idea that pain is purifying and the idea of atonement for past behavior (“sins”) are some of the more popular “borrowings” from Lupercalia that found their way into aspects of the Christian church. The februa has been replaced by the scourge; purifying and painful atonement has evolved into “confession”, etc. You get the picture, I am quite certain.

The Feast of Valentine was (and still is) a direct adaptation from the Roman Lupercalia. In other words, a far more sanitized and Christian-friendly version of the wine, whips and love fest – you get the idea – that the Roman mass populace (Christian or not) still so loved. How did we get from a Roman Pagan Wine, Whips and Sex Fest to shy lovers exchanging simple cards, flowers and if they’re lucky, something sweet and chocolate to suckle on?

During the early Christian Rome era, the first so-called “Christian Emperor” – Constantine, who actually was a devotee of the god Apollo his entire life and was only converted to Christianity on his deathbed – knew that this strange, secular new faith was sweeping through Roman streets and towns with no sign of waning in influence, or popularity. Constantine was a smart enough man to know that in order to consolidate Rome’s power, the entire Empire needed to be united under a single faith. Contrary to what many modern Christians believe, a previous Emperor named Galerius was the first to actually decriminalize and issue an Edict of Tolerance in regards to Christianity. The edict allowed the public the right to practice the Christian faith openly if they so chose to. What it did not allow was Christians to own land – let alone have churches built.

What Constantine did, in regards to the Edict of Tolerance, was extraordinary: He simply issued an edict of his own (The Edict of Milan) that afforded the early Christians the exact same rights and privileges as every other citizen of the Empire. He also actively encouraged the early church to build – and is solely responsible for donating the land in which Vatican City now occupies. Simply put, Constantine was a very smart man: he saw that the followers of Christ were dramatically on the rise, and the followers of the old gods and goddesses were dramatically in decline. His decision to unite the Empire under the Christian banner was not fashioned from any shard of faith in the “new religion” in the slightest. It was a political necessity in order to satiate and mollify the growing masses of Romans being converted, and therefore avert any future Civil Wars. To quote author Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code): “He simply backed the winning horse.”

More to the point of our story, Constantine brilliantly managed to solve a major, dividing dilemma: How to merge the old Pagan gods and goddess traditions with the newly sanctioned, official “state” religion of Christianity? His plan was surprisingly simple: He “created” a heroic and martyred figure and named him Valentinius (no doubt, the Romans being meticulous record keepers, pulled from the pages of at least one Roman Annual), and acclaimed this new figure a true, devout follower of Jesus Christ who had perished in the act of spreading the testaments. Conveniently, Valentinius (the name means “Valiant Man”) was given the title “Sanctus Situ” – “Elected of Saints”, the very first Christian Saint thus recognized (St. Peter’s sainthood came much, much later), and was made the patron saint of “the acts needed to insure the successful harvest.”

It was a bold and absolutely brilliant – but transparent – move. The Romans of the day, it is quite certain, were bemused by this decreed new “sacred figure” who wasn’t quite a god, but was still more miraculous (in death, at least) than the common man. “Valentinius” was tolerated as the central figure of the new Lupercalia for a generation or two, simply because the people had been allowed to carry on their beloved “sex festival; and all legally and with the very approval of the new Christian lawmakers. As what was expected to happen, Valentinius “himself” eventually started to drew “admirers”, and within a few short decades this convenient, invented and expedient new champion of Christianity went from being an amalgamation of several martyred figures (who carried the Valentinius name) into being proclaimed the only “Saint Valentine” at the Council of Nicaea (the very Council that, in essence, “elected” Jesus Christ as “The Divine Manifestation of God in Human Form”). St. Valentine was “awarded” a Feast in his honor (February 14^thin our modern Gregorian calendars), and it wasn’t until the start of the Dark Ages that “The Feast of St. Valentine” had its sensuality and excess turned down, just a tad. Naturally, everything related to sex and pleasure at the start of the Dark Ages more or less ceased to exist – insofar as mass public displays were concerned. Upon penalty of imprisonment, or worse, the goatskins, wine and whips were all quietly phased out of the celebration … But not the strawberries. The bright red fruit, the clergy allowed the masses to have.

It was believed that strawberries were a powerful aphrodisiac (aren’t they still?), and strawberries were consumed in mass quantities during Lupercalia (remember that whole “fertility” schpiel?). The strawberry was considered so potent and divine a magic, Romans cut the strawberries in half and shared it with their partners. Take a look at a sliced piece of strawberry one day: what do you notice? It kind of looks like a Valentine’s Day “heart”, doesn’t it? There are other stories, no doubt somewhat based in fact, that “red hearts” were actually a simple graphic representation of a woman’s bottom, as seen from the back and if she happens to be bending over at nearly a 90 degree angle. Both explanations have an air of truth about them, and now you know where that particular piece of beloved graphic Valentines imagery stems from.

Why am I sputtering all this nonsense about Valentines, Pagan lust festivals and mutli-seeded red fruit, I can hear you asking?

Easy! My beloved Lady J has been away and is coming home from the East Coast this week. For me, the Feast of St. Valentine, the Lupercalia, St. Valentine’s Day, whatever you choose to call it, is an opportunity to express my deepest affections, highest respects, worshipful esteem and … True Love … to the woman who has given me her hand. In my eyes, the whole world may know just how honored and grateful I am to even be allowed to hold said hand – and in the spirit of those who “Love”, it seemed appropriate to give a brief rundown of Fetish and Kink’s rightful mention as the true genesis of this “Day of Love”.

I do need to go, now though. I need to run down to the local grocery store and pick up about seventeen pounds of strawberries.

Erik von Gutenberg recommends Cathouse Clothing!

We visit one of the UK’s most famous fetish showrooms, Cathouse Clothing, as the owner, Caroline, discusses the awesome outfits they make, the sexy fashion shows they’ve put on and Burlesque models Miss Cissy P and Mimi Demure show off some gorgeous latex outfits.

Again the Von Gutenberg Fetish Ball presented ELEGANCE and cutting edge performances.  STILETTO HEELS, CORSETS  and SKIN TIGHT  LATEX provided the incredibly delicious eye candy for all to enjoy! The Energy and Sexuality of Rubberdoll’s performance left the attendees astonished and Hillary’s Vanity showed top Fetish & Gothic fashion after midnight! International DJ’s Xris SMack, Netik and Shatter rocked the crowd in the supper club in San Francisco! San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York are the 3 major fantasy party cities in the US! Welcome back San Francisco! Wishing everybody a Naughty Christmas!

For March 2010 check out our site and enjoy 3 days of fashion, fantasy and lifestyle in the bay area San Francisco, California:

http://www.vongutenbergfetishball.com

Erik von Gutenberg recommends the book FETISH FASHION FANTASY of Mercedes & Gen.

The World of Mercedes and Gen: They used to copy fetish icons such as Emma Peel, but today have become icons themselves. When Mercedes & Gen from America show up on an event, they immediately are the centre of attention. No other pair can dress up in a wardrobe of such extravagant complexity and bizarre, almost overloaded fantasy. However, few have been so lucky to see those elaborate outfits live. „Fetish Fantasy Fashion“, which finally disclosed the amazing contents of their fetish closets, it’s a 160-page proof of ingenuity and craftsmanship. Mercedes and Gen have choreographed a costume ball, a feast for fetish eyes. If you look at the amazing images long enough, you’re drawn into their parallel universe of fantasy, where vampires meet raptors, and a soldier falls in love with a wildcat…

Please find here the book for sales in the Marquis America shop:

http://www.marquisamerica.com/catalog/index.php

Erik von Gutenberg recomends the Art Show from Mickey!

I am featured artist for the traveling art show CANNIBAL FLOWER, curated by LC, Valentine, Michele Waterman and crew.

the show is held in new location somewhere in or around Culver City.

5797 Washington Blvd.
CA, 90034Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Miltenberg, Chris Peters, Chet Zar, Mear One, Alex Garcia, Ekundayo, Paul Chatem, Dabs and Myla, Nate Seubert, Craig “Skibs” Barker, Tiki Jay One, Liz Brizzi, Joe Bravo, Brian Robertson, Michael Pukac, L. Croskey, Erick Rodriguez, Delphia, Anton Godard, Donna Louise Seron, Katherine Siy, Nicole Bruckman, Macsorro, Salah, John P. Wales, Shay Davis, Paul Torres, Patrick Hammerlein, Kyle Harper, Shahid Brown, Michele Waterman, Emiliana Henriquez, Andre Ajibade, Matt Rae, Terri Berman, Douglas Alvarez, Carlos Ulloa, Eban Lehrer, General All, A. Laura Brody, Richard Arthur, Kelly Thompson, Stephen Canthal, Taslimur, Rebecca Peloquin, Dion Macellari, Brendan Tierney, Rory Gilmore, John Hicks, Ted von Heiland, Anna Chung, Nick Wildermuth, Snow Mack, Emily Scott, David Foto, Mickey M. Edtinger, Sergio D. Robleto, N.S. David, Yuki Miyazaki, Atiba Azikiwe Andrews, Jose Carabes, Cambria, Glenn Arthur, Cate Rangel, Ubaldo Miranda Villa, Greg Yoshitaki, Elizabeth Caffey, Marla Carter, Donna Letterese, Sarah Ramirez, Michelle Cohen Laura Diamond, and more…

9pm – 1am

There will be many more artists besides me, such as

Admission is $8
$6 entrance with a costume

Patrick Icon from C.A.V.E Gallery
DJ Bus Rider

check out Mickey: http://www.mickeyme.com/

Erik von Gutenberg follows the recommendation of Diana Knight!

Lisa M. Hayes is a comic artist who produces superheroine fetish art. Very fun, VERY VERY naughty! This is the latest from Lisa. NIGHT MISTRESS. A character based on your truly. Awesome! Visit Lisa’s blog ULTRAFEM to read the comic, …

Anyone who remembers the original Ultra Fem discussion groups back in 2005-06 will know that Ultra Fem’s sidekick Under Girl is absolutely essential for the series. Can’t have Ultra Fem without Under Girl.

They’ll also remember how much trouble I had with Under Girl. I’ve never had a really clear idea of what Under Girl should look like. She’s always been kind of generic. Ultra Fem, Night Mistress, The Scratch and Big Girl are all very clear in my mind, and I know exactly what I want when I draw them. Even Batboy and Cattail, the other sidekicks, are very firm for me. But Under Girl has escaped me all this time. When it was UG’s turn for a redesign, I didn’t know what to do, so she’s remained on the shelf.

At FetishCon last August, I met a model named Zeek who had a very young look, and I thought I’d try using her as a starting point. It didn’t really work. BUT THEN… while browsing for other stuff a couple of weeks ago, I saw… THIS:

I went, “OH MY GOD!!!! IT’S UNDER GIRL!!!!” I showed these pictures to a friend of mine, and said, “Look! It’s Under Girl!” And she said, “Ooo! Yeah!”

I normally don’t use photos as a base layer for a drawing, but this girl… Jeez, I don’t have to change ANYTHING! I did these tracings to prove my point. SEE?!!

Source: http://dianaknight.blogspot.com/2009/10/new-superheroine-art.html

Local news from SF:

The SF fetish community is abuzz with the news that Wicked Grounds, the city’s first coffee shop and gallery catering specifically to kinksters, opened on September 16th!
http://www.wickedgrounds.com/WG/Home.html

For any business, it’s location, location, location, and at 289 8th St. just off Folsom, Wicked Grounds is at the perfect center of SF kink businesses. Fetish wear giants Stormy Leather/Stockroom, Mr. S and Madame S, and Leather Etc. are all within a block. Alt-porn giant kink.com is just a short walk away at 14th and Mission, as is the beloved community dungeon and playspace SF Citadel at Mission and 9th. A corset fancier visiting Dark Garden might even stroll over from Hayes Valley without breaking a sweat, and settle in for Ritual Coffee or Red Blossom tea.  The cafe features locally produced vegan baked goods and sandwiches as well as milkshakes and waffles. Kinksters gearing up for a night of play at Citadel can now be seen powering up on snacks and playing boardgames, while admiring the artwork on the pale cream walls. The first Wicked Grounds art show is of photographs by celebrity bondage artist Lochai; the next show is by yours truly, Suzanne Forbes.

Here’s something really exciting in fetish art news: the second annual Art Undressed erotic art exposition on 1446 E. Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles, the cornerstone of the LA International Erotic Art Weekend!

http://www.artundressed.net/

It sounds like LA is the place to be this weekend if you’re interested in erotic art!
Opening Thursday, September 10th at 6 PM and continuing to Saturday September 12th at 2 AM, the three day event features award winning erotic art, live music, fashion shows, a body painting at competition, and other live entertainment. On Saturday, the last day of the exposition, there will be a costume party, themed The Good, The Bad, and The Kinky, where attendees are asked to show their true selves with no reservation while representing the entire spectrum from innocent to down right deviant. A mere $15 gets you access to the world’s best erotic art from all ages including paintings, sculptures, photographs and more.

 

A few short years ago, a young fellow living in Toronto started hosting small-scale get-togethers (with a fetish theme, of course) at his modest home. It didn’t take very long – one event, actually – for that man to realize he was going to need a bigger space if he wanted to continue to try and host an event that would bring friends and other like-minded people together. So, this young man – who has never used a “scene” moniker and is known simply as “Craig” (or “Craiger”, to his friends) – on the advice of some close compatriots decided to take his house gatherings and make them a little larger in order to accomodate the demand he was getting from people wishing to attend one of his off-the-scale fun gatherings.

Thus was the first Subspace event created in Toronto – and that event has continued to be a major draw for both young and impressionable, and old and experienced, SM practitioners for quite some time.

But Craig soon found he was running into the same old problem: The demand and desire for attendance at the Subspace event was just getting too overwhelming. When asked what the solution was, Craig responded to his closest confidants in the only way he really could: “We need a bigger house.”

Without going into a major history of Subspace, suffice to say that the eventual result from the demand for more and more space – and larger attendance – led Craig to cross paths with Alan Pelling and David Wood, the original founders and facilitators who created London’s revolutionary Torture Garden club concept. While the “franchise” had been featured in several European cities from Paris to Moscow and has even made appearances in Tokyo and New York City over the years, Toronto had never really received any serious consideration as a possible host city for the iconic weekend-long event. That is until Craig managed to convince them that Toronto was indeed a perfect choice, and more than a suitable worldly cousin, as the location for the first Canadian iteration of the globe-trekking party machine that has become Torture Garden “International”.

So where do we start? Certainly there were superlatives – it goes without saying the costumes, the make-up, the accessories were beyond exemplary, of course and as one would expect at such a gathering – and as with every first-time large scale event, Torture Garden Toronto did indeed have its share of problems. So it would probably be best to speak a little about the downsides to the weekend, and in the spirit of keeping an eye on improvement for next year. So let’s see … the downsides … hmmm … give Your Humble Narrator a few moments to think and I’m sure I’ll come up with at least something of a downside to the weekend …

Truth be told, there really were very few negative things to be “picked on” about Torture Garden Toronto. In the spirit of objectivity, however, it should be said that perhaps the venue chosen (a rather old and somewhat decrepitly adorned relic known as The Opera House) for Saturday night’s main event wasn’t the absolute best possible location for such a staggering event. My life mate and loving partner in this life, the incomparable Lady J, didn’t find the venue quite as unwelcoming as I did: and I do have to stress my criticisms here are quite, quite miniscule. Apart from having completely inadequate bathroom facilities; two sets of stairs that would make most amusement park ”Wacky Shack” designers envious (there were more than just a few complaints from the high-heeled and booted party goers about those desperately-in-need-of-repair stairs, believe me); and perhaps maybe a tad too many people crammed into the confines of the old Opera House at the height of the festivities, there really wasn’t anything alarming or glowing wrong that could be pointed out – let alone harped upon. There was an enthusiastic, well-behaved, excited and delectable throng in attendance Saturday night – probably more than even the original Torture Garden founders could anticipate. And I’d heard whispers that Craig was a bit concerned about attendance? He really shouldn’t have worried. Toronto’s fetish community did very well in welcoming not only the event to Canada itself – but also being cordial and helpful to visiting internationals who made the jaunt into our lovely city to partake in the weekend’s festivities.

A point could be made about the abruptness and outright rude comportment of some of the Opera House staff: Craig’s Subspace parties are reknown for excellent staffers providing excellent service, and in the case of Torture Garden Toronto the “usual staff of suspects” were indeed present and were as amazingly friendly and helpful as they ever are. However, in fairness I don’t believe Craig had any control over the Opera House front of house staff or the beverage servers – and they were sometimes brutal. It doesn’t behoove venue staff well when they spend some time showing open contempt and whispering ridiculing remarks about certain guests (and their attire) as they walked through the doors or make snide remarks while pouring guest’s drinks. These incidents were not widespread, though: These were isolated incidents and, frankly, I’m quite sure similar “incidents” happen at nightclubs everywhere on each and every night and occasion. But I have to have something from a “downside” perspective to report on, don’t I?

Conversely, I could go on and on with enthusiastic endorsements of what went right at Torture Garden Toronto. I’ll limit my comments to a few brief highlights, though, for brevity’s sake.

For starters, allow me to say this: Lady J and I were absolutely destroyed and simply not really wanting to venture out into the night for Saturday’s main event. We had spent the better part of the week – and especially the previous two days – trying desperately to finish a move from my beloved little loft apartment into a much larger, more comfortable house-sized dwelling. Without divulging too much information, suffice to say that the move went horrifically wrong at some points – and while we managed to get everything actually done (I’m still trying to figure out how we did it, really), we certainly were in absolutely no shape (let alone positive mind frame) to attend a fetish party, no matter how unique and ground-breaking for Toronto it may have been (and eventually was). Regardless, I had a job to do, and having gotten somewhat closer to Craig in the previous month leading up to Torture Garden Toronto I felt I couldn’t let him down by not giving the event my fullest, professional attention and doing an objective reporting about his selfless and tireless efforts to unleash this somewhat uncertain new venture upon a hungry and fetish-famished, clamouring crowd of Southern Ontario kinky types.

So with heavy eyes and even heavier boot-clad feet, Lady J and I trudged down Queen Street and sidled as non-conspicuously as we could inside the doors of The Opera House and entered the mystifying confines of the Torture Garden. There is only a single thing I can say about that very moment, my friends: We knew the moment the we walked through the front doors that we were in the presence of something very special. There was an undeniable electricity in the air – very different from anything we’d ever experienced before in Toronto – and both Lady J and I were immediately re-energized. We spent the next several hours delighting in the fashion shows  and having our ears drink in voraciously the excellent selection of music (the stage was at a perfect height and visible to all, of course, being an old theatre). We marvelled at the well-designed (and even better maintained and monitored) playspace areas (coyly and brilliantly staged in what would have been the old balcony of the theatre and the old projection/lighting booth behind it) and we gaped in wonder and with excited whispers at the various exhibitions that enveloped the perimeter of the main party and dance floor (we both agreed that we simply must have one of those vacuum benches manufactured for our own lovely new Dungeon!). I wanted to spend some time in discussion with a talented body painter/artist who goes by the name Ark Angel, but she was so incredibly busy she barely had a chance to look up once and take her focus away from the frenzied pace of her amazing work. Her living masterpieces livened up the halls, doorways and vestibules of every corner of The Opera House throughout the evening and certainly provided a certain dramatic flair (and counterpoint to all the leather, latex and PVC for that matter).

While the somewhat expected presence of extreme body piercers, suspension artists and body modification aficiandos (which have become the trademark of any number of Torture Garden photo spreads in any number of fetish-related magazines throughout the years) was indeed sorely lacking, the sheer level of artistry displayed in the costumes and ensembles was certainly shades above the norm usually enjoyed and referred to as “eye candy” by the adoring Toronto fetish crowd. You simply couldn’t turn your head without your eyes being deliciously assaulted by the visage of some ethereal creature that you just couldn’t tear your gaze away from. In that respect, and despite the absence of the “over the top and extreme” practitioners, Torture Garden Toronto certainly compared favourably with, and holds up well when compared to, its European, Asian and American counterparts.

Yes, it is true that there were indeed other events other than the main event on Saturday night. There was a “Meet and Greet” on the Friday evening at the Reverb location (where the Subspace events are generally held every month) that featured an eye-popping performance by a rather risque human circus known as I Was Cured, who contributed an astonishing piercing and suspension display (by all accounts); and there was a closing event on Sunday evening in a much smaller, off the normally-beaten-track nightclub known as Club Neutral. Both of these events, while adequately attended and appreciated by those who came, simply paled in comparison to the grandeur that was the main gathering at The Opera House on Saturday night. Torture Garden Toronto was, quite emphatically, the best gathering of fetish folk – and the best outright party – this regional area has seen since last year’s Northbound Leather annual event (and we are quite certain this year’s Tribe by Northbound in October is going to be one amazing and unforgettable adventure as well). The North East region, and especially Southern Ontario, is becoming quite the in-demand hotbed of activity for fetish-minded folk looking to attend larger and more “upscale” events – and our area is quite fortunate to have mainstays such as Northbound Leather and their excellent array of events appropriately complimented by new, exciting ventures such as Torture Garden.

This coming weekend, the journey continues, as Lady J and I are off to report on the various happenings and events scheduled for the Montreal Fetish Weekend. If any of you dedicated fetish folk will be in Montreal September 4th to 6th, please do stop and say hello – and let us know your thoughts and feedback. It will be a perfect way to close out a truly tremendous summer of undeniable fetish fun. We’ll be celebrating the arrival of Autumn with a fantastic time in Canada’s own version of “The Eternal City”, the beautiful Ville de Montreal – why don’t the lot of you come and celebrate with us?

While you’re at it, why not plan ahead and reserve your spots for Torture Garden Toronto next year? If this initial effort is any kind of indication of the quality of good times to be had by all at future iterations, then next year’s event is certainly best described as a “can’t miss weekend” on your 2010 Summer calendars. I’m certainly more than impressed with this year’s offering …

Kardynyl SynysTyr

(Photos from Torture Garden Toronto will be available for view shortly and upon approval by the event organizers. Photos of Torture Garden courtesy of Torture Garden Toronto website.)

Von Gutenberg fetish blog HIGHLY recommends this gorgeous new book of rare, peculiar and sexy artwork by Joe Shuster, the co-creator of Superman. Learn more about this exceptional work here:

http://secret-identity.net/

Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster showcases rare and recently discovered erotic artwork by the most seminal artist in comics, Joe Shuster. Created in the early 1950s when Shuster was down on his luck after suing his publisher, DC Comics, over the copyright for Superman, he illustrated these images for an obscure series of magazines called “Nights of Horror,” published under the counter until they were banned by the U.S. Senate. Juvenile deliquency, Dr. Fredric Wertham, and the Brooklyn Thrill Killers gang all figure into this sensational story.

Erik von Gutenberg recommends Justice Howard!

Justice Howard is a renowned glamour and celebrity photographer who knows just what she’s doing behind her camera and can make anyone feel comfortable and right at home in front of it.

 

After receiving e-mail after e-mail inquiring how someone can have the chance to work with her, Justice Howard decided to create something that everyone and anyone could be a part of; mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and the list goes on.  She not only created Diva Dolls to make her become more available but created it as an event that happens once a month that wont empty out your bank account. 

What exactly is a Diva Doll Photo Session and how much does it cost?  Well, there are 3 packages to choose from.  The cheapest being the ‘Double Diva’ package, which will cost you $320 if you sign up for a Diva Doll event with a friend.  Otherwise, a regular Diva Doll photo session will cost you $350 and includes hair, make-up, a CD of 150 photos, 2 large 11×14 poster sized prints signed by Justice Howard, 5 of your best photo’s retouched to ‘magazine Cover’ perfection, wardrobe by Isabella’s Corsets, shoes by Jaded Minx, possible inclusion into a popular magazine and possible submission into Justice Howard’s MotorGirl and ChopperDolls calendars.  If you would like more included within your session and more time devoted to just you, then you can choose to do what Justice Howard calls her ‘Deluxe Package’.  You get everything already listed PLUS more clothing changes, more hair and make-up changes, double the photo’s, triple the amount of retouched photo’s, large glossy posters of your best shots signed and ready for framing along with some free swag such as calendars, photos, bandanas etc. 

Justice Howard hosts her Diva Doll events in her Los Angeles, California studio but tends to like to host them in other places at times as well, such as Road Dogs Custom in Santa Fe Springs, California.  To learn more about the Diva Doll events and to follow the schedule, visit the Diva Dolls website at :http://www.divadollart.com/.

 

Dare to be a Pin-up Goddess!

 

Contact:

Justice Howard

justicehoward@gmail.com

MARQUIS AMERICA recommends Arch Enemys, beautiful PIN UP photography.

ArchEnemys Inc. was established back in 1997. Our mission then… to sell high heel footwear. We took a unique approach by marketing our unique footwear through “Pin-Up Style” photography and reality style videography on our online gallery www.archenemys.com It took off like wild fire! This Pin-Up style approach became our strongest selling point & it is what shapes the foundation of ArchEnemys.

The style of photography we do is what we call Pin-Up. Pin-Up is a combination of the following… Edgy, sexy, fashionable, glamorous, very creative and is still suitable to pin-up on a wall. We, of course always have some of the most crazy outfits and footwear imaginable. Stuff you generally only see in the movies or on TV. Keeping our “high heel Pin-Up theme” is very important, our top priority is to continue keeping our work clean and classy. We have been able to shape ArchEnemys with some of Maine’s top models. And we plan to expand and continue growing more and more each day.

So if you want to get in on the opportunity, contact us today, don’t hesitate even if you’ve never stepped in front of a camera before! For more info contact www.ArchEnemys.com or visit our website www.archenemys.com !

Come with Uncle, and hear all proper!  Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones. You are invited!” ~ Alex DeLarge

Many films, since the advent of the artform as a pure entertainment medium in the very early stages of the 20th Century, have risen to the status of  cultural icon. Rarely, however, has the original literary source been afforded the same reverence and iconographic status as an accompanying film version.

Naturally, the tangible visual aspects of said films invariably give rise to entire communities of enthusiasts, and the costumery and accompanying “garage made” accessories never fail to illicit “oohs” and “ahhs” when unveiled at any number of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comic Book – or even Fetish – events.

In 1962, an English linguist and extremely prolific playwright and author by the name of Anthony Burgess (born John Burgess Wilson, 1917 – 1993) penned what has come to be known as one of the truly great and landmark novels of the 20th Century. The book was A Clockwork Orange, and no tome yet adapted for the screen has created both such a devout following and illicited such a raging controversy over the past half-century. Clearly a full decade before the epic 1972 film version of the same name (starring the irrepressible Malcolm MacDowell in the unforgettable role of the violence-addicted, Beethoven-loving, soon-to-be-forcefully reformed teenage hoodlum Alex DeLarge), contingents of head-to-toe white dressed and suspender wearing, combat-booted and bowler-hatted “Droogies” started infiltrating the London and Manchester pubs and nightclubs. Some of the devotees even sported the “Droogs” trademark athletic supporters (“cod pieces”) - worn on the outside of their stark-white trousers – while enjoying a pint or twelve in their favorite shlagas (“clubs”). When the Stanley Kubrick film eventually made its way to global cinema screens (and not without generating an immense amount of controversy revolving around  its original “X” rating due to a rather horrific and terribly graphic home invasion scene), the stark and strangely alluring aesthetic of the anti-hero’s chosen trappings became a continuously ingrained staple at costume and fetish events – and continue to be so, nearly four decades later.

Curiously, Anthony Burgess himself absolutely despised the film version and denounced it, and its director, bitterly and derisively right up until his death. He was so filled with rancor that A Clockwork Orange was the one work in which his name would be forever associated with that towards the end of his life, he was even claiming the book itself was “one of his lesser works”. This is an astounding statement: Burgess, as a linguist, had managed with absolute brilliance not only to craft an entirely new language (which he called Nadsat) but also was able to write the book in such a way that the reader could not help but learn the new terms – nouns, adjectives and verbs – as they read along. A Clockwork Orange is not only a superbly crafted modern fable (“Time and age are the true prime movers of eventual maturity”), it is a fantastic teaching device: what better way to have to learn how a language is constructed and utilized than by being completely immersed in it – and all the while enjoying the exceptionally concise and thought-provoking storyline that accompanies it?

Despite the original author’s protestations to the contrary, A Clockwork Orange, both as an original book and landmark film, have never failed to grasp the imagination of many a costume and fetish aficiando. Women have even started to highly sensualize the usually-drab pure “whiteness” of the costume – and couples out for an evening of revelry cannot help but to look striking (no pun intended, of course) in their matching bowler hat, black boots, “cod piece” and walking cane ensembles. Fashion and fetish models alike have taken the “look” to an even higher artform – and the internet has seen rise to some of the most visually stunning and admirable practitioners of “High Droog Fashion”. There have even been “Clockwork Theme Wedding Albums” recently populating numerous European and North American-based web sites. While it is obviously easier to put together a groom’s attire for such a momentous occasion, trying to come up with an appropriately-themed wedding dress and make-up ensemble can be a very difficult challenge indeed – but that challenge has been met and matched with some incredibly inventive, appropriate and true to the aesthetic and yet undeniably elegant and classic (in their own way) bridal gowns and trains. All things considered, very high praise for an author who wrote the original manuscript decades before most of these Clockwork Acolytes were even born, and even higher praise for a visual design from a 1972 film that continues to be one of the most rented, revered and reviewed in our video rental outlets.

Some writers (including Your Humble Narrator himself) have even ratcheted up and kept alive the artform of the original Nadsat language that was purely invented by Anthony Burgess. In fact, it has come to this writer’s attention over the past few weeks that I have managed to ruffle a few feathers within the various fetish communities with my oh-so-opinionated rantings and ramblings. Thus, remaining true to the spirit of our dear old Droog Alex LeFarge I give to those of you amongst the chellovecks my sincere and heartfelt apologies – but in pure Nadsat form. You should be able to catch the meaning and gist of the language – but should you need assistance, I will direct you to a handy Nadsat resource tool, the  Nadsat Dictionary:

Upon the Trodding on of Subtle Sensitivities

Your Humble Narrator and Untrue Friend hath had an Epiphany of sorts, O My Droogies …

O, we can govoreet and kvitch kvitch crark to Bog and all his horned angels in regards to the massy-nations that doth transpire within the bolny, bezoomny mozg of Old Syn, that starry old veck himself! Combine thy rassodooks all the good long day, my lovely damas and moodges – Verily, thy shalt not ever pony the messels and reasons that doth make Old Syn tick-tick-tick like a fagged, ancient clock!

Your Old Droog hath come to his senses, O My Lovelies! The basiliskies have fallen from the glazzies – and true that which he now viddies with bolshy great clarity.

Thy Synical and truly spatchka-deprived Humble Narrator is responsible, like, for some vred and boo-hoo-hooing towards other Droogies within said Community. Appy polly loggies need to skazzed, like, to some of those lewdies – even though it doth razdraz mine guttiwuts to do so! No thump-thump-thumping of mine own sweet groody, now – my slovos are iron-wrought with sincerity …

Thus, let it be so: No false skorry and sladky sorrows and regrets, I swears on my late pee and em! I had this messel, that being a tiny thought like, that certain chellovecks did mean to do me harm – and O My Lovely Baboochkas and Deds, Your dorogy but malenky-bit bezoomny Syn could not have been more mistaken! All this dratsing and playing of eegras clearly domnyed within mine own grahzny merzky gulliver – there was no existence of true malfeasance truly to be found, O My Malchickiwicks! How lovely! How horrowshow for the likes of thee and thine, O Droogies! And yet, how oozhassny for me! I want to platch and platch and platch until old Bog himself takes mercy, like, on me!

Humblest appy polly loggies, then, O My Bratties and Bratchkas! I hast done thee collectively a great disservice with thine vreddy, krovvy and hateful slovos! Please forgive me, like – and Your Humble Narrator shall do what he can to never trod in anger-like upon the dobby sensitivities or aim to soil thy neezhnies and platties with mine own vile sputtum, never again!

Your Humble Narrator did say try, yet thou allst doth know me … So in expectation, like, of the bitvas to come, I say to thee that dost not choose to believe mine own sweet intent …

Bolshy great yarblockos to thee and thine!

Kardynyl SynysTyr

Probably the in any case of the climb internet searches includes the coveted Angelina Jolie bikini paint. Who does not in Spain in all directions from this knife-edged momma? She basically well-grounded has it all – a fledgling livelihood, an equally knife-edged cohort, kids, riches and a diplomatic hospitality to boot. Angelina Jolie could cover representing surroundings president nobility instantly and obtain next to a landslide. On the other deliverance, fans would not pauperism that – in accomplishment, they’re already contended with essentially viewing Angelina Jolie bikini snapshots. Even with her widespread seniority and rearing six children – the critically acclaimed actress looks hotter than by any chance. The famous provenience entered the Hollywood uncomfortable at the bills seniority of fourteen and then branched prohibited into acting some in good time dawdle after.
Ever since Angelina Jolie strutted in the runways a record form, she already elicits drools and swoons from the audience.

Whatever the keyword is, what catapulted Jolie into common outcome and what cemented her knife-edged dominatrix fetish is the shroud Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The turbulence paint features the knife-edged actress kicking villains and shooting dejection guys in nautical taut starless leather.
Since then, Angelina Jolie has captured the crowd’s reproductive creativity. What’s more, Angelina Jolie many times joins the ranks of the most stirring or the sexiest and hottest roster of people. In accomplishment, a heaps of websites, poop armoury and with in fun in cheek tabloids started dedicating airtime interval representing the knife-edged actress. For multifarious times, she coequal ranked the in any case on those charts.

What’s coequal more unimaginable is, coequal after Jolie gave parturition to three children, she continues to intimate headlines in those kinds of charts and countdowns. on the whole kit
Not extended after she cemented her alcove in Hollywood as the generation’s shagging coat of arms, a heaps of people started surmising in all directions from Jolie’s crucial statistics. Did it interchange when she gave parturition or does she in actuality affinity for unacceptable sexier with seniority? Nevertheless, Angelina Jolie line the reproductive creativity from people all upwards the ball – coequal if her belly elephantine because of pregnancy. Men and women MO can not elevate but be curious well-grounded what the measurements of this gross momma are. She well-grounded not in any MO seems to be defeated steam.
What is more, a heaps websites and network blogs started arguing in all directions from her licit crucial statistics. Some put out that her case assay is 36-C while others aver that it is 36-D.

On the other deliverance, as representing the cause cВlebre of Angelina Jolie’s all-encompassing assembly measurements, the most notable patrol number of websites allot is 36-26-35. Whatever her licit bust assay is, the foolproof paraphernalia is that it is fawning and charming adequately representing multifarious. With this patrol, doggedly a heaps of people fulfil a experience knife-edged to hasten and well-grounded could not elevate them selves from looking representing any Angelina Jolie bikini paint.
What’s more, coequal if Angelina Jolie already gave parturition to three children (and more some in good time dawdle if the rumors are true), she continues to be a shagging coat of arms across the ball. Given the knife-edged actress’ sizzling enumerate, a heaps of people ordain soothe as likely as not search representing Angelina Jolie bikini paint extended after the knife-edged actress age-old.

Source:  http://angelinajolie.123log.de/2009/05/17/angelina-jolie-bikini-picture-chiefly-wooden-spears/

A wise man once wrote that a person’s “eyes are the very windows to a person’s soul.” I respectfully have to disagree. I believe it’s the ears and eyes both that truly inspire us to reveal the very depths of consensual depravity and delicious ecstasies that reside deep in our collective beings. Both visually and auditorily assault our immortal souls with unstoppable passion whilst in the throes of intoxicating expressions of pleasure and pain – in both private settings and public gatherings alike.

While there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of visual delights to be had while allowing our fingers to do the walking in the unending pursuit of visual stimulation, assuredly there must be an equal number of preferred musical numbers favored by the sadomasochistic masses which motivate us to swing the whip just  a little faster.

Anyone who has attended any kind of Fetish event in the past two decades surely must have sashayed and seductively grinded their hips in time to the hypnotic “beat” of any number of hard-driving, appropriately themed musical compositions – and usually on the dance floors of the clubs hosting said Fetish events. It goes without saying that such musical efforts have also definitely inspired several rhythmic, syncopated whipping and public torture sessions – the aforementioned visual accompanying delight to all those in attendance, to be sure. Thus, Your Humble Narrator offers up, and submitted for your approval, a Top Five List of some of the best SM-inspired musical numbers sure to be the accompanying “ear candy” to all those lovely visuals we so crave at our ritualistic, hedonistic and sensualistic congregations. There are simply too many great songs to choose from, so I offer the five that I feel truly had the biggest “impact” on our lovely little proclivity throughout the past 50 years:

5. Slave to Love – Bryan Ferry (Nine and a Half Weeks Original Soundtrack)

The 1980′s will be remembered for tight spandex, big hair – and truly the genesis of SM starting to become far more mainstream. Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger steamed up our movie screens with a fairly good little film about bondage and discipline (with surprisingly little to no actual scenes of bondage or discipline) called Nine and a Half Weeks, based on a short novella of the same title by a New York gallery impresario named Elizabeth MacNeill. Two songs from that iconic soundtrack are featured in this tome – and Slave to Love is a fitting beginning to our list. Who didn’t want to immediately run out and buy some strawberries and honey after listening to this song and watching the infamous “blindfolded kitchen scene?”

Memorable Line: “You’re running with me … Don’t touch the ground … We’re restless hearted … Not the chained and bound …”

4. The Masochism Tango – Tom Lehrer

Tom Lehrer is, of course, a well-known satirist and popular comical speaker on the lecture circuit throughout the United States and Canada. He is also an extremely able mathematician with an unusual penchant for parody: his 1959 record album An Evening With Tom Lehrer was one of the landmark comedy albums that virtually invented the genre. That album became infamous for two pieces in particular: The Elements, a song sung to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Major Generals Song from The Pirates of Penzance and featured a recitation of the (then known) Periodic Table of the Elements; and a strange little number called The Masochism Tango which to this very day lives fondly in the hearts of every SM purist. While comic in origin, the song is strangely alluring – and enormously entertaining – while still managing to keep the spirit and consensual longing exhibited by even the most thick-skinned of submissive types. I have personally seem more than one well-staged Argentine Tango performance at a Fetish Night being performed to this song, and it never fails to bring a rousing cheer and appreciative applause from the leather and latex clad masses in attendance.

Memorable Line: “At your command, before you here I stand, my heart is in your hand, it’s here that I must be … My heart entreats, just hear those savage beats … and go put on your cleats, and come and trample me …!”

3. Let it Go – Luba (Nine and a Half Weeks Original Soundtrack)

The second, and the best of, the two great songs from the film. It’s the signature song from Nine and a Half Weeks and remains the Canadian songstress’s best known and most loved hit. While very little of the lyrics contained in the song actually directly refers to sadomasochism, it is impossible to ignore the subtle and intoxicating inferences the silky-voiced chanteuse conveys to us. Born Luba Kowalchyk in Montreal in the late 1950′s, Let it Go and the equally hypnotic Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry are her two songs that helped define a generation just waking up to awareness in an all-too-informative electronic age. It is this song, more than any other before it or since, that made it acceptable for artists to express their sadomasochistic desires through song – and nearly a decade before other performers like Madonna made it socially acceptable and mainstream to do so.

Memorable Line: “Uniformity … Conventionality … is the bane of our existence … Keep it safely at a distance … Non-comfority … unconventionality … Is the best to be, let your hair down, can’t you see? Let it go … Let it free your body, uncivilize your soul … Let it go … A woman is made, she is not born …”

2. The Power is Mine – Lords of Acid

It is impossible to choose merely one Techno/Industrial/Gothic Rock song to represent the plethora of excellent, beat-heavy tunes that exploded in our ears in the dance clubs beginning in the early part of the last decade. Therefore, I will choose one that I feel best exemplifies all of them. The Power is Mine has it all: a hard-driving, techno rhythm; exceptionally strong male and female vocals; a memorable melody and an unforgettable, to-the-point set of lyrics. While the Belgian group’s other efforts are utterly laced with extreme sexuality (which undoubtedly is the reason why they became so hugely popular in the dance and fetish clubs of the 1990′s and continue to be so),  The Power is Mine is relatively tame in comparison yet still manages to deliver all of the sensuality and “punch” so favored by fetish enthusiasts everywhere. The band continues to perform, and is still considered by rock purists as one of the true innovators and influencers of sexually charged, hard-edged rock and roll. They will continue to be “the true ambassadors for sexual curiousity” far into the 21st Century.

Memorable Line: “I can break your will … I can make you kneel … I can force you to crawl and to to lick my heels … Because the power is mine …”

1. Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics

 Ah, sweet androgyny: they name truly is Annie Lennox. While the song first hit North American shores in 1983, it wasn’t until roughly four to five years later that the song started gaining universal popularity in the dance and fetish clubs of the “Big Hair” era. It seems incredulous now: but there were actual petitions and movements afoot to have the song banned because of the starkness of its lyrics. In some cities, the word “abused” was actually “bleeped” out when it played on the radio. Compared to the overt and blatant sexual overtones exhibited in everything from Rap music to Industrial and House music today, Sweet Dreams almost appears laughably moderate. Still, the song was – and still is – a trend setter, and was the first huge hit for Annie Lennox and her then partner, the brilliant David Stewart. The song remains the “flagship” piece in comparison with all others of its kind. Footnote: Sweet Dreams was meant to be included in the soundtrack to Nine and a Half Weeks, but the British duo contributed another effort to Adrian Lyne’s film instead: a forgettable little tune called This City Never Sleeps. The intended song though, Sweet Dreams, remains instantly recognizable from the very moment the first strains of the thumping electronic and synthesized beat is heard. It also makes for a great ring tone for your cellular phone: Yours Truly has used the song for that very purposes for years.

Memorable Line: “Some of them want to use you … Some of them want to get used by you … Some of them want to abuse you … Some of them want to be abused …” 

Naturally, there are thousands of other songs that deserve to be in any “top five” or “top ten” list. Breath Control by Recoil is a favored song in the clubs these days, as is Engel by Rammstein and Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake is a favorite among the younger SM set. For a “waltz” or slower number, there’s always the haunting Chains by Tina Arena. The list above, though, opened the door in respective time periods for other artists to follow – and for that alone, they deserve to be revered – and remembered.

Now, what would your all-time SM-related songs be?

“What a strange power there is in clothing.” ~ Isaac Bashevis Singer

We’ve all seen them. Every major city in North America – and I highly suspect several across Europe, for that matter – has a hard-core following of extremely dedicated, somewhat over-the-top fans entirely devoted to dressing the part of their favorite characters from their favorite television and film series. Science Fiction and Comic Book Conventions through the Western World are generously populated by devotees donning tight spandex body suits, leathered body armour, latex facial “prosthetic” applications and, of course, thigh high leather boots.

Your Humble Narrator, of course, is speaking of the phenomenom that is Star Trek.

For over forty years, fans of the iconic science fiction franchise have attended these kinds of gatherings dressed in their alien finery, proudly marching into Convention Centers without fear of ridicule and with more than just a little admiration from their fellow conventioners. While the Star Wars universe certainly has an enormous following in its own right (who doesn’t absolutely love Darth Vader in his seven-foot leathers and masked, heavy breathing finery?), there truly is nothing on Planet Earth to compare with the creativeness, attention to detail and visual variety inspired by the old “wagon train to the stars” homage that was – and is -  Star Trek.

May 8, 2009, marks the official release and debut of the latest in the long-running saga. While the new Star Trek film has been crafted as a prequel to the original 1967 – 1969 Paramount Studios television series, it is still sure to be simply described as a “license to print money” for the studio: there is a built-in fan base that will scrape every last penny they have, stand in line for hours on end, and joyously banter with their fellow enthusiasts in eager anticipation in hearing those words, “Space … the final frontier …” hopefully fill their ears when the lights in the theatre finally and gloriously dim. The celluloid will begin to unravel within the spools of the giant projectors and the inevitable cheers for the (younger) heros of the Star Trek soap opera grace the screen. There are sure to be more than just a few attending opening day festivities dressed from head to toe as their revered chosen champion or sinister alien villain.

Star Trek, of course, was the brainchild of the late writer Gene Roddenbery – a man more known as a writer of television serial westerns prior to attaining global infamy as the genius behind the vast marketing machine that shall be forever warp-powered by his Starship Enterprise. Mr. Roddenberry suddenly left his mortal coil due to heart failure in 1991, and some of his ashes were subsequently carried into space aboard one of the American Space Shuttle missions in 1992. He became one of the first people to officially be “buried”, somewhat, in outer space. He was joined in the afterworld by his wife, Majel Barrett, who is known to Trek fans for portraying several different characters (including the voice of the Starfleet computers) throughout the runs of the original series and the subsequent, more modern spinoffs, in late 2008. There are rumours that plans are afoot to carry the remainder of his ashes, mixed with hers, aboard a future shuttle mission – and “launched” deep into space. Truly, a fitting final chapter for the “First Lord and Lady of Science Fiction.”

The creative genius behind the sensation may be silenced, but other talented writers and artists have picked up the mantle of the franchise and the mission continues, and probably will continue to do so, long into the 21st Century. The original muse may be gone – but the journey continues, especially in the creative expressions of the fans and their adornments and custom-made accessories themselves.

Here is a brief glimpse into the neo-fetishistic world that has been inspired by, and continuously perpetrated by, those rabid, dedicated fans themselves. It would seem appropriate to break the sub-culture down into the most popular reproductions:

Starfleet:

By far, the most popular costume and property reproductions seen at movie premieres and conventions has to be a variation on the many themes portrayed throughout the franchise on the Starfleet uniforms. It is impossible to do justice to the staggering amount of private costume designers and dedicated fans who take the time to “re-invent” their favoured uniforms in an unending variety of colors – but the basic formula remains the same. Usually, a Starfleet uniform color indicates which “division” of the “service” the wearer belongs to – although that convention did manage to change throughout the years. In general, however, we can make the following assumptions, based on the preferred colors exhibited by convention attendees in recent years: Gold for Command; Yellow for Engineering; Blue for Medical and Science, Red for Expendable Crew Persons (usually Communications and Security). In all cases, the bottom half or two-thirds of the uniform was always black. Even in the early days of the original series, the uniform was always accompanied, by women and men alike, by an attractive pair of knee-high and, in some cases, thigh high leather boots. An entire industry of Starfleet uniform reproductions has thrived since the late 1980′s, when “the next generation” took to the stars in a brand new USS Enterprise. Some designers, such as California’s Evening Arwen, operated by a trained actress and musical theatre performer named Rebecca Jordan, has elevated the seductiveness and allure of the uniform by giving it a more streamlined, extremely sexy look – and has managed to maintain the integrity of the original design. According to her website, the self-described “little red haired girl” was originally inspired by the imagery so lavishly described in the literary version of  The Lord of the Rings and started to market costume designs based on some of the characters described within the pages of that timeless epic. She soon found, however, that she was getting demands for Star Trek inspired reproductions, and has not really looked back. Their Starfleet corset designs are truly the most unique available for purchase and are surprisingly affordable – even to the most cash-strapped fans.

Klingons:

Not only has an entire industry been developed dedicated to the look and aesthetic of Star Trek’s most popular villains-turned-allies, but an entire theology, ideology and even language have since been created and popularized by enterprising theorists and linguists. Klingons have come a long way from the somewhat ridiculous, splotchy “orange tan” humanoid look of the original 1960′s television series: current representations almost universally sport a signature, fierce ridged forehead and equally wild ‘Mongolian’ hairstyle. The warrior culture so important to the Star Trek lexicon that represents the Klingons is very prevelant in their attire: full suits of leather and metal body armour smartly accessorized with lethal-looking cross-body ‘Johnny Belts’, vicious blades, heavy leather gauntlet style gloves and, course, reptile-reminiscent thigh high boots (complete with eviscerating toe claws!). While ‘humans’ may find Klingon women oddly erotic while thus attired, I suggest it may be hard to become romantically entangled with a female warrior. Those high brow ridges and sharp, pointed teeth could cause quite the bruising (can you imagine the hickies?) were one to attempt an amorous liason with a fully-adorned Klingon battle princess. Still, those boots are incredibly sexy …

Of all the alien subcultures portrayed in the pantheon of Star Trek characters, it is probably a full Klingon ensemble that will set the passionate costume wearer back quite a few hard-earned dollars. Very little in the Klingon uniform can be purchased off the rack: a true acolyte would need to find any number of custom-costume designers to tailor make their costumes for them. That is, of course, unless they have the dexterity and talent to fully create the “look” entirely themselves. Where does one acquire toe claws for thigh high boots, anyway?

The Borg:

Perhaps no other Star Trek villain has captured the public imagination quite like the cold, ruthlessly efficient cybernetic creatures known as the Borg. They are the true Cyberpunks of the mass media age: fully encased in heavy latex body suits which are attached to a plethora of evil-looking hoses, metal hooks, pinchers and needles. Even the headgear sported by the Borg evokes a feeling of fear and apprehension, with their laser-sighted eyepieces and sharply striking metal prosthetics. Next to Klingons, and certainly running a very close second at the conventions, you are sure to see entire contingents of custom-designed Borg walking in a near Frankensteinish manner towards you – wondering, perhaps, which will be the first of the lot to open their mouths and utter the famous words, ‘Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated.’ While these rubber-clad walking nightmares are sure to make you feel awkward and ultimately uncomfortable, it is impossible not to admire the sheer artistry behind their varied and unique creations. Unlike Klingon uniforms, however, it is relatively simple and cost-effective to invent an entire Borg ensemble if you choose to attend an event dressed as such: Much of the materials convention goers use in their ensembles are store bought, or easy to order from a number of online sources. A latex catsuit or diving wetsuit usually forms the bodysuit base for the costume, and most dedicated practitioners are able to whip up diabolical-looking mechanical accessories (complete with hooks and hoses) that appear to remain true to the original design. No discussion of the Borg would be complete, of course, without mentioning the ultra-sensual, visual pheromone that was the portrayal of two Borg women: The Borg Queen (played originally by Alice Krige) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). One cannot even make a quick, casual appearance outside a convention site hosting a science fiction weekend without counting at least a dozen “Borg Queens” and an equal number of “Seven of Nines” walking in and amongst the gathered crowds. While the heavy-metal imagery associated with the usual interpretation of Borg costumes is always admired by Star Trek fans, it is the less-mechanically attired, sensual, tight-rubber encased female representations that seem to garner the most (male) attentions.

Naturally, we cannot leave this dialogue without mentioning one of the more sly, secretive and strangely alluring Star Trek representations that manage to pop up at the conventions and film openings. In 1966, the original two-hour pilot for Star Trek was filmed – sans Captain Kirk. The original pilot episode featured a starship Captain named Christopher Pike, and fans of the original series will remember with great reverence that the original pilot was smartly incorporated into a two-part episode two years later, and called The Menagerie.

Perhaps the most famous segment of that two-part episode featured the wild gyrations and manipulations of a green skinned slavegirl from the planet Orion. While that particular scene itself may have lasted all of three minutes on our television screens, it has lasted forever in the hearts, minds and libidos of Star Trek conventioners for four decades. Dozens of green skinned Orion slavegirls, always sporting the trademark green skin and black hair, have sexed-up the lives of many a “Trek Nerd” with their mere appearance at these events. Of course, in keeping with the slavegirl theme, these Orions must be appropriately clad merely in some kind of bikini and hip-wrap only: animal prints seem to be the most popular. Sometimes these slavegirls will wear a collar and will have the good fortune to be led into the event at the end of a leash by her Romulan, Ferengi or Cardassian master (no self-respecting Starfleet officer would dare to show such blatant contravention of Starfleet anti-slavery rules by dragging in an Orion slavegirl to an event!). These girls are typically the Belles of the Ball – and often end up in catty, snidely whispered deragatory snipes with any number of Klingon or Borg women also in attendance: especially if their masters have graciously allowed them to wear six-inch heeled shoes or boots to cover their delicate green feet.

Those that may be planning to take in opening day festivities at any multitude of Star Trek screenings over the next several weeks are sure to encounter more than just a few “appropriately attired” fans anxiously waiting in line to pay respects to their 23rd Century heroes. Hopefully, you won’t be assimilated, invited to a Bat’Leth battle to the death, or insult the sensitivities of any number of cooing green Orion slavegirls gone wild.

But, considering the “eye candy”, you’re sure to have a lot of fun trying.

MARQUIS AMERICA had the pleasure and honor to get an exclusive interview with Justice Howard. She is simply inspiring, an extraordinary artist and photographer!

Here our hot questions for Justice, “femme extraordinaire”:

Give us an inside look at your career as a photographer and artist, what drives Justice these days from a professional perspective?

Well the first thing is that I never  do  anything  twice.  I never  replicate anything that  I have already done.  A lot of people fall in love with a certain photo and want me to  copy  it and I refuse to do that. I mean, why would I want to  do something I’ve ALREADY DONE? That is not  progressively  or artistically moving forward  in my opinion.  SO that is one thing that drives me. Another thing is that I try to shoot people that  inspire me. Whether  it is thier look, or thier style, or thier spirit. IF I  bond with someone thier shots  come out  phenomenally. Example: Perish is someone I really like to shoot and we really “synched” together well I think and his look really inspires me  as well as his professional ethics. I remember a  photo shoot a while back I had  three guys for a fashion shoot for Junker  clothing and Perish was THE most incredible of all of them and THE  most professional plus  he had great professional work ethics, The other guys were  joystikkin’ around, popping pills, etc etc  and Perish  was taking his shit serious so when he stepped in front of the lens he just  ROKKED IT HARD!  Needless to say his shots were the winners of the day!

Describe your unique signature style!

I think my art is very clean , well lit, and technically tight   however, also   on the  edgy side. I did an interview last month where  they asked me to describe my art in one word. I  had to think about that one  for a while and the word I eventually  landed on was “DISTINGUISHABLE”. 

What are your personal favorite models worldwide?

Well  the people I like ‘personally’ are the people I like professionally too. I find that if I  genuinely  dig someone  thier photos  turn out amazing!!!   I just did  some shots of  this gorgeous  chica who flew in from San Francisco to shoot with me and I had spoken to her on the phone for about an hour  previous to the shoot and I was quite enamoured with her spirit!  When I met her in person this was  immediately  validated  as she was just as cool in person as she was  on the phone and  since I really cared about her as a person  I wanted to do an amazing job for her  and that was EXACTLY what happend. Her shots  are through the roof  and she was very  very happy with the outcome. More specific answers to that question  would  also  be as  follows:

 

MIA TYLER

SYBIL DANNING

MAMIE VAN DOREN

PHIL VARONE 

Where do you pick up your wardrobe for your photo shoots?

I dont ever go looking for anything unless its something  that is very specific to a certain I styling of the shoot itself. Most of the  things I use are from friends and once again, people I like and what I do in alot of  cases I trade  useage for useage. Which means  they give me useage of  the clothing and I give them useage of the photos as long as the shots have my copyrighted logo on  them , so its a reciprocal deal.

Who is your favorite designer?

Id say Thierry Mugler . I remember seeing this piece  he had designed a while back and I’ve never forgotten it.It was a leather corset and  it  actually  had   motorcycle  handlebars  with  rear view  mirrors with flames on the top of the corset. It was really quite soemthing  and to this day I’ve never forgotten that outfit! 

What are you always on the hunt for?

Great locations. Any time im driving in a car I’m scouting locations. I have a little booklet I write them all down in. When I see a great one I write the crosstreets down and  a note beside the  location as to what style would look good there. 

What was your most bizarre photo shoot?

Probably the “ILL PISS ON YOUR GRAVE”  shoot. A while back I got to thinking that people always say that  and I was thinking it would make a great photograph  with that title. Thing is, all graveyards are now really hard to get into so we had to bust into one in East L.A.  at 3 AM  with a crowbar. It was  located in East LA and I remember it was  myself and Nikki Sinn and Henri Pachard (famous porno director)  and my  pal Casey Chaos who at the time was in a band called Christian Death. Nikki  had been drinking cofffee all  night so she  could piss well for the camera  and I was  trying to find the   perfect gravestone visually for the photo. She kept yelling “hurry up hurry up I have to piss!”  and finally I found the perfect  looking grave  and she came over in her dainty looking shoes and  this dainty looking  frilly skirt and let this stream of piss go  that  lasted 2 – 3 mins  while  I rapped off mega- frames with my motor drive. I showed the  photo  at an exhibit I had and a lawyer bought it  and everyone  loved it. Thats not  really  THE  most bizarre shoot but it is  a good  story that I can tell here  on this  upscale Marquis  website!

Which music style do you like?

Hard & heavy baby!

I like :

     MINISTRY

       HELLHOUND

       DEATHRIDERS  (my boyfriends band)

      ATREYU

      ROB ZOMBIE

      TOM WAITS 

Are you a fetish or fashion photographer?

 

Neither one, now.  However, when I first started out I was a fetish photographer  and   there were  only 5 of us shooting fetish related material back then. I had an exhibit a long  time ago,  9 years ago now,  that was called BLACK & WHITE & BRUTAL  and  it was all fetish related  imagery  and no one even knew what  fetish was back then at all. Lotsa questions  like “Why are those heels so high ”  and “what are those things the  girls are wearing?” (they were corsets of course} because back then no one knew anything about what fetish was or  even what the ‘look’ of it was . A few people were ahead of the  curve back then but not too many.

What would people be most surprised to know about you?

That I dont smoke, drink or do drugs ( I quit partying in my 20′s)  that I have a sewing machine and I  know how to  use it  and  I love puppies. 

If you weren’t in this business, where would you be?

I’d probably  be a stripper casue my boobs are really big LOL! 

What tips would you give women and men in general to be well rounded, balancing out life and career?

 

#1…..If someone in your life is making you  unhappy or stressing you  out  GET RID OF THEM ….

 

#2….Learn your craft    Dont just pick up a  camera   and   voila youre a photographer, It doesnt work  like that! Take the time to study  the  craft.

 

#3….Follow your  passions  ……follow your dreams don’t let anyone else stop you   or stand in  your way  . 

What can your fans expect from you in the future going forward?

  I have a smokin deal  at http://www.myspace.com/diva_dolls  and tons of girls have signed up for it. Ive dropped my  price so girls who need photos  can get them and its a great deal for  new models  especially. And Ive gotten  some of the Dive Dolls I’ve shot magazine covers and full pages in  a lot of  mags as well as  in my  new MOTORGIRLS calendar. One girl Jenny  had never modelled before  and she got the calendar COVER   and another page inside. So its got great possibilities for  new models. So theres that, and  the next thing would be my  new exhibit coming up in 2010 at Verve Gallery on Gallery Row at Wilshire & LA Brea. .Thats not til 2010  but Im working on that right now and will be shooting ELVIRA  soon for that. That shows gonna be a blowout.  

 

Last question,  where can we see your work online?

  www.justicehoward.com   always has new content of course and we are  in the middle of a site rebuild which will be up in a couple of months now. Stay fierce my lovelies!!! 

 

Source: Interview from Erik von Gutenberg with Justice Howard, exclusive for MARQUIS AMERICA

Nearly every youngster growing up in the new media age has been exposed, through required educational novel reading assignments or merely for literary enjoyment alone, to the fantastic works of the immortal Jules Verne and the engrossing story-weaving of H.G. Wells. From Verne’s amazing Nautilus of Captain Nemo to Well’s diabolically efficient tripod killing machines in The War of the Worlds, the technology of what has become known in modern parlance as pioneering examples of Victorian Steampunk has captivated and enthralled many with an appreciation for the true melding of art, design and “biomechanical” function.

The term Steampunk was at first used as a tongue-in-cheek variant of the popular 1980′s-period Cyberpunk era. Aficionados and their over-the-top, technologically-inspired jewelry, clothing and furniture designs were in large part inspired by the apocalyptic and sinister look and feel of certain films such as the Terminator series and perhaps even more-so by Swiss artist H.R. Giger and his extremely popular Necromonicon and Alien artwork. A pop-culture American author by the name of K.W. Jeter seems to have been the first to actually coin the term, who was trying to find a general term to describe the speculative, retro-technology so prevalent in the Verne and Wells books. In a letter to a popular science fiction literary magazine (Locus), he exhorted his (and colleagues James Blaylock and Tim Powers) current and future works to be collectively standardized under a single moniker, and suggested the term Steampunk as somewhat of a whimsical and appropriate term.

Whimsical or not, the term stuck – and immediately not only gained a staunch foothold but an equally immediate, massive following. Soon, at fetish events across the United States in particular, costumes depicting characters from the old Robert Conrad television series The Wild, Wild West - incorporating elements of steam-powered Victorian-style, ingenious devices with the romantic (yet harsh) backdrop of the old American frontier – began to make startling, appreciated and permanent impressions. It has been said that the relatively poorly-received 1999 feature film version of the 1960′s television series was the first contemporary motion picture dedicated completely to the Steampunk design element, and has since been followed in turn by other efforts such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Van Helsing and The Golden Compass. An earlier, nearly-forgotten film, The City of Lost Children and an even earlier, brilliant Terry Gilliam effort called Brazil could also certainly lay claim to being the true genesis, in celluloid format, of the visual style that “modern” Steampunk relies so heavily upon.

Today, even the casual admirer can be treated to images of laptop computers, entire desktop computer systems and peripherals, home entertainment modules (like plasma televisions, DVD players and stereo systems) and even laboriously designed automobiles with a simple click of the mouse (Note: the author’s own bedroom suite, pictured here, was custom-designed and built incorporating the Steampunk theme by Toronto filmmaker George Willis). While furnishings in copper sheeting, wiring and piping certainly could not be considered an “affordable option” for many admirers and consumers of the Steampunk artistic style, there are certainly several apparel, accessory and jewelry designers concentrating on the medium that are offering their wares at more than affordable prices.

One of the best Steampunk design firms to showcase their talents is Reno, Nevada’s Facing Costumes. Operated by Tyson Tabbert and supported handily by fellow artists Shane Mahon, Sara McCoy and Laurel Weil, the company has built a solid reputation and following – especially amongst live action role play (LARP) enthusiasts. Tyson describes their clientele as “generous” and “passionate”, and while he’s had opportunities to work in the high-demand world that is prop and costume design for Hollywood films, he remains loyal to his core audience. “I was really able to continue this passion thanks to cos-players and LARPers,” he said. “It’s their commissions that allow me to explore replica and original design work from a lot of different genres.”

Tyson recalled watching episodes of the old Tom Baker Dr. Who television series (“Episodes probably from before I was even born,” he said), and marvelling at the richness of the ornate brass fixtures, wood grains and vacuum tubes. “I always appreciated the mixture of Edwardian elegance and technology,” he said, “but of course back then there was no Steampunk movement and no terminology to attach it to.” While he appreciated the style and beauty of the design then, he had no idea the art-form would find such a broad appeal. “Now that there is actual name to this style, and a strong, consistent following, it is a region that is recognizable and thereby marketable. This is the great part, because now artists who are attracted to this style really have an opportunity to have their creative and beautiful works financed, and Steampunk can drive into new diverse areas.“

Tyson’s work is a perfect compromise of “retro-futuristic” reproductions based on existing film, television and literary imagery and his own unique, richly detailed one-of-a-kind designs and creations. While the company has become known for their exquisite corset constructions, their unbelievably detailed collars and accessory pieces are rivalled by none. Anything the Steampunk enthusiast could hope to adorn their body with, from replica sidearms and weapons to arm bracers, head pieces and even entire suits of armor, can be designed and built within the Facing Costumes walls. In addition to a brisk direct online business from their website, Tyson and his staff do an equally profitable service selling their pieces on eBay. A large part of Tyson’s success he attributes to the fantastic, artistic photographic efforts of one of his business partners, Jamais Vu.

“My exploration of the construction of these type of items really began with my interest in the process of wardrobe and prop construction for some of my favorite staples such as Star Trek, Dr. Who, and more contemporarily Xena: Warrior Princess,” Tyson said. ”Replicating certain pieces from these shows became a drive of mine. I once attempted to assemble a line of props, classic Star Trek props such as communicators, phasers and tricorders, but with those same wood grain accents, brass tubes, engravings and rich deep baroque styling. Again, it was a style that I appreciated then, but I didn’t think it would have that broader appeal.  I wish now that I would have made them. Perhaps I would now be known as one of the first individuals at the inception of the Steampunk aesthetic movement.”

Just across the Nevada border and due South there is another artist starting to make a name for herself within the Steampunk genre – but from a very different and contrasting viewpoint. Lauri Archer of Los Angeles, California is the sole designer and operator of Victorian Love, a service that specializes in hand-crafted Neo-Victorian and Steampunk unique and exceptionally-detailed jewelry pieces. “I am in love with Victoriana and am an ex L.A. punk from the old days of growing up with the Circle Jerks and Black Flag. When I first saw Steampunk it just clicked big time,” she said. “Victorian Love Jewelry is all about the feeling of the Victorian Era. Nature, beauty and timeless love. I designed each piece to feel magical when worn. After all, feeling beautiful is truly magical!”

According to her website, Lauri has “had a love affair with an era where humanity, kindness and compassion was coming into fruition. The Victorians love of Nature and Beauty truly has shaped our world today. Women were coming into their own beings, and we were to taught to be kind to the earth and all its living creatures.” While the usual vision of Steampunk tends to have the harsh, colder edge of various woods and metals, Lauri has managed to take the same elemental materials, combine them with precious and semi-precious stones, enamels and old-fashioned cameos and porcelains, and create appropriately themed pieces that eminate a certain warmth. “I design and create each piece with love,” she said. “I want everyone who wears one of my designs to feel beautiful.”

While it truly is impossible to do justice to the plethora of fantastic new designers and manufacturers currently servicing the demand for Neo-Victorian and Steampunk accessories and accoutrement’s, new ventures such as Facing Costumes and Victorian Love are doing their very best to rise to the occasion and provide exceptional quality pieces to everyone with an appreciation and passion for the art-form.

Old Jules Verne himself, assuredly, could never have dreamed the aesthetic that sprung from his fantastic mind would continue to be so popular – and fashionable – over a hundred years after his death.

 

MARQUIS AMERICA recommends ARTundressed!

 

 

ARTundressed 2009 (Miami) includes:

 

o Art Exhibition at two locations: The Wynwood Social Club, and The News Lounge @ 55thStreetStation.com

o Live shows and performances; Live bands and deejays; Fashion Shows

o Art contests such as Body Painting, Live Drawing, Fine Art and Photography

o A Silent Art Auction during on Saturday evening to benefit The American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)

o The Closing Party: “the GOOD, the BAD, and the KINKY” Ball.

o Over 175 international artists featured in Erotic Signature’s “The World’s Greatest Erotic Art of Today” book.

o 160 participating artists registered to showcase about 300 pieces in the Art Exhibition

o More than 60 international winning artists scheduled to attend the Exhibition.

o Participation and installations by Local artists, as well as Masters of the Erotic Art.

For all Press inquiries, please contact Fritz Romeus: 786.970.9296 or email: fritz@eroticsignature.com.

For more info:

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARQUIS AMERICA recommends photography from IM Sir Real, simply beautiful.

Acclaimed American fashion, fetish and fine art nude photographer, IMSirReal lives and works near Zurich, Switzerland.  His images are an expression of his appreciation for women and the strength of the feminine spirit, often posing his models in strong, iconic poses influenced by the art deco and art nouveau periods.

IMSirReal has won several awards for his work, including first place in fine arts nudes in the International Photograph Awards and first place in the Prix de la Photagraphie Paris.  His series of dance nudes with Cirque de Soleil performer and ballet dancer, Giulia Piolanti has won several awards including International Photography Awards 2004 and Prix de la Photgraphie Paris 2006.

“My dance nudes are about clarity of focus and determination to be your best.  I am interested in what we are all capable of achieving when we put our minds to a specific goal.  Giulia is a woman who embodies excellence, not only as a dancer and performer but as a person.  Hopefully, this comes out in my images and can be a source of inspiration for others.”

Source: http://www.impactlab.com/2009/04/17/photography-by-imsirreal/

MARQUIS AMERICA recommends Eric Stanton. Eric was a twenteeth century bondage and fetish artist. (September 30 1926 – March 17 1999 – born Ernest Stanzoni).

His work is extraordinary and the best was fetish drawings has to offer until our present time. His style is unique and just fascinating. The short stories are short but full of live and right to the point.

NOW ON MARQUIS AMERICA: Eric Stanton – The dominant wives and other stories!

An exceptional book and we are proud carrying it in our online shop!

Born and raised in New York City, Stanton began his career in 1947 at Irving Klaw’s Movie Star News company, gaining employment by boasting he could draw better than any of the artists then working for Klaw. He afterward attended the Cartoonists and Illustrators School, under Batman inker Jerry Robinson and others. One classmate was future Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko. Stanton shared a Manhattan studio at 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue with Ditko from 1958 to 1966 or 1968 (accounts differ). Some of Stanton’s work during this period shows heavy Ditko influence (see below), although Ditko has denied contributing to Stanton’s art.

Stanton, in a 1988 interview with comics historian Greg Theakston, recalled that though his contribution to Spider-Man was “almost nil”, he and Ditko had “worked on storyboards together [and] I added a few ideas. But the whole thing was created by Steve on his own. … I think I added the business about the webs coming out of his hands”.

After Klaw died in 1966, Stanton supported himself via self-publishing and distributing his work to a quasi-underground network of subscribers and patrons. His mimeographed/photocopied Stantoons comic-book series continued to his death in 1999 and featured many of his best-known post-Klaw concepts, including the superheroine Blunder Broad,and the Amazon-like Princkazons.

Blunder Broad

Stanton created Blunder Broad in the 1970s with writer Turk Winter, for use in a great number of pornographic BDSM stories, published over the years in black and white. A parody of Wonder Woman, Blunder Broad is an inept superheroine who continually fails in her missions and is invariably raped and tortured by her enemies, who include a lesbian supervillainess variably called Leopard Lady, Pussycat Galore, or Cheetah, and her male sidekick Count Dastardly. Blunder Broad can be deprived of her superstrength when subjected to cunnilingus.

Princkazons

With “Lady Princker”, Stanton and Shaltis (as well as Alan Throne and Winter) created the Princkazons storyline in which women around the world grew female penises, or “princks”. These women also grew taller and stronger than men and began dominating and humiliating the men in public, including facesitting and rape.

SOURCE: wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Stanton