Title: Perilous Passage
Author: Arthur Mayse
Cover artist: James Bingham
Condition: 7/10
Value: $8-10
Best things about this cover:
- Reader Larry D. just sent me a whole box of choice paperbacks. Out of the goodness of his heart. In the interest of, let's say, science! I am over the moon. We will all be the beneficiaries of his generosity, as I showcase books from his donation in the coming weeks, starting with today's stunner—a chaotic close-up composition featuring nautical mayhem and what appears to be a pretty severe case of mal de mer. Or maybe that guy just swooned. Maybe he's afraid. Can we call that hand on his brow a "Fear Hand"? I think we can. I think I will.
- "How was I to know when I broke my boat mirror that my luck would turn so bad...?"
- The gunwoman here seems like a plucky, take-charge kind of gal, I love her. The gun looks a little warped or wonky somehow, but her face! It's all business. I would not f*** with someone making that face.
- I like how you have to kind of sit with this painting for a while to figure just what the hell is going on, which way is up, who's doing what, etc. It really ... unfolds, the more you look at it.
- Just noticed that my man appears to be tickling her underboob, which is a funny thing to do when your life is in danger, but people cope with stress in all kinds of ways, who am I to judge?
Best things about this back cover:
- typewriter font...
- "Clint half-slid"—classic sap behavior: always half-sliding, never all-the-way sliding. Commit to something, for once in your life, Clint!
- This book should be titled Bring Me The Head of Clint Farrell!
- Devvy! Wow now I love her more. It's like the Devil and a Chevy had a gun-wielding baby!
Page 123~
"Nuts!" Clint told her. "Look, come down or I'm coming up. All you need is a banana in your fist."
Sure, Clint has a pretty limited, primarily food-based vocabulary, but what a charmer! Feel free to use the line, "Is that a banana in your fist, or are you just glad to see me?" next time the occasion seems to warrant it. [I should add that I almost abandoned Page 123 for Page 122, the first words of which are, "... sucked the boom stick down by its butt ..."]
~RP
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3 comments:
It took me a while to parse the art. I first read his elbow as her knee and couldn't for the life of me figure out what contorted position she was in.
If she pulls the trigger, he's getting the butt of the rifle right between the eyes. Clint's probably hard-boiled enough to take two massive blows to the head, but I'm not sure he could survive that.
If you come down here, I’ll shoot!
Maybe that’s the guy stroking her boob, and it’s more if a promise than a threat….
Your Pop sensation donor here. I think this is one of the most incredible covers I've ever seen and I am glad Rex chose it for the first commentary. Although dames with guns are a staple of paperback illustrations of this era, this is the only time I've ever seen a girl brandish a rifle instead of a pistol However, poor Devvy is going backwards quickly if she fires that carbine without shouldering it.
Good catch, Rex, on the underboob tickle. If I was 30 years younger I'd make a goal of mine to try that move!
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