The Hun — Artist
(Bill Schmeling)
The iconic artist THE HUN (Bill Schmeling), who died on September 12, 2019, was a longtime dear friend and collaborator. For more than four decades, his wild drawings and comic-strip saga Shady Nook Farms fueled generations of gay BDSM fantasies featuring convicts, cops, bikers, and rough trade. His unmistakable artwork appeared in countless gay magazines, videos, and gallery exhibitions, including shows at Robert Opel’s Fey-Way Gallery in San Francisco in 1979.
In 1988, Bill entrusted me with hundreds of his original drawings so that I could direct and shoot two feature-length films for Palm Drive Video: The Hun Video Gallery 1: Rainy Night in Georgia and The Hun Video Gallery 2: Chain-Gang Gang Bang. We also worked together at Drummer magazine, where his distinctive visual style became an essential part of the publication’s identity.
In 1992, Bill and I presented our combined work at the Cine Kink Midnight Show during the Olympia Film Festival. The theater marquee advertised our presentation under the unforgettable title “Rough Night in Sodom.”
Bill’s art remains among the most recognizable and influential bodies of work in the history of gay erotic illustration, preserving a unique vision of outlaw masculinity, sexual freedom, and comic-book exuberance.