#426 - D MAHF Domineta Bilbrew + Man at her Feet

Domineta
Collector’s First Edition
illustrated by Gene Bilbrew
Art Publications, Inc., 1965
digital replica

Man at Her Feet
illustrated by Rex
no publisher shown, early 1960s
digital replica

Domineta
On its title page, Domineta describes itself as “The New Connoisseur Publication featuring Dominating Stories, Cartoons, Photos and Correspondence.” On the following page, the editor denies an intent to arouse prurient interests. At the end of the volume, letters from readers are requested, and the best of the month is promised a gift.

It appears that Domineta was conceived as a monthly magazine, like Exotique, but with a declared focus on fiction about dominating women, including women who dominate men. Whether the publisher was Ed (Mutrix) Mishkin or Stanley (Satellite) Malkin or someone else, the ambition was to continue to mine the audience that Mr. Burtman exposed and collected with 38 issues of Exotique, his digest-sized zine. Domineta boasts fine Gene Bilbrew illustrations, carefully executed in pencil, depicting tableaux also found in the accompanying prose. Two of the pictures and two of the stories are about women who wrestle each other.

If Exotique was a publication of fads and fancies (i.e., fetishes), Domineta describes fetishism — the rituals fetishists practice when they pay homage to their treasured objects and those who wear them. In the three stories that comprise Domineta, a man or woman is commanded to kiss and lick footwear, an observance seldom, if ever, expressed on the pages of Exotique. And two of the eight drawings actually show it. That explicitness may define the difference between 1950s and 1960s fetish publishing.

A handsome, carefully bound magazine, printed on good paper, Domineta’s origins and history are unknown. We’re introduced to the concept and receive a generous sample. A. de Granamour, author of the first story, which occupies half the pages, went on to write hundreds of novels and short fiction pieces for dozens of adult publishers. Mr. Bilbrew’s history is known. The editor fails to identify himself and the publisher’s name is Art.

The 60+ page ebook presentation is a close digital replica that includes everything that was in the original, including one page of advertising. The wide ebook pages allow better display of the fine Bilbrew artwork. Pages are sequenced as in the original.

Man at Her Feet
In Man at Her Feet, author Evelyn Astin shares what seems to be a personal fantasy involving themes of female domination over males and foot and shoe fetishism. These terms saturate the prose: foot, feet, shoe, toes, legs, high heels, and nylons. The two characters who have the most dialog are Miss Shoemaker and Mrs. Treadwell, president of the Boot and Shoe Society.

Terry made a fitting error when serving Miss Shoemaker. She and Mrs. Treadwell agree that he needs esoteric training that will teach him “the proper reverence for shoes.” The strict regimen begins with three commands: “Kneel! . . . . Take my foot into your hands! . . . . Bend down and kiss the toe.”

Terry is introduced to a fetishistic discipline that positions him on the floor, at women’s feet, worshiping their toes and footwear. His employer requires him to wear stockings and women’s shoes to more fully understand the sensuality and excitement of high heels. His legs are shaved and toenails painted, but he is not otherwise feminized.

We saw some appealing illustrations by Rex in Dominate, No. 1. The Rex ink drawings in Man at Her Feet may be of an earlier vintage. Whatever these pictures may lack in precision, they more than make up for in the way they show the energy of characters.

Few fiction works are as deeply fetish-oriented as Man at Her Feet. In some sado-masochistic stories, foot and shoe worship is characterized as punishment. As this fiction relentlessly integrates fetishism with female domination, the submitting male experiences enforced worship rituals as rewarding instruction.

The close digital replica observes the sequence of the original 50-page booklet. The competent writing has copious dialog that illustrates relationships and defines dispositions. Apparently, the inventive author had some knowledge of fashion, fabrics, and physiology and unexpected details brighten the text. For example, as part of his training, Terry must walk a mile in high heels on a treadmill.

The submissiveness of the male character and his urgent fetishism demonstrate exceptional fluency with the subject matter. The author’s relentless focus and personal connection to the themes involved make this a unique 1960s work. As was typical of erotic fiction in those years, oblique references merely allude to sex. The writer reveals fantasy on such an intimate level, it’s easy to understand why the publication was produced without a trace of its origins. (best guess: Flag-related; southern California)

In words and art, these two obscure volumes deliver generous servings of fetishism. Pages provide a seductive destination that enthusiasts will visit often.

Two digital replica e-books, delivered from your 30th Street Graphics account.