Artwork of the Day: Astounding Science-Fiction (by Hans W. Wessolowski)

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Dazzling Erin

by Hans W. Wessolowski

Are You Scared Of Snakes?

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Dazzling Erin

Snakes!

Unknown Artist

Are you scared of snakes? If so, you’re not alone. According to 2001 Gallup Poll, 56% of Americans said they were scared of snakes. By comparison, only 45% of Americans said they were scared of public speaking while 41% said heights. Only 36% said they were scared of spiders and only 7% were frightened by the prospect of going to the doctor.

There are nearly 3,000 different species of snakes in the world and only 25% of them are poisonous. Most snakes are harmless and even the poisonous ones usually won’t strike as long as they’re left alone. But people will always be scared of snakes. The sound of a hiss is enough to send most people into a panic.

Back in the pulp era, snakes used to regularly appear on the covers of magazines and paperbacks, often being held by a cultist or threatening a bound victim. When it comes to pulp art, snakes are never good news. Take a look:

Artist Unknown

by Ed Valigursky

by Hans Wesselowski

Unknown Artist

by Rudolph Belarski

by Griffith Foxley

by John Pedersen

Happy International Dinosaur Day!

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Dazzling Erin

Today, we observe International Dinosaur Day!

The first recorded discover of dinosaur fossils occurred in 1820 and, since then, dinosaur remains have been found on all seven continents. According to CheckiDay: “Richard Owen, an English anatomist, came up with the word “Dinosauria” in 1842. The word comes from the Greek word “deinos,” meaning terrible or fearfully great, and “sauros,” meaning reptile or lizard. He applied the term to three animals that fossilized bones had been found of over the previous few decades.”

The best way to observe today is to go down to a museum and take a look at the fantastic creatures who inhabited this planet before human beings came along. But if you can’t get to a museum today, check out these magazine and paperback covers below. Not surprisingly, dinosaurs were very popular with the pulps. Here’s just a few of them: