Above: The worst brainwashing ever

Above: Framed in period wood frame

Above: View of work on illustration board unframed

Gil Cohen created this expertly rendered, noir, hard boiled interior story illustration for the April 1963 edition of Male Magazine. The story this brings to life is titled “The Combat Hero Who Survived Korea’s Worst Brainwashing.” This typifies the lurid, envelope pushing work which earned Mens genre magazines the apt title The Post-War Pulps. Caption reads … “confess to your germ warfare crime”, they told him or die like an animal…”
“The Worse Brainwashing Ever” tells the purportedly true story of “Honest John” Mahuran, the 21-kill WWII and Korean war flying ace who suffered through 500 days and nights of torture at the hands of the “reds” before he was returned to the hands of the United States military. Work is nicely matted and framed in excellent condition.

Above: print notations

Above: verso label and notations

Above: verso view

Above: detail

Above: Published Image in Male Magazine April 1963