“It may be normal, darling; but I’d rather be natural.”

It’s no real secret that “white guys with abs” are pretty much what lots of (most?) gay men envision when they think of “sexy.” What they consider “normal.” It’s why the Austin Wolfs and Ryan Roses of the world have attained the degree of success they have (not to knock their respective years of hard work – merely to point out that they are archetypes of that definition of “sexy”). There are a handful of men of color who have success in adult entertainment, too. But have a candid discussion with anyone in charge of casting or directing at a major studio, and it takes about 5 seconds for them to ‘explain’ that “white guys just sell better.”

That is, none of it, an accident of course. That is programming, through and through. It is programming that tells us what is acceptable to find attractive, what is permissibly desirable, and what one ought to aspire to look like. It is programming that sells DVDs, memberships to porn sites, and ridiculous “camera ready” ass scrubs. It is programming that goes far deeper into our culture than we have the time or resources to examine here.

But it’s significant to realize that your “just a preference” stuff, may not truly be a naturally occurring streak in your lust processor. Rather, it might be the result of learned definitions of sexy, desirable, and erotic. You might actually be learning that the Ryan Roses out there are sexy because they are endlessly and forcefully being sold to you that way (to keep you buying DVDs, memberships, and ass scrubs).

But, listen – I don’t want to wear you out with privilege checking and racial programming talk when we have other stuff to look at.

All of that stuff we just mentioned, though, is why I’m so drawn to work like that of icametosin (aka, Mikhail). It is so commonplace to see bodies drawn in art or graphic novels that conform to (like Josman‘s men), or exacerbate (like Tom of Finland) existing stereotypes of how desirable bodies are “supposed” to look (white – muscled – abs), that when someone illustrates bodies that don’t look like that, you notice!

Mikhail’s work is easily and quickly reminiscent of Belasco (who is another favorite illustrator of mine), but with a degree of darkness that Belasco doesn’t usually delve into. Mikhail’s men are more distant and reserved, even when their monster dongs are hanging out and dripping, than Belasco’s frequent depictions of casual, black fraternity.

What they share in common, though, is a featuring of bodies that one wouldn’t ordinarily find in mainstream erotic art; these men are thick, some muscular, others not. They have brown skin and tattoos and thick asses and, most importantly, don’t have any duty to prove how sexy they are. There is a gaze in his work that defies the traditional invitation of the pinup.

I got to ask Mikhail a couple questions about his work that were on my mind when I was rubbing my bone to his tumblr, and he was gracious enough to answer in depth for me:

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So, who are you? How old are you? What’s your main gig?

Who am I? Well I am Mikhail. I am 30 & still figuring that “who are you” part out. At heart I am simply an artist. A creative soul of sorts.

I’m also just some chubby dude with tattoos & stretched lobes who loves sci fi, anime & drawing a bunch of weird shit. My main gig is doing commissions for people & living off that. I used to work retail – it was actually a lot of fun. I worked as a custom framer at Michael’s. I wanted to make it a career being in management for that department. I have a passion for framing cause of all the cool stuff I got to frame. But the retail side of things became too draining, especially for my creative nature. September 2017 I gave it up & walked out to focus on my art & try to make that my thing, full time.

Tell me about the eyes on your men? Seems like somewhere between 2016-2017 your guys lost their eyes. Is there symbolism there? It reads to me as somehow more sexually threatening or imposing, since I can’t tell what they’re thinking. It’s similar to the way Doctor Manhattan is drawn; he is beyond human understanding, and his eyes offer a visual cue that what he is thinking is outside of what the viewer can comprehend.

These guys are hugely eroticized, and are posed and presented as if to be consumed (the way pinups often are), but have expressions that are often nearly unreadable. The viewer doesn’t get to read or impose any meaning behind what these men are doing or offering or thinking, because they are eyeless. Do they want to lick me? fuck me? fight me?

Honestly your assumption is pretty on point. It’s funny you mention Doctor Manhattan because he was one of a few inspirations. When I started I drew things as they were; a typical portrait. But I wanted to add a little more of “me” into it.

I am a ball of mystery to people. Often people have no idea what I am thinking, because most of the time my face doesn’t say what I am thinking or feeling. There’s that saying ‘eyes are the windows to the soul’. I feel the male characters I come up with do have souls, but I wanted to add that otherworldly aspect to it. Something ethereal and godlike. I wanted people to look at my drawings and feel something. Whether it was an eerie feeling or being turned on.

I also wanted that mystery factor for my characters. To keep those who look at my art in a trance like state – conjuring up whatever thought or fantasy or scenario they could manifest in their mind.

So that last paragraph of your question, that’s exactly right.

What does it mean to you to see men respond the way they do to your work? Is it gratifying to see positive responses to your sexualizing of bodies that often don’t get to be sexualized in mainstream adult art (I’m thinking about the contrast of your work vs. the white, muscled, trim, ultra “traditionally-masc” men of Tom of Finland, say)? To see men wearing your shirts, who look like the guys in your art – thick, furry, tattooed, and sporting monster dickprints?

It’s really fucking cool to see the response I’ve been getting from people. To see men who look like me and many others on this earth finally being a focus and sought after. It’s about time. I wanted to sexualize my characters in a tasteful way that wasn’t coming from a negative place.

Seeing dudes who buy my shirts and they look like my drawings – dude I have no words for that. It’s overwhelming in a good sense. The love, it’s amazing. I’ve actually cried a few times in the past few months from all of the support & love I’ve been getting. I’m so very thankful. Also some of the dudes I draw with monster dicks/dickprints is my nod to a few Japanese Bara artist I was introduced to (Tagame, Jiraiya, Seizoh) & a few other artists. The exaggeration is for show. I’m far from a size queen.

Do you do this work because you are catering to a void you sensed? Or does this shit really turn you on? Tom of Finland had a great quote about his work, “If I don’t have an erection when I’m doing a drawing, I know it’s no good.” Is that you, too?

Hahaha. I do this because I wanted to cater to a void in the gay erotic art world. I’d be lying tho if I didn’t admit that some of my made up characters get me a little tight in the pants haha.

I’d love to see the kind of shit that gets your penis hard, privately – any favorite tumblrs/performers/scenarios? Like what you’re rubbing your dick to when you got your legs spread late at night and you’re scrolling through shit. Doesn’t have to be anything that backs up your art. Just helps me know you better.

I did have a few favorite tumblr blogs but they are long gone now and deleted. I do have a few favorite performers. Bobby Blake, Bam, Big Beef, Shane Diesel, Kory Mitchell, CutlerX, Brian Pumper, Rico Strong, Justin Long & Jade Phillips (recent trans adult actor I stumbled across on tumblr).

To be honest almost all of these dudes have been in the game for a long time and this was from my younger days when I did watch a lot of porn. Stuff that I enjoy would be homemade stuff. But these days porn is boring and I do not watch it at all. . I prefer the real life experience with my fiancé.

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Mikhail makes shirts featuring his illustrations and slogans as well. You can check out the selection here, but the best is the dudes who get posted to his IG wearing his shit:

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I think it’s worth noting his comment about sexualizing these men without it “coming from a negative place.” When I talk about black men in adult entertainment, folks are quick to point out several sites that continue to prosper featuring men of color. The thing is, when they’re presented as “thugs” “gangstas” and hard dudes from the “street,” that’s more about the fetishizing of those roles for black men, than it is about celebrating what those guys have to offer as individuals.

Mikhail’s work gives each of these dudes an identity, and one that isn’t wrapped up in having a massive dong, or in being perceived as violent, hard, or threatening. Their bodies are realistic, and their lust is theirs to present, rather than yours to consume.

Follow icametosin on Instagram and twitter and tumblr. And check out his line of shirts here.

-t