Our concepts of high fantasy and mythic prehistory artwork were formed in the middle of the last century, and visions of sword-wielding barbarians and dark magic sorcerers still lurk around the edges of pop culture over half a century later. Taking inspiration from these archetypal figures, Brian LeBlanc evokes last century’s golden age of heroic fantasy art, with a sly nod to modern tastes and desires.

At first glance, you’ll simply see rough-hewn men and curvaceous women overcoming oversized creatures and challenging terrain. Yet Mr. LeBlanc’s classic painterly style and traditional fantasy settings are coupled with a unique blend of knowing humor and kinky undertones. Many of his commissioned pieces cater to very particular transformation and bondage fetishes, yet retain their classic Monster Manual innocence.

Perhaps Brian’s work is ultimately the best possible form of nostalgia: that which we’ve loved from our past reworked in subtle ways to exceed even our fondest memories.