Sunday, April 19, 2009

Paperback 221: Like Love / Ed McBain (Permabooks M-4289)

Paperback 221: Permabooks M-4289 (1st ptg, 1963)

Title: Like Love
Author: Ed McBain
Cover artist: Robert McGinnis

Yours for: SOLD (June '09)


Best things about this cover:

  • "Dear God, please let me score with this chick from Cirque de Soleil. Amen."
  • "Dammit! Why won't my eyebrows stay *down*!?"
  • "Man, my thumbnails look *weird* up close..."
  • "Oh, Steve, I'm tired of you and your shadow puppets. Can't we just get back to hanging drapery?"
  • What the hell is with the title?: "It's *like* love, baby, just ... minus all the caring and sharing and listening to your damned problems. OK?"
  • This will sound odd, but the softness of the coloring and the fine pattern on the wallpaper reminds me of John Singer Sargent portrait that I love.

Best things about this back cover:

  • Tommy and Irene - sounds like a one-hit wonder pop duo from 1963
  • Carella and Hawes - sounds like a crime-fighting duo from 1974
  • "ourselfs" - ouch
  • Authentic imitation wood paneling! Really, one of the awesomest design choices in modern back cover art history

Page 123~

"Miscolo!" he yelled.
"Yo!" Miscolo yelled back from the Clerical Office.
"Bring in some iodine and some Band-Aids, will you?"
"Yo!" Miscolo answered.

~RP

7 comments:

Eunice said...

"What do you you think of the color? I was thinking I could make it into a cocktail dress. Maybe I'll just be scandalous and make it street length instead of full length! Or maybe a blouse? Or..."
Him thinking, 'Shut up!'

What's with the disconnect between the two people on the cover? She's doing a veil dance (with a sheet? shower curtain?) in her underwear, while he's fully dressed in a suit with a migraine. They're drawn different too, and have zero interaction.

She has a mullet, but at least her strapless bra is better than Frenchie's.

Found in striped blue undershorts - how embarrassing!

An obvious suicide that's next to impossible to prove as murder? Well it could be, I dunno, a suicide.

Miscolo wouldn't happen to be some horrible racial stereotype would he?

Alix said...

I think she's modeling the latest from Country Curtains -- their Sassy Spring '63 collection.

Anybody else think his hands are enormous? No way Anguished Andy here is sporting striped boxers. No way.

Who leaves a suicide note to God?? Are they thinking He'll come by the apartment later and read it?

P.123 -- wow, that's reazzzzzzzzz...

Dirt Diggler said...

WHAT is "Like Love"... hallucinations of genie, Barbara Eden? ... suicide? ... murder? ... all of the above?!

Cartophiliac said...

"ourselfs"?

Scooby, it looks like a clue to me. The real murderer doesn't know how to spell.

pious agnostic said...

"Oooh, I can see you officers are real busy, what with the sad suicide of these two crazy kids, so we'll just let ourselfs out."

JamiSings said...

Lots of people write to God. Though usually not suicide notes. I know there's websites now where you can send an e-mail and they'll write it up in a letter to God and stick it in the Western Wall.

I can't think of anything snarky for the cover that hasn't already been said.

Anonymous said...

Wait, is that Tommy and Irene on the front cover? Or is that detectives Carella and Hawes?

She wears black lace underwear and sheer curtains. He has huge hands and a headache. Together, they fight crime.