Michael Manning (fetish artist)
Encyclopedia
Michael Manning is a fetish artist based in Los Angeles, California
, having moved there from San Francisco, California
in late 2005. NBM has published several collections of his work, including Cathexis and Lumenagerie, and a series of graphic novels, The Spider Garden series, which consists of, in order: The Spider Garden, Hydrophidian, In a Metal Web, and In a Metal Web II. French, German, and Italian language editions of "The Spider Garden" have been published by BD Érogéne and Phoenix Erotica. He also worked on The Tranceptor Series with Patrick Conlon
.
Born in Queens, New York, and raised on Massachusetts’ North Shore, Manning went on to study film and animation at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He began self-publishing his black & white erotic comix
in 1987 while working as an animator and director of short films, commercials, and music videos. Early exposure to Japanese animation, fairy-tale book illustration, American and European comix, and mythology of many cultures has contributed to the formation of Manning’s style.
Manning's work draws heavily on Japan
ese influences, being somewhat stylised and almost exclusively black-and-white. His themes are notable, even amongst fetish artists, for depicting potentially taboo subjects such as zoophilia
. Many of his images include beings that are mythological (such as centaurs) or at least biologically improbable, such as hermaphrodite
s.
This strand of his work is best developed in the Spider Garden series. This is set in a futuristic, matriarchal world of warring clans, ruled by the 'Scarlet Empress'. The action centres on the eponymous Spider Garden, a palace-fortress ruled by the 'Sacred Androgyne' Shaalis, who has male and female genitals. Shaalis is referred to by the pronouns 'hir' and 's/he'
to denote hir polysexual
status. The story follows the political intrigues between Shaalis and the two 'Sisters Serpentine', Squamata and Lichurna, amphibian humans who command a rival clan based in the Manse Hydrophidian. Also appearing in the story are the Tengu, a race of semi-human creatures roughly resembling bipedal horses. These creatures appear to be inspired by, but not identical to, the Tengu
of Japanese legend.
Manning has also worked with fetish artist Patrick Conlon, on the Tranceptor series, a melding of the two artists' styles, set in a future wasteland inhabited by genetically modified humans.
In 2005, Last Gasp published a hardback collection of Manning's erotic art, entitled Inamorata.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, having moved there from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in late 2005. NBM has published several collections of his work, including Cathexis and Lumenagerie, and a series of graphic novels, The Spider Garden series, which consists of, in order: The Spider Garden, Hydrophidian, In a Metal Web, and In a Metal Web II. French, German, and Italian language editions of "The Spider Garden" have been published by BD Érogéne and Phoenix Erotica. He also worked on The Tranceptor Series with Patrick Conlon
Patrick Conlon (artist)
Patrick Conlon is an illustrator and tattooist in New York. He wrote and illustrated the graphic novel Swarm, and collaborated with Michael Manning, another fetish artist, on The Tranceptor Series....
.
Born in Queens, New York, and raised on Massachusetts’ North Shore, Manning went on to study film and animation at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He began self-publishing his black & white erotic comix
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
in 1987 while working as an animator and director of short films, commercials, and music videos. Early exposure to Japanese animation, fairy-tale book illustration, American and European comix, and mythology of many cultures has contributed to the formation of Manning’s style.
Manning's work draws heavily on Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese influences, being somewhat stylised and almost exclusively black-and-white. His themes are notable, even amongst fetish artists, for depicting potentially taboo subjects such as zoophilia
Zoophilia
Zoophilia, from the Greek ζῷον and φιλία is the practice of sex between humans and non-human animals , or a preference or fixation on such practice...
. Many of his images include beings that are mythological (such as centaurs) or at least biologically improbable, such as hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
s.
This strand of his work is best developed in the Spider Garden series. This is set in a futuristic, matriarchal world of warring clans, ruled by the 'Scarlet Empress'. The action centres on the eponymous Spider Garden, a palace-fortress ruled by the 'Sacred Androgyne' Shaalis, who has male and female genitals. Shaalis is referred to by the pronouns 'hir' and 's/he'
Gender-neutral pronoun
A gender-neutral pronoun is a pronoun that is not associated with any gender. It designates two distinct grammatical phenomena, the first being pronouns/periphrastics that have been assigned nontraditional meanings in modern times out of a concern for gender equity, and the second being genderless...
to denote hir polysexual
Polysexuality
Polysexuality is the attraction to more than one gender or sex. It should not be confused with polyamory, the ability to be romantically involved with more than one person at once.-Gender definition:...
status. The story follows the political intrigues between Shaalis and the two 'Sisters Serpentine', Squamata and Lichurna, amphibian humans who command a rival clan based in the Manse Hydrophidian. Also appearing in the story are the Tengu, a race of semi-human creatures roughly resembling bipedal horses. These creatures appear to be inspired by, but not identical to, the Tengu
Tengu
are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami...
of Japanese legend.
Manning has also worked with fetish artist Patrick Conlon, on the Tranceptor series, a melding of the two artists' styles, set in a future wasteland inhabited by genetically modified humans.
In 2005, Last Gasp published a hardback collection of Manning's erotic art, entitled Inamorata.