In response to Liverpool's success, they launched the copycat line Little Library Press (LLP).
Pendulum Books were initially reprints of classic old-world erotica with straight-forward "text only"covers, however, by the late 60s, they were producing original adult fiction with very nice artwork. Along with the book lines above, there were also SATAN PRESS, CHEVRON, VANGUARD, WIZARD and MERCURY BOOKS to enjoy. The Satellite Book Company expanded its publishing efforts from subscription-oriented mail-order pamphlets to full-scale paperbacks - elevating the subterranean world of the Fetish authors (and artists like Eric Stanton, Gene Bilbrew, Bill Ward and (later) Bill Alexander) into the mainstream.įirst Niters / After Hours / Wee Hours / Unique Booksįoremost Publications and Connoisseur Books from the heart of Cleveland, Ohio circulated a number of high-quality booklines showcasing the art of Gene "Eneg" Bilbrew, Elaine Duillo and others. The adult paperbacks of the FIRST NITERS, AFTER NOURS, WEE HOURS and UNIQUE booklines marked a turning point in the mass-marketing of rather hard-core sexual interests, such as Sado-masochism, Domination and various Fetishes. The San Diego-based company produced some classic beatnik & hipster sex books, as well as the PEC POMPEII and NARCISSUS lines which catered to harder-edged BDSM themes. PEC or Publishers Export Company books had gorgeous colorful cover art and a pool of imaginative colorful writers to match.
Liverpool Library Press set a high-water mark for stylish production and good writing! In addition to its own spin-off booklines ( Rear Window Series, Rampant Action Series, Family Series and others), LLP inspired a seismic spawn of stylistic imitators such as Little Library Press, Bristol Library Press and many, many more.Įmerging from the legal collapse of the West Coast Greenleaf operation, Surrey House books offered hard eroticism, even though the cover art was rough. Under this publishing umbrella, dozens of great booklines were produced, Casino, Captive Women Series, Dansk Blue Books, and many others - reprinting some older books with new cover art and creating hundreds of handsome originals! And check out the American Art catalog page for the later evolution of this fascinating adult publisher.Īmerican Art was the name adopted by the new owners of the original Brandon production group in the early 1970s. Also included here are the Brandon House Library and Essex House series. some anonymous ones from the under-the-counter pre-history "smoker" days of smut!įrom the small format Corinth softcovers of the 1950s, through the wild 60s graphics of Ember Library and deep into the hard-edge of the Bondage House, Heatherpool Press and PET Books, this is a choice sampling of the works of American Erotica's most ambitious publishing company.Įvolving from the West Coast nudist and men's magazine world, Brandon House books were erotica with high standards of content and graphic style. New titles will be added as they become available.Ĭheck this extensive section is for a variety of early sleaze publishers from the 60s, the 50s and even. Additionally, there exist separate sections for classic and contemporary "Erotica," - which present a more literary approach to the writing (and marketing) of our sexual explorations. .įor those new to the world of popular erotica, just pick browsing section or a catalog and dig in!īe sure to cross-check the "Writers" and "Artists" and "Themes" areas also! The "Early Vintage Sleaze" paperback publishers (from 1940-1969) have their own browsing section below, and the major "Adult Book" publishers (from 1970-1988) each have their own browsing sections as well. Vintage Sleaze constantly updates its archives of popular erotica - organizing the books by publisher, author, themes, cover models, and graphic artists. Adult Books, Erotica, Smut, Sleaze, Filth! The Dirty Books! Of course, there may never be a more satisfying image than that conjured by the imagination - and artfully rendered in words on the page.
Indeed, these new mirrors always seem to promise us a new way to better contemplate the complex beauty that is the human being. Adam and Eve is what the reader wants to see.Ĭuriosity about our bodies has played a crucial part in the advance of every new communications tool - the book and the printing press, photography and movies, video, the internet, etc.,Īs technology advances, we hunger to use each new medium to look closer at. The monks could have offered us Noah and his Animals, Moses and the Burning Bush, any number of scenes. Vintage Sleaze Book Catalogs Ī recent trip to an exhibit of the oldest existant books (Bibles, of course) offered the following observation: upon the very first page of the second-oldest printed book in history was an illustration.