Wet & Messy – Splosh! Magazine and the Birth of a Subculture
Splosh! holds a unique place in the history of British adult publishing. First released in 1989 and created by Clive Harris (better known under his pseudonym Bill Shipton), it became the defining magazine for Wet and Messy Fetishism (WAM). The publication featured playful photo sets and stories of models getting wet or messy with food, water, slime, pies and other harmless, tactile substances. It was light‑hearted, cheeky, and visually distinctive — and it was the first magazine to bring this niche out into the open.
Over its 40‑issue run, Splosh! grew into a full production house, releasing VHS and DVD videos and later expanding online. At its peak in the 1990s, the magazine had thousands of subscribers worldwide and was stocked in mainstream UK bookstores, making it one of the most visible fetish publications of its era. Many of its models went on to appear in video sketches and digital downloads as the scene evolved.
The WAM community itself is built around the sensory appeal of textures, colours and the visual fun of getting messy — often fully clothed, sometimes not, but always centred on harmless materials like custard, cream, mud or gunge. While the wider scene has since moved online, original print issues of Splosh! and similar titles have become highly collectible pieces of fetish history.
Utopian Press & Fads and Fancies: A Peek Into Bristish Mid‑Century Fetish Publishing
For collectors of vintage erotica, glamour magazines, and mid‑century curiosities, few names spark as much interest as Utopian Press. What began as a modest science‑fiction pamphlet publisher under the direction of Benson Herbert soon evolved into one of the most inventive — and mischievous — operations in post‑war British print culture. Herbert, already an experienced publisher, clearly had an eye for the risqué. Even his early sci‑fi covers leaned toward pin‑up styling, hinting at the direction he would eventually take. By the late 1940s he had abandoned science fiction entirely, turning his attention to producing saucy, light‑hearted magazines at a time when British publishing laws made such ventures nearly impossible. New periodicals were prohibited, so Herbert simply refused to publish a “periodical.” Instead, he released each monthly issue under a completely different title — a clever loophole that produced a parade of wonderfully named one‑offs: Carnival Capers, Sporty Stories, Blue Stories, Haywire, Snap, Cuban Capers, Hubba Hubba, Heebee Jeebee, and more. Each stood alone, yet together they formed a distinctive body of work that collectors now treasure.
The Birth of Fads and Fancies
Among Herbert’s creations, one title rose above the rest: Fads and Fancies. It began quietly in January 1950 as a supplement inside Sporty Stories, then appeared in several other monthlies before being published independently in June 1950. The numbering was eccentric — the first standalone issue was labelled Volume 1 No. 6 — but this only adds to its charm today. What truly set Fads and Fancies apart was its artwork. The magazine was lavishly illustrated by Reina M. Bull, signing as RMB and, within this series, as Janine. Her drawings of women in stockings, corsets, bloomers, hats, heels, lace, bows, and ruffles created a theatrical, highly adorned femininity that remains instantly recognisable. Her style is playful, elegant, and unmistakably mid‑century. The written content came almost entirely from readers. Letter after letter — numbered for reference — explored the fashions, fascinations, and personal preferences of the era. Topics ranged from underwear and hosiery to skirts, jewellery, cosmetics, hobble skirts, garters, and even horses. It’s a vivid snapshot of post‑war British interests, expressed with a mixture of enthusiasm, humour, and discretion.
A Glimpse Into the Editorial Voice
A charming start to it all is Benson Herbert’s editorial introduction. In it, he welcomes readers to the first full issue, explains the mix of art paper, and gently reminds contributors that censorship rules sometimes forced him to alter or omit letters. He notes, with a wink, that the magazine contains “nothing professional at all” — everything was written by readers themselves. It’s a rare moment of transparency and warmth from a publisher navigating a maze of restrictions while still trying to give his audience something fresh, playful, and personal.
Why Collectors Love These Today
Original Utopian Press titles are now increasingly rare. Their scarcity, combined with their quirky publishing history, distinctive artwork, and candid reader‑driven content, makes them highly desirable for collectors of vintage erotica and mid‑century print culture. Each surviving copy is more than a magazine; it’s a small, rebellious piece of British publishing history.
Whether you like licking bathroom floors, tying up transvestites, electrical torture, the joys of castration, panty pooping, labia piercing, human sacrifice to cannibal girls, enemas, amputees, or being fist-fucked while sky diving over shark infested waters – The Fetish Times caters to all ‘deviated perverts.’ Published once a month and sold for $1.50, it contains such popular departments as On the Rack – reviews of books, magazines and products; Reel Torture – film reviews; and It’s Our Bag – a column for enema lovers.
Appropriately billed as ‘the world’s most outrageous newspaper, The Fetish Times combines fact, fiction, reader’s true experiences, hard news, tips on new B&D techniques, and humor and satire in its heady brew of popular perversion. People who subscribe to the paper write about one-third of the articles. The letters to the editor are claimed to be written by real people, and most of the classified ad section is paid for by people who need other people and are willing to run an ad. Life is just a bowl of people.
The AI Summary
Fetish Times – The World’s Most Outrageous Newspaper. I don’t think there are many that would disagree with that.
A niche adult tabloid publication focused on BDSM, bondage, and fetishes, published by B&D Company in Van Nuys, CA, during the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s. Edited by Marvin X (often credited as “Master”), the paper featured explicitly themed content, including pictorials and articles catering to specific, extreme fetish interests.
Publication Era: Active issues are found dating from at least 1975 through 1987. Editor: Marvin X (Marvin E. Finkelstein) was the primary editor, often using the moniker “Master”. Publisher: Produced by B&D Company, a specialist in fetish and bondage materials. Scope: Issues were numbered sequentially, with examples ranging from No. 023 in 1975 to No. 154 in 1987.
Fetish Times operated as a specialised publication for the adult industry, focusing on the growing, alternative sexual subcultures of that era.
If anyone has any of the newspaper copies, then I would be interested in purchasing them. Contact me!
