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Lust: Kinky Online Personal Ads
Ellen Forney's follow-up to her wildly successful I Love Led Zeppelin is a collection of cartoons celebrating the sometimes stunningly crude, sometimes surprisingly sweet online world of personal classifieds. Forney has for several years been illustrating the Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger's "Lustlab" classified ads by interpreting the most interesting, outrageous, or idiosyncratic ad in that week's paper, that is awarded the appellation "Lustlab Ad of the Week." "Lustlab" is the category encompassing the kinkiest personal ads in the paper, and every week the page attracts Seattle's finest lovers, kinksters, perverts, and the perv-curious, and each week, Forney chooses one ad, edits the text, and creates a comic combining that text and imagery. She uses her brushwork in many different styles bold and graphic, fine and detailed, cartoony, or elegant, depending on the tone of the ad. She uses a variety of resource materials for inspiration, from early erotic photography to Tom of Finland to Wacky Packages-style send-ups of consumer products to original designs. Exhibitionists, voyeurs, threesomes, moresomes, tops, bottoms, switches, rope-lovers, spankers, spankees, bi-curious men, bi-curious women, lesbians with prison fantasies, masturbation clubs Forney illustrates them all in her bemused, affectionate, witty, and elegant style. In addition to the text and illustrations, the author embarked upon the rare journalistic feat of interviewing six enthusiastic Lustlab subscribers, who provide background, context, and hilarity (intentional and unintentional) by discussing their participation in the Lustlab network and their lusty experiences with the lovers for whom they advertised. Thrill to their outr sexual quests Live vicariously through their sexual adventuring To cap it off, the collection includes an introduction by the notorious sex advice columnist and novelist (and Stranger editor), Dan Savage. You'll meet (and love): The female-to-male transsexual boot-loving Germanophile The trashy fat redneck man seeking same, preferably with months-old B.O. The erotic hypnotist's offer to give women mind-blowing "joy-buttons" The smartass bisexual nerdy-girl rope-lover The obedient transvestite who wants to clean women's toilets The man organizing a private strip poker game for gay men The butch dyke seeking a femme for erotic medieval reenactments Three women friends seeking a male "service bottom" The woman who wants to watch a very fat woman on the toilet The male-to-female blonde transsexual who wants "airhead" lessons The man who wants to be humped in public by someone in an animal costume The woman who wants to try "pegging" for the first time. Exhibitionists, voyeurs, threesomes, moresomes, tops, bottoms, switches, rope-lovers, spankers, spankees, bi-curious men, bi-curious women, lesbians with prison fantasies, jack-off clubs Forney illustrates them all in her bemused, affectionate, witty, and elegant style.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2008
About the author
Ellen Forney
24 books244 followersEllen Forney grew up in Philadelphia and has lived in Seattle since 1989. She has been a professional cartoonist/ illustrator since 1992, and also sometimes paints, and dabbles in other artsy pursuits. She teaches Comics at Seattles Cornish College of the Arts. She drives a silver 1968 Mercury Cougar.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 15, 2008
I have long had a fascination with personal ads in the back of the free weekly in cities across the country. The ads that veer towards the sexy and weird are always my favorite. I read them over and over, and imagine the person who placed the ad, and who might answer it, and how that meet-up might go. The allure comes partly from the fantasy of it -- these ads are about things someone *wishes* for, not their experience or reality. Ok, so our fantasty lives are interesting enough.
And here, Ellen Forney turns these tiny filthy morsels into beautiful single panels of comic art that capture the hilarity, exuberance, heart and, yes, lust of weekly fantasies. The bodies, people, and kinks are real.
And I enjoyed it. A lot.
And here, Ellen Forney turns these tiny filthy morsels into beautiful single panels of comic art that capture the hilarity, exuberance, heart and, yes, lust of weekly fantasies. The bodies, people, and kinks are real.
And I enjoyed it. A lot.
June 27, 2008
Since I'm completely addicted to personals ads and The Stranger, this is the perfect coffee table book for me. The ads express a wide variety of desires ranging from funny to interesting, shocking, sexy and disturbing. Forney's drawings are extremely creative and lend a whimsical element to a scandalous subject matter.
January 17, 2009
I love the way Ellen portrays sex... very fun, non-threatening and quirky.
January 18, 2011
With an introduction by Dan Savage and a few chapters of interviews with select beneficiaries of Ellen's work, LUST starts off with an intellectual bang. Finally, you get to hear a few of the voices behind those creative personal ads in the Seattle Stranger LustLab. But that's not all. I learned that this project began on an ad-by-ad basis where one ad a week was featured in the Stranger using Forney's talent to enhance it. Unfortunately, these efforts didn't always work, as one interviewee acknowledges getting no responses despite how much she liked Forney's cartoon, but the results speak for themselves. Ranging from cute to crazy, Forney manages to give each ad it's own unique style as well as give us a peek behind the writer's persona. My only regret is that I didn't think of this idea sooner.
November 14, 2008
The ads range from piping hot to squirm-inducing, but Forney's sense of composition and visual wit is damn near perfect every time. From the clever (and presumably unauthorized) usage of Curious George, Chewbacca, and Oscar the Grouch to the helpful diagram of a Sybian, to that roll of toilet paper on page... what page was it again? ... just lusty and hilarious throughout.
Oh, and the dildo endpapers totally rule.
Oh, and the dildo endpapers totally rule.
December 10, 2008
I kinda wish the interviews had come at the end of the book because they were a bit of a buzz-kill. I found the illustrations/personals charming, witty, funny, creative, etc., but they were partially tainted by all the interviews I had just read, which were much more depressing (at least in my opinion).
I must admit I could not stop reading the interviews, they were extremely intriguing, but I ended up feeling sort of depressed for the people being interviewed.
I must admit I could not stop reading the interviews, they were extremely intriguing, but I ended up feeling sort of depressed for the people being interviewed.
January 16, 2011
The interviews at the front of the book really set the wrong tone for this thing: total snooze (all but one). Once the cartoons from the personal ads kicked in, it was at least moderately interesting. I guess I expected something kind of erotic or sexy, but I'm pretty sure Chaucer has more shock value. A quick read and a nice surprise for the prim-and-proper crowd, but English majors need not bother.
March 28, 2008
Graphic, yes (in more ways than one, since it is a comic... har har!), but these illustrations of selected Lust Lab personal ads from The Stranger are playful, fun, and positive. There are also a few interviews of people and couples who have placed ads, which are very illuminating, and often amusing.
August 15, 2010
Fantastic art, and fantastic choice of ads. The beginning also has a bunch of interviews that were a pleasure to read. There are definitely gems of thought in there. I also really enjoyed this book because it didn't hypersexualize/overfetishize its subjects, just let them speak for themselves instead of sensationalizing them as "wow, look at these freaks!"
March 18, 2008
I enjoyed Forney's illustrations immensely, but the interviews with people who submitted personal ads were repetitive and not as insightful as you'd (meaning I'd) think. Very creative visuals, but the text repeatedly killed the energy.
September 24, 2015
I love the graphics, and I loved the interviews. But maybe it should have been one or the other? Or could have benefited from a bit more background all together. Overall, the whole package of the book was quite confused in its structuring.
February 12, 2008
Clever comics of The Stranger's Lustlab postings. Also, a few interviews into people's sexaulity/private lives through their online profile. Fun and illuminating.
February 29, 2008
Collection of Ellen Forney's illustration of personal ads placed in The Stranger's Lustlab.
March 11, 2008
Not for the chaste or easily shocked. For anyone who has enjoyed reading The Stranger's personal ads :)
June 23, 2008
boring. not innovative or interesting takes on ads at all.
January 12, 2012
some are pretty wild...
November 28, 2008
The beginning was interesting, but then it devolved into quick sketch-ads that weren't very meaty. No fun!
Read
August 21, 2008The Stranger rules.
September 23, 2008
WOW! This is the hottest thing that I've read in a really long time. Awesome multi-gendered tales of sex in Seattle, plus great illustrations.
Read
March 24, 2009"Surprised by people and their desires -- this graphic novel opened my eyes to a world I did not know was out there. It's fun to read with girlfriends, drinks and lots of laughing."
July 27, 2011
Forney's drawings are fantastic. Enjoyable little read.
June 3, 2012
Fun, eye opening.
June 12, 2012
Too wordy. Interesting to browse through. Comics are ok. Just sorta eh.
February 27, 2013
funny brave sexy true
November 21, 2018
“The personal ads in the Stranger aren’t for the faint of heart”.
That’s from the introduction and how true it is! Very often I found myself saying aloud “ugh, that’s gross” or “ ‘gasp’ dear gawd”. Humans must be the kinkiest of living species. I’m amazed at Forney’s creative takes on these bizarre want ads. Even though I myself am not a very sexual being I still very much enjoyed this book and found it to be humorous.
I don’t think I have mentioned this in my other thoughts on here previously, but I love her lettering styles. I am super jealous of her cursive. I spent about an hour trying to mimic it.
Fantangraphic books; thank you for the way you design these books! This book is an adorable little hardcover. I’ve just realized that many of my favorite books design wise have been published by them.
That’s from the introduction and how true it is! Very often I found myself saying aloud “ugh, that’s gross” or “ ‘gasp’ dear gawd”. Humans must be the kinkiest of living species. I’m amazed at Forney’s creative takes on these bizarre want ads. Even though I myself am not a very sexual being I still very much enjoyed this book and found it to be humorous.
I don’t think I have mentioned this in my other thoughts on here previously, but I love her lettering styles. I am super jealous of her cursive. I spent about an hour trying to mimic it.
Fantangraphic books; thank you for the way you design these books! This book is an adorable little hardcover. I’ve just realized that many of my favorite books design wise have been published by them.
December 16, 2018
Way too long. Here-and-there funny.
May 25, 2009
Reviewed online at Black Heart Magazine: http://blackheartmagazine.com/2008/08...
October 3, 2016
I just love E.F.'s style, and seeing how she interprets these ads to capture the intent and fun of it is really cool.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews