Out/Lines : Gay Underground Erotic Graphics From Before Stonewall

Rating:
Summary: History of Homoerotic Desire
Review: This is an important and well crafted book that surveys the fascinating world of erotic images created by and for gay men from the 1920s through the 1960s, when any such drawings, hetero, homo or bi, were outlawed.

These images were created by a wide range of men, from professional artists to untalented amateurs. One of the more interesting aspects of viewing them today is knowing how important they were to large numbers of men during a time when any expression of homosexual desire was so forbidden. Although prohibited, they were very popular, and like illicit photographs, were widely collected, reproduced, and sold, given, or traded among gay male friends and acquaintances. Waugh identifies and discusses 11 of the more prolific artists of the genre, most of them for the first time.

This offers an engrossing glimpse of the erotic desires and sexual fantasies and practices held by gay men during the fifty years before Stonewall, and is a book I enthusiastically recommend to anyone interested in this subject.

Rating:
Summary: Quite an Achievement!
Review: Thomas Waugh has collected and published here for the first time some of the most explicit homoerotic drawings from the period before the Stonewall riot in 1969. There are about 200 previously unpublished gay male sexual graphics in this book that are from the author's extensive collection. The amount of work and effort Waugh has taken to bring this collection to print is inspiring and a credit to this author's dedication to recording this rich history. Tom of Finland, Blade, Etienne, Steve Masters and Graewolf are some of the more well-known artists represented, along with many other unknown artists. Ein Liebhaber is a favorite of mine, whose drawings of orgies of ancient youths in Corinthian helmets is fascinating. There's no denying these images were meant to create lust. They may seem a little tame by today's standards, but can still create a highly erotic desire when viewed.

Waugh's essays of introduction are well-researched and fascinating reading for anyone desiring a detailed and academic history of erotic drawings and what it all means culturally. For those of us who prefer to just peruse the drawings, each drawing is explained at the bottom of the page. The author's biographies of the artists are a definite plus and appreciated. It's nice that we get to know the artists, which often is sadly missing in other books of this genre. This is a must for any collector of gay male erotic art. It is a book that will entertain, arouse, and teach all at the same time. Highly recommended!

Joe Hanssen

Rating:
Summary: Quite an Achievement!
Review: Thomas Waugh has collected and published here for the first time some of the most explicit homoerotic drawings from the period before the Stonewall riot in 1969. There are about 200 previously unpublished gay male sexual graphics in this book that are from the author's extensive collection. The amount of work and effort Waugh has taken to bring this collection to print is inspiring and a credit to this author's dedication to recording this rich history. Tom of Finland, Blade, Etienne, Steve Masters and Graewolf are some of the more well-known artists represented, along with many other unknown artists. Ein Liebhaber is a favorite of mine, whose drawings of orgies of ancient youths in Corinthian helmets is fascinating. There's no denying these images were meant to create lust. They may seem a little tame by today's standards, but can still create a highly erotic desire when viewed.

Waugh's essays of introduction are well-researched and fascinating reading for anyone desiring a detailed and academic history of erotic drawings and what it all means culturally. For those of us who prefer to just peruse the drawings, each drawing is explained at the bottom of the page. The author's biographies of the artists are a definite plus and appreciated. It's nice that we get to know the artists, which often is sadly missing in other books of this genre. This is a must for any collector of gay male erotic art. It is a book that will entertain, arouse, and teach all at the same time. Highly recommended!

Joe Hanssen