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Manly

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MANLY - these are piggy gay comics, although you also get a healthy dose of tender to go along with all the sex. Three stories intertwine, observing men in the best years of their lives doing what the love to do best! Dale Lazarov's sensual-sexual storyboard combined with Amy Colburn's brilliantly drawn masculine figures result in a celebration of carnal desires! These stories get by without any use of words, thus furthering the sexual fantasies of the readers.

80 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2008

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About the author

Dale Lazarov

40 books166 followers
Dale Lazarov writes, art directs and licenses wordless, gay character-based, sex-positive graphic novels published under the Sticky Graphic Novels imprint: PEACOCK PUNKS (drawn by Mauro Mariotti), FAST FRIENDS (drawn by Michael Broderick), GREEK LOVE (drawn by Adam Graphite), GOOD SPORTS (drawn by Alessio Slonimsky), NIGHTLIFE (drawn by Bastian Jonsson), MANLY (drawn by Amy Colburn), and STICKY (drawn by Steve MacIsaac). Sticky Graphic Novels are published in hardcover by Bruno Gmünder GmbH and in digital format through Class Comics. He lives in Chicago. His website is at DaleLazarov.com.

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5 stars
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26 (40%)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Zai Zai.
861 reviews17 followers
March 30, 2026
wonderful queer art. the storylines seem like a time capsule of that era. love everything about this
Profile Image for ALLEN.
553 reviews156 followers
September 7, 2018
First-rate cartoon gay porn. Wonderfully hot and as another title says, "sticky." Three separate stories: a cop acquires a surprisingly helpful friend, two prizefighters cross color lines, and a supposedly shy librarian gets to strut his stuff. Nice and dirty, all very manly -- and all without words! Note that this volume, in hardcover, now costs much more used than it did originally, new. This is something of a Lazarov trademark, in fact. He's that good, no matter what artist he chooses as his partner.
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,912 reviews114 followers
July 12, 2009
Manly is beautiful. The book is divided into 3 stories, scripted by Dale Lazarov who wrote Sticky with Steve MacIsaac. The illustrations were done by Amy Colburn, who rocks, and color by Dominic Cordoba.

Each story has a uniting theme of men doing what they do best! The first story, Busted, is about a cop and an innocent bystander who helps out. After they both get awarded for their contributions there is a spark of attraction between them and it is all on! The second story is Clinch. Two boxers, a Latino guy and an older Irish bloke, who have to get creative without a condom. The last, and my favorite, is the Hot Librarian. This was funny, sweet and oh the leather! Or maybe it was the whole library thing… I am after all a total book geek and do love the library! heh.

According to an interview done by the gorgeous Patrick Fillion, Dale had to approach the book with an international audience in mind – hence the lack of text. To me, this was a huge part of its charm. Dale and Amy convey emotion and tension to drive each story with just a look, expression or touch within the panels. I think this also makes it more of a personal read as you invariably wonder what the boys would be saying and you end up with your own spin on events.

The facets of masculinity displayed in the book and what it is to be manly is also interesting and thought provoking. But, I guess the one thing that struck me the most in all 3 stories was the affection and warmth between the characters. I am a bit of a mush and things like the kiss and blush in Busted, had me smiling with bit of a sigh. Don’t get me wrong either, I don’t mean romance as in fade to the fire burning shot. No. These boys go hard and the sex is totally hot, sensuous and sexy as all get out! I liked it. A lot!

Check out some of the images for the book here.
http://sharrow.wordpress.com/2008/10/...
Profile Image for Tina.
Author 11 books21 followers
September 15, 2008
Due in stores November 1, Manly is a hardcover full color gay-comic collection from German publisher Bruno Gmunder Verlag--written by Dale Lazarov, illustrated by Amy Colburn--with colors by Dominic Cordoba. Manly isn't just another hardcover color 'gay sex book'; it's a book about 'romantic sex' between men.

As always, Lazarov works without words - allowing the panels to speak for themselves. This is tricky to do if you don't have the right artist and lucky for Lazarov, he has Amy Colburn. Thanks to Colburn's expressive art, you feel the intimacy between these men and as you read each story you'll realize, as I did, this isn't about one-time encounters between older men and their younger lovers; what ties these beautifully illustrated stories together isn't casual sex-it's the erotic-closeness. I got the strong impression, after reading Manly, that these vignettes aren't depicting one-time dates; each story was more about 'the first time we did it'. Ever ask a couple how they hooked up? Often, you'll get an exciting and somewhat romanticized on-the-spot retelling of what basically is a first sexual encounter. I suspected each of these older men are still with their young lovers--in a relationship somewhere in Lazarovland, and Manly is just Lazarov's way of telling us 'how they met'.
Profile Image for Bijan.
85 reviews37 followers
July 6, 2016
It's really hard to tell a beautiful story only by illustrations. And yes, you've heard it right. It's done without saying a single word. Dale Lazarov and Amy Colburn have done magic for sure.
If you want to see this magic by yourself, don't hesitate to pick this book and looking at it.

Profile Image for Emily.
631 reviews15 followers
October 25, 2011
MANLY is a unique brand of gay erotica. It is presented as a string of images without any text, a comic that is most definitely intended for adults. The script by Dale Lazarov together with the piercing images by Amy Colburn present a story that is clear and detailed without needing accompanying text. It is easy to discern the intended story by way of the images that are strung together, but there is also a freedom by not being tied to dialog or description. The imagination of the reader is able to run wild, to fill in the gaps and embellish the story of these well-endowed and horny characters.

There are three stories presented here, each an entity of its own. The first is "Busted," the tale of a young man who helps an older cop to capture a criminal who is trying to escape. The two men find that they have more in common than one would expect from first glance, and what begins is a sexy swapping of fluids in quite a few tantalizing ways. The best part is the after sex tension, each man unsure of what to do.

The second story is "Clinch" and tells the tale of an aging boxer who spars with a young fighter in more ways than one. The young fighter gets to relive a childhood fantasy with a bit of a twist when the men find that they don't have a condom available.

The third story, "Hot Librarian," details the story of a man who is drawn to a mysterious stranger he sees in a gay bar. With each visit to the bar he tries to reinvent himself a bit, all in hopes of catching the stranger's eye. Try as he might, he ends each night alone ... that is until he goes back to being himself and heads to the local library. There he meets his mysterious guy yet again and they decide to explore their similar needs.

The characters are all men ~ big, strapping men with big muscles. There are lots of scintillating images and plenty of fodder for the imagination. Without words, Lazarov has scripted out complete stories and Colbun has provided drawings that are detailed and arousing. At the core, each of the stories is an exploration of what it is to be “manly,” which is quite thought provoking and proof that these comics aren’t just simply erotic, and explicit, images.

This is a bit like reading a guilty pleasure, a colorful and bright one that you just can’t take your eyes off of. The colors pop off the page, even in the electronic version, and set the imagination soaring. The best part about this being a comic is that there is no need to be tied to reality, and each man is built and extremely well-endowed. It may not be totally realistic, but it is eye candy in the best sense of the word. Anyone who enjoys comics will have a fun time with this sexy little book that can easily be read over and over again.
Profile Image for Kassa.
1,117 reviews111 followers
August 15, 2009
MANLY is unique, interesting, and eye catching. Dale Lazarov has combined three different stories with a superb art, culminating in a book that offers raw sex appeal, romance, and whimsy. The three stories are told in large artistic panels without dialogue. There are no words to convey the meaning and plot, yet the actions of the characters offer no confusion or miscommunication. The lack of language barrier creates a wonderful set of stories that can be enjoyed by all fans of graphic male/male erotica.


The stories range from raunchy to romantic and offer stunning artwork and almost exaggerated men. These men are no twinks, but hairy, big muscled men with a certain gleam to their eye. Their actions are sometimes sweet and tender, and sometimes hot and horny. The juxtaposition from story to story keeps the panels fresh and engaging, giving the reader a full experience with these very manly men. The deft hand in conveying an entire story without words allows readers also to use their imagination – will the men end up together, or is this a brief encounter? Surprisingly, I found this to be a great aspect of the book and the visual stimulus was the perfect companion.

The artwork is bright, colorful, and includes a range of subtly. The gorgeous book creates a full experience that never overwhelms but titillates and entices. The three different stories give variety in both the story and artwork while keeping the common theme of very manly men from one story to the next. The stories even include a nod to safe sex with very visible condom use. If I was pressed to choose a favorite, perhaps “Busted” about a bystander who helps a cop bring down a felon only to find the reward is well worth the effort. From cops to boxers to incredibly hot librarians, this silent comic offers everything.
Profile Image for Kathy.
215 reviews5 followers
January 16, 2010
During one chat some time ago, Dale Lazarov introduced his books. Before this, I would never have thought that 'comics' would appeal, or that I would see anything new. How wrong I was!
The tidbits with which he teased us, really caught my attention, to the point where I immediately ordered all three books.
I must say that I've added Manly, Sticky and Nightlife to my list of guilty pleasures. Even without words the story envisioned by Mr. Lazarov is wonderfully depicted with sometimes raw but always intriguing artwork. In this I must congratulate the artists with whom Dale Lazarov works. In Manly, Amy Colburn does a wonderful job bringing the story to life.
Each book has its own 'theme', but they all have in common an eroticism that is hard to escape and one that is nigh impossible to put down.

I must say that I'm now a firm believer that stories can definitely be told in more ways than with words; in this Dale Lazarov and Amy Colburn show unmistakably that pictures can very well prove equal to that of the words used by master storytellers.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews