Mike Kuchar's comic "Circus of Death"

[Rittmeister]

Thank you for sharing this. I wish there were a visual encyclopedia of depictions showing men run through from behind (stills, artwork, sculpture, whatever). Maybe it's more of a special taste, but intensely erotic.
Check out "It Came from Kuchar", a documentary on the Kuchar brothers. At 53:00 one feels the expert's critical eye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwZoUX3CxXE

     It's my pleasure to preserve and share these, Rittmeister, and I agree that there is a unique eroticism to running a gladiator through from behind. That type of penetration is rare to see in combat art, though historically it must have happened with some frequency during mass fights in the arena. There is a reason why the most frequently quoted panel in Mike Kuchar's comic is the one showing a sword emerge from the hard belly of a muscular fighter. In addition, for me, the anonymity of the men, with their faces obscured behind visors, adds a brutal edginess. The gladiators kill wantonly, often without knowing who they are slaying, and in this case, a man not seeing his own killer, just feeling an arm around the neck and a blade through the back until it protrudes from the torso covered with his blood. (I suppose one could theorize about analogies to the anonymity of promiscuous gay sex and unprotected penetration when Kuchar was creating cartoons in the 1970s, but Kuchar was interested in escapism, and I'll leave the psych analysis to others.)
    Another delightful detail for me is the baroque touch of having the low-hanging cock of the doomed gladiator extend outside the frame, a touch that approximates a 3D effect (and a detail that Martin of Holland did not appreciate in his adaptation). The masculinity of the stud is uncontainable. His manliness is not diminished by his death; it is heightened.
    Thank you so much for the link to the documentary "It Came from Kuchar," which I was unaware of. I learned a lot and laughed a lot. I think Mike's (or was it his twin brother George's?) idea of "owning" the object of one's desire, of enjoying carnal relations vicariously through film, without the messiness and disappointment of actual physical contact, parallels the enthusiasm of gay gladiator enthusiasts. We remain unscathed as we stroke our cocks to command performances by imaginary fighters and stretch our minds to create new challenges for them.
    You probably know that the Ghebaly Gallery in L.A. regularly exhibits Mike Kuchar's cartoons and art, as well as work by his brother George. I admire all of the Kuchar Brothers' artwork and films, but it's Mike's gladiator fantasies that have an enduring appeal for me, and I'm glad to see for others as well. Kuchar Brothers @ Ghebaly Gallery

Thank you very much, TakeNoPrizners, for your enlightening comments on the historical and aesthetic aspects of Mike Kuchar's work. I can relate very well to what you have written about the disappointment of actual physical contact. In fact I have learned to better understand why - personally speaking - having sex with guys who are not into this fetish (but may nevertheless accept it) always feels somewhat dissatisfying. For me, it lacks a specific spiritual dimension and sense of refinement.
Apart from the situation of a gladiator, the idea of being run through from behind generally means that all the victim can possibly see is the killer's blade or spear emerging from his torso. The killer becomes the weapon and the victim cannot observe a facial expression or gestures that may help him to get a better grip on his fatal situation - unless he clings to the weapon protruding from his tummy, which in fact duplicates his (erect?) cock.

[Stabano]

I'd like him to turn around and jab his belly into the belly of the stabber, takinig his navel out too, face to face, cock to cock

[timgotshot]

Woah, thrilling!