I wouldn't say this just because Robert Richards is an old pal of mine (he once gave me a Jon-Erik Hexum illustration = full disclosure), but the new book Stroke: From Under the Mattress to out in the Open is an absolutely indispensable tome, dripping with not only highly erotic imagery but also with gay history. There is something important to be gleaned from the ever-evolving state of gay desire, and Richards and Hunter O'Hanian deftly capture it in this sumptuous coffee-table J.O. volume.

It's art, it's porn, you'll laugh, you'll, cum—it's everything. 

The artists included are the best of the best:

The book includes one of my favorite gay artists, Harry Bush—I would do anything or anyone to have some of his original work.

Keep reading for full credits (in order that they appear in the gallery and in this post) after the jump ...