John Blackburn (September 10, 1939 – April 7, 2006) was an American erotic artist and cartoonist, specializing in bisexual erotic comics during the 1990s. His comics were noted for "their straightforward explorations of psychological elements behind the physical connections" and "focused on unbridled sexual ecstasy and gay sex as a joyous activity".

Career

John Blackburn was born in Statesboro, Georgia in 1939. He attended art school in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

. After graduation from college he settled in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. In the 1960s he relocated to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Blackburn drew illustrations for '' Physique Pictorial'', ''Physique Art Quarterly'', ''

One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

'', ''In Touch'', ''FirstHand, ManTalk, Manscape'', and ''Guys'' magazines. He self-published four books starring his signature character Coley from 1989 to 1991: ''Coley on Voodoo Island'', ''Wild in the Street'', ''Breathless'', and ''Return to Voodoo Island.'' Coley Cochran was a muscular, blonde-maned 19-year-old who is kidnapped and undergoes a rite which makes him an un-ageing "voodoo sex god", narcissistic and able to seduce anyone around him, male or female. Eros Comix reprinted ''Return to Voodoo Island'' and published several subsequent limited series, followed by four large-format volumes in their Graphic Albums series, under the title ''Coley Running Wild'': # ''The Blade and the Whip'' – collecting ''Return to Voodoo Island'' and ''Idol of Flesh'' # ''Caged Heat'' – collecting ''Web of Evil'' and ''The Deathsnake'' # ''Hard Throb'' – collecting ''Hard Throb'' and ''Dagger of Blood'' # ''Destiny Coast'' – original full-length story Additional short stories about Coley (and another character Jonny Shadow) were featured in volumes 15 through 25 of '' Meatmen''.

Death

Blackburn died unexpectedly on April 7, 2006 "following a brief illness".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackburn, John 1939 births 2006 deaths American cartoonists Bisexual artists LGBT comics creators LGBT artists from the United States Gay male pornographic comics 20th-century LGBT people