Dade Ursus

While it would be easy to turn this blog into a collection of big-eyed anime characters, transforming robots, and other sanitized, kid-friendly content, my blog just would not be complete without a few tip-of-the-hat's to gay artists who inspired me to do artwork for a gay audience.  DaDe Ursus is one of those artists.  His work was commonly seen on t-shirts back in the mid-1990's as the bear movement was picking up steam.  Around that time, I made my first trip to San Francisco, to the Lone Star, and to the Bear Store which was run by Brush Creek Media.  They were the ones who marketed DaDe Ursus, and at the Bear Store were all sorts of tshirts and art cards with his work on them, but the best find was his book, "Bears, Beasts & Masculine Beauties".

It actually took me a long time to get this book.  For some reason, I hesitated, and instead went home with another volume in this series, and then we all know what happened.  Brush Creek Media went under, the store was closed, and suddenly books like these were out of print. At Bear Week a few years ago, we noticed people walking around with t-shirts that looked identical to the ones minted back in the 1990's, as if they had just come off the presses.  We made our way over to M.G. Leather, where we learned that they bought all the outstanding stock from the Bear Store!  I was able to acquire this long lost volume and a few like-new tees.  My most favorite of them all, sadly, was not available, so I will be sure to take extra care of my original, well worn garment (stock image below - tee has been put away).