The Art of Rafael DeSoto edited by David Saunders, The Illustrated Press, July 2019 oversized (9×12) hardcover.
Just published! This beautiful 224 page look at the work of pulp artist extraordinaire Rafael DeSoto is a must have for anyone with an interest in the artwork that graced pulp covers. From the front flap: “The DeSoto stage trope includes Irish Cops and fearless gumshoes, burly thugs and midgets in derbies, low-slung vamps and helpless dames–and everybody’s holding a smoking .45!”
As you can see by the cover, DeSoto did artwork for many of the covers for The Spider as well as many for Dime Detective and many more. The book also includes, in addition to the stunning artwork, for the first time, a biography chronicling the life and work of this influential artist.
I buy most of the books The Illustrated Press publishes, but this one is special for any lover of pulp art.
Do you buy art books?
Meanwhile, what are you reading?
Tip the Wink 
The DeSoto art book looks wonderful! I stopped buying art books a while ago but if anything could change my mind this is it.
Current reading this week took a back seat to watching GOOD OMENS and Season 3 of STRANGER THINGS. To celebrate, I’m reading Neil Gaiman’s THE VERY FAIR AND MOSTLY ACCURATE GOOD OMENS SCRIPT BOOK; as of this moment I’m three-quarters of the way through the scripts. Gaiman’s scripts differ a bit from the actual show and make great reading.
I also read THE DARK WORLD, a pulp science fantasy credited to Henry Kuttner, although it may have been the solo work of his wife, C. L. Moore.. Also, two graphic novels: Sean Murphy’s BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT (in which Bats is the villain and The Joker is the good guy) and Raina Telgermeier’s SMILE (an autobiographical YA bildungsroman centered on her losing her front teeth in an accident when she was 11 — a surprisingly powerful book).
A lot of short stories read this week, many of them SF by Lester del Rey; a quick check shows that I’ve have now read the contents of five del Rey e-Book collections released in recent years. Del Rey, although considered one of the genre’s top writers back in the day, was actually a hit-or-miss author. Still, these stories brought back the old sense of wonder from back when I had the sense to wonder.
Have a great week, Rick!
I don’t buy as many art books as I once did, but those from Illustrator Press always seem to tempt me. I should be reading more short stories.
I don’t buy art books but this one looks interesting. I just read Norco ’80 about a bank robbery gone haywire in which the robbers had superior weapon power. Also a book about Harper Lee. Right now I’m about halfway through Suitcase Charlie by John Guzlowski. A noir novel that takes place in 1956 Chicago. Also reading Song For the Unraveling Worlds, a collection of short stories by Brian Evenson. Have holds on about 11 books at the library and fear they will all come in at once.
That seems to happen, doesn’t it, Steve? Wife has seven on hold and has the same fear.
I am reading BIG SKY by Kate Atkinson and EUPHORIA by Lily King. We collected art books for a while but found we didn’t like having them on the coffee table and once we put them on a shelf, we forgot about them,
I agree that’s a problem, Patti. I take a look at the shelves with art books every so often and take one out to re-browse.
Patti, I started BIG SKY yesterday. It’s been so long since I read a Jackson Brodie book, I don’t really remember where the last one ended.
I did read ON TARGET, the second Gray Man thriller by Mark Greaney. It’s a fast moving thriller – I do not normally read 515 page books but this was fast – though I did not feel as engaged as in the first book. I have several more paperbacks from the basement library in the series to get to. Also read THE NIGHT AGENT by Matthew Quirk. Good but not great.
I’m reading a couple of short story collections, by Peter Orner (his new one is waiting at the library) and O. Henry, plus Paula Fox’s DESPERATE CHARACTERS (finally got my hands on it). Also a couple of other things. And I got a new Crippen & Landru collection of Q.. Patrick stories about Lt. Timothy Trant.
So, same old, same old.
And I still have to type in my name and information every damn time here.
Jeff, I don’t know why WordPress dropped you, but I’ve tried fixing it to no avail. I’m sorry.
Big Sky is tempting.
Not your fault. Don’t worry about it.
I went to the library and picked up Chuck Wendig’s 800 PAGE (calling George Kelley!) book, WANDERERS. All the comparisons to THE STAND caught my attention.
I’m ordering The Art of Rafael DeSoto right now! Looks great! I’m back to reading a couple Big Fat Books. I finished SIEGE, another expose of the Trump Administration. Depressing reading.
I liked Peter Orner and have put in on reserve. I am half-through with BIG SKY and although the writing is great, nothing much has happened. And Jackson is not in it so much.
One of my favorites. I want this.