A large gouache illustration for the cover of the October 1960 edition of Stag magazine. A daring mountain top rescue illustrating the interior story “Three Months With The Wild Mountain Girls of Tibet, ‘Sgt. Gregory’s Escape From Red Chinese Captivity.'” A compelling read we are certain, if this action packed gouache is any indication.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Men’s magazines exploited Cold War tensions and capitalized on prevalent working class American fears. “The Sweats,” as they are commonly known, followed the blueprint set by the pulp magazines of the previous generation, depicting perceived enemies as savages, Nazis, and Communist torturers.
Leading illustrators in this strangely subversive genre, such as Norman Saunders, James Bama, Norm Eastman, Rafael DeSota and Mort Kunstler, created sensational, figurative illustrations executed in a style markedly similar to Socialist Realism and its associated propaganda imagery.