Search - Pulp Fiction Art - Cheap Thrills and Painted Nightmares on DVD

A Well Deserved Documentary

M. A Spitzer | Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA | 11/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply summarized....... this is a well deserved documentary that finally gives attention and praise to the largely unknown artists of the 20s-40's who gave us the exciting artwork on the cover of all those thousands and thousands of Pulp covers during an interesting time in American History.



Although usually disregarded as "quickly generated art for hire" during it's day and by the "artsy fartsy gallery art world".......... the fact is these artists produced more intense and enjoyable paintings than 90% of the stuff you see in art galleries today.



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Only in America

Volunteer of America | Austin, Texas | 06/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fabulous documentary about a very appealing - to me, at least - American art genre, pulp illustration, which combined highly accomplished craftsmanship with tremendous imagination in what were often (certainly in the sci fi area) ground-breaking images. The artists were as good as anyone who made their living painting; many of those discussed in this film, Frank Paul, Rafael deSoto, Virgil Finlay, Hannes Bok, Margaret Brundage, rank as the best illustrators of all time. As Frank Frazetta was for Conan, J, Allen St.John for Burroughs, Jno. O'Neill for Frank Baum, so were these artists perfectly suited to the lurid adventure and sex of the pulps.



Weird Tales! Planet Stories! The Spicy mags! Margaret Brundage! An Oak Park, Illinois housewife, she created the most sensuous, rich, savage images dripping with sexuality. Died in near poverty, poor lady, and now her works (if they can be found) would sell for many tens of thousands of dollars. Frank Paul: not the greatest at drawing people, nevertheless his colors and monsters explode off the covers, psychedelia way before its time.



Robert Lesser, king of pulp art (and space toy) collectors, is featured throughout. Excellent film, very comprehensive given its length, recommend highly though I really don't need the competition in acquiring the magazines it may provoke. Still, I'm out of wall space."