Pulp Fiction

While fighting my creative block, I thought I'd share more of the things that inspire and inform my creativity. It's not all pretty art/illustration and sweetness and light.

I have a Thing about horrendous pulp fiction covers from the 50s, 60s, and 70s - vintage smut! The quality of the art ranges from the sublime to the what-the-hell-am-I-looking-at, and is almost always unintentionally amusing. For example, this jewel:

I came across this cover illustration while voraciously reading the archives of Pop Sensation. I can't tell you how many times I laughed until my sides hurt. Rex Parker, the fine and twisted mind behind the blog, has one of the most fabulous collections of pulp fiction art on the web, along with hilarious, knowledgeable commentary.

Years ago, I had a pulp novel that I swiped from my grandmother's house. Vintage smut of the first water. After quite a lot of giggling, I loaned it to a friend. Her mother came across it, and into the fireplace it went. I was branded a "bad influence" and that was the end of that. Until, many years later, when I started my own collection of vintage pulp.

Sadly, I can't remember anything about that particular book other than a few key details. It was about a private dick (tee-hee, "dick") who went around quaffing cognac and gettin' it on with the ladies. Which included a pair of redheaded twins (maybe blondes?). I remember that the cover art was bad bad BAD, explicit and awesome.

The whole experience taught me that art and sexuality are powerful things, especially when combined. Especially when they make you laugh and feel slightly shocked at the same time.