Suffering from Time-Warp

Okay, this cover has convinced me there's a place for Lurid on our blogs. When I first saw this while searching for quite another author's cover, I stopped dead in my tracks, did a double take, then laughed. It's not often I sit at my computer and just laugh out loud. But the title, the artwork, I mean, it's just too much. Every now and then when I come across one of these types of covers, I simply must talk about it. Maybe we could do a regular post: Lurid Cover of the Week, Month, Year. Maybe.

I'm sorry but this cover is just plain fun. Though it's lurid (and garish) as all get out, it's also funny and, judged by today's standards, kind of innocent in its obvious prurience. I think that's the drop dead charm of these old covers - artwork which seems so neat and tidy no matter how nasty the titles and blurbs may be. I mean, the blond is wearing a beret, for goodness' sake. She's actually got on an outfit. You think she went to 'Hussies Are Us' and purchased it all in one box? Maybe this is the officially sanctioned street corner outfit. You see what I mean? It's probably got it's own logo. Did women EVER look like this? (Come to think of it, she does look a bit like Anne Francis in BATTLE CRY.)

And look at the guy leering at the blond. He's wearing a blazer! (Well, the fact that it's brown probably indicates his fall from grace.) What side of town did he wander in from? Obviously these two are headed for a very bad end. After all, according to the book they are living life on the skids.

Ah, the good old days.