Mike Miksche: Difference between revisions
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{{Distinguish|text=the pseudonymous Canadian sex columnist}} |
{{Distinguish|text=the pseudonymous Canadian sex columnist}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| image = Mike Miksche.jpg |
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| other_names = Steve Masters, Scott Masters |
| other_names = Steve Masters, Scott Masters |
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| birth_name = David Leo Miksche |
| birth_name = David Leo Miksche |
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Revision as of 21:28, 27 July 2024
Mike Miksche | |
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| Born | David Leo Miksche 1925 |
| Died | 1964 (aged 38–39) |
| Other names | Steve Masters, Scott Masters |
| Known for | Erotic illustration |
Mike Miksche (1925–1964), widely known by his pen name Steve Masters, was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century, known for his erotic illustrations.[1][2]
Biography
Born as "David Leo Miksche," Miksche was raised in Texas but later relocated to New York City.[3][4] He was of Czech ancestry and, having grown to a height of six foot three, became known for his formidable appearance.[4]
Miksche enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served as a flight captain.[1] After completing his service, he became a fashion illustrator.[2] In his professional life, Miksche drew advertising and commercial artwork for companies such as McGregor Sportswear.[5]
In the 1950s and 1960s, Miksche created erotic art under the pen name Steve Masters (and reportedly Scott Masters as well).[1][4] Miksche chose his pen name in part for its initials, SM, which were a coded indication of his sexual interest in sadomasochism (otherwise known as S&M).[4] He depicted S&M in much of his art.[1][2] His physique drawings and male nude drawings were featured in major gay publications such as Physique Pictorial and BIG Magazine.[5]
Miksche's friend Glenway Wescott described him as "a giant Paul Bunyan type, very strong, with a magnificent physique [and a] tyrannous, psychological sadism... He wanted to dominate everybody... was a terrific performer... [and] a showoff."[4]
Miksche met Alfred Kinsey in New York and guided him through the city's BDSM scene.[6] Kinsey introduced Miksche to Samuel Steward, and the three agreed to allow Kinsey to film Miksche and Steward engage in S&M sex acts for his eponymous institute.[1][4][6] Miksche and Steward's encounter was the first same-sex film shot by the Kinsey Institute.[4]
Miksche was prone to violence; on at least one occasion, he broke a lover's ribs.[4] According to Wescott, many in the S&M community feared Miksche, and some worried he might kill someone.[4] Kinsey similarly concluded Miksche was dangerous or unbalanced.[4]
Miksche died in 1964 after a long battle with depression.[2][5] The cause of death is disputed.[4][5] Miksche is reported to have committed suicide by jumping into the Hudson River.[4] However, according to Wescott, Miksche was rescued from the river and died of a drug overdose on a rooftop.[4] Whether this drug overdose was intentional or not is also disputed.[5]
Following Miksche's death, much of his art was destroyed by his ex-wife.[5] The Kinsey Institute and the Leather Archives & Museum hold most of Miksche's surviving art.[2][7]
Cultural impact & legacy
The Art of Steve Masters, a collection of Miksche's work, was published in octavo format circa 1970.[2] In 1972, Greenleaf Editions featured Miksche in A Historic Collection of Gay Art, which was republished in 2006 by Arsenal Pulp Press as Gay Art: A Historic Collection.[8]
The Kinsey Institute and the Leather Archives & Museum hold most of Miksche's surviving art.[2][7]
A Canadian sex columnist named James uses Mike Miksche as his pen name.[9][10]
References
- ^ a b c d e Lybarger, Jeremy (2022-03-01). "How to Buy a Masterpiece on a Budget". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Steve Masters (aka Mike Miksche 1925 1964)". Swann Galleries. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "David Leo Miksche". American Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Spring, Justin (2011). Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 9780374533021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Student Perspective: Noah Barth, class of 2017" (PDF). DePaul American Studies (AMS) Newsletter. DePaul University. April 2017. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b Stein, Stephen K (2021-02-23). Sadomasochism and the BDSM Community in the United States: Kinky People Unite. Routledge. ISBN 9780367476809.
- ^ a b "Steve Masters Collection". Leather Archives & Museum. PERS-0041. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "Gay art : a historic collection". The ArQuives. Accession Number 2008-0672012-018. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Miksche, Mike (2017-03-15). "Why it may be time for me to kill Mike Miksche (Part 1)". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Johnson, William (2015-09-29). "The Banal and the Profane: Mike Miksche". Lambda Literary. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
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