In late 2003, with bankruptcy looming, Al Goldstein's days as SCREW's publisher were drawing to a close. SCREW's offices, (which were stuffed full of Goldstein's personal possessions, as well as bound volumes of the SCREW archives) would soon be padlocked by the authorities. I had groused loudly about how SCREW's imminent bankruptcy would likely mean the loss of the archives, and now I was tipped off that if I didn't get my ass up to the SCREW offices right away, I'd miss my last chance to grab a stack of moldy old covers.
I arrived at SCREW's offices and witnessed a depressing scene of various Goldstein staffers scrounging through dusty cartons, heaps of clothes and other miscellaneous items. I found my way to the SCREW archives, and with my trusty utility knife, began hacking away at the bound volumes, freeing as many choice covers as I could. There was no time to do this systematically; I merely sliced out every SCREW cover that I deemed worthy of salvage, without stopping to take note of the issue dates. As a result, I've got a lot of choice SCREW covers, but when it comes to assigning dates, you're just going to get approximate guesses from me. If anyone has more precise information about any of the art you'll see on this blog, I implore you to share that info.
I should also point out that, while I managed to grab a sizable stack of choice SCREW covers, I'm sure there are many other nice ones that I missed. Again, if anyone has material that they'd like to add, I encourage you to send it my way.
SCREW #491, featuring cover art by legendary EC artist Wally Wood, is one of many covers which I can't date precisely. My best guess is that this cover dates from 1978 or slightly later, mainly owing to the cover line that reads "Hottest Porno '73-'78." Certainly this cover was drawn no later than 1981, when Wood killed himself.
This cover is typical of several SCREW covers Wood drew in this period. Far from his best work, the consummate draftsman Wood would appear to be hacking it out for a quick buck. Still, they're fun, and even bad Wally Wood art is still better than art by almost everyone else. I have at least one or two more Wood SCREW covers in my stack, and I'll post them at a later date.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh fuck that SCREW 30th Anniversary Party was great! Harvey Shapiro publisher of OUTLAW BIKER dragged me over to say hello to Larry Flynt who looks at me with daggers 'cause I'd fucked up a major story illustration for HUSTLER for not knowing the right questions to ask to get some reference material. We don't have that problem nowadays thanks to Google, but we don't have SCREW either thanks to the Internet. Well well well I've got a couple of my old covers up on my blog... I'll send 'em along...
ReplyDeleteThe way Screw finished and how you had to basically destroy the archives to save it, is very sad. Who knows if someone actually has a complete collection....
ReplyDeletemy name is stuart duncan and i run hustler tv and ten broadcasting in canada. back when al goldstein was in his prime we set up to broadcast a xxx version of midnite blue with al every friday night from 1993 to 1999. i still have all these shows. total is over 250 hours of al in his prime in a one hour format. i tried to contact al to let him know about them but he did not care nor did he get back to me.
ReplyDeleteA Big Thankyou to Danny Hellman for getting up there to save those "trashy" Wood covers which most likely would have wound up in the trash like so much other good stuff has over the years. I read somewhere there was a time when cells from Gertie the Dinousaur by Winsor McKay littered the floor of a loft in Manhattan and were being walked on.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about bad Wally Wood art being better than most other artists... this sure gives a new meaning to the term "wood screw", eh?
ReplyDeleteEverybody screws as hesheit screws....
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Thank you.
(COPYLEFT)
See also: http://thejakartapost.com/news/2008/03/27/islam-039recognizes-homosexuality039.html