THE PATENT LEATHER MADONNA

'Zine #010 in our Eros Series focuses on Carlo, the pseudonymous artist whose BDSM illustrations were featured in dozens of French fetish Publications. These "Flagellation Novels" featured images of enslavement, domination, human pets, cosplay, whipping, inventive torture devices, and leather goddesses. We chose some of our favorites for this volume.

40 pages + covers, b&w and color illustrations digital offset, Edition of 100, 5.5 x 8.25". Copyright @ Vasta Editions, LLC. New York City, 2026. $18.00

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

CARLO French Bondage Fetish Illustrator 1920s-1930s

La Madone du Cuir Verni

Carlo, French bondage illustrator extraordinaire, followed in the footsteps of the Select Bibliotheque's illustrators Esbey, Tack and Selbey creating a "line" that brought the genre into the modern era. Sadly the only examples of Carlo's work I can locate in my archives at the moment are from the books reprinted by Dominique Leroy (Paris circa 1980s) which nonetheless give a very clear picture of his illustration style. John Willie (Bizarre magazine) paid homage to Carlo in his own artwork and in turn greatly influenced those who followed him: Eric Stanton, Gene Bilbrew and Bill Ward.