Acquired Tastes XLIII
Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 56
P.E.C. French Line Books, 6 of 8
I recently came across a source that called the Publisher’s Export Company "one of the most prolific producers of porn in the mid-1960’s."
With the covers featured in today's post, you will notice yet another shift in the graphic design of the cover art. This will be the third of four such changes in direction. Another thing about today's featured books? Many are reissues of previous titles.
Sadly, there are also a number of books for which I couldn't find any cover and some that I couldn't find any information about at all.
A short recap re: P.E.C.:
Little is known about the company, for censorship laws at the time made secrecy a necessary component when publishing books of this nature; only the most brazen operators left a paper trail. Operating out of San Diego, CA, the PEC French Line books were published from 1966-1971, though the company itself was active, publishing several imprints starting in (at least) 1965.
The French Line series includes 101 titles (two of which are reissues of previous titles in the series), and ends in 1971 (as, apparently, did the company). Also of note, their stable of writers which included Carl Corley, Len Harrington, Vin Saxon/Jay Horn (Ron Haydock), Ed Wood, Jr. and Eve Linkletter. The imprint presented stories about both gay males and lesbians.
I tracked down what covers I could. Unfortunately, there are holes in the company's history - either numbers skipped or titles lost to history. I was unable to identify even the title of several of their offerings.
Here are the next dozen covers in the series:
Male Model
Author: Win Haven
PEC FL-61
(Reissue)
So much thought must have gone into that. This whole phase where what looks like the back cover became the front cover? It had to be about cost savings. Those early illustrations were very ornate - actual works of art, so that can't have been inexpensive.
But then, this also coincided with quite a number of older titles being reissued with a new cover and catalog number. So, something was up, but its hard to pinpoint exactly what it all means.
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A Fool's Advice
Author Carl Corley
PEC FL-62
This is as close as I could come to find the reissue for Corley's A Fool's Advice. I would've blown it up larger, but it simply becomes even blurrier. Still, as you can see, it does include a bit of the original issue's art work, done by Corley himself.
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Jailhouse Queen
Author: Alex Geis
PEC FL-63
From the Cover:
"Listen, more guys have turned gay in the tank than Havelock Ellis was able to catalogue in ten years of stud... Maybe society's going to do something - maybe families can visit and maybe a guy can go homo to his own bed for the weekend... But they just nabbed a sheriff for trying to keep his prisoners straight... And what about us guys who were gay when we came in?"
I don't think much of that cover blurb. Nor did I notice when they switched from "The Finest in Adult Reading" to "For Adults Only." Actually, that happened in last week's post, with the introduction of the new cover art design (Dan Mathews' Slave Man, PEC FL-54). Maybe censorship laws changed?
Jailhouse Queen? You know... that is one fantasy that best remain exactly that... a fantasy. The reality? Not so fun, hon.
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Hollywood Homo
Author: Michael Starr
PEC Fl-64
(Reissue)
Cover Not Found.
"Beautiful. That's Randy Nelson. Homosexual... That's Randy Nelson. A good lay - that's Randy Nelson! A specialist in pleasing men - that's Randy Nelson. The most educated and experienced lips and tongue in town - that's Randy Nelson! Randy Nelson is one of the beautiful people, but there's nothing unique about that in Hollywood; it's jammed with beautiful people - male, female and some whose sexual identity is in question..."
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PEC FL-65
Not Found.
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PEC FL-66
Not Found.
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Gay Cruise
Author: Carl Driver
PEC FL-67
From the Cover:
"It happened on a luxury yacht called SVENGALI turned into a floating Gay whorehouse, employing every type imaginable. When the Skipper himself performs in a three-way act, the audience shudders with delight!"
Their weird ideas re: capitalization and punctuation in the blurb? So odd.
I actually read the first couple of chapters of this one - it was included at the back of a 120 Days Books' kindle version of another book (I think Three Ring Circus.) It looked promising. Sadly, 120 Days Books was sold to a different publisher or something and they never got around to republishing this title. Pity.
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Gay Motel
Author: Len Harrington
PEC FL - 68
From the Cover:
"They shared the profits and each other... until their gay clientele cost Randy his lover. From then on it was downhill all the way until his star-spangled partner found out what HE had lost that couldn't be bought for money."
Now, what could that be? What could've Randy's "star-spangled partner" lost that CAN'T be bought for money?
Of course, this was written long before the Kardashian gals became a 'thing,' so I suppose it could be 'love.' "Me love you until the ratings start to tank, then you? Hit the road jack."
By the way... it has always been a fantasy of mine to own and operate one of those little wayside motels. I imagine it is a lot of work and, I suppose, you'd have to deal with a lot of terrible people, but I just like the idea of it. I'd be sort of a discount Leona Helmsley - minus all the good taste... and hate.
--- ---
PEC FL-69
Not Found.
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PEC FL-70
Not Found.
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PEC FL-71
Not Found.
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Sweet Charlie
Author: Alex Geis
PEC FL-72
From the Cover:
"What we got going is here to stay... in this world we never made... 'Cause who can say what we get hooked on - and why..."
What? Again, who writes these blurbs? Who approved them? That? Makes me NOT want to read the book.
Alex Geis is credited with five books in the genre, all of them published by PEC.
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Gay Tutor
Author: Bert Shrader
PEC FL-73
(Reissue)
Cover Not Found.
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Joy Boy
Author: Victor Brennen
PEC FL-74
From the Cover:
"Everybody is ripe for what happens. Making it happen is the virile test - no matter what sex is involved."
"The virile test?" Huh. I knew I should have studied harder.
I just came across this term for high class male prostitutes in the book I'm currently reading, Carl Corely's Cast A Wistful Eye. Hustlers are great for a one off, but if you can afford one, you get yourself a Joy Boy; put him up in an apartment, buy him fancy threads, give him some spending money and access to your car.
Did this sort of thing really happen?
Man, if I'd only known no way would have I wasted my youth on the theater.
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Jock Man
Author: Elmer Dalles
PEC FL-75
From the Cover:
"There were many lovely places to spend a summer, and well-equipped jocks to spend it with - men who carry big sticks but who speak softly when they say, "Turn over."
Love that last line.
Aw, you know me... no one ever has to ask twice. Sigh.
This is the only title credited to Elmer Dalles.
--- ---
69 Gay Street
Author: Ben Carter
PEC FL-76
From the Cover:
"This story takes place - fictionally, of course - in a boarding house in New York City; at 69 Gay Street, and concerns the sexy secrets of all the tenants - told man to man... butch to butch... guy to doll."
Are there musical numbers?
Just asking.
Will there be puppets?
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Easy Ride
Author: Carl Corley
PEC FL-77
From the Cover:
"They ride motorcycles, wear leather jackets like real he-men, but these hustlers are all the same - Boys selling their boxes like girls while bragging what men they are..."
Are we talking cookies, here? "Selling their boxes like girls."
So, based on what I've read of Corley's work, I would have to say that he actually wrote this blurb.
Also, I misspoke in a previous post when I said that Carl Corley was through writing for PEC. Here is his final book for the publisher. Sadly, it does not feature any wonderful Carl Corley artwork. Bummer.
--- ---
Gay Brother
Author: James Harper
PEC FL-78
(Reissue)
From the Back Cover (original issue):
"Roy was condemned by small-town gossips but his gay life was more honest than the secret intrigues of his accusers."
I found a site featuring a collection of pulp fiction covers done by artist Doug Weaver. He is responsible for the cover art of the original issue of this novel and I've updated that post to give credit where due.
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Fee Males
Author: Bert Shrader
PEC FL-79
(Reissue)
Cover Not Found.
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Male Bride
Author: Alex Geis
PEC FL-80
From the Cover:
"Mother, this man is not my lover - he's my wife!"
I wonder how many Sunday night dinners in Connecticut begin this exact same way?
So, head on back and check out the price breaks... it's weird. It actually goes down. So, it would seem the publisher was trying to find a means of actually selling its wares at a lower price break - or - they had to do it, because they had priced themselves out of the market?
In either case... it's interesting, to go from $2.25 back down to $1.50. And this is new product. Not a reissue.
As for the new graphic slant? I like it. From this point until the next shift in cover art, the symbol for 'male' will be incorporated in almost all of the covers. I vaguely remember the symbol's surge in popularity - it pretty much happened with the whole 'sex revolution' thing in the very early 1970's - when astrology also enjoyed a sudden surge in popularity.
I wasn't even ten in 1970, but I do remember that symbol being everywhere (even jewelry) and I thought it was 'dirty' and not something to mention or ask about.
From Wikipedia:
A gender symbol is a pictogram or glyph used to represent biological sex and gender in biology or medicine, in genealogy, or in the sociological fields of gender politics, LGBT subculture and identity politics. Pictograms used to indicate male and female public toilets became widely used beginning in the 1960s. Since the 1970s, variations of gender symbols have also been used to express sexual orientation and political ideology. The first instance of this was the use of two interlocking male symbols to represent male homosexuality.
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To Want A Boy
Author: Bert Shrader
PEC FL-81
(Reissue)
Cover Not Found.
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My Purple Winter
Author: Carl Corley
PEC FL-82
(Reissue)
From the Cover:
"When a boy falls in love with a man that's his introduction to the rest of his life."
So, I don't know about you, but if the above is true, then my whole life flashed in front of my eyes when I was seven.
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Manacled Male
Author: Alex Geis
PEC FL-83
From the Cover:
"He posed as a homo model until the camera recorded a model homo."
Who wrote this? Gilbert and Sullivan?
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Bitch Boy
Author: Dale Evans
PEC FL-84
From the Cover:
"A boy who never practiced what his father preached."
Oh, I want to read this one. I love me some Daddy Preacher, Southern Baptist, Gay drama!
Written by Dale Evans? Huh. I wonder if Roy approved?
I wonder if any enterprising homo ever approached her to autograph a copy of this book...? That is the sort of thing I would do. Or, at least, I'd bring it up in conversation. Just to see the reaction.
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The Reamers
Author: Dick Appleby
PEC FL-85
From the Cover:
"Now listen here, Boy - when I say on your knees I don't mean to pray."
Gee... I wonder what this book is about?
By the way, Grainger Industrial Supply sells a complete line of Reamers and Reaming Tools.
You know, for all your reaming needs.
Me? I could use a good reaming.
Me? I could use a good reaming.
That damn Covid pandemic robbed me of so much!
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Well, that's it for this week. We have only 16 more covers to go, and we will be done with PEC's French Line.
Did you know that I have been writing about this particular topic on a weekly basis for over a year now? My, how time flies.
There actually seems to be no end in sight; there was so much classic gay pulp fiction out there. In many ways, we've only touched on the tip of the iceberg. So, who knows? Something tells me we'll be celebrating a two year anniversary before you know it.
That's all for now.
Thanks for hanging in there... and thanks for reading!
Floy Joy - The Supremes
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3 comments:
I love your personal descriptions of these covers. lol
So many paperbacks! And some of the words used today would be edited out and the author told to find a better way to phrase them.
I wonder why the re-issues? Maybe that censorship was scaring writers away...
And your research is awesome!
XOXO
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