The WOW Report

  • WOW Report
  • About
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!
  • WOW Presents Plus
  • What to Watch
  • Store
You are here: Home / Culture / Art / #ArtDept: Vintage Gay Pulp Fiction Book Covers, Offensive or Just Camp?

#ArtDept: Vintage Gay Pulp Fiction Book Covers, Offensive or Just Camp?

By Stephen Rutledge on January 20, 2019 7:39 am

An imprint of a publisher is a trade name under which it publishes certain work. A single publishing company may have multiple imprints, often using the different names as brands to market works, reaching various demographics. For example, Viking Press is an imprint of the Penguin Group used to publish a strictly limited list of distinguished, perpetually important fiction.

These modernistic pre-Stonewall paperbacks are from an imprint called French Line. I am drawn to these books because they are so deadly intent about reaching their targeted audience. The design of the covers is so persuasive, the designer wasn’t kidding around.

The titles and the tag lines express the inherently coded nature of gay life in that era: The Chocolate Speedway; The Reamers; “He became the ‘First Lady’ of Capitol Hill” (about Lindsey Graham?), “How long does it take to make a straight guy gay?”;  “The root of all evil can be the seat of all pleasure!”. The covers were calculated to alarm, and arouse.

And what’s with the use of that circle-arrow male symbol? You don’t see those anymore. When did it and the accompanying female symbol disappear?

Who knew that Guy Fawkes wrote Chamber Of Homos?

 

What’s with the Nazis?

 

Via Tombolare 

Show the love:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Art, Books, Culture, Design, Entertainment, Gay, History, LBGTQ, Retro

More

Schiaperrelli! Madonna! Tom Hanks! Kylies Minogue & Jenner! The WOW Report for Radio Andy

Schiaperrelli! Madonna! Tom Hanks! Kylies Minogue & Jenner! The WOW Report for Radio Andy

by Blake Jacobs on January 27, 2023 11:00 am

Check Out ‘Tiffany Heather Samantha’s Big Belty Broadway Show’ in NYC

Check Out ‘Tiffany Heather Samantha’s Big Belty Broadway Show’ in NYC

by Paisley Dalton on January 24, 2023 10:12 am

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Trending


#FirstLook: Campy Horror Comedy ‘We Have a Ghost’ Feat. Jennifer Coolidge & Tig Notaro –Watch

Meet the Queens of ‘Drag Race Belgique’ 

Nicky Doll, Kiddy Smile & Daphné Bürki Return for ‘Drag Race France’ Season 2

Gael García Bernal Locks Lips with Bad Bunny as Gay Mexican Wrestling Star ‘Cassandro’

#TheQueerties: Bianca Hosts as Willow Pill, Alaska, Raja, Eureka & More Compete for “Drag Royalty” –Vote Here!

About

From the creators of The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Party Monster, Million Dollar Listing, RuPaul's Drag Race, I Am Britney Jean, Big Freedia, and more.

Madonna! Joanna Lumley! Edgar Allan Poe! Jennifers Lopez AND Coolidge! The WOW Report for Radio Andy!
Prince Harry! Jennifer Coolidge! M3GAN! Jordan Peele! Randy Joins Us for the WOW Report for Radio Andy!
Rest in Perfection Barbara Walters and Anita Pointer! The WOW Report for Radio Andy!
ONJ! QE2! Leslie Jordan! Our In Memoriam Episode for 2002 on The WOW Report for Radio Andy
The Top Ten Holiday Songs That Make Us Go WOW! Bruce Vilanch Joins Us for The WOW Report on Radio Andy!

© 2021 World of Wonder Productions, Inc | World of Wonder is a trademark of World of Wonder Productions, Inc | Privacy

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in