Born into a devout Catholic family, Bruce McDonald Rapp's attraction to the gay- leather scene and his artistic ability in several media helped him become an out- standing artist for the genre. He produced work for Drummer magazine and worked on safe-sex-themed posters and various commissioned works. He also worked on a complete comic book in Spanish called Chicos Modernos, a little comic book novella that showed young Latinos dealing with and learning about HIV and AIDS. During his own battle with AIDS, Bruce decided to turn to another artistic medium, a painting technique known as gouache. This period yielded some quiet, contemplative portraits and figurative works.
