Continuing a repost from April 2010. Yesterday, I briefly traced the pulp magazine origins of Doc Savage. Today, let's look at the gorgeous painted covers that graced the popular Bantam paperback series which ran from the 1960s through the 1990s.
As I mentioned yesterday, Doc often was depicted with a ridiculously torn shirt barely covering his massive heaving manboobs.
Though at times, the climate called for more appropriate attire, as seen above.
Or sometimes less clothing was required, as in the case of
The Frightened Fish!
So apparently Doc took on Hiltler, Hercules and some frightened fellow, all of whom cause him to thrice again tear his shirt apart. What was this guy's clothing budget?
Here Doc looks like he's waiting for someone to, ahem,
bow down before him, and then he meets his torn shirt-wearing twin in The Land of Fear!
Here Doc experiences deja vu as the cover painting is recycled. At this point the story titles seem to have gotten a bit silly as well: The All-White Elf?, The Angy Canary?, The Running Skeltons? and The Swooning Lady?
Yikes! What the hell is that bird creature? And just who is The Metal Master? Ozzy?
Before you know it, Doc is back underwater and then he's fighting off a giant case of the crabs.
At times he even explored religious and mystical themes such as resurrection and black magic.
And finally Doc took some shirt-busting disaster movie plots. I wonder how I would look on the cover of a Doc Savage novel...
Now I know. If I haven't frightened you away, come back tomorrow for a look at Doc's comic book career.
1 comment:
I love you as Doc Savage! :)
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