1. When did you draw your first bondage sketch and what was it?
I've drawn all my life, including bondage pictures. As a boy, I was fortunate to have found a friend who not only drew but was also into women tied and gagged. He was a neighbor who was two years older and far more talented than me. During the summers we created countless drawing that we then hid in secure locations.... at least we thought so. We drew pictures of actresses we'd see on TV- particularly Ginger and my favorite -- Marianne. Also we did a lot of Girl from UNCLE situations. As an adult, they'd probably seem pathetic, but we thought they were hot.
I was most likely 3 or 4 years old when I saw This Gun for Hire with Veronica Lake - - I'd no idea why it was so strong an attraction but I replayed the image of her bound and gagged over and over in my mind and then asked the girls I knew to let me try it on them, which they did.
3. Describe your creative process. What are the "tools of your trade"? And how do you decide what you will draw? Do you do your own coloring on the color drawings?
I draw primarily in pencil, unless for reproduction or commissions. hen it's whatever is required - mostly ink, wash, acrylic wash for color. This was before digital. Once computers happened, I'd color mostly digitally, but that wasn’t until 1998 or so.
A lot of people have colored my line work. The fully rendered ones are usually mine
4. Did you have any formal art training or education?
Some. Mostly experience and learning thru books. Colleges mostly have teachers that are totally inept posers using modern art as an excuse to cover up the fact they have no abilities.
I usually visualize the scene in my mind, then put on music I prefer and go for it. I rough it out loosely on printer paper and then quickly lightbox it onto Bristol
6. Do you take commissions? And if so, explain how someone can commission something from you.
Yes, I still do commissions. It is almost always digital delivery. That's not to say that one can’t buy the physical art as well, but it's more expensive and packaging and mailing are a real pain and time consuming. Digital delivery thru the email makes it easy...plus for the client easier to stow it away for privacy or print it out since it's delivered at a high resolution for just that.
Anyone can contact me thru alazarsart.deviantart.com or thru my website.
7. Have you ever received complaints that your bondage artwork is offensive? If so, what drawing(s) drew the most complaints and how (if at all) did you respond to the complaints?
People that like women tied and gagged seem to always like my work. My books and comics sold well, so I'll take that as an affirmation that there's an audience for what I create.
If I tried to pass it off as "art" beyond the fetish world, it would probably get bad press, but it 's really just for bondage fans. The pinup work and panty peek work I did for Legshow was for that crowd, and they must have been happy with it as well. If they hadn’t been, I'd probably have lost my monthly feature in the magazine.
8. Do you believe that artists should have the right of free expression regardless of whether their art may be considered offensive to some people?
Of course.
9. To what do you attribute your popularity and longevity?
10. Why do you think people (male and female) like seeing girls tied up and gagged in art?
Possibly because it goes beyond reality and into the realm of fantasy and hopefully into a kind of perfection that can only come for the imagination.
I can only tell you why I do, and that concerns a lot of elements - how pretty she looks, the expression, the situation she's in, how she's tied, what she's wearing, how well done the work is done, etc.
11. Let’s talk numbers. How many bondage drawings have you created? How long does it take you to create a bondage art piece (both black & white and color)? Your drawings are numbered rather than named. Are they numbered in the order in which they are created or is there another reason you number them as such?
I never numbered them. Someone else must have. I know my site has over 5000 bondage and pinup pieces.
12. What bondage artists, comic book artists and/or cartoonists do you admire and have any of them influenced your drawing work? What bondage producers/riggers, if any, do you admire and have any of them influenced your artwork?
Frank Frazetta and John Buscema are both top of my list. I'm sure they had a huge influence on my work. Also the pinup artists of the 40's and 50's like Elvgren and Earl Moran.
I totally enjoyed old HOM magazines, dug what Bishop was doing both drawing-wise and in his photography. Then, later Harmony's......Currently Steve Villa's photos and videos I think are among the best, along with Borderland Bound's work.
There's literally too many to choose favorites. I liked a lot of the pieces I inked and that were published thru Fantagraphics, and then in the later years, I enjoy looking back on the straight pencils that are done for my site.
If you're asking if I ever fuck up a drawing, of course. Every artist does. Then, I'll redraw it as many times as necessary to get it right.
14. Aside from your web site, have you ever done any commercial work as an artist? And if so, describe the nature of your commercial work.
Plenty -- under my real name. That includes comics, paintings, covers, interior illustrations etc.
15. I’ve been told by others that your work reminds them a lot of 1960’s and 1970’s fetish photography, especially Bettie Page’s work. Did she or any other early fetish models or artists get you started on your life’s journey?
Sorry to say they did not. Movie stars did - Diana Rigg, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot. They made good subjects to model my ideas around. Also Vampirella, really dug her and the Spanish artists that drew and painted her.
16. What medium today influences you the most? Are there any artists you follow or look to?
Again, Steve Villa's videos and photos are extremely on the money in my book. He really understands things and his sincerity shows in his work. Plus his models are gorgeous.
17. If you could tie up any woman in real life (with her consent, of course), who would it be and why?
I wish I could tell you some actress's names, but lets just say I prefer dark haired women with a great figure. As to why, I think you know why.. for me it's the most erotic situation a woman can be in.
18. Are you still drawing new bondage art for your web site? And, if so, how often do you debut a new bondage drawings?
Yes, though there's no schedule.
Learn the ropes..haha ...seriously...practice drawing constantly and find good sources of information on how to draw well. Then draw everything, but especially women's portraits and figures.
Work out, watch movies, read, and, believe it or not, I draw and paint for my own amusement.
If you have any other suggestions for potential interviews, let me know. Even if I don't know the person, if there's a way to make it happen, I'd try
BTW, if you're interested, next week, someone on DA is interviewing me! It was actually a pretty fun experience for me!
And on the other thing can I send you a note?
Very impressive and insightful , Robb! Bravo on an excellent Interview!
It really says something to gleam the mind behind the body of work.
Yeah... his male characters actually recall John Buscema's style.
I shouldn't be surprised that such a talented artist got him as one of his main references.
Long life to Alazar.
Yes, as for the level of his works, Alazar can be actually compared with the most prominent comics artists. I would be curious to see some of his 'normal' works.
"If I tried to pass it off as "art" beyond the fetish world, it would probably get bad press, but it 's really just for bondage fans."
We're miles apart talent wise, but that's exactly how I feel about my little corner of dA too.
Glad you enjoyed the interview and thanks for the questions
Also, liberals. Lots of those spreading the gospel of failure to the hipster masses nowadays.