Vintage Paperbacks and More!

     There is a certain segment of the vintage paperback cover artist cadre that fits in as "one shot wonders". Victor Seach (1912-1990) may be at the head of the class for that segment of illustrators.       The Falcon Books 1st Edition of "Junkie" by Jonathan Craig is one of the most iconic of vintage paperback covers, and its creator is a bit of a cool odd hipster - as you'll see in in a minute.  Junkie by Jonathan Craig. Falcon Books No. 36 1952. Cover art signed Victor Seach.        The Falcon "Junkie" (Not to be confused with the Ace Double Novel containing "Junkie" by William Burroughs, another rare vintage paperback) is a rare digest, certainly rarer than the Burroughs Ace "Junkie". The cover art just oozes 1950's Drug Book goodness. The ever present blonde floozie with a cigarette of unknown contents, her blouse straps fallen off her shoulders, casting a glance back at a conflict in the making as she props herself with...

     Being a part time book dealer and vintage paperback historian of sorts can lead you down some funky roads.      I was cataloguing a sleaze book entitled "Babe In Blue Jeans" for sale and had to do an internet search for the author "Rex Weldon" because I had never heard the name before and I always do a little bio search on books and/or authors I am selling in order to add a little extra oomph to the sales ad.      Babe In Blue Jeans by Rex Weldon. Cover artist uncredited        Well, it took only a second or two to come across the Wikipedia page of one "Duane Weldon Rimel" who wrote novels under the pseudonym "Rex Weldon". I won't go much into his bio as the Wiki page is sufficent reading unto itself, but it just got me to thinking of how odd that such a well respected man about town (Newspaper Editor, Commissioner of the Housing Authority etc.), who was an early fan and correspondent of H.P. Lovecraft in the 1930's,...