by James E. McConnell
“Behind every spy is a woman?” If only that were true!
When I first saw this cover, I assumed it was by Robert McGinnis but then I saw the signature in the bottom right corner and learned that the artist responsible was actually James E. McConnell.
Born in Mexico in 1910 but raised in New York City, the artist Carl Pfeufer studied at the Cooper Union Art School when he was 16 and later continued his studies at the National Academy of Design, Grand Central School of Art, and the Art Students League of New York. He was also an apprentice and student to the impressionist painter, William Starkweather. Up until his death in 1980, Pfeufer was a popular and much-in demand illustrator. Though he spent most of his career in the comic book industry, Pfeufer also did his share of pulp work. Here’s a small sampling of his pulp work, ranging from the late 50s to the early 60s.
by Robert McGinnis
I always love a good Robert McGinnis cover!
Artist Unknown
Featuring stories of detectives, murder, femme fatales, and tough guys, Thrilling Detective thrilled readers during the pulp era of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Today, the magazine remains highly sought after by collectors. Every cover promised sex or violence or both. Below are just a few of the thrilling covers of Thrilling Detective!
by George Rozen
by George Rozen
by Milton Luros
by Norman Saunders
by Rafael DeSoto
by Rafael DeSoto
by Rafael DeSoto
by Rafael DeSoto
by Rudolph Belarski
by Rudolph Belarski
by Rudolph Belarski
by Rudolph Belarski
by Rudolph Belarski
by Sam Cherry
by Sam Cherry
by Gloria Stoll Karn
The murder is bad enough, without adding the insult of reading her diary. Nice shoes, though. This is from 1950. The cover was done by Gloria Stoll Karn, one of the most prominent female artists of the pulp era.
by Jack Rickard
A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, Jack Rickard was most famous for his work in the advertising industry and his later work for MAD Magazine. However, in between working on ads and working for MAD, Rickard also did the covers for several pulp magazines and paperback publishers. Below is a small sampling of Jack Rickard’s pulp artwork. I particularly like his cover for The Pagans.
by Allen Gustav Anderson
This Allen Gustav Anderson cover is from 1948. His signature can be seen in the lower right-hand corner over the illustration. Not seen is whoever was unlucky enough to be the target of her vengeance.
Congratulations to the Atlanta Braves, on winning their fourth World Series championship!
Of course, I was hoping the Astros would win. It’s not that I’m really a supporter of either the Astros or the Braves. I’m a long-suffering Rangers fan. But I was hoping the Astros would pull out a victory in Game 6 because I didn’t want the season to end!
It didn’t happen, though. The Braves won and they won decisively. Congratulations on the victory, Atlanta! You earned it and you deserved it!
As for next season, here’s hoping my Rangers can finally get it together. I’m a baseball fan. I never give up on my team.
Artist Unknown
Drug abuse is not a new problem in the United States. The pulp era wrestled with the problem too, with many publications and novels telling the story of young women and young me who fell afoul the pushers and were enticed into a life of sin.
Here’s just a sampling of the high times of the Pulp Era:
by Bill Edwards
by Bill Fleming
by Gerald Gregg
by Howell Dodd
by Rafael DeSoto
by Raymond Johnson
Unknown Artist
by Victor Seach
by Warren King
Artist Unknown
by Ed Valigursky
This is from 1963. Viking fashion has changed a lot over the years but there’s always a skull. This cover was done by Ed Valigursky, whose work we’ve featured in the past and will undoubtedly feature in the future.
Through the Shattered Lens 