Satellite Publishing

Training Camp
illustrated by Gene Bilbrew
Satellite Publishing Co.
Jersey City, New Jersey
ca. 1964

optimized
and
optimized pictures-only version

The erotic aspects of Mr. Bilbrew's art sometimes distract us from appreciation of his skill as illustrator and cartoonist. Thirteen ink drawings illuminate the Training Camp story and again demonstrate his ingenuity at characterization, action, and fetish costuming.

His sexy villainess has threatening authority, confident maturity and an exotic wardrobe of tight dresses, gloves, boots and accessories. She speaks to captives while wearing beyond-the-limit make-up, gesturing with graceful, leather-clad fingers. The Maestro designed eyebrows with complex twists that express moods and thoughts. Sensuous lips part to express feelings of anger and helplessness or to acquiesce to insertion of a gag.

The narrative unfolds at Miss Matilda's Training Camp. Wealthy fathers send rebellious daughters there to learn ladylike deportment. The story follows new enrollees Joan and Helen and programs of discipline that change their objectionable behavior.

One aspect of the curriculum requires students to dress properly. This often includes stockings and high heels. Some exotic leather outfits include restraints. Descriptions of footwear — and its effects — proliferate in the fetish-focused prose.

Miss Matilda was supervising Helen’s introduction into bondage costumes as a means of teaching her to dress in more stylish and glamorous clothing than the beatnik garments which she seemed to prefer. Helen did not approve of these planned changes, and was giving the guards a hard time by fighting every step of the way. The efforts of the guards and Miss Matilda easily overcame Helen’s frantic fighting objections and the type of her bondage training costume began to take shape in spite of her.

Helen’s feet were clad in high-heeled patent-leather pumps, a striking contrast to the ballet flats which she normally wore. These new shoes had spike-thin heels at least six inches high, which thrust her instep out into a dainty forward arch and made her stand on a base only a couple of inches long. Around her slim ankles were buckled straps from the back of the shoes so that she could not kick them off when the strain of wearing this exaggerated foot-gear began to tell on her with its unaccustomed strains and stresses.

Up from these ultra-glamorous pumps were stretched very sheer nylon hose which were kept tautly wrinkle-free by being stringently gartered to a very snug garter belt encircling her waist and cinching it in many inches smaller than her usual casual and sloppy attire.

. . . Helen’s loins were now tightly encased in panty-briefs of black satin which clung to her smooth exciting curves as though painted on in glistening black lacquer. This tiny garment was so snug that she could feel it straining and pressing with every movement, and it’s sensuous sheen sent wonderful highlights blazing from every active hill and dale.

The conscientious prose details attire and restraints. One scene involves a student fight and the text describes punches, twists, hair pulling, tosses and straddles.

Most picture content matches accounts in the story. Either the prose was written to align with the art or artist and writer collaborated on the project.

The text was reset for the optimized ebook, retaining all vocabulary and lengthy sentences. Some long paragraphs were divided. Spelling errors were corrected. 9300 words.

Although the prose has obvious erotic intent, the story has no sex scenes. It compares well with other fetish writing of the 1960s, providing explicit descriptions of apparel and footwear and how the tightness of garments feels for the wearer and affects her bearing. Like its contemporaneous literary counterparts, identification of anatomy often employed an oblique vocabulary or metaphors.

Brightness and contrast of illustrations were adjusted. With smooth edges, the ebooks expose every inked line and region in the printed pictures. Cross-hatching, gleam, hair, fabric folds, and shadows appear with clarity.

Each of the 13 panels appears complete. The optimized presentation repeats fetish details and figure features as virtual enlargements on 50 pages. As possible, images are positioned close to prose that describes them. They do not show every scene in the story. The cover painting is not related to the text.

The Satellite booklet contains a two-sided advertising flyer in its centerfold. That content appears on four pages at the end of the ebook.

A second optimized ebook is identical to the first except that all text and advertising are removed. Both ebooks are configured to fill screens with picture content, reducing the need for zooming and scrolling.

All new scans.

This publication rescues another artifact of mid-century fetish culture from obscurity. The pictures it contains are not shown anywhere else. For those who enjoy Mr. Bilbrew's artistry, the digital iterations offer a unique opportunity.

Two optimized ebooks, delivered by download from your 30th Street Graphics account.