Showing posts with label Gordon Semple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gordon Semple. Show all posts

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Paperback 733: Waterfront Blonde / Gordon Semple (Beacon B352)

Paperback 733: Beacon B352 (PBO, 1960)

Title: Waterfront Blonde
Author: Gordon Semple
Cover artist: Fracé (!?) (see signature just left of Beacon icon)

Yours for: $12

Beac352

Best things about this cover:
  • She was everything shirtless Carrot Top wanted … the body of a goddess, the eyes of an old-school extra-terrestrial, the smoking habit of a young Selma Diamond …
  • I thought the "Bawd" was the go-between / pimp. Yes, "a woman in charge of a brothel." So she's … half in charge of a brothel?
  • Love the bikini—appropriate attire, as the room appears to be underwater. 
  • I like how the cover copy reads like poetry/verse. Speaking of … 

Beac352bc

Best things about this back cover:
  • Epic Sleaze Acrostic!
  • Seriously, someone worked long and hard on this. OK, maybe not "long," but … someone *worked* on this, is what I'm saying.
  • Best word in the whole poem: "practically" (line 4)
  • Mmm, "velvety charms." They're magically delicious! (I assume)

Page 123~

She chuckled, gave his hair a rumpling, then went to the door and saw a pocket-size Venus attired in a nautical costume that did full justice to her hips and formidable bosom. The Venus flashed an insouciant smile. "Mrs. Marsh, no doubt?"

They don't call Gordon Semple "The Faulkner of Sleaze" for nothing. Actually, they don't call him that at all, but they should.

~RP

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Sunday, December 9, 2007

Paperback 53: Croydon 57

Paperback 53: Croydon 57 (PBO, 1954)

Title: Love-Crazy Millionaire
Author: Gordon Semple
Cover artist: Bernard Safran


Best things about this cover:

  • Wow, this guy really loves boats.
  • Are they on a boat? Because they are both oddly listing toward my left.
  • She appears to be very drunk - I cannot imagine her speaking in anything but very slurred speech. Also, her hands are quite mannish. And no one that blond should have eyebrows that black.
  • That man is one of the grosser-looking men in paperback cover history. He has a weirdly soft baby face with greasy, patchy old-man hair and an oddly hairy and wrinkly neck.
  • "Office wife" is a great 1950's concept. Many paperbacks "worry" aloud about this phenomenon.
  • Artist's signature right across the back of the chair - Bernard Safran was a very accomplished illustrator and artist. For more on his career, go here.


Best things about this back cover:

  • Wow, the writing is really, truly horrible.
  • I'm going to start saying "Wanna bet, Sue!?" any time I want to sound menacing.
  • "Queerly, it intrigued her" - hmmm, now I'm interested.

RP