Art | Through the Shattered Lens

From 1960 to 1964, South Sea Stories brought its readers the latest in sordid, tropical drama. South Sea Stories was actually a revival of a pulp magazine that had briefly been published in 1939. It was very much a men’s magazine, with a mix of adventures stories and centerfolds. The covers left little doubt that the tales of the South Sea Stories weren’t for those seeking a relaxing vacation. Instead, South Sea Stories was all about smugglers, wild animals, and women in sarongs.

For anyone currently dreaming of taking a tropical vacation right now, here are a few of the covers of South Sea Stories. All of these covers look, to me, like they were done by Mark Schneider but I can only definitely confirm that the first three were his work.

by Mark Schneider

Unknown Artist

Unknown Artist’

Unknown Artist

I think this final cover is actually from the original 1939 run but I just had to include it because of the dead body floating in the surf.

Hans Helweg was a Danish illustrator who is probably best remembered for the work he did illustrating Michael Bond’s series of books about a guinea pig named Olga da Polga. For example:

However, before Hans Helweg brought Olga de Polga to adorable life, he illustrated several covers for Pan Books, a British paperback publisher. In the 50s and 60s, Pan’s paperbacks was known for their colorful covers, which has since made them highly attractive to collectors. Helweg was responsible for some of the most colorful. And since Helweg, as opposed to many other illustrators, almost always singed his work, his covers are some of the most eagerly sought after.

Here are just a few of Han Helweg’s Pan Book covers: