Bad, but good

I'm a long-time follower of Bad Penny Blues. I'm not entirely sure why - I just love the eclectic mix of stuff that turns up in each and every post. It's not all to my taste, but it usually makes me smile and it has at imtes been something of an inspiration for some fictional bad behaviour.
It bills itself as: 'A motley circus of erotic imagery of interest mainly to transvestites, sissies, femdom fans, retro-erotics, auto-flagellants, lingerie fetishists, the luridly curious and similar riff-raff.' I'm not sure which category I fall into; maybe a retro-erotic, possibly luridly curious or perhaps I'm just riff-raff...
Anyway, today the treat was this Jim Black drawing, which I'm fairly certain I haven't seen before. If I had I think I would have remembered it because I just love the subtlty of the composition.
It's all a bit of a puzzle. Has she just been spanked? She looks quite composed if she has, not a hair out of place, and no visible 'war wounds' on her bot. Maybe, she's about to be spanked and is taking a last look to remind herself of what a bruise-free behind should look like.
When I've got more time I really must put together a post that pulls together more of Mr Black's (or Mr. Luc Lafnet's) work. It really is evocative stuff - at least for us 'retro-erotics'.  

 

Art moment

She's bound and unable to  move. Her bottom is well presented and there's a looked of resignation on her face - appropriate given that her tormentor has four spare switches in hand and looks to be planning to wear out each one.

It's an intriguing image. I want to know why the girl is being punished so soundly and who it is that's doing the thrashing. And is that room an attic?

These drawings are the work of an artist called Eric Galton. I love them - they're so elegant and French. So, I thought I'd see what I could find out about Galton and try to discover more of his art, if it's out there.

But there doesn't seem to be much to be found out about him other than that he was the talent who illustrated a novel called 'The Misfortunes of Colette', which was published in Britain around 1930. Apparently its subtitle was 'The Ironical Fruits of Discipline', which sounds intertesting. 

The story was apparently a translation of a French spanking story called 'Les Malheurs de Colette' by a certain Aimé Van Rod. That was first published n 1914.

I'd love to read Collette's story. Her misfortunes seem to be the sort of thing that I could identify with... If anyone knows where I can find it please do share.

The Mary Lou look

As character name's go Mary Lou Burnem is hard to beat. Over the years I've come across lots of the Mary Lou images here and there on websites, but I've never been able to see them together as a coherent comic story.

In my (admittedly brief) quest for info about Mary Lou's creator Eric Stanton I've just come across a post at the blog Crankyspanker that has shaken my belief that he was working long, long ago.

Stanton's drawings - including the Mary Lou ones - have a 1960s feel to them, but Crankyspanker says that the comics were actually self-published in the 1980s. Another Country remembers the 1980s well and is certain that they are not yet history.

So a bit more surfing on the subject and it turns out that Stanton - real name Ernest Stanzoni - only passed away in 1999. Apparently he worked on mainstream comics, before striking off on his own tack into the dark world of fetish.

I love his spanking stuff, it has an energy and verve that jumps off the page. The typed captions and sketchy style make it all look very homemade. His FF stuff is full of life and fizz, and there's lots of FM too. 

My one niggle with Stanton style is the way he draws his male characters - their bottoms are often very girly... Not quite right.If anyone knows where I can find the whole Mary Lou story do please let me know.

In praise of... Lynn Paula Russell

I love spanking art, but fear I can get a bit obsessive about one to the exclusion of the rest. When I do I probably don't give the rest a fair whack, to use that evocative English turn of phrase.

So over recent weeks I have got a little obsessed with the peerless Roger Benson. I love the Fifties feel and the curvy figures, but am now concious that I've been boring readers with my gush on the subject.

In the interests of fairness then, today's topic is another master of the spanko imagination - or mistress of - Lynn Paula Russell. A talented spanking model, Lynn Russell decided to hang up her naughty knickers and become an illustrator instead.
Inspired by her own experience she went on to become a massive presecence on the spanko scene, feeding the spanko need at a time when - pre-internet - there wasn't that much spanking-related imagery around for us to enjoy. And, she brought a wry, humorous feminine take to what she created - with the woman as participant rather than object. Or that's how it seemed to me, anyway.

Her work was famously featured in the great 'Janus' magazine, where it went a long way to making the title something really special. She was also editor the magazine 'Februs' and her work also enlivened some sex manuals for the vanilla market.

I particulalry like her period work. Historical fiction is my thing and Lynn/Paula's creations are, for me, just right. When she summons up the Victorian country house, with a strict master or mistress disciplining a cheeky maid or errant daughter, every detail is as I'd sketch it myself if I could.

When I was working on 'A Week in the Country' I had some of Lynn's work on my desk by the laptop. They helped me bring my naughty leading lady Flick to life.
If there were Spankoland Oscars the Academy would be unanimous. The lifetime achievement awared would go to Lynn Paula Russell.

PS Is it just me, or does that young lady in the last drawing need to meet up with the guy in the suit a couple of images up? I'd say that after what happened in that alley that bottom should be stripier (is stripier a word?) than the back end of a zebra!

More Benson

Time ran out mid post yesterday, but I was meaning to include a couple more of Roger Benson's evocative drawings to make my point.

I really like the one above. The connection is a personal one. We had a sewing machine like that one when I was young and patterns, pins and fittings were very much part of the domestic scene.

Not sure what the relationship is here, but the dressmaker looks rather no-nonsense. I reckon if the girl fidgets too much she'll end up with a nice handprint somewhere between those knickers and the suspender.

If there's a mismatch between Benson's girls and the character I'm trying to create it's that they can seem a little too submissive; their eyes are often closed, or lowered. If there's fiestiness it's well hidden. 

On the other hand the matriarchs are certainly feisty - they're very strong women. I like to think they were once the ones on the disciplinary receiving end.Do the women at the table in this one know what it's like to be the spanked girl at the fireplace? I hope so.

Mind you, this one suggests no lack of spirit. This is a girl who knows what she wants and is prepared to take risks to get it. What happens in Benson World to a young lady indulging in this sort of necking? 

I've done a little research about the artist but it's hard to pin down who, when and where. His images were used with skill and imagination a few years ago by the creator of the spoof magazine Bared Affair that appeared on soc.sexuality.spanking newsgroup. I've always assumed that they were genuine products of the 1950/1960s. If they're not, they're very good at drawing the viewing into a constructed world. Anyone know?

As good as it gets?

For atmosphere? It has to be the work of Louis Malteste. His creations draw me in in a way that nobody else's manage to do. I can look at those drawings time and again and never be quite sure of the story behind each one.
I know most (all?) were book illustrations, so presumably he was making pictures to match the stories he was given.  A job of work that he did with real aplomb.
But I like to look at thepictures as stand-alone images without that baggage and love weaving my own little daydreams around them. It is something to do when you're on the train to work.
Here's one for Monday morning. Not sure what's going on here. It's clear she's going to get what's coming. Those pretty drawers are going to be around her knees and the birch on the chair is going to get used. But why are the flapper girls getting to watch? And is that a playful pat on the bottom. or a slap?