Author Dorine Clark was a sleaze vet who penned many racy titles during the ’50s and ’60s, including Bachelor Boy, Continental Affair, Passion in the Sun, Gutter Star, and this—1964’s Sex Swindler. Was Clark a pseudonym used by a better known author? No idea. We can only say it was often the case with sleaze lit. Looking at this cover, we can’t help but think the woman here is saying to herself, “Perfect! Next I think I’ll restore that old Jesus fresco in Zaragoza.” If you’re one of perhaps a dozen people on the planet who has not heard that story, just look up “Ecce Mono.” It’s well worth your time.
Regarding the art, the illustrator here had a difficult assignment, we think. He or she had to paint a cover-worthy piece, inside of which would be another painting that justified the blurb: “She had two talents—art and love!” We’d have to say the artist succeeded. For instance, he/she painted the black clad dominatrix and her creation in different styles, which is kind of cool. Somebody like Robert McGinnis could have knocked this concept completely out of the park, but is it really fair to compare anyone to that guy? We’d tell you this artist’s name, but Gaslight Books couldn’t be bothered to credit him/her. Since they got no recognition, here’s hoping they at least got paid.
