Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Pulp Fiction

Everyone knows Tarantino's neo-noir classic, Pulp Fiction, which was a tribute to trade paperbacks dating back as far as the 1930s when Dashiell Hammett wrote "The Maltese Falcon". The genre enjoyed its heyday in the 50s and 60s when millions of inexpensive paperback novels sold for as little as a dime.

Pulp covers are often sexist, intended to shock and thrill, titillate by flirting with cultural taboos. They certaintly represent the most sexist assumptions of the era. In many cases, the results are amusing, even downright hysterical. I've recently been browsing over on www.pulpcovers.com and I came across a few gems just screaming to be shared.


Because lesbians are scary. Oh my!


And feminists are even scarier!


And a dominatrix too!



Oh wait, Satan is confused...transgendered?


Wait! What exactly are 'sucklings' anyway?

Are those nipple plates or pasties?


Vonnie's next Red Hand cover?

From the Scarlet Rose line...

Run! You poor man! Run!

7 comments:

  1. and all I can think of is...how is the lady in red on True Adventures going to do anything holding her spear like that? LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Charlotte,
      Looks like she's trying to do pullups, doesn't it? :D

      Delete
  2. Loved this! LOVED. IT. And you knew I'd laugh at the French cover, didn't you? Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vonnie,
      Yes! That one had "Vonnie" written all over it. Can't you totally see it? *G*

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Alison,
      Aren't they great? I've long had an idea for a femme detective series set in the 60s and I'd just have to go with a retro Pulp theme for the covers. *G*

      Delete
  4. I suspect Satan was probably also a feminist. Lol

    ReplyDelete