Video Blog: Vintage Gay Sleaze Pulp Paperbacks

Another video blog! In this one, I discuss 1960's era vintage pulp paperbacks featuring gay sex themes. These sexy vintage paperbacks are referred to by collectors as "sleaze" paperbacks.  These particular ones are gay-themed and are some of the only homosexual artifacts from this time period.

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Jingle Balls

What better way to celebrate Christmas than a gay Santa and his equally gay elves? The Man from C.A.M.P. comes for Christmas indeed!

Santa says, "Ho, ho, ho-mosexual!"

Oh what fun it is to ride....nevermind!

*Happy Holidays from Astrid of FringePop*

"A Queen's Fury" and no I'm not talking about the royal wedding

Today I'm featuring the last original gay pulp painting in my collection. When I attained these original illustrations, I was able to get three from the same dealer. I've never seen any others listed for sale from anyone else.


This painting is for "A Queen's Fury" by Aaron Thomas (Nightstand Book 1873) from 1968. This is another work by Darrell Millsap, prolific illustrator for these imprints.



This piece is quirky and fun and a little mysterious. Why mysterious? Because what the hell's up with the toy car and plane? All the gay men I've known have been far too fabulous to get on their hands and knees and play with children's toys (maybe other toys, but not those!). Rug burn anyone?!

I'd probably have to read "A Queen's Fury" to find out what's up with that. Will I do that? Hell no. I'm way too lazy for that.

With a Name Like Manlove...

With a name like Manlove.... you've got to assume this book is filled with manlove! If not, that's some very serious false advertising.


Haven't read this saucy bit of gayness, but I've got to assume it's about what it says: a man who is "gay but not happy." In the 50's all the gay and lesbian pulps had to have sad endings, because the books had to reinforce the anti-gay status quo. I had thought by the late 60's that the gay pulps had gotten away from that. On the other hand, with a title like this you've got to wonder if that was still the prevailing mood of the gay pulps. Then again, I've seen plenty of gay books from the era with "happier" titles like "Locker Room Lovers," "Blow the Man Down," and "Brothers in Love", just to name a few.


So, enjoy the original cover artwork for "Gay But Not Happy." I'm not sure of the artist's identity-- perhaps Greenleaf's Harry Bremner? Hey, if you can answer it, that lollipop's still available. Although, by now I'm sure it's stuck between the cushions and covered in the couch's version of belly button lint...but hey, it's still good!

Is that a sword in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

The paperback cover
(ABOVE)

Last post featured a little bit of vintage lesbiana so what better to follow than some gay pulp? By the way is lesbiana a word? I've heard "victoriana" for the Victorian era, so I just went with it.

Featured today is the original artwork for the 1960's gay paperback "The Fellows Backstage" by Chris Davidson (1968). I found this rare original illustration on eBay. It took some digging, and I was shocked to find it. Hardly any of the original sleaze paperback illustrations survived the era. And those that did survive are mostly in personal collections.

The original art
(ABOVE)

But luckily, this and a couple others did survive and now they're mine. All mine!

Original artwork is by Darrell Millsap. He was a prolific illustrator working exclusively (as far as I know) for Greenleaf Classics.

More gay pulp to come...

Gene Bilbrew Gay Pulp Art

These 60's era digest-sized paperbacks are interesting cultural artifacts for two reasons. 1.) They feature homosexual themes. 2.) The cover paintings are by fetish artist Gene Bilbrew. Gay pulps are fun collectibles in and of themselves. Now, adding the delightful art of Gene Bilbrew (aka "Eneg") just makes them all the better. Bilbrew is a little known artist to the mainstream, but to fetish art connoisseurs and 60's sleaze paperback collectors, he is an icon. So, enjoy these two gems of sleaze paperback history. They aren't making more of them.