Photography:

Kings in Their Castles photography by Tom Atwood
Kings in Their Castles is a collective portrait of gay urban America, featuring photographs of unique individuals as well as celebrities such as Todd Oldham and John Waters, at home. With Kings in Their Castles, Atwood offers a personal window into the lives and homes of some of the most intriguing characters in gay America, including Ross Bleckner, Tommy Tune, Joel Schumacher, Simon Doonan, John Ashbery, As Four, Ned Rorem, Junior Vasquez, Michael Cunningham, Edward Albee, Andrew Solomon, James Dale, David Del Tredici, Edmund White and John Bartlett.
Read an Interview with Tom Atwood

Visions of Heaven and Hell by Cliver Barker
Clive Barker’s novels have haunted our dreams, and his movies have helped us envision his groteque world even further. Now, we at last get to see the horrors that fill the darkest corners of his mind. This stunning volume introduces us to the gothic writer’s other passion—art. Here are over 300 of his drawings and oil paintings, each illustrating the twisted macabre and horrific sensual themes that distinguish his writings from that of his peers. Morbid, demented, hellish. Yet every image is mesmerizing, and takes your mind to fantastical worlds from which you can only hope there is an escape. Barker himself gives us a lesson in art appreciation as he comments on his works, his inspirations for each….and how the pictures have affected his own psyche. This is a gothic gem…for those who have the nerve to step inside the mind of a master of horror.

Raw Youth photography by Jay Diers
This will make us think twice before jumping to conclusions about the term "Midwest"! Photographer Jay Diers, a native Midwesterner himself, knows how to get past all the conservative hype and expose the raw liberating essence of the naked male. Rough trade at its finest and raunchiest, the young men in this collection are oozing with sensuality as they bare it all in their familiar rustic environments under natural lighting. While exuding intoxicating innocence, these charismatic tough guys unintentionally expose their hyper-sexuality and masculinity as they walk the line between youth and maturity. Explicit full-color and b&w photos throughout.

Alair Gomes
This book is the first to feature the work of the Brazilian photographer Alair de Oliveira Gomes (1921-1992). A philosopher, art critic, and university professor, he was in his fifties when he began to develop a body of photographic work that focused almost exclusively on athletic young men on the beach at Rio de Janeiro. This tireless collector of books, pictures, and films transformed the thousands of pages of his diaries into an immense erotic tableau of black-and-white photographs devoted to the beauty of the male physique. Photographs covertly taken on the beach, or with a telephoto zoom lens from the window of his apartment, were extensively reworked and ordered in carefully constructed sequences. This group of photographs, now preserved at the National Library of Rio, constitutes one of the most original photographic works of the last thirty years. 150 illustrations.

George Platt Lynes edited by David Leddick
With the same masterful lighting and surreal compositions he brought to bear on portrait, dance and fashion photography, George Platt Lynes (1907-1955) created throughout his career a hidden body of marvelous work celebrating the nude male form. In this newest addition to TASCHEN's award winning Photography Series, author David Leddick divides George Platt Lynes' photography into distinct sections; Portraits, the Ballet, Fashion, Nudes, and Mythology, and meticulously documents the striking work of this influential 20th century photographer.

Testosterone photography by Joe Oppedisano
If you like your men with a raw, gritty and dirty edge then get ready to feel filthy! These men play rough and hard, and the big boy always comes out on top—which means no one's a loser! Skin, sweat, leather, grime—the testosterone is so ripe on these pages you can practically smell it. The darkest corners of male sexuality are explored: dark bars, cellars, stairwells. The settings will take you to places you've never been—or provoke you to go visit your old haunts! Whether alone or in group situations, these men are ready for the release. And you will be, too, when you flip through the pages of Testosterone.

Boys Will Be Boys (Extended) illustrations by Joe Phillips
BOYS WILL BE BOYS by Joe Phillips was published in 2003, the first gay comic from Bruno Gmünder Publishing, thus ringing in a new era of gay imagery. The American artist knows how to capture the life of sun-spoiled Californians with his bright colors and sweet style. Bruno Gmünder has finally introduced the EXTENDED VERSION of this wonderful book, with almost twice as many pages, countless new pictures and in a larger format. This work captivates with the usual delightful mix of youthful charm and sexy fantasies.

Meeting Strangers photography by Justin Julius Santos
Justin Julius Santos’ Meeting Strangers is a joy for the eyes. The photographer is not satisfied using just one style throughout, as he enjoys experimenting with a wide variety of visual techniques. In a semi-documentary, diary style he mixes up color photos, Polaroids, black-and-white shots and thus delivers new surprises on every page. His photographs were created in short sessions with the models that he met on the street. Within a few hours he’d developed photographs of enormous intensity, sexual tension and playful youthful posing. A true insider’s tip!

~ Collections ~

The Book of Boy Trouble: Gay Boy Comics with a New Attitude edited by Robert Kirby and David Kelly
From its first photocopied edition in 1994, Boy Trouble: Gay Boy Comics with a New Attitude emphasized personal stories and viewpoints outside the mainstream, with subject matter that ranged from sex, love, and longing to porn, drugs, and punk rock. The Book of Boy Trouble compiles the greatest hits from the zine’s first ten years, including favorites like Michael Fahy’s "Valentine’s Day Love Poem," Andy Hartzell’s "Dinner at Achmed’s," and Anonymous Boy’s "The Non-adventures of Wayne," plus 24 pages of spanking new work from both regular contributors and up-and-coming talents.

Male Bonding: Volume 2 edited by David Sprigle
120 handsome photographs of men together: working, playing, fighting and loving. Compiled by photo editor and archivist David Sprigle, Male Bonding - Volume Two offers an even more intimate portrayal of male relationships than his first book, Male Bonding. Sixty-eight of the world's finest photographers were selected for the diversity of their photographs. The resultant anthology is provocative, funny, touching and curious.

Male Nude Now edited by David Leddick
David Leddick has established himself as the leading expert on the male nude in photography with his award-winning Universe books Naked Men and Naked Men, Too. Male Nude Now is their natural successor, eagerly awaited. There is something here for every fan of the male body, including photography and painting. Includes work by Jack Slomovits.

Visions: Contemporary Male Photography edited by Claus Kiessling
Bruno Gmünder is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, a cause for celebration – our present to you is this gorgeous collection filled with highlights of contemporary men’s photography. We’ve brought together over 50 photographers presenting their best works. From tough to tender, elegant to raw, in colour and black-and-white – with a wide variety of men sure to tickle your fancy. This magnificent work is an absolute must for everybody’s coffee table! Including work by Velvet Mafia photographer, Jack Slomovits.

 

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Reviews taken from Amazon.com unless otherwise noted