If you like your art well hung, and I don’t mean on the wall, then you can’t go past the erotica of Spaniard Ismael Álvarez, who is as cute as his gorgeous fantasy illustrations. Now Class Comics is spreading the word via The Art of Ismael Alvarez, a 28-page compendium of 30 of his best, from nude and erect portraits of porn stars and renditions of Patrick Fillion characters, to fantasy Brit punks, hairless twinks and hairy daddies, as well as a nude self portrait covered in sperm.

A Taurean, Álvarez was born in Ayamonte in Andalucía in 1978 but lives currently in Madrid where he began his career in the comic world, working as a designer and illustrator. “I would not change it for the world. I love Madrid. As the saying goes: Madrid is next to Heaven,” he reveals on his website. “I was fascinated not only by the city, which is beautiful, but also by the people I have met here, who have become very important to me and who are already part of my life.”

If the Spanish capital fascinates and nurtures him, so do animated films such as Monsters Inc, Ice Age, Madagascar, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, as well as horror and fantasy writers such as Anne Rice and Tolkien, and erotica writers such as Lawrence Schimel. He manages to successfully combine those disparate elements into his art.

“I adore the world of comics in general, the world of eroticism, and —why not say it— the world of pornography,” he adds. “I am one of those who think that it is art, whatever way you look at it; I don’t believe that the mere act of watching how people perform sex can be considered as something deviant and dirty. Quite the contrary! You will see that I don’t beat about the bush when it comes to illustrating. I do what I want when I want, and if you don’t like it, don’t look at it. Sex is beautiful, dear people. Let’s look at it the way it is.”

For Class Comics his first official story, ‘Paying Your Dues’, appeared in Rapture #1, featuring the horny devil, Sethan, as well as Naked Justice. And for their Camili-Cat: 20th Anniversary Special he contributed a beautiful image of the eponymous hero. Camili-Cat, Diablo, Ghostboy and Zahn appear in this Class Comics portfolio.

Of the 30 full-colour illustrations in the collection there’s no real penetrative sex but there is sperm, rimming, enough erections to keep you busy for a month, and a few wicked arseholes that will get any top hard.

www.ismaelalvarez.com