For the Love of George Gross II

This George Gross cover painting drips pulp. From the felonious femme fatale to the bursting bustline to the delightful use of the word "squawk" added by the publisher... EVERYTHING about this is just pulpy perfect. And then there's the purchaser. The dude made it all the better with his penciled in check mark and the word SEX in all caps. Awwww....just beautiful!

For the Love of George Gross

George Gross is an illustration art hero. His detective magazine paintings, in particular, ooze with pulpy fun. This cover painting is no exception. Enjoy!

"Showgirls" Who Didn't Work the Pole

In the late 40's, a magazine called "Showgirls" was published for just a few issues. The magazine was dripping with sexiness thanks to the splendid cover illustrations by pulp artist extraordinaire George Gross. His ladies were always clothed in tip-top, classic 40's fashion-- Veronica Lake pulled out of reality and painted onto the page. In this case, sexy bikinis were his choice. It wouldn't have went over well with the censors had the "showgirls" been naked. Our collection consists of four issues of this delightful magazine. Ahh, "Showgirls" before it was tainted by a bad Elizabeth Berkley movie.

Sexy Detective Fun Part II

Sexy Detective Fun

For a brief time in the late 1940's and early 1950's, American detective magazines featured some of the most deliciously painted covers in illustration art history. Employing a line-up of artists that included the great George Gross, Howell Dodd, and Rudy Nappi, the detective magazine covers oozed film noir. The cover artists took all the best elements of the genre including gangsters, gun molls, femme fatales, cigarettes, and ultra-feminine 40's fashion. Then they soaked them in hot, bright colors and added just enough sex appeal to make housewives blush. It made for one sultry mix that was likely more exciting than any story that appeared on the inside.

Ah, what a wonderful era it was in American illustration. It's only sad that it was gone in the blink of an eye.