Photographer François Rousseau and model Chad White already partnered to create the fantastic cover of the May 2007 issue of Out magazine, using Peter Shaffer’s play Equus for inspiration. The gay magazine commissioned the duo again for their September 2008 cover, this time inspired by the legend of Icarus.

For those who forgot everything about Greek mythology, here is a quick rundown. Daedalus and his son Icarus were imprisoned by King Minos of Crete within the walls of Daedalus’ own labyrinth — oh, the irony. Since flying was the only way out, Daedalus made two pairs of wings by adhering feathers to a wooden frame with wax, and gave one pair to his son, cautioning him that flying too near the sun would cause the wax to melt. But Icarus was so enthralled with flying that he forgot his father’s warning. The wings came apart and Icarus died crashing into the sea. Daedalus buried his son’s body on shore and called the land Icaria.

Seeking to maximize the hunk factor, François Rousseau replaced old Daedalus by a gang of young and alarmingly beautiful demigods: Kyle Lederboer, Major models Markus Hill and CJ Richards, Shawn and Brook S. from Red, Oren W., Chauncey A., Kortney W. and Sonny.

Out magazine
Francois Rousseau photography
Major Model Management
Red Model Management