Dale Lazarov

Sticky is the first in a collection of Gay erotic comics, this one illustrated by Steve MacIsaac.

I have to say that I’m not really an expert of comics, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. There is no text (the bubbles I was used to in the few comics I read), but, after an initial adaptation, it was easy enough to follow the story without them, because, well, the comics is all about sex, and there isn’t much to say. Sincerely I didn’t feel like I was missing the “words”, the illustration where easy enough, and even when, in reality, probably some words were exchanged, the illustrator managed the vignette without it, giving plenty of understanding.

Sticky is also very different from the few yaoi comics I read, and indeed I don’t think this can be classified as yaoi. I’m not an expert, but I know there are subtheme in the yaoi, were different character types can enter the story. In the case of Sticky, both men are bear like, hairy and not so young, definitely not twinks. There is really no top or bottom, even if one of them is slightly older than the other, the story is all about the sex, and how good is when you can enjoy it with all the easiness of being free.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/3861879719/?tag=elimyrevandra-20… (meer)

Out of all of Dale Lazarov's gay erotic comics collections to have so far been released in print--Sticky, Manly, Nightlife, and Good Sports--my personal favorite is Manly. Released in 2008 by Germany-based publishing house Bruno Gmünder (which specializes in gay fiction, nonfiction, comics, art, and photography), Manly was Lazarov's second collaboration to be released by the publisher. In the case of Manly, comics writer Lazarov worked closely with Amy Colburn, a homoerotic illustrator from Virginia. Manly was Colburn's publishing debut as a comics artist. Dominic Cordoba also contributed to the volume by providing the color work. Lazarov self-describes his work as "smart, wholesome gay comics smut" which I feel is an entirely apt description. I would also agree that Manly, which was my introduction to Lazarov's comics, fits that mold perfectly.

Manly collects three short, unrelated erotic gay comics: "Busted," "Clinch," and "Hot Librarian." I say unrelated because the stories do not share any plot or characters with each other, but they do all feature a pair of masculine men who take great pleasure in each other's company. The collection opens with "Busted" in which a civilian aids in the arrest of a criminal, gaining the attention of the lead ATF agent working on the case in the process. In "Clinch," a retired championship boxer and a successful, up-and-coming younger fighter discover their mutual admiration and attraction. Manly closes with "Hot Librarian" which follows a man new to the gay club scene who, after an awkward start, ends up finding love in the stacks instead. As a librarian myself, I couldn't hep but have a particular fondness for "Hot Librarian," but I enjoyed all three comics a great deal; "Clinch" appealed to my interest in fighting arts and the leads in "Busted" were incredibly endearing.

As is true of all of Lazarov's comics, there is no dialogue or narration in Manly meaning that there are very few textual clues to move the narrative along. Instead, there is an even greater reliance on the artwork to carry the story. Fortunately, Colburn is up to the task and handles it very well. Because Manly is largely wordless it allows the comics to be enjoyed by a wider audience without having to worry about language barriers. Since there are no words to slow readers down there is a temptation to rush through the volume as a result, but to do so would mean missing some of the more subtle aspects of the stories--facial expressions, body language, and so on. At the same time, because there is so little text, readers must engage with the comics on an almost participatory level in the creation and interpretation of the stories. And there actually are stories in Manly. I liked that there was a bit of plot to go along with all the sex (and there's plenty of sex, too.) For me, the balance of those two elements in Manly worked nicely.

Manly is sexy and sweet with a touch of humor and a lot of joy. It celebrates the physical intimacy between its men. The comics are explicit with nothing to hide but I wouldn't exactly call them graphic, either. It was great to see an emphasis on safer sex and condom use. In fact, in one story the lack of condoms means that the men have to get a little more creative in their play. Manly is sex-positive and the delight the men find with each other is wonderful. I was consistently left with a smile and even an occasional chuckle. I liked that the men in Manly actually established relationships with each other. To them the sex was more meaningful than just a casual encounter. Although the men in Manly are all unquestionably masculine, I appreciated the range of ethnicities, ages, and body-types exhibited by the characters. Manly is a great if all too brief collection of gay erotic comics. While the volume remains my favorite, it convinced me to seek out more of Lazarov's work. So far, I haven't been disappointed.

Experiments in Manga… (meer)

Nightlife is comprised of three stories written by Dale Lazarov and illustrated by Bastian Jonsson. Dale’s signature lack of text adds intimacy with the script being carried by subtle positioning of characters, facial expression and excellent attention to narrative structure and pacing.One of the stronger impressions I came away with is that not all sex necessarily needs to lead to a picket fence to be considered romantic. The passion, joy and downright hotness of the encounters, with a partner who instinctively understands who you are, was beautifully done. There were parts of this that felt a little more erotic too and totally floated my boat. Much smex. Is good.Hard Cases has two men meeting at a kind of open mike night, both playing guitar who develop an instant attraction. The characters felt warm and tactile and there was much re reading of this story. It was hot and the rawness of the sex was very appealing.Layover begins at an airport, with flights being cancelled left and right, and two men meeting in a bar. My favorite pages involves the robustness of condoms. heh. Finally, Closing Time is about a bouncer in a club who rescues a young man from a violent confrontation. Out of the three stories this might just be my favorite and it is all down to one of the final pages that show the passing of time and development of the characters intimacy. It appealed greatly to my inner romance nerd and was rather heart warming.Bastian Jonsson’s work has a really distinctive quality. I kinda liked the line work and his use of shadow and color. It makes the panels feel less contained and very vibrant. I became oddly obsessed with his legs. Bastian gives good legs! It was certainly a different style for me initially, but I like the solidness of his men and how he approaches movement.This is another beautiful, erotic volume from Bruno Gmünder and one that will sit very nicely on my shelf!Check out the original review here. Be aware there are several NOT WORK SAFE images. http://sharrow.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/nightlife-by-dale-lazarov-and-bastian-jo...… (meer)