Saturday, April 19, 2008

Paperback 82: Zane Grey's Western Magazine, March 1951

Paperback 82: Zane Grey's Western Magazine, March 1951

Featured story: "The Fight for Bunchgrass Basin"
Author: L. P. Holmes
Cover artist: Mayo Olmstead

Priced at: $6



Best things about this cover:

  • "Henry is sporting the sexy open-shirt-and-baggy-pants look that's so popular among this year's A-list homesteaders..."
  • Henry appears to be duck hunting. Either that, or there are Injuns riding magic carpets in the sky.
  • Meanwhile, Henry's partner Cleve has managed to pull off the nearly impossible feat of being shot in the back by an arrow while his back is completely shielded by the covered wagon. Nice going, Cleve.
  • Cleve, you can let go of the gun now.
  • This picture has a smooth creaminess to it that I like, but what's with the blood placement? It makes no sense, and is completely unconvincing.
RP

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Nice going, Cleve."

Literally made me tip my head back in uproarious laughter.

Rex Parker said...

I was trying to think of a suitably westerny, 19c. name for guy #2. When I couldn't come up with one on my own, I flipped the book open to a random page. First name I saw: Cleve.

rp

Anonymous said...

Also just occurred to me that not only has Cleve been mortally wounded by an impossibly shot arrow, but the two of them are in the worst strategic position ever. "Cleve, the Indians are shooting at us from over that-a-way! Let's put our backs to the wall and our chests to the arrow point!"

I'm also pretty sure Henry has 6 fingers on his left hand.

Michael5000 said...

Cleve was napping with his face down on that big, fluffy pillow; that's why his back was exposed.

Unknown said...

Hi Rex,

I like this cover a lot, despite some of its narrative problems as you pointed out. I like the drape and texture of the fabrics and I like the blue sky. I think if Thomas Hart Benton did paperback covers, they might look like this.

Mary