A Date With Death!!

So, it's been more than ten months since I posted anything. One reason is because what I was doing was a LOT of work; not only did I watch the movies that I was writing about, but then I did things like track down the movie poster, other appropriate illustrations, etc. Then, on top of it, what was my feedback? Nothing! Nada! It didn't seem worth it.

Just recently, however, my lovely wife Laura prodded me into getting it going again, and I came to the realization that my blog didn't have to be some sort of massive endeavor every time, and I could just post frequent updates of a much smaller nature. So, here I am!

All of these realizations came at about the same time I acquired a large stack of "pulp fiction artwork"....covers of cheap paperback novels from the 1950s, 60s and 70s.....all of which seemed like perfect fodder to get this thing up and running again. So, without further ado, welcome back to Ape City; now let's check out the cover for THE BLANK WALL.

I decided to start with this one because it has everything. Of course, your eye is drawn immediately to the hottie brunette in her bikini (and yet, check out those Granny bottoms. There's enough fabric there for three or four bedsheets; not exactly hot, if you know what I'm saying). You're further attracted to her because she's got a red shawl or something wrapped around her shoulders.....wha???? Who goes boating in a bikini and a red shawl? But then, of course, there is the DEAD GUY.

How did he get dead? Well, the cover lets us know in awesome purple prose: "PLAYING WITH JAILBAIT EARNED HIM.....A DATE WITH DEATH!!!" Okay, now the bar has been significantly raised. Jailbait? That bikini girl is jailbait? I'm in!

(Before we leave the front cover behind, let me point out my favorite part: the little notice down below that says "Complete and Unabridged." Thank goodness! I know that when this book was originally published in a deluxe hardcover edition (a hand-tooled leather cover published by the Oxford Press, strictly limited to 1000 copies and each signed by the author), there was some concern that the paperback version would be abridged in some fashion. Thank goodness that everyone who can only afford to buy books at the drugstore won't be denied a single word of the genius of Elisabeth Sanxay Holding).

On to the back cover. Damn, this book sounds salacious! "BUT HE'S MARRIED!" it screams in red print. "And twice your age." Seriously, why don't you want to read this?

And there it is, in all capital letters and red print: DEAD. Sex, murder and scandal....everything you want in a novel, right?

I must say that I spent an unusual amount of my childhood browsing around in used bookstores and libraries, and while I always ended up with a Sherlock Holmes book, or an Agatha Christie book, or maybe something to do with Star Trek, these sorts of books were EVERYWHERE, and much of my time was spent wondering about the mysteries that lay behind the incredible covers. I'll never know, of course, but how nice that someone out there has bothered to scan these covers to keep (at least) the artwork alive for a little while longer.

Finally, I must comment on the super-cool Pocket Books logo. I LOVE that kangaroo! She's just having a hoot and a holler reading all of those books that conveniently fit into her pocket. Of course, that ignores the fact that she kicked out all of her joeys and they had to fend for themselves out in the Australian outback, but that's a small point. And finally, we have the reassurance that this is A GENUINE POCKET BOOK. Why is that so important? Was there a rash of bootleg Pocket Books flooding the market in the 1950s?