Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 58 - P.E.C. Books, 8 of 8

Acquired Tastes XLIII

Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 58

P.E.C. Books, 8 of 8

Today, we take a final look at Publishers Export Company, commonly known as P.E.C. In addition to their popular French Line series, they had four other imprints. First up? The N and G series.

The N and G (which stands for GIANT), were published in 1965 and 1966, in the years before the French Line imprint was introduced. Their offerings covered a variety of topics, including heterosexual and homosexual relationships, lesbianism, and various kinks. According to John Harrison, author of the pulp fiction bible, Hip Pocket Sleaze: The Lurid World of Vintage Adult Paperbacks, "All of the G numbered series of PEC paperbacks were of a smaller, digest sized format than their regular titles." 

I was able to find a number of the book covers, but will only be featuring those of special interest. 

PEC had three additional imprints:the SPECIAL imprint featured books that were nonfiction oriented, (albeit heavily dramatized by the authors,) the Classic imprint served as yet another way for PEC to recycle older titles, and the Human Experience Series supposedly helped explain delicate subjects with a desire to cultivate understanding. 

I've chosen a selection of titles from each of these imprints; titles of special interest or unique content. 

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Homo Laws In All 50 States

Author: James Harper

SPECIAL - 22

"With actual cases and dramatizations of acts that led to conviction."

PEC's SPECIAL imprint served as their attempt at nonfiction. These books were factually  suspect, and lurid, so as to appeal to their target audience. This title would appear to present dramatized versions of actual court cases. James Harper, Attorney at Law? No doubt a bit of theatrical puffing.   

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Gay Three-Way

Author: Ed Culver

PEC - N121

Ed Culver is credited with five titles in the genre, including French Line's Queer Hustler. 

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Lesbian Triangle

Author: Adam Coulter

PEC - N-112

Adam Coulter's real name is James T. Smith. As Coulter, he wrote titles for Novel, France, Boudoir, Pillow, Sabre, Brandon and PEC.

Here, another kind of three-way is promised. And isn't it nice to see older lesbians depicted for a change? And both are of the lipstick variety!

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Gay Trilogy

Author: Carl Corley

PEC Classic 503

This is yet another kind of three-way; a trilogy! Three by PEC's most prolific author Carl Corley. This is the only title under the Classic imprint I was able to find. If you recall, PEC actually recycled a number of Corley's books via their French Line imprint by giving the books new catalogue numbers and covers. 

Next week, I'll be reviewing one of his titles. Tune in to find out which one! 

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Faces In Secret

Author: Carl Corley

PEC HES 101

"The 'gay' world... and the hard facts of life faced by those inhabiting this strange half-world."

Yet another Carl Corley title; this time as part of PEC's Human Experience Series. These books presented sexual tales packaged as a sort of subjective psychological profile - giving the buyer and, more importantly, law enforcement the impression that these books were published as a sort of public service, in order to gain understanding. 

Corley wrote three such books. I read a review regarding one. The reviewer considered it nothing more than a long rant about how unfairly society treated homosexuals. 

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My Son, My Lover

Author: Anonymous

PEC G-1100

Well, this little 'confessional' was certain to pique some interest. It is that lurid factor which renders early gay pulp fiction so intoxicating. That's why the covers were so important. Whether their lure was justified and their promise delivered? That would be dependent on the reader. 

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Like Father Like Son

Author: Dennis Drew

PEC HES 102

"Out of the great mass of human experience strange loves, strange needs often emerge. Such a love was Doug's!!"

Another 'Human Experience' title, in the same mode as the previous listing. I would categorize this is a gay male kink. And I don't recall ever seeing a title where a daughter had a thing for her mother. Dad/son play? Certainly popular in modern gay porn. 

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The Gay Sinners

Author: Frank Shields

PEC N138

I included this seemingly heterosexual title because of its use of the term 'gay.' I don't believe they mean that in the 1920's/30's sense, but to imply that these two are, in fact gay, but dabbling in heterosexuality with each other - an intriguing concept. 

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Queer Trap

Author: Joan Reyes

PEC N125

I selected this one because of it's implied theme, a tired trope of the time - gay men and women 'trapping' their prey - implying that gay folk seduce and entice heterosexuals. And the whole notion of being 'entrapped' in a 'lifestyle'? So old-fashioned. But then the whole notion of being 'born this way' was a long time in coming. Early conceptualizations of what it meant to be gay certainly fell short in the understanding  department, yet served as necessary steps; growing pains, I guess?

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I Thee Wed

Author: Jory Sherman

PEC HES 183

"The universal search for love, a driving force, often takes devious paths. Such was the path chosen by the beautiful Ember..."

An early strike for gay marriage! Of course, back then (and still today) a portion of the gay population wished to mimic that which society deemed proper, so they adopted heterosexual normatives; the monogamous couple. That didn't work for a number of us; the whole define your own relationships movement was decades away. Still, for some, it remains the only model desired - hence the push for gay marriage - which, today, is really simply 'marriage.' 

Different strokes... 

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Satan Was A Lesbian

Author: Fred Haley

PEC G-1103

This is chuckle worthy, but also a recurring theme: that to be gay (male or female), one was in league with the devil. Read the back cover... with its odd promises and sad ending. 

Back Cover

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Mistress Of Satan's Roost

Author: Jack Kahler

PEC N-156

Another 'Satan' themed tome, though I suspect this one is hetero in nature and about a very theatrical dominatrix. Amusing cover.

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Pagan Lesbians

Author: Vin Saxon

PEC N-137

And yet another nod to exactly how 'godless' gay folk are as a people. Nice cover, though. 

This also gives us the opportunity to discuss one of the genre's most interesting authors.

Vin Saxon is a pseudonym for Chicago's rockabilly rebel Ron Haydock, who has been described as "a Renaissance man of trash culture."

Haydock is an amazing amalgam of film actor, producer, screenplay writer, magazine writer/publisher, songwriter, guitarist, singer, and recording artist.  His was a high octane life; creativity thrown in a blender and set on pulverize. He's credited with saying, "I'm out for kicks in life, doing whatever I want whenever I want, on the move like there's no tomorrow, I'm living like there's only today."

As a 16-year-old ninth-grader in Brookfield, IL, his career began life as a rockabilly singer as part of Ron Haydock and The Boppers. His backing group was modelled after Gene Vincent's backup group, the Blue Caps, a chief influence. Today, there exists a collected 29 track collection of their singles which were released on labels such as Chicago's own Cha Cha Records. The group even made an appearance on Chicago's version of American Bandstand. However, Haydock gave it up in order to pursue his dreams of a Hollywood acting career; one which amounted to a couple of bit parts in forgotten B-movies. 

While on the west coast, he pursued another dream; he was obsessed with monster movies, initially writing for others before eventually publishing his own monster magazine. All the while, he supplemented his income knocking off erotic pulp fiction at a furious pace.

A few of the books were written with a friend, Jim Harmon. And if you're expecting to discover the work of an unheralded genius - don't hold your breath. One biographer said of his writing: "Haydock’s writing is fairly amateurish and in desperate need of an editor. The narration is littered with sentence fragments and exclamation points as an indicator of something exciting happening. I think he was trying to emulate a Doc Savage-styled adventure, but the whole thing felt very rushed and poorly outlined."

Eventually, Haydock began to dabble in independent filmmaking; writing, appearing in, and producing a number of low-budget features. Chief among them, the cult schlock fest 1966's Rat Pfink and Boo Boo.

Sadly, all that creative energy would take a toll on his mental health. Distraught over having lost a gig, he was hitchhiking his way to Los Angeles after visiting his friend, director Dennis Steckler. It would all end tragically on an exit ramp on Route 66 on August 14, 1977 when he was struck and killed by an 18-wheeler. He's buried in Justice, IL - next to his mother. He was 31 years old.

To this day, he's still celebrated as one of Chicago's "pivotal" musicians.

99 Chicks - Ron Haydock & The Boppers

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Sex-A-Reenos

Author: Vin Saxon

PEC N-135

Here's another by Saxon (Ron Haydock), no doubt drawing from his experiences in the business.

Back Cover

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Unnatural Desires

Author: Vin Saxon

PEC N-113

In addition to the typical hetero-oriented stories, Haydock liked to branch out. He wrote a slew of lesbian-themed titles as well as this little missive regarding transvestism. 

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The Transvestite

Author: Charlie Sachs

PEC HES 185

How could she understand that the feel of her satin panties stretched around my thighs goaded m desire for her? I had no wish to be woman... wanted no man fondling me. Along with my need for her I must feel the stimulating warmth of women's silken garments, caressing my every move.

Another book about the trials of transvestites. Part of PEC's Human Experience Series, this cover goes all The Three Faces Of Eve, with at least one of those faces masked with the help of Max Factor and Maybelline. 

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Black Heat

Author: Fred Haley

PEC N-120

The year 1965 is not exactly known as a year of racial sensitivity (The Selma to Montgomery March, the assassination of Malcolm X) , and the same was true of the book covers in gay pulp fiction. This title, written by PEC stable writer Fred Haley, has a cover of a rather regrettable theme; rich white folk being entertained tableside by what can only be described as a black entertainer depicted in a racially insensitive manner.

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Vietnam Underside!

Author:Leland Gardner

SPECIAL - 03

"Don't worry Mom... We've got Penicillin."

But black people were not the only such targets.

Take this title, described as, "Loosely, a history of prostitution in Vietnam from 1865-1965."

One reviewer from Goodreads described it thusly: "The cover bleats 'Don't worry mom . . . we've got penicillin.' Published in 1966, this book was an obvious attempt to draw in readers as the Vietnam War ramped up. Purporting to be a repurposing of a doctor's journals dating from 1865, this book is ostensibly the history of prostitution in Vietnam from 1865-1965. Although exceedingly detailed in its descriptions of the cultural backdrop, so much so that it is hard to imagine this material being completely made up, there are no sources cited so it is of dubious authenticity."

The reviewer from the blog Pulp International was significantly less kind: "...the book is a deadly serious history of prostitution and sexual practices in Vietnam from the mid-1800s to the date of publication, which is 1966. It's also—and there's no grey area here—virulently racist. Leland Gardner writes reams about the depravity of the Annamites (an 1800s word used to refer to the Vietnamese), disparages in the most detailed terms their hygiene, morality, ethics, customs, religion, history, mentality, intelligence, and more. He accuses them of practicing pederasty, of allowing incest between pre-teens, and of being inherently promiscuous. The diseases they're allegedly rife with include yellow fever, elephantiasis, syphilis, and gonorrhea, all subsequently inflicted upon ivory pure Westerners. When Gardner writes something true—for instance about the deleterious effects of betel nut chewing on the teeth and mouth—he goes on, and on, and on. He describes Vietnamese women as having 'black lacquered teeth and blood red mouths' at least fifty times. Interesting, isn't it, that just when your country's overseas invasion is ramping up you find that, basically, your foes don't deserve to live? Gardner actually claims the Vietnamese were well on their way to self-destruction long before the Yanks showed up. He writes about the war: '[these] decadent, deteriorating people have been adopted by a benevolent Uncle Sam.' Right at that instant Vietnam Underside! got to be too much, so we scrambled to the top of the literary embassy and barely got the last helicopter out. When it comes to choosing books based on the cover art, you win some and you lose some."

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Rubber Dolly

Author: Jack Kahler

PEC G-1117

Misogyny was alive and well in 1965, as evidenced by this little treasure. Men, in search of the perfect woman need look no further. This idea is nothing new and was certainly ingrained upon our collective consciousness thanks to the likes of The Stepford Wives (1975 and 2004) and the likes of the Dorothy Stratten vehicle, Galaxina. 

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Panda Bear Passion

Author: Orrie Hitt

PEC G-1145

And I end our look at the books of PEC with my all-time favorite. I'll let the back of the book clue you in... but, who knew this was a 'thing?'

Back Cover

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And that does it for this look at the books of Publishers Export Company, one of my favorite publishers of classic gay pulp fiction.

Up next? A review of one of Carl Corely's PEC titles. 

That's all for now. Thank you, as always, for reading!

Rubber Dolly - Johnnie Allan