Artwork of the Day: Mail-Order Passion (by George Gross)


by George Gross

Before online dating, I guess you just went out with whoever sent you a letter and hoped that you didn’t end up on a date with a middle-aged alcoholic who expected you to sit on his red couch.

This cover was done by George Gross, who has been featured frequently in the past and who will probably be frequently featured in the future.

Artwork of the Day: End of a J.D. (by Mitchell Hooks)


by Mitchell Hooks

This is from 1960.  J.D. stands for juvenile delinquent.  I like this cover, with the way the two realistically-drawn characters are surrounded by an expressionistic cityscape.  This cover was done by Mitchell Hooks, who we’ve featured many times on the site and who we’ll probably feature many more times in the future.

Artwork of the Day: Love is a Surprise (by Bert Lannon)


by Bert Lannon

Love is a surprise!  Especially when you’re all dressed up and in jail.

This book was originally published in 1940 as Letty and the Law.  When Bantam republished the book in 1948, the title got changed to Love is a Surprise!

I couldn’t find much info on cover artist Bert Lannon, beyond the fact that he appears to be one of the few artists from the pulp and paperback era to regularly signed his name to his work.

Artwork of the Day: Sport Story Magazine (by Robert E. Lee)


by Robert E. Lee

I picked today’s cover because spring training has started and I’m excited!  Go Rangers!  I like that the baseball player in the background looks like he’s really thinking about whether or not he’d rather be playing softball than baseball.  Sure, the baseball players may make more money but the softball players get better uniforms!  I’m worried, though, because I have played enough softball to know that’s not the best way to try to field a ground ball.  She’s going to have a lot of back pain unless she starts bending her knees.

This cover is from June of 1939.  The artist was Robert E. Lee, who shared a famous name but, as far as I can tell, was not related to the Confederate general.

Artwork of the Day: Naked Canvas (Artist Unknown)


Artist Unknown

I’m not sure how you “revolt against innocence” but I’m guessing you have to wear an off the shoulder top do it.  This book was originally published in 1954, when nothing was more decadent than a peasant’s blouse.  I don’t know much about the plot but the cover says that the book is about a woman who “was faithful only to her desires.”

The book was written by Elleston Trevor, a British writer who wrote over a 100 novels and who used a variety of different pseudonyms, including Warwick Scott.  The majority of Trevor’s book were adventure, spy, and mystery stories.

The identity of the artist responsible for this cover is unknown.