There are two essential items of apparel required to qualify you as a gumshoe... oddly enough, one of them is not gum-soled shoes.
The first is a snappy chapeau. Its common knowledge that the snap brim hat would long have fallen out of fashion if every guy didn't feel a little like a detective when he set one down on his noggin.
(Nobody feels like a detective in a baseball cap).
The other is some type of overcoat, raincoat, sports coat or heavy jacket which you must wear at all times, even indoors and during warm weather.
Why the ever-present outerwear? To hide your nifty shoulder holstered .40 Caliber Beretta, of course!
Because you never know when you might have to plug a bad guy.
See all of today's images at full size in my Crime! Flickr set.
Hard boiled illos, all of them! I love this stuff. Last few days I've been sending your link to lots of my fellow pulp fans. This stuff was just beautiful. Closest thing we have to it today are the great new covers being painted for the Hard Case Crime paperbacks that carry on the old Fawcett and Gold Key tradition of gritty crime mysteries.
ReplyDeleteThis is a “gang” week :)
ReplyDeleteOriginal and amazing stuff.
Regards
All of these posts are great... today's posts particularly. These painted illustrations are very well done and must have been a labor of love for the illustrator... so much careful drawing and skillful brushwork that go into them. The one that blows me away is probably the simplest and most dramatic... the second post today. It shows a single figure in forced animation against a dramatic swirling dark blue, nearly abstract background... very high energy. Not only is the figure expertly drawn and painted (strong gesture), but the background is a great contrast to the academic rendering of the figure. It grabs our attention and perks our curiosity and anticipation of what is happening. This is what editorial illustration is all about, and all these posts show expert results. Seeing this stuff really revs my engine. Another fun week!!
ReplyDeleteTom Watson
"Seven Steps To Murder".
ReplyDeleteNice name.
Nice art.
Nice murder.