The Manly Covers Of Man’s Illustrated


Man’s Illustrated was a pulp magazine that ran from 1955 t0 1975.  Judging from the covers, it seems that the magazine was mostly focused stories about manly men conquering the frontier and fighting our enemies overseas, while thankful women either watched amazed in the background or waited to be rescued.

Men’s magazines were a huge part of the pulp era.  Because I have a rule about not posting any covers that feature either Nazi imagery or non-consensual sex, I usually avoid men’s magazines when I’m selecting an artwork of the day or putting together an art profile post like this one.  Fortunately, the covers of Man’s Illustrated were tamer than most other men’s magazines, with most of them focusing on tough guy with a weapon in his hand and a look of determination on his face.

Here are a few covers from the 20 year-run of Man’s Illustrated.  Two of these covers are credited to Stanley Borack.  The rest don’t have a credited artist.

by Stanley Borack

by Stanley Borack

Art Profile: The Many Adventures of Steve Holland


Who was Steve Holland?

He was one of the most familiar faces in the world of the pulps.  An actor and a model, Holland’s rugged good looks inspired a countless number of magazine and paperback covers.  Over the course of his career, Holland served as the model for everyone from tough private investigators to prehistoric warriors to futuristic adventurers to suburban husbands.

Check out just a few of the adventures of Steve Holland below:

by David Bergen

by James Elliott Bama

by George Wilson

by Jack Faragasso

by Stanley Borack

by Mort Kunstler

by Robert Maguire

by Robert Maguire

by Stanley Borack

by Victor Prezio

Artist Profile: Stanley Borack (1927 — 1993)


Born in Brooklyn, Stanley Borack served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and studied art at the Art Students League of New York under the G.I. Bill.  He began his career as professional illustrator in 1950 and, up until he retired at the end of the 1970s, he did hundreds of covers for pulp magazines and paperback book publishers.  Among collectors, he is especially known for the racy covers he did for Ted Mark’s Man From O.R.G.Y. series.  After retirement, his spent his remaining years doing painting of the Old West for fine art galleries across the country.

Cruise of Plywood Coffin Husband Chaser My Son, The Double Agent Raid of the Jivaro Headhunters The Day Kruschev Panicked The Loves of Dr. Devere The Man From Avon The Man From O.R.G.Y. The Thrill Makers Woman of the Avalon z-west z-west2