Smoking Archives - Black Mask

Paperback 550: Yesterday I Died! / John Cooper (World Distributors Nn, 1951?))

1951, Asians, Bamboo, Charles Atlas, Crime Fiction, John Cooper, MWG, MWV, slm, Smoking, Turbans, World Distributors Novels Comments Off

Aug 202012

Paperback 550: World Distributors Novel (no #) (PBO? 1951?)

Title: Yesterday I Died!
Author: John Cooper
Cover artist: Sure, why not...

Yours for: I have no idea ...

Best things about this cover:

Him: "Yesterday Day I Died!" Her: "So I smell!"
Gun v. Nipple face-off.
Has she got an 8 1/2 x 11 pad of paper in her pocket?
Awkwardly positioned gunman wonders "Am I in frame now? How 'bout now?"

Best things about this back cover:

One of three Awesome ads in this thing.
Charles Atlas promises you "fresh blood" if you join him and his vampiric children of the night.
"Joy-killing ailments" is a great phrase.

Other ads!

The crossword constructor in me really wishes APAL had caught on.
How is that drawing of that dude supposed to relate to my quitting smoking. Frankly, it's creeping me out and making me want to light up.
Hey, "S.A.E." — more crosswordy goodness!

First, I thought it said "I am Bam-Bou!" and thought "awesome name for a guru." Then I thought it said "Make Money By Growing Babies" and thought "that's ... a new angle."
It's a well-know scientific fact that bamboo release spores in the form of pound coins.
The Orientalism here is epic—the sexy East will lay bare her secrets to the hungry eyes of the horny West!

Page 123~ (This Book Has No Page Numbers!?!?!)

So ... Random Page~

Lugs O'Malley said suddenly, "For Pete's sake, Champion ... do something. If you're gonna blow us all to hades with the bomb ... well hell, let's go. But don't forget, you go too."

First, give it up for 'Lugs O'Malley,' which belongs in the Corney Gangster Name Hall O' Fame. Second, who says (uncapitalized!?) "hades" in this context? Normally, I would say: the person who thinks "hell" is a curse word. But ... the next sentence ...

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

Paperback 538: Nightmare Alley / William Lindsay Gresham (Signet 1326)

1956, Frank, James Avati, Lingerie, New York Herald-Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Signet, Smoking, William Lindsay Gresham Comments Off

Jun 152012

Paperback 538: Signet 1326 (4th ptg, 1956)

Title: Nightmare Alley
Author: William Lindsay Gresham
Cover artist: James Avati

Yours for: $21

Best things about this cover:

A noir classic. Early editions (Signets, like this one) are pretty rare. New York Review of Books reissued this book a couple years ago.
"Nightmare Alley, or The Carny's Ennui"
"I'm so ashamed that Eddie Munster has to see me in this get-up."
Not just "frank"—"Brutally Frank!" This book is so frank, it hurts my eyeballs.
No lie, I love her outfit. Pants could be a little lower-waisted, but the bra is a total win.

Best things about this back cover:

Ooh, the rarely seen "Double Frank" paperback. Nice. Whoa, triple ... though that SF Chronicle quote is really just a callback of the front cover copy.

William Lindsay Gresham is not happy with how this photo session is going.

"Magician."

Page 123~

Under that brilliant stare she began to simper and found it difficult to control her hands.

This explains why she's looking away from him and anchoring her hands on the edge of the, let's say, dunk tank.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

Paperback 527: Arch of Triumph / Erich Maria Remarque (Signet S796)

1950, alcohol, Erich Maria Remarque, france, James Avati, Signet, Smoking Comments Off

May 112012

Paperback 527: Signet S796 (1st ptg, 1950)

Title: Arch of Triumph
Author: Erich Maria Remarque
Cover artist: James Avati

Yours for: $6

Best things about this cover:

Now *this* is what an Avati cover typically looks like. A set piece. Still life with moody people. There's something almost religious about the tone of the paintings. This one is a very miniature Last Supper, if the Last Supper had consisted of wine, coffee, cigarettes, moody introspection, and distant staring.
Figures even have very faint haloes of light—grime-colored haloes.
What's happening beneath the table? Is he on pillows? Sitting crosslegged? Perspective seems slightly off to me.

Best things about this back cover:

NOBODY CROSSES ERICH MARIA REMARQUE! NOBODY!
ERICH MARIA REMARQUE WILL HAVE HIS REVENGE!
ERICH MARIA REMARQUE CAN READ YOUR MIND!
Seriously, that is one freaky author photo.

Page 123~

He got up and began to dress. One must remain independent. Everything began with small dependencies. One did not notice them much. And suddenly one was entangled in the net of habit. Habit for which many names existed—love was one of them. One should not grow accustomed to anything. Not even to a body.

Not a fan of the long sentences. I like. I'm mentally underlining "entangled in the net of habit," which is a useful and elegant metaphor.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]