Bizarre / John Willie, 1946

Description

Bizarre was an underground fetish magazine created and published by artist and photographer John Willie between 1946 and 1959. It is considered a landmark publication in postwar fetish art and erotic subculture, notable for combining humor, aesthetics, and fantasy restraint themes at a time of strict censorship.

Key facts

• Creator: John Willie (John Alexander Scott Coutts)

• First issue: 1946

• Final issue: 1959

• Country of origin: United States

• Genre: Fetish, bondage, and underground erotica

Origins and format

Produced initially in New York, Bizarre ran irregularly, typically in small printings distributed by mail order. Willie created most of the magazine’s contents himself—illustrations, photographs, and editorials—under pseudonyms. The publication offered a mix of letters, essays, fiction, and photo spreads exploring corsetry, high heels, dominance, and bondage motifs.

Artistic themes and tone

Unlike later explicit magazines, Bizarre maintained a tongue-in-cheek, almost polite tone, framing fetish interests as elegant and humorous rather than obscene. Willie’s drawings, including his recurring character Sweet Gwendoline, depicted elaborate but stylized bondage scenes rendered with fine draftsmanship and playful storytelling.

Cultural influence

Bizarre profoundly influenced later fetish and alternative fashion aesthetics, inspiring artists and publishers such as Eric Stanton and Bettie Page photographers. Its refined presentation helped normalize fetish imagery within art and pop culture, bridging underground erotica and mid-century pin-up traditions.

Legacy

After Willie’s declining health ended publication, Bizarre issues became collectors’ items and were reprinted in anthologies. The magazine remains a touchstone in fetish history, valued both for its artistry and for its discreet challenge to postwar sexual conservatism.