I'm not evil. I'm just ambitious and men hate it.
When girl meets girl sparks fly.
Above and below is a small percentage of some of the thousands of lesbian themed paperback covers that appeared during the mid-century period, with art by Paul Rader, Fred Fixler, Harry Schaare, Rudy Nappi, Charles Copeland, and others, as well as a few interesting photographed fronts. The collection ends with the classic Satan Was a Lesbian, which you’ve probably seen before, but which no collection like this is complete without. Hopefully most of the others will be new to you. Needless to say, almost all were written by men, and in that sense are really hetero books reflecting hetero fantasies (fueled by hetero misconceptions and slander). You can see plenty more in this vein on the website Strange Sisters.
Tom Foran, Ann Summerhill, Jackson Harmon, Stan O'Dair, Marguerite Frame, Fred Haley, A.M. Willis, Howard Toward, C.B. Shore, Gale Wilhelm, D.W. Craig, Sheldon Lord, Jerry Jason, Elise Abel, Arthur Adlon, Claire Stanley, Rod Strong, Stanley Curson, Richard Marshe, Joan Ellis, Randy Salem, Toni Adler, Ann Toward, Leslie Behan, Rene Coquelin, Kay Addams, Dorian Lee, Lilyan Brock, J.S. Robins, March Hastings, Rex Weldon, Toni Wray, Richard Villanova, Edwin West, Dominique Napier, Vincent E. Burns, Sloane Britton, Sloane Britain, Hal Kantor, Greg Hamilton, Phil Anders, Paul Rader, Fred Fixler, Harry Schaare, Rudy Nappi, Charles Copeland, cover art, cover collection, literature, lgbt
Getting what you want is all in how you ask.
It seems as if no genre of literature features more characters in complete submission to others than mid-century sleaze. And how do these hapless supplicants express their desperation? They break out the kneepads. Above and below are assorted paperback covers of characters making pleas, seeking sympathy, and professing undying devotion. Though some of these folks are likely making the desired impression on their betters, most are being ignored, denied, or generally dumptrucked. You know, psychologists and serial daters say a clean break is best for all involved, so next time you need to go Lili St. Cyr on someone try this line: “I’ve decided I hate your face now.” That should get the job done. Art is by Harry Barton, Barye Philips, Paul Rader, et al.
Stuart James, Aaron Bell, Alan Marshall, Mickey Spillane, Robert Colby, Philip Tremont, Ronald Simpson, Harold Robbins, John Plunkett, André Soubiran, Talmage Powell, Horace McCoy, J.X. Williams, James Hadley Chase, Greg Hamilton, Marcos Spinelli, Dante Arfelli, Whitfield Cook, Charles Petit, Harry Barton, Conrad Lueger, Marlene Longman, Adam Coulter, Paul Rader, Barye Phillips, cover art, cover collection, literature
When girl meets girl sparks fly.
Above and below is a small percentage of some of the thousands of lesbian themed paperback covers that appeared during the mid-century period, with art by Paul Rader, Fred Fixler, Harry Schaare, Rudy Nappi, Charles Copeland, and others, as well as a few interesting photographed fronts. The collection ends with the eternal classic Satan Was a Lesbian, which you’ve probably seen before, but which no collection like this is complete without. Hopefully most of the others will be new to you. Needless to say, almost all were written men, and in that sense are really hetero books reflecting hetero fantasies. You can see plenty more in this vein on the website Strange Sisters.
Peggy Swenson, Tom Foran, Ann Summerhill, Jackson Harmon, Stan O'Dair, Marguerite Frame, Fred Haley, A.M. Willis, Howard Toward, C.B. Shore, Gale Wilhelm, D.W. Craig, Sheldon Lord, Jerry Jason, Elise Abel, Arthur Adlon, Claire Stanley, Rod Strong, Stanley Curson, Richard Marshe, Joan Ellis, Randy Salem, Toni Adler, Ann Toward, Leslie Behan, Rene Coquelin, Kay Addams, Lilyan Brock, Toni Wray, Richard Villanova, Edwin West, Dominique Napier, Vincent E. Burns, Sloane Britton, Sloane Britain, Hal Kantor, Greg Hamilton, Phil Anders, Paul Rader, Fred Fixler, Harry Schaare, Rudy Nappi, Charles Copeland, cover art, cover collection, literature, lgbt
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HISTORY REWIND
The headlines that mattered yesteryear.
1966—LSD Declared Illegal in U.S.
LSD, which was originally synthesized by a Swiss doctor and was later secretly used by the CIA on military personnel, prostitutes, the mentally ill, and members of the general public in a project code named MKULTRA, is designated a controlled substance in the United States.
1945—Hollywood Black Friday
A six month strike by Hollywood set decorators becomes a riot at the gates of Warner Brothers Studios when strikers and replacement workers clash. The event helps bring about the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which, among other things, prohibits unions from contributing to political campaigns and requires union leaders to affirm they are not supporters of the Communist Party.
1957—Sputnik Circles Earth
The Soviet Union launches the satellite Sputnik I, which becomes the first artificial object to orbit the Earth. It orbits for two months and provides valuable information about the density of the upper atmosphere. It also panics the United States into a space race that eventually culminates in the U.S. moon landing.
1970—Janis Joplin Overdoses
American blues singer Janis Joplin is found dead on the floor of her motel room in Los Angeles. The cause of death is determined to be an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol.
1908—Pravda Founded
The newspaper Pravda is founded by Leon Trotsky, Adolph Joffe, Matvey Skobelev and other Russian exiles living in Vienna. The name means “truth” and the paper serves as an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991.
1957—Ferlinghetti Wins Obscenity Case
An obscenity trial brought against Lawrence Ferlinghetti, owner of the counterculture City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, reaches its conclusion when Judge Clayton Horn rules that Allen Ginsberg’s poetry collection Howl is not obscene.
1995—Simpson Acquitted
After a long trial watched by millions of people worldwide, former football star O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Simpson subsequently loses a civil suit and is ordered to pay millions in damages.
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Avon was one of the first publishers to experiment with racy paperback fiction.
Classic science fiction from James Grazier with uncredited cover art.
Hammond Innes volcano tale features Italian intrigue and Mitchell Hooks cover art.
