Pulp cover art
Pulp Cover Art: A Unique Place in Art History
Pulp cover art has a unique place in art history. It has tremendous nostalgic appeal for anyone who enjoyed The Hardy Boys, comic books, or even a peek at The Old Man's collection of True Detective or Stag magazines. Its primary purposes were to grab your attention on the newsstand amid a crowded field of competitors and to evoke emotions, usually with a provocative image of impending peril or suggestive sensuality. Common elements typically include a couple of 'toughs,' a large-breasted woman, and a 'citizen' or a 'hero.' The example above (original on the left, Rudolph Zirn, 1939) has all three.
We are excited and delighted to announce a gallery exhibit of original pulp cover art. The show will open in October (date TBD) and will include both the original art and the subsequent ephemera the originals were used to produce. The colors are extremely vivid, and the techniques used by the artists to evoke a response are fascinating.
This is the third year in a row that we have had the pleasure of working with Grapefruit Moon Gallery in presenting their collection of illustration art. In 2007, we presented original pin-up art and in 2008, we showcased original Cream of Wheat advertising art. Pulp magazine art is yet another sub-genre of illustration art that we are proud to present.
The 'pulps' were fiction magazines that were very popular from about 1930 to 1960. The term 'pulp' comes from the cheap paper typically used in production (cheap paper has a lot of wood pulp). The magazines became noteworthy for their provocative covers. The covers became so important that in many cases, the covers were designed first and the text was designed around the covers. Pulp magazines were also major employers of short story authors, and the subsequent demise of the pulp industry created a vacuum for these authors that has never been filled.
Oil or gouache paintings were used to create the original cover art. The colors are intentionally vivid to compensate for the primitive printing technology at the time. Several pulp cover artists (e.g., Frank Paul and Margaret Brundage) became accomplished artists in this genre and attracted a following. Pulp art has recently experienced a renaissance in popularity and is widely sought by collectors.
More details will be shared as they evolve, but I thought this teaser would have value.
