'I have a story first, and then I create a character for it.'
Lovers of the male form undoubtedly followed the progression over the years of calendars focused on the male form. Gay magazines like Playgirl and Colt often published calendar issues of their magazines, but mainstream male calendars tended to be little tamer. If you were looking in stores, all you could usually only find were PG-13 Chippendales calendars and G rated calendars featuring built, but bland looking shirtless hunks.
Things began to change in the 1990's when many photographers began creating more R calendars to helping to promote and raise money for local charities, fire fighters, sport teams and other community organizations. Most of these local however, created for a certain organization in a specific area. Most were never seen by the masses until the Internet really took off in the 1990's and 2000's.
The calendar medium then really began to change. Print calendars, although popular, were harder to create for specific locations. It was more difficult to make a profit unless you were selling to a larger, sometimes even world wild audience. It was then many sports teams and charities began using the web to promote to much larger audience. Things really took off with the start of the Dieux du Stade back in 2001.
Anyone who followed Dieux du Stade, The Warwick Rowers, or other of the more successful calendars, know the behind the scenes images and videos soon became the main draw. I have to admit, although I bought some of the actual print calendars in the beginning, I quickly moved to purchasing mostly the videos and behind the scenes images and clips.
There's a major difference between the calendar images, and the behind the scenes visuals, and it's one that has a unique appeal for gay men. The calendars may show hot, half-naked men, but the visuals are often of 'straight' looking hunky men looking strong, buff and in control. The behind the scenes videos however, tell a more compelling and erotic story.
'I find vulnerability so much more erotic than big dicks or perfect muscular bodies. Perfect bodies and huge penises bore me at some point.'
Vulnerably is a theme I explore often, and it's key to why so many of us enjoy images of the male form. The behind the scenes videos don't show a hot man in control, but a hot, naked man, being led and directed through the process. They're often presented not just naked, but getting undressed. Some are slightly embarrassed, others seem to enjoy it all. Some are shown in various states of arousal, some embarrassed, often covering themselves between takes.
It is the between take visual that are often the most interesting. Watching the often straight athlete handled being naked and photographed by an often gay photographer. How do they deal with being spritzed and having body make-up applied, often by women. There are often scenes of make-up men and women applying body make-up to the man's crotch and butt and their checking out their facial expression is half the fun.
It is these themes, and this piece of the making of, that digital artist Achillias focused on with his 2023 calendar. Yes, there are 12 months of incredibly hot images, each with a separate model in different locations and with their own unique theme. But for several of the months, Achillias also created complete stories through a making of series of artwork. This series, features Lukas, the calendar's November model.
Lukas appears a little hesitant when he arrives for his shoot, but this soon changes. Despite just meeting the male photographer and female assistant and calendar producer, they put him quickly at ease. By the time he has to pull his tight jeans down over thick thighs, he seems to relax and get into it. Lukas gets so into it, as soon as the assistant begins spritzing him up, Lukas a spontaneous erection instantly appears.
No one seems to mind, and even if they did, there's nothing Lukas can really do about it. The erection wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and Lukas remained aroused and at attention throughout the remainder of the shoot. You can check out more of Lukas, and the 12 months of the year, including a hi-res printable version, on Achillias' Patreon site HERE:
Below: the final images used for Lukas as Mr. November
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