The bold publishers who commissioned, printed, and distributed vintage BDSM art through secret networks
In the mid-20th century, Edward Mishkin played a pivotal role in preserving BDSM culture through his bookstores and publishing operations in Times Square. His imprints, including Satellite Publishing and Mutrix, produced influential fetish art and literature. These works provided a vital connection for those exploring BDSM identities, offering validation and community. Continue reading Mishkin and the Underground Fetish Press
In the late 1950s and 1960s, Satan Press emerged as a significant player in New York’s underground fetish publishing, focusing on S&M and bondage in small-format paperbacks. Its impactful cover art by Gene Bilbrew became iconic, attracting collectors today. The works reflected a raw exploration of mid-century desires amidst societal disapproval. Continue reading Satan Press
Popular Publications dominated the 1930s “weird menace” shudder pulp era with lurid titles like Terror Tales, Horror Stories, and Spicy Mystery. Packed with sadistic villains, tortured heroines, and bondage-heavy covers by artists such as Norman Saunders and Hugh Joseph Ward, these magazines are essential precursors to post-war BDSM and fetish imagery. Continue reading Popular Publications
Leonard Burtman (1921-1994) was a pioneer in fetish publishing in mid-20th century New York. Founding Burmel Publishing, he launched iconic magazines like Exotique, blending high fashion with BDSM themes. Despite legal challenges and allegations of piracy, Burtman expanded his empire, shaping modern kink aesthetics and influencing future adult content until the 1980s. Continue reading Leonard Burtman: America’s Underground Fetish Publisher
Charles Guyette (c. 1900–1976) was a pioneering theatrical costumer who transformed his New York shop into America’s first full-line fetish supplier by the mid-1930s. Notably, he offered handmade fetish items and imported European designs. After a prison sentence for obscenity, he shifted focus but inspired key figures in American kink culture. Continue reading Charles Guyette
