Michael Kirwan (artist)

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Michael Kirwan
Born(1953-12-27)December 27, 1953
New York City
DiedMay 26, 2018(2018-05-26) (aged 64)
Los Angeles
NationalityAmerican
Known forerotica
Notable workJust So Horny
Websitehttp://KirwanArts.com

Michael Kirwan (December 27, 1953 – May 26, 2018)[1][2][3] was an American artist, known for his distinctively stylized erotic illustrations and comics, published in more than 600 magazines.[2] Although he focused primarily on homoerotic themes, he also produced substantial work for the heterosexual and fetish markets. He worked primarily in watercolor markers and permanent ink.[4]

Style

Cover of Just So Horny by Michael Kirwan, showing some of the range of characters depicted in his work

Rather than a photorealist or idealist approach, he drew characters cartoonishly,[5][6] to "universalize" the scenes for audience identification.[4] He depicted diverse subjects – including inter-racial and inter-generational scenes,[7] and people from different socio-economic backgrounds[8] – who were not physical ideals, sometimes with disabilities or physical deformities.[9] He wrote "My guys are stand-ins for everyone who's ever sucked a dick, incorporating the lust, confusion, contentment, guilt, passion, and bonding that I observe in the homo realm."[10] His style has been likened to Paul Cadmus[11][8][12], Robert Crumb,[12] and George Grosz,[8] and contrasted with Tom of Finland.[9][4][8]

Early life

Kirwan was born on December 27, 1953 in New York City.[4] His family was poor, so as a child he drew on paper grocery bags.[9] He attended a middle school run by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York that allowed the most gifted students to take art classes.[9]

Career

Kirwan began producing homoerotic art in the early 1980s,[7] inspired by his job as an attendant at St. Mark's Baths, a gay sex club.[4] His first published work appeared in Playguy magazine.[2] He produced monthly comic strips for Playguy, including The Roadies, which ran from October 1995 through September 1997; The Adventures of Richie Tease, from October 1997 through January 1999; and Beginner's Luck, which began in July 1999.[13] As the market for magazine illustrations declined, Kirwan turned to commissioned work.[2]

He spent a year as the first Artist in Residence with the Tom of Finland Foundation,[2] which inducted him into its Erotic Artist Hall of Fame in 2004.[4] In 2011, Bruno Gmünder published Just So Horny, a 128-page collection of his work.[14][4][2]

Personal life

He married his high-school girlfriend when she became pregnant,[9] and they had a son Larry.[2] They remained married until she divorced him due to his sexual infidelity with men in the late 1970s.[2][9]

Kirwan died in his sleep on May 26, 2018.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Michael Kirwan's KirwanArts.com". www.kirwanarts.com. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "An astute observer and recorder of life – Michael Kirwan (27th December 1953 – 26th May 2018) | TOM's Blog". www.worldoftomoffinland.com. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  3. ^ "Erotic artist Michael Kirwan dies at 64 | Q Voice News". Q Voice News. 2018-05-29. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Michael Kirwan's 'horny' drawings to be displayed at Long Beach Erotic Art Show at Piston's". Out in the 562. 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  5. ^ "Drawn To You: Michael Kirwan | Manhunt Daily". www.manhuntdaily.com. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  6. ^ "Brad Craft's Blog - Why Michael Kirwan Matters - September 07, 2013 22:46". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  7. ^ a b Team, QX (2015-08-28). "Michael Kirwan - QX Magazine". QX Magazine. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  8. ^ a b c d "Just So Horny « The Gay Comics List". gaycomicslist.free.fr. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Le facce caricaturali di Michael Kirwan - Gay.it". Gay.it (in Italian). 2011-10-15. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  10. ^ "Artist Michael Kirwan". www.tomoffinlandfoundation.org. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  11. ^ "The Beauty of Men - Gay City News | Gay City News". gaycitynews.nyc. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  12. ^ a b Murphy, Tim (2014-03-27). "The Secret History of Homoerotic Illustration". T Magazine. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  13. ^ "Just Another Cocksucker in the Alleyway of Life". Playguy. October 2001.
  14. ^ "Just So Horny". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
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