Oh, please—I'm harmless. Well, maybe I'm a danger to your marriage vows.
Forget that loser. I'm a man with prospects. Buy me a drink and I'll tell you all about them.
Above: an uncredited cover for Judgment Day by James T. Farrell, which neatly encapsulates the classic woman’s dilemma—most guys who come up to you in bars are at least a little drunk. This book is another case of serious literature getting a pulp style cover as a retrofit. As the text notes, it was the third book in the Depression-era Studs Lonigan series, which is one of the more important literary products of the 1930s, and, like many pieces of politically shaded literature from then, was very critical of American capitalism. This Panther edition came in 1959.
These are people who definitely pay attention to the poles.
When you look at lots of paperbacks sometimes a common thread suddenly jumps out at you that went unnoticed before. Such was the case a few weeks ago when we noticed the large number of characters on mid-century covers leaning against poles—light poles, telephone poles, sign poles, etc. We suggested someone should put together a collection, but of course we really meant us, so today you see above and below various characters deftly using these features of the urban streetscape as accessories. Art is from Benedetto Caroselli, Harry Schaare, George Gross, Rudolph Belarski, James Avati, et al. You can see a couple more examples here and here.
Robert O. Saber, Michael Croft, Sloan Britton, Edward Anderson, William Ard, Franz Silberman, Lynton Wright Brent, Bart Michaels, Leslie Charteris, Orrie Hitt, Mark Reed, Arthur Miller, Robert Bloch, Jay de Bekker, Joan Ellis, James T. Farrell, John D. MacDonald, Harmon Bellamy, Geoffrey Pardoe, John Lodwick, Francis Carco, Benedetto Caroselli, Harry Schaare, George Gross, Rudolph Belarski, Tom Howe, Stella Wyngarde, Bernard Malamud, Herbert Simmoms, Roy Huggins, cover collection, cover art, literature
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HISTORY REWIND
The headlines that mattered yesteryear.
1961—Plane Carrying Nuclear Bombs Crashes
A B-52 Stratofortress carrying two H-bombs experiences trouble during a refueling operation, and in the midst of an emergency descent breaks up in mid-air over Goldsboro, North Carolina. Five of the six arming devices on one of the bombs somehow activate before it lands via parachute in a wooded region where it is later recovered. The other bomb does not deploy its chute and crashes into muddy ground at 700 mph, disintegrating while driving its radioactive core fifty feet into the earth.
1912—International Opium Convention Signed
The International Opium Convention is signed at The Hague, Netherlands, and is the first international drug control treaty. The agreement was signed by Germany, the U.S., China, France, the UK, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Russia, and Siam.
1946—CIA Forerunner Created
U.S. president Harry S. Truman establishes the Central Intelligence Group or CIG, an interim authority that lasts until the Central Intelligence Agency is established in September of 1947.
1957—George Metesky Is Arrested
The New York City “Mad Bomber,” a man named George P. Metesky, is arrested in Waterbury, Connecticut and charged with planting more than 30 bombs. Metesky was angry about events surrounding a workplace injury suffered years earlier. Of the thirty-three known bombs he planted, twenty-two exploded, injuring fifteen people. He was apprehended based on an early use of offender profiling and because of clues given in letters he wrote to a newspaper. At trial he was found legally insane and committed to a state mental hospital.
1950—Alger Hiss Is Convicted of Perjury
American lawyer Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury in connection with an investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), at which he was questioned about being a Soviet spy. Hiss served forty-four months in prison, but maintained his innocence and fought his perjury conviction until his death in 1996 at age 92.
1977—Carter Pardons War Fugitives
U.S. President Jimmy Carter pardons nearly all of the country’s Vietnam War draft evaders, many of whom had emigrated to Canada. He had made the pardon pledge during his election campaign, and he fulfilled his promise the day after he took office.
- FEATUREd PULP
We can't really say, but there are probably thousands of kisses on mid-century paperback covers. Here's a small collection of some good ones.
Two Spanish covers from Ediciones G.P. for Peter Cheyney's Huracan en las Bahamas, better known as Dark Bahama.
Giovanni Benvenuti was one of Italy's most prolific paperback cover artists. His unique style is on display in multiple collections within our website.
