An Interview with Andy!
Andy, creator of the blog Someone’s Gonna Get It, was excited about doing another interview with me, delving into the realm of spanking once again. However, as he's currently taking a break from updating his website, he kindly asked if we could share the interview here instead.
A note from Andy: Hi everyone this is Andy. I miss you all. I haven’t abandoned you, my computer has. I can’t upgrade the iOS and Wordpress can’t get past my sign in. We are at an impasse. The following interview was started, with the lovely Miss Gin, way before I was locked out of my own site. It’s such a wonderful, insightful, researched piece it really needs to be published. The idea of the interview was to get more eyes on Gin’s amazing blog, which you obviously already knew about, since you are here reading it. So consider it just a treat and enjoy it! Hope to see you all again.
NaturallyGin: Disciplinarian, Lifelong Spanking Enthusiast and A Lover of Spanking Art
Artwork by Mitch After Midnight
Andy: Hi Gin, could you provide more details about your blog?
Gin: Hello Andy! This blog, Smiles and Spanks, is a comprehensive display of art I've collected over many years. Much of the artwork is from the early and mid-20th century, yet the collection also highlights contemporary artists. Some are open for commissioned pieces as well. For these modern artists, I always include links to their social media profiles, providing the spanking community with a chance to support them.
The blog also features a wide range of other spanking related content. That includes books, poets, photographers, video creators, authors, parties, podcasts, disciplinarians, implement shops, and other blogs. You'll also find testimonials from individuals who have experienced a spanking session with NaturallyGin, posts about my own personal spanking adventures, and stories about the diverse range of implements I use.
Artwork by David A.
Andy: You are maybe the top curator of spanking art around, how do you find all of your artists?
Gin: Awww, thank you Andy. It's fascinating how the world of spanking art often works like a chain reaction, with one artist's work leading you to discover others. When I was collecting JPC's art, I stumbled upon Waldo's work, which, in turn, introduced me to Underling's art. As I explored deeper into Underling's blog, I found Ian Hamilton's creations, which then led me to artists like Birdfish and Mitch After Midnight, and the journey continued. There were also artists like Franco, David A., Funbun, Dave Wolfe, and others who reached out to me first, which certainly streamlined the process of featuring their work on my blog. The interconnected nature of the artistic community is remarkable.
Artwork by Underling
Andy: You dig up history and fun facts too. Is it rewarding to you?
Gin: It can be both rewarding and, at times, a bit frustrating. Collecting spanking artwork from the early 20th century has its challenges. Some of the artwork was not easy to locate and organize. Much of the featured artwork on the blog was scattered across the internet and often in a state of disarray. Some pieces were altered, harshly cropped, mislabeled, or had poor quality, which required significant effort to find precisely what I was looking for.
Certain artists, like Georges Topfer, are close to my heart, but I must admit that assembling those thirty-three posts for him was quite a painstaking process. In the end, I'm still not entirely satisfied with how they turned out. The Georges Topfer, Unknown Spanking Novel Illustrations collection is undeniably beautiful, but the fact that I couldn't definitively trace the sources of all the artwork still bothers me.
Artwork by Georges Topfer from Père adoptif
Despite the challenges, I enjoy this pursuit. If I encounter something I believe should be preserved, I try to do that. For example, reconstructing the three Roger Benson novellas, originally published by Bared Affair Publications. I was lucky to find PDFs of each novella, but unfortunately, they were not in the best condition. The image quality was subpar, some chapters were disordered, and they weren't easily accessible on the internet. It took considerable time to reformat the text correctly, locate higher quality copies of the illustrations, and reassemble everything. However, the final result is fantastic, and Roger Benson seemed pleased with how it turned out, which is what truly matters!
Artwork by Roger Benson
For those interested in reading them, here are Roger Benson's novellas: Delinquent Damsels In Distress (Novella 1), Luscious Lovelies Learn Their Lessons (Novella 2) and Bare Bottomed at Birchwell (Novella 3).
Andy: How much work is it everyday?
Gin: I always have the project I'm currently working on at hand, allowing me to dedicate a few minutes to it here and there. However, there's no fixed amount of time I spend on the blog every day. I keep a checklist of ideas and artists that I want to feature on the blog, and that list seems to be never-ending.
The time required varies significantly from one artist to another. It depends on the extent of their body of work. To manage this, I've developed a process to divide the artist's work into categories or sections. I've found that this is the only way to present everything in a well-organized way. If I were to include all the artwork in a single post, it would result in chaos. Even the most dedicated spanking art enthusiast would be overwhelmed.
The Art of Spanking by Copper
I'm currently in the process of posting a series dedicated to the artist Paula Meadows. Paula graciously allowed me to share her work, and I aim to include as much of it as I can! I've narrowed it down to twenty-five individual posts, and I've been incorporating spanking stories that she illustrated in between them. Completing something like this will take me a while of course!
Andy: Do you have framed artwork in your home? Anything with a spanking theme? Do you have any spanking collectibles?
Gin: The majority of the artwork in my home are abstract pieces I created for my husband, unrelated to spanking. However, I do have a few cherished spanking-themed items: framed linocut prints by the talented artist Linolicious, a gifted poster of Pam Foss's sculpture Tables Turned with an inscription, and a priceless original artwork from Copper that moved me to tears upon receiving it. My fascination with bottoms is evident in the presence of bottom-shaped vases and a rather large butt print by artist Kate Worum.
Butt Print by Kate Worum, My Spanking Chair and the Ebony Clothes Brush
Several items hold a lot of personal significance for me, including a spanking chair I acquired in San Francisco years ago, an inscribed copy of Copper's The Art of Spanking, and the children’s book, Bored—Nothing to Do!, which sparked my fascination with spanking at the age of seven. Although, I wouldn't classify these as collectibles since, aside from the spanking art, everything related to spanking that I own is designed for practical use. My spanking books and magazines are accessible for spankees to peruse. I make use of all my spanking implements. Occasionally, I even lend out implements and books to fellow spankos. Naturally, I use my spanking chair during sessions.
Artwork by Copper from The Academy
Andy: Do you have a favorite artist?
Gin: My favorite artist without a doubt has to be Copper. My admiration for his artwork and writing began when I stumbled upon two issues of Red Tails: The Male Spanking Magazine while browsing AutoErotica, a shop in San Francisco's Castro District.
What I particularly adore about Copper's work, is the delightful playfulness that can be found in his Corporal Cartoons Comics, such as Aerobispank and Framed. Yet, he can transition into content of a deeper nature, such as the seven-part story The Academy, while still perfectly capturing the spanko mindset in both types of material.
Most importantly, my discovery of Copper eventually led me to Mike and Phil, the creators of the GaySpankArt website. Not only is their website an absolute treasure of preserved spanking art, but they also offered assistance and encouragement when I needed it the most.
Artwork by Copper
Andy: One new feature on your incredible blog is you've just started to feature implements. Do you break them all down? How do you rate them?
Macassar Ebony Discipline Stick by Miss Rose Paddles
Gin: You must be referring to the Spanking Implement of the Week posts, I quite enjoy writing those! No, I wouldn’t say I break the implements down necessarily or rate them in any particular way.
I'm someone who values sentiment and appreciates implements with enduring quality, as that allows me to establish a history with them. Each implement comes with its own unique story and memories, which is precisely what these posts aim to convey. I also use this as a means to showcase different implement shops and celebrate the craftsmanship that goes into creating these tools. The most recent featured Spanking Implement of the Week was the Macassar Ebony Discipline Stick by Miss Rose Paddles. It even included audio of it being used on me, which I found to be a nice addition!
Purple Heart Paddle from Wicked Grounds in San Francisco
Andy: How many implements do you think you own? How many implements have you used?
Gin: I have approximately sixty spanking implements. As for the exact number of implements I've used, I can't provide a definitive count. Over the years, I've gone through quite a few! Sometimes they break, or I simply outgrow them. If I have an implement that I no longer find suitable for my needs but it's still in good condition, I make an effort to pass it on to another spanko who I believe might appreciate it. Currently, I have a few implements set aside that are in need of new owners.
Just A Few Implements!
Andy: Explain your process in choosing an implement? Is it based on the bottom's behavior? Does your mood at the time have a lot to do with it?
Gin: The choice of implement for a spanking session can depend on several factors, including the spankee's behavior, their personal preferences, and, at times, my own mood. Importantly, when I mention my own mood, I don't mean selecting a harsher implement out of anger or irritation, more so it is what I feel drawn to in the moment.
Me and the Kent Hairbrush
Many spankees prefer to leave the implement selection entirely to me, and I welcome that. There are occasions when I'm in the mood to provide a particular spankee with an over-the-knee hairbrush spanking, an intense strapping, or a long, soothing hand spanking. However, I have, on occasion, directed unruly spankees to choose their own implements. It's always an entertaining sight to witness their wide-eyed amazement as they survey the array of spanking toys.
Andy: Do you still lean towards pervertables? Why do they appeal to you?
Gin: I wouldn't describe myself as having a strong inclination towards pervertables, but I do find a sense of satisfaction in discovering a highly effective one. The idea of stumbling upon an item not originally intended for spanking, yet it functions perfectly for that purpose, adds an element of excitement to the play, making it feel more spontaneous and genuine.
Not too long ago, I was visiting a friend who shares my interest in spanking, and during our time in France, we made sure to visit a kitchen store for some pervertable shopping. This type of excursion is always thrilling for me.
Andy: Do you have a favorite implement to use or have used on you?
Gin: Currently, my preferred implement to use is the Boudoir Paddle. I really like the satisfying sound it produces on impact and the delightful reactions it elicits from those I'm spanking. It's particularly dear to me, because of the memories of Josephine Drake wielding her own Boudoir Paddle on me, adding an extra layer of meaning every time I use it.
Boudoir Paddle
