Thursday, October 15, 2009

Paperback 300: The Winds of Fear / Hodding Carter (Popular Library 300)

Paperback 300: Popular Library 300 (1st ptg, 1950)

Title: The Winds of Fear
Author: Hodding Carter
Cover artist: Rudolph "Creamy Skin" Belarski

Yours for: $23


Best things about this cover:

  • "The Winds of Fear hurt my ears."
  • That is the rackiest rack I've seen in a while. Those boobs look oddly fake for 50s boobs. Braless boobs of that magnitude should not do what those are doing, i.e. remaining perfectly taut and nearly perfectly spherical, defying gravity, etc.
  • Not enough people are named "Hodding" these days. Damn shame.
  • I can't tell if the sheriff is assaulting the poor black man with his heat vision, or if the black man shoots fire out his ears when he gets real angry.
  • I usually avoid things that are both angry and probing...
  • Complete and utter (and eerie) coincidence that "Paperback 300" is actually numbered 300.

Best things about this back cover:

  • "KICKED OPEN," I say.
  • "Cancy!" The absurd name train just won't stop runnin'.
  • "A scheming honkytonk girl" — now we're talking.
  • "Decent people protested ..." Why do I have a feeling I won't find them "decent"?

Page 123~

Colored boys from Carvell City and from near Carvell City were complaining of mistreatment and humiliation, or boasting from overseas of another world where white girls and sort of white girls in England and North Africa looked favorably on soldiers with dark skin.


"Sort of white girls" is a new category to me.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

7 comments:

justjack said...

"Not enough people are named "Hodding" these days"

But when they are, their last name is always Carter.

Boooooobs. (omg)

I think she's holding her ears because the poor black man didn't quite hit the note he was reaching for.

His expression is the absolute personification of the phrase "Ngngngngngngngngngggggg!!"

Prepjpw said...

Ol' Hodding Carter was a fascinating guy. Journalist, reconstructed racist, Pulitzer Prize winner. Didin't know he also dabbled in potboilers. Founded Delta Democrat-Times in Greenville, MS.

Deschanel said...

Rackstastic indeed. Hypnotized, here!

"Cancy" must be the worst goddamned name ever. I'm sure there's a pulp novel out there with a character named "Aidsy" though.

Ms Avery said...

Fuck this noise, I'm quitting my job and becoming a scheming honkytonk girl.

Rex Parker said...

Hey, concise, funny comments — where the hell have you been? Welcome back.

rp

Deb said...

What's wrong with her elbows? They look like they're pressed up against glass.

(Yes, I realize most people are not looking at her elbows!)

Marla said...

Does it rhyme with "fancy" or "hanky"?