Strength and bravery are the two oldest characteristics of what we call manliness. Far far back it was strength to hunt, defend, and provide. Far far back it was bravery to face life and death against nature. Strength is still manliness. Here in the swirling winds of 2020, strength is physical, emotional, and social. Bravery today: Being true to yourself while seeing the world in a different light. What manliness looks like has changed as well.

Fernando Carpaneda once took a knife to the back in his native Brazil for exhibiting his artwork. It is still the art he creates today. He did not stop, his art is more widely known than ever. I think that is pretty damn manly.

I started working with Fernando on CARPAZINE in 2015. That last bit of writing and editing I did for my first issue was for his “Just Penis” exhibit. It was the most penises I had ever seen in one sitting. I have seen some incredible work over this time. I have to admit to summoning some special strength and bravery in my role as the literal straight man in this duo. I think my personal growth is manly.

When each issue of CARPAZINE is complete, we joke about the balance of sexual organs depicted in the issue (not in those words). Here on the pages of Little Book of Big Manliness : The Miniature Homoerotic Artwork of Fernando Carpaneda there purposely is not balance. These are definitely mostly guys.


Theodore DeGraff
Writer/ Editor CARPAZINE
2020