That a recent show at a prestigious museum in Brooklyn, New York focused on dozens of original cover illustrations from a rare private collection demonstrates the emerging interest and importance of lurid and sensational pulp cover art. Original artwork from this genre and the thematically related but chronologically later Men's Adventure Magazine's of the 1950's - 60's or The Postwar Pulps (as the genre is sometines referred to) is very scarce, as most was destroyed shortly after publication in short-lived runs. Often featuring bizarre and disturbing "damsels in distress" cover art, these newsstand publications pushed whatever envelopes had existed prior to the Hayes Commission and the Decency Act. This genre of art will continue to attract mainstream notice and high auction prices. and our collection is available exclusively through Grapefruit Moon Gallery.

The Masquarade Maurice Milliere	Too Risque Meet Me In Tomorrow Harold H.W. McCauley

A photo-realist, kinetic original oil on board by James Bama. This painting, created as a cover for Stag Magzine, illustrates the outlandish true story of Faustin Wirkus, an American soldier who became king of a small island off Haiti in 1906. Faustus was made famous in the 1930s book "The Magic Isle" and was a cult figure thereafter. Interior text reads in part "For five fabulous years, by order of the U.S. Marine Corps, he ruled the mid-ocean island- voodoo, personal harem and all." Work is unsigned but article credits art by James Bama, magazine is included in sale.

An original gouache on board created for the cover of the September 1962 edition of For Men Only, illustrating the story Operation"Never-Talk:" Shocking Revenge of Norway's Partisan Nymph. (A Smuggled-In Yank And A Wild Anti-Nazi Underground Girl by James S. Wagner. A large finely rendered scene of a bungled SS operation, with a trio of tightly wound American service men, a gathering of inebriated Nazi's and a pair of scantily clad female secret agents acting as decoys.

A large gouache illustration for the January 1961 edition of Stag Magazine. A daring night time rescue depiction illustrating the interior story "The Amazing GI Who Took Three Head Hunting Brides. A Pacific Island World War II entanglement complete with topless native women and native headhunters and a lone anglo-saxonized square jawed daring G.I.

An alarmingly disturbing and well rendered original gouache illustration by the highly regarded and prolific illustrator Mort Kunstler, this interior 2-page spread appeared in the August 1961 edition of Male Magazine, illustrating Martin Fass's Million-Dollar Manhunt For A Cold War Nymph. The lurid, defining action-filled image captures the prevailing nihilism associated with the 1960's "sweat magazine" art and envelope-pushing adventure fiction. Text reads "She was the top female agent of BACO-Europe's anti-fascist Assassin's League, and when she fell into enemy hands, the Yanks had two weeks to find her-or it was war in the Middle East."

This original gouache noir illustration by well listed and prolific illustrator Mort Kunstler was used as the January 1968 edition of Male, illustrating Mario Cleri's "Blonde Bandit in Black Lace." An explosive sex kitten car chase that captures the prevailing nihilism associated with the 1960's "sweat magazine" art and envelope-pushing adventure fiction, this is a tense and hyper-realistic pop-art time capsule.

A bright, bold and rare original surviving painting, created as pulp cover art for an unidentified 1930s Western magazine. Work is attributed to Sidney Riesenberg and stretcher bar on back features pencil notation with the artist's name and numerals for publication use. Riesenberg is perhaps best remembered for his patriotic WWI posters, and also gained fame as cover illustrator for many of the American slick magazines and pulps during the Golden age of Illustration.

A tense and clever, menace-themed, rare surviving cover painting for the January 1939 issue of Double Action Detective.. A Science Fiction/Spicy Pulp epic entanglement illustrating George Alden Edson's story, The Midnight Murderer. This original oil-on-canvas painting is unsigned, we are of the strong belief that is was done by William Soare. A xeroxed color print of the pulp magazine cover proof is included in the sale.

An original and unusual painting by Paul Calle which illustrates The Warriors of Day by James Blish and was created as cover art for the work. This 1953 science fiction themed pulp appeared on Galaxy Fiction Novel #16. Nicely framed in a period gold gesso frame with the published pulp included in presentation.

A bizarre and macabre artwork by one of our favorite illustrators Mahlon Blaine titled on verso "A Fish Story." A mermaid Medusa-like nude rendered in a pastel colored palette with an unusual size and configuration that leads us to believe this was created as a left-hand page interior illustration in a pulp magazine such as Weird Tales. When reproduced we imagine text would have been blocked around the right edge of this highly creative image.

An original gouache humorous Edwardian boudoir themed interior painting for the notorious French publication La Vie Parisienne. The long running, blatantly at times erotic and racy magazine that chronicled the exploits and sexual proclivities of sassy and free spirited French follies showgirls and their often dim witted suitors in risque, breezy, spicy pulp-like fashion. Maurice Milliere was a frequent contributor of cover illustrations. French text on margin translates to "I'm all that you have". This is framed in a museum quality genuine gold gilt hand carved frame .