Tuesday, August 14, 2007

The Great Paperback Project - Paperback 3: Gold Medal 899

Paperback 3: Gold Medal 899 (PBO, 1959)

Title: Bier for a Chaser
Author: Richard Foster
Cover Artist: Barye Phillips

Yours for: $12


Best things about this cover:

  • The title - my general hatred of puns is well documented, but this one is so cheesy and forced (like the title of an "Itchy & Scratchy" cartoon, e.g. "Field of Screams," "Dazed and Contused," "Remembrance of Things Slashed," etc.) that it actually works.
  • The woman, and the body (which looks like it's going by on a conveyor belt, or else relaxing in corpse pose) form an upside-down cross.
  • Peek-a-boo nightie - Collectors love these. The art here is fantastically subtle because while she is covered by a nightgown, it is quite clear that this killer is not wearing panties. She did, however, find the time to put on a fierce pair of red high-heeled shoes. She's not big on practicality, this one.
  • Even though she has dropped the gun, I am still totally counting this as part of my "Girls With Guns" collection.

The back cover copy makes this book sound dreadfully generic (I haven't read it, just as I haven't read the Vast Majority of my collection): "Remember my name - it's Pete Draco [I've gotta steal that]. It's even money you'll be seeing it in the headlines soon." I'm sorry, what was your name again?

RP

2 comments:

Oncodoc said...

I'm not sure you will incorporate this into your lexicon, but I recently overheard my wife (talking to several of her friends) referring to a pair of "fierce red high-heeled shoes" as "fuck me shoes". I guess this adds to the subliminal message of the cover.

Anonymous said...

"my general hatred of puns is well documented"

to coin a phrase: paronomasia nausea.

That feels better, I have been waiting years to write it....