November 2025 – Nicholas Diak's Homepage

In January of 2025, Bachelor Pad, the premier digest-sized periodical devoted to modern-day pinup starlets, launched a new product line: Nylon Nightcap. While Bachelor Pad’s original Nightcap edition showcased pinups in tasteful nude poses, and Tattoo Nightcap took the concept a step further by featuring models with inked bodies, Nylon Nightcap put the emphasis on ladies wearing stockings and not much else.

The nylon stocking is a key element of the pinup and burlesque arts (both historic and contemporary), so having an entire magazine line devoted to the adoration of hosiery and the models who wear them is a boon to the craft (and readers and connoisseurs as well). The first issue of Nylon Nightcap (review of issue one can be read here) was successful which, of course, led the creation of a second issue of the series, which was recently published in October.

Cover shows model Brittany Jean, wearing only black garters and seamed flesh-coloured stockings with black heels and toes. She is sitting on a white, cushioned lounge chair. Behind her are a lot of ferns. — Cover art of Nylon Nightcap #2. Provided by Bachelor Pad.

Nylon Nightcap #2 highlights eight pinup models dolled up and wearing a variety of nylons and stockings, in different styles and colours: Christina Michelle, Penelope Pink, Charlotte La Belle Araignée, Brittany Jean, Abby Costello, Stella St. James, Heather Marie, and Leela Minx. Many of the models featured within have graced prior issues of Bachelor Pad, with some having participated in the inaugural issue of Nylon Nightcap. Each pictorial in the issue positively depicts an alluring pinup who in turn show off their stocking-clad legs.

The first model to be featured in Nylon Nightcap #2 is Christina Michelle, a veteran with numerous appearances in prior issues of Bachelor Pad. Michelle kindly spoke about her numerous collaborations with the magazine:

Bachelor Pad Magazine is the last true vintage magazine of its kind! I just adore it! I’ve always fancied being one of the vintage “under the table” magazine gals, as my own personal style reflects a little bit nice and a whole lot of naughty, but always with class! You’ll find Bachelor Pad holds a certain standard throughout and it is truly an honor to be published with in those semi glossy pages.

Michelle’s pictorial is an excellent start to the issue. Wearing a white fez, dark tan stockings with black seams, heels and toes, with a lacey white girdle/garter, she has an energetic vibe and smile that conveys she is having a lot of enjoymeny. This is best exemplified in a photo showing her sitting atop a bar, holding a stocking across her eyes as if she is about to blindfold herself, and letting out a visible laugh.

Model Christina Michelle is wearing a white garter pinned to black topped stockings. She is holding a pair of black stockings in front of her eyes, and if they were a mask. She sits atop of bar counter. — Nylon Nightcap #2 promo photo of Christina Michelle, provided by Java.

About her pictorial, Michelle says:

I am ultimately so proud of my entire set in the Nylon Nightcap #2! As a true nylon fetishist, I feel as if we captured the playful and seductive vibe I enjoy while engulfing myself into the art of dressing. The angles Sveinn Photography captured were under my professional suggestion and personal perspective to fully embrace the whole experience from a voyeur’s point of view. The entire magazine is interesting cover to cover, but our set is for those who really, really enjoy those nylon adorned stems and the way down to our perfectly polished piggies!

Miss Penelope Pink, who appeared in the inaugural issue of Nylon Nightcap, returns for the sophomore issue. Pink’s photo set is incredibly special as it is shot in her home tiki bar, which sports some wonderful Witco-style decorations, retro seating, and floral wallpaper. Definite inspiration for folks thinking of constructing their own tiki bar. She appears wearing a black garter, connected to seamless black stockings, tall red heels, and sporting a lei around her neck to complete the tropical vibe.

Charlotte La Belle Araignée has blue hair and sits atop an antique dresser. She is dressed like a pinup magician. She has one elbow length back glove and the other is a red. Both have gems. She is wearing a white garter, also with gems. They connect to flesh-toned stockings that have black tops, with red hearts below them. She has sparkly red heels and black beaded necklace. — Nylon Nightcap #2 promo photo of Charlotte La Belle Araignée, provided by Java.

The third model showcased in the issue is the turquoise-haired Charlotte La Belle Araignée. Her outfit is themed around playing cards: her white garters have a heart, spade, club, and diamond on each one, her seamed stockings are flesh coloured, but black at the top with lots of small red hearts below. Aside from the attire, the photo incorporates playing cards as a prop, either with her holding them, fanning them out, or having them stick out of her stocking tops, as if she was hiding them to cheat in a future game. Though Araignée’s accompanying text ties with the card playing/poker motif, her theme (combined with her background in burlesque) could double as an illusionist. Her photoset is certainly magical!

Following Araignée’s spread is cover model Brittany Jean’s set. Jean goes for a luxury look: her set a fern decorated boudoir, and her attire is black garters, heels, knickers and black seamed, tan stockings. She does a variety of poses in a white lounge chair, giving off major luxurious and elegant vibes. The epitome of affluent glamour.

Next in Nylon Nightcap #2 is burlesque performer Abby Costello, whose photo set is a chronological strip tease. Her outfit begins with pink-patterned knickers, garters, and heels, with pink seamed, tan stockings (her bra is already off and sitting on the couch). Each photo has her removing an article of clothing one at a time: undoing her garters, removing a stocking, then the other, until finally she is reclined, in the nude, stretching her stockings out. It is a clever and fun set that captures a burlesque act in a sequential style.

Stella leans back against a wooden dresser, that has an old rotary phone, a bottle of brandy, and a Tiffany desk lamp. She is wearing a pearl necklace, a garter with lots of strops, and black stockings. — Nylon Nightcap #2 promo photo of Stella St. James, provided by Java.

The sixth star of the issue is Stella St. James who makes her Bachelor Pad debut with her photo set. St. James has been gracious to talk about her appearance in the magazine:

This is indeed my first appearance in Bachelor Pad! I really jumped into the deep end by starting with a Nightcap issue – this is also my first topless publication, and I can think of no better home for it than Bachelor Pad. I’ve been a fan for a long time, and when I had the opportunity to work with Jason Kamimura [photographer], I jumped at the chance! The Nylon Nightcap happened to be the next upcoming issue, so it was mostly serendipity that led me to submitting for this specific issue, but I will also say I’ve always loved the aesthetic of stockings, especially with a back seam (as the ones I’m wearing in this set have). I just feel like they perfectly encapsulate the fantasy of vintage femininity, and I love that the line of the back seam draws the eye from the ankle all the way up. As a burlesque performer, I incorporate stockings of various types into almost all of my costumes!

St. James’ photo set takes place in an old study, with a red leather chair and a wooden dresser decorated with a rotary phone, a decanter of spirits, and a tiffany desk lamp. St. James’ attire consists of opaque, black seamed stockings, connected to a garter belt that is a network of black straps coming in at different triangular angles:

I [specifically] choose poses that highlighted the legs and stockings themselves, since they’re the star of the show! So, you’ll see me in poses that have me tugging at my garter straps, bending over to extend the legs, etc.

For her debut in Bachelor Pad, St. James knocks it out of the park with her fun and glamorous photo set:

I’m just happy to be here! I know that sounds trite, but as I said, I’ve been a fan of Bachelor Pad for a while, so being able to be a part of it is a dream come true. I’m hopeful that this will be the start of a long and beautiful collaboration. As a burlesque performer, I’m of course also hoping to introduce myself and my art to a new audience, and if this photoset leads to stockings coming back into fashion, I wouldn’t be opposed to that either!

The penultimate pinup of the issue is Heather Marie, another returning model from the first issue of Nylon Nightcap. Marie has an aura that projects strength and commands attention, like the Italian maggiorata fisica actresses from the 50s and 60s. Marie, as with Brittany Jean, goes for an intimiate-luxurious look, with golden hued and flowered garters, knickers, and seamless stockings. The flavour text for Marie’s pictorial has her regaling a tale of her and her paramour having a passionate get-together on their way to Caesar’s Palace.

Leela Minx sits atop a tiki bar that is lit with red lights. She has a big smile and is wearing black seamed, tan stockings. — Nylon Nightcap #2 promo photo of Leela Minx, provided by Java.

Nylon Nightcap #2 concludes with Leela Minx, the cover model of the first issue of Nylon Nightcap. Minx has the biggest, epic smile, and just radiates “fun” with her photos. As with Penelope Pink, Minx’s set is a tiki bar: red hued, filled with rum bottles, tiki mugs, and a bar that is decorated with a zebra print and wooden masks. Wearing leopard print heels, tan-coloured stockings with a black back seam, and sometimes a black floral print pair of knickers, Minx brings a variety of poses in her pictures: sitting on the bar, leaning over a stool, doing a Yoga plow pose, and so on. Because of the sheer (pun intended) variety of poses, Minx’s is the most kinetic pictorial in the issue.

In addition to the eight pictorials, issue two of Nylon Nightcap contains one fiction story (“Glorious Revenge” by Bachelor Pad mastermind Java himself) and numerous single panel comics whose punchlines revolve around stockings. The funniest one is by Dennis Davis, which depicts a woman hanging up wallpaper and wearing brown seamed stockings. Her Romeo steadies the ladder, with her proclaiming “Hold it steady, I don’t want the seams visible”, referring to the wallpaper of course, but to readers, her stocking seams are quite visible.

All in all, the second issue of Nylon Nightcap continues with the successes that the first issue brought. All eight pinups are lovely to behold, and their respective emphasis on stockings is extremely welcomed by nylon enthusiasts. Bachelor Pad certainly publishes great issues, themed or not, and the Nylon Nightcap series is definitely a high watermark.

Sincere appreciation to Christina Michelle and Stella St. James for letting me ask them a few questions to add to this interview. More information about Bachelor Pad, the models featured within, and other contributors can be found at the below links:

Bachelor Pad Links

Model Links

Artist Links

Other Links

My review of Nylon Nightcap issue #1

Personal / Website News

New Edge Sword and Sorcery

The next three issues of New Edge Sword and Sorcery (numbers 5, 6, and 7, with one of them focused on the sword and planet genre) will be out soon! It sounds like digital and softcover copies will be out the last week of November and the hardcovers the first week of December. A reminder: I have a cocktail in each issue! Each cocktail is inspired by a different S&S and S&P character.

Copies of these upcoming issues (along with some older issues, in both softcover and digital) can be pre-ordered at Backerkit.

Panthans Journal #342

The newest issue of the National Capital Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a re-print of my review of issue four of the adult/neo-jungle girl series Vanya: The Lost Warrior. Of course the original version can be read at my website here.

Cover art of #342 is by Mark Wheatley and it depicts Tarzan sitting atop a tree branch, holding a vine in his right hand. The horizon is a big prairie with a lion and zebras. It looks as if the sun is setting. — National Capital Panthans Journal #342

Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journal is a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos, and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn AT gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.

Sincere appreciation to Laurence for the opportunity to have my work published in the journal.

Scholars from the Edge of Time

The October Scholars from the Edge of Time episode is now online. Michele and I discuss Wrath of the Titans, which concludes our dive into the Clash of the Titans trilogy of films.

Metallic steel book. It shows Persesus on a pegasus, holding a trident, flying toward a giant lava titan (if you seen the end of the movie, this is a spoiler of Perseus taking out Kronos). — Personal copy of Wrath of the Titans in a Blu-ray steel book.

The episode can be watched on YouTube here, so check it out. We are not 100% sure if we will be doing an episode in November (Thanksgiving). If we do, we might be talking about William Castle’s 1953 peplum, Serpent of the Nile.

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my external publishing endeavors so far in 2025.

Cover art of the Panthans Journal #332. It depicts a woman and a man with a hawk head, hunkered in a hole, firing laser pistols. The art is by Mark Wheatley. — Panthans Journal #332

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #332.

A continuation of the cover of #332. This cover shows the woman and the hawk man, defensively shooting laser pilots out of a hole in the ground, wile savage barbarians with bows and axes descend upon them. The art is by Mark Wheatley. — Panthans Journal #333

Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #333.

Cover art of Panthans Journal #335, done by Mark Wheatley. It shows Tarzan leaping from a tree branch. All the colors are very dark blue, so it might be night time in the jungle. — Panthans Journal #335

“Tarzan Cocktail: Deconstructed – Reconstructed” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #335.

Original can be read here.

Panthans Journal #338. Cover is by Mark Wheatley. It shows Dejah Thoris riding atop a mountain against a red martian landscape with a domed building in the background. — Panthans Journal #338

“She’s Got the Killer Instinct: Vanya Issue 01” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #338.

Original can be read here.

Cover is by Mark Wheatley. It shows a 4 armed aliens holding two swords, in a dungeon, fighting John Carter and Dejah Thoris. — National Capital Panthans #339.

“Hunter – Lover – Killer: Vanya 02” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #339.

Original can be read here.

Cover of Panthans Journal #340. Art is done by David Michael Beck. It depicts Tarzan stabbing a dinosaur (A T-rex?) through the next with a spear, while the dinosaur stands atop a tree of roots and vines. — National Capital Panthans Journal #340

“Thunder in God’s Country: Interview with Jeffrey Mariotte” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #340.

Original can be read here.

Cover of Panthans #341 by Mark Wheatley. It's monochrome - black and brown. It shows Dejah Thoris in the center holding a sword and being her John Carter and a 4 armed alien. Behind them are the silhouettes of a city full of towers. — National Capital Panthans Journal #341

“Jungle Romps and T-Rex Chomps: Vanya 03″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #341.

Original can be read here.

“Going Commando: Vanya 04″ reprinted in National Capital Panthans Journal #342.

Original can be read here.

Cover art for "Merry Creepsmas - The Red Book". It is red with a large X-mas tree that appears to have small, globby bodies as ornaments. The cover reads: Wicked Shadow Press Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book Christmas-Themed Horror Stories Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty — Merry Creepsmas – The Red Book

“There’s Always Room” in Merry Creepsmas: The Red Book. Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty. Wicked Shadow Press, 2025.

Cover art for the Burroughs Bulletin #109 by Dan Parsons. The top says "The Burroughs Bulletin New Series #109 Fall-Winter 2024". The art shows a T-rex chomping on a dude in a striped shirt. Below him are explorers with rifles. Behind him his a prehistoric sky, jungle, and a waterfall. — Burroughs Bulletin #109

“Tagliolini al Tarzan: Interview with Actress Bella Cortez on Taur the Mighty” in The Burroughs Bulletin #109. Edited by Henry Franke III. February, 2025.

Calls for Papers/Proposals

Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path or I am sharing on behalf of my colleagues. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.

Call for Chapters: Masculinities in Weimar Cinema

‘…many men shared the feeling of standing on the edge of a great upheaval’ (Harald Jähner)

‘…we were familiar with apocalyptic moods’ (Klaus Mann)

The aftermath of WWI saw a general acceleration of modernity, of social, political, and cultural transformation. This is arguably truest of Germany, where the explosive, violent, traumatic, at times ecstatic pace and perceptions of change were unprecedented. As a result, Weimar society (1918 – 1933) was characterised by acute self-awareness, regardless of the diverse views and interests of its population.

Against the background of Germany’s first experience of parliamentary democracy, born in the chaos of localised Communist revolutions and right-wing terror, the fifteen vertiginous years of the Weimar Republic witnessed an often iconoclastic, gigantic shift in every sphere, from architecture to gender and sexual mores to flight technology to art in all its forms. This extremely powerful, self-reflective chronotope inevitably affected German film production, itself reaching new heights of innovation, quality, and even genius.

A complex socio-political environment in a state of cultural flux, Weimar Germany thus yielded a vast range of associations, suggestions, and challenges which cinema could and did respond to, whether to negotiate, reflect, or negate them. Among the multiple aspects, strands, and societal references found in these filmic texts, the representation and performance of one, deceptively simple category stands out: men. However, despite the growing scholarly interest and exciting new perspectives brought to bear on Weimar Cinema, the broad topic of screen masculinities has not received the full attention it deserves. Yet from beginning to end, the 1918-1933 years saw male identities dominating German film in a wide, at times conflictive range of roles; most notably, male protagonists are often lost, humiliated, masochistic, self-destructive, annihilated, or simply redundant. This is not surprising given the upheaval surrounding manhood, especially affected by war trauma, catastrophic military defeat, the rise of women’s emancipation, amid the virtual collapse of the old systems of politics, currency, thought, morals, and art. Some of Germany’s greatest, most popular male stars and actors made a virtual career of playing bewildered, defeated, out-of-place characters: Emil Jannings is just the first name that comes to mind.

Nonetheless, side by side with this catastrophic or doom-laden representational strand, we also see the re-creation of ‘men’ along positively undetermined, hybrid, blurred, or defiantly oppositional lines. While this particular current frequently inhabits plots centring on gender and sexuality, it is not exclusively found there: a craving for Otherness and/or for being Other may be found in male screen narratives not primarily hinging on sex and gender identities. At the same time, it would be absurd to deny the presence of continuity, whether self-standing or deliberately countering change, in filmic representations of masculinity. Indeed, heroes and villains who bridge the gap, from thrillers to romantic comedies to science fiction to musicals, are plenty and equally worthy of careful study. What do these seemingly conventional males tell us about Weimar cinema?

As academic interest in the Weimar Republic’s cultural output continues to grow, foregrounding thought-provoking developments in the field, this edited collection aims at bringing together a range of new scholarly work on the specific, yet broad topic of screen masculinities. Chapters exploring Weimar cinema in this light may focus on, but are most certainly not limited to:

Masculinity and power
Masculinity and desire
Masculinity and modernity
Masculinity and its boundaries
Masculinity and femininity
Masculinity and the city
Masculinity and reality
Masculinity, sexuality and/or asexuality
Masculinity and Otherness
Masculinity and emotions
Masculinity and violence
Masculinity and defeat
Masculinity and pain
Masculinity and the body
Masculinity and technology
Masculinity and Germany

The editor invites abstracts of 250-300 words for chapters about 8,000 words long, plus a short bio of the author. Please send your abstract and bio to eg51@st-andrews.ac.uk by the deadline which is 15 November.

Please feel free to email me with any queries!

Dr Elisabetta Girelli Honorary Senior Lecturer in Film Studies University of St Andrews

Autographs from the Archive

Here are some autographed treasures I’ve shared on social media recently.

Carnosaur

Diane Ladd passed away recently, so sad! I remember her most vividly from David Lynch’s Wild at Heart, and, of course, Carnosaur.

In the wake of the success of Jurassic Park, there came the knock offs and the cash grabs. Roger Corman brought his Jurassic Park clone with the cult classic Carnosaur. If Jurassic Park had Laura Dern, then Carnosaur has Laura Dern’s mom… Diane Ladd!

I never had the opportunity to meet Ladd, but I did meet Jennifer Runyon (the movie’s heroine) at a convention and she signed my copy of Carnosaur, so that rules. RIP Diane Ladd!

New Sword and Sandal Acquisitions

The ever growing peplum research library grows with these recent sword and sandal acquisitions.

The Epic Film Music of Milos Rozsa

Not too many sword and sandal acquisitions as of late – I need to start watching more from the library! However, I do have a few movies pre-ordered on Amazon: A 4K edition of The Ten Commandments, and a Blu-ray of the new Red Sonja film. So, those will be fun when they arrive.

Standard CD jewel case. The cover art depicts a rendition of the chariot race from Ben-hur. — CD of The Epic Film Music of Miklos Rozsa.

When I was at Half Priced Books on a recent outing, looking through the music section, there was a small stack (overstock from 30 years ago?) of The Epic Film Music of Miklós Rózsa, the composer behind lots of classic era Hollywood pepla and Biblical epics. This CD has scores from The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, King of Kings, El Cid, Sodom and Gomorrah, Quo Vadis, Ben-Hur, Beau Brummell, All The Brothers Were Valiant, and Madame Bovary. Very cool!

News from Friends

Cool kids I know have been busy lately! Here are some signal boosts I’d like to give out.

New Ride the Stream Episodes

Michele Brittany and Travis Lakata are back with brand new episodes of their Ride the Stream vidcast and they dive into season 2 of the cult television series Lost.

First, they do a recap of season one of Lost.