Sunday, August 30, 2009

Paperback 283: Adventures of a Young Man / John Dos Passos (Lion Library 42)

Paperback 283: Lion Library LL42 (1st ptg, 1955)

Title: Adventures of a Young Man
Author: John Dos Passos
Cover artist: Clark Hulings

Yours for: $11


Best things about this cover:

  • "Steve approached trench warfare with an air of whimsy, never letting a silly helmet ruin his perfectly coiffed blond mane."
  • "Steve, how come when you hug me it feels like you're killing Germans?"
  • Let's play: What's Steve Doing With His Mouth!? Choices a. gnawing on Gillian's brains, zombie-style, b. licking the chocolate out of her hair (don't ask), c. laughing at his own inability to find the bra strap, or d. Steve has no mouth — he lost it in the war.
  • Hey, it's Clark Hulings Week this week at "Pop Sensation" — not because of any particularly burning desire on my part to write about him, but because I've had a request from Illustration magazine for some hi-res scans of Hulings covers, and so I've moved all his work to the front of the queue.

Best things about this back cover:

  • "Gillian, your father and I strongly disapprove of your sleeping in the nude. Also, as you can see by our presence in your room, security in this apartment is terrible. You could at least get a dead bolt."
  • Steve is doing his "going bowling" dance. Step slide, step slide ...
  • If that is a train he's grabbing, and it is moving, he is about to be dragged to his bloody death. So ironic — surviving WWI only to be needlessly dragged to death on his way to a bowling engagement.
  • Front cover scanned at 400dpi, back cover scanned at 200dpi. Can you see the difference?

Page 123~

Sometimes he wished he was a rolling stone like Glenn; but if you were going to raise stuff, corn or stock or babies, you just had to stay put.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

5 comments:

Beggar1015 said...

While Gillian was careful not to get her EXTREME!(tm) red lipstick on Steve's immaculate white shirt, she was so distracted by her index finger's lack of polish that she failed to alert him to the bloodied soldier sneaking up from behind.

Eunice said...

It was at that moment she realized that maybe a battlefield wasn't the ideal spot for their rendezvous...

Gillian sighed as she sat up. It was the fourth time this month the Johnsons' ghosts had shown up in her bedroom. Seeing their disapproving glares she relented "Fine! I'll repaint the "slum gray" walls!"

I think the train is stationary and Steve is drunk. Oh that Steve.

Ms Avery said...

I'm confused... doesn't "corrupt passions" mean gayness? What's he doing with that woman?

JamiSings said...

I'm not so much concerned with his mouth as with her eyes. What the heck is she staring at so intently?

And Rex, when are you going to make an appearence over at Cover Junkie? Hm? Lyndee and I are just dying for your opinions on the covers she's posted. I'm especially longing to read your opinion on Money Shot and Murder She Wrote and some of the older posts from this month.

Purdy pwease?

Elaine said...

Jami,
The woman is staring at Steve's best friend. Look how stiffly she is returning his hug, how carefully she's averting her face. She's saving herself for what's-his-name! Just as soon as her hired gun there offs Mr. Inconvenient!

Hmmm, maybe the back cover is (a) the hired gun escaping with his payout in a bowling ball carrier; and (b) corrupt passions! "Some one has been a naughty, naughty girl. I think this calls for a spanking!"