Highest Recommendations

The Great American Pin-Up (Jumbo Series) by Charles G. Martignette, Louis K. Meisel

They've been exciting generations of men, on calendars and covers, as centrefolds or even on playing cards: pin-ups. What started as an exercise in oils was soon taken up in various media - pin-up mascots graced the fuselages of American fighters, and became an essential feature of the male world of garages and barracks. And the age of political correctness hasn't ended their appeal.

This book tells the tale of a genre as utterly American as the paintings of Edward Hopper, describing its origins and development in detail and showcasing the most important artists. With over 900 illustrations, The Great American Pin-Up is one of the first comprehensive studies of the genre to appear anywhere.

This book gets my highest recommendation! Mr Meisel was kind enough to give his approval of this site. If you are ever in SoHo, do yourself a favor and look up his gallery. If you're in luck, he'll be exhibiting some original pin-up artwork!

Elvgren : His Life & Art Limited Edition of 1950
by Max Allan Collins, Drake Elvgren

Winner of the 1999 Editor's Choice Award by The Independent Publisher's Association.

Gil Elvgren has been called the "Norman Rockwell of cheesecake," a fitting designation for one of the finest American illustrators. Had Elvgren not fallen into creating "pretty girl" calendar and advertising art, he might have earned a reputation to rival Rockwell's as a painter of idyllic images of family life. Probably it is for the best that Elvgren's career had so limited a focus. Certainly, several generations of American men who have admired Elvgren's glowingly gorgeous women would not regret the artist's choice of subject matter.

Drake Elvgren has made exclusive to Collectors Press his father's complete personal archive. Bursting at the seams are meticulously choreographed photos of Elvgren's real-life models posing for Brown & Bigelow pin-ups and advertising works for Coca-Cola, Serta Mattress, NAPA, and many more. Included are transparent pages of models posing, overlaying the finished piece for comparison. A fascinating, first-hand approach to the genius of Elvgren's technique.

Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups (Jumbo) by Charles G. Martignette, Louis K. Meisel

Post-depression USA was in desperate need of a defining iconography that would lift it out of the black and white doldrums, and it came in the form of Gil Elvgren's technicolor fantasies of the American dream. From the Forties to the Sixties his painted adverts and posters for, among others, Coca-Cola and Pangburn's Chocolates, as well as the long-running Brown and Bigelow calendars, were a bright red white and blue account of the country's aspirations and hopes.

As the country plunged into war Elvgren provided the troops with pin-up girls galore. His technique involved photographing models and then painting them into gorgeous hyper-reality, with longer legs, more flamboyant hair and gravity-defying busts, and in the process making them the perfect moral-boosting eye-candy for every homesick private.

Elvgren defined the classic "pop" vision of Americana, a bold visualisation that has been endlessly appropriated and recycled in advertising, TV, film and art. His style is instantly recognisable. Dubbed "The Norman Rockwell of cheesecake", Elvgren's images combine desire for a better life with nostalgia for the nation's innocent apple-pie past.

The Best of Gil Elvgren by Reid Stewart Austin

For the first time, Brown & Bigelow, the renowned calendar printer presents, "The Best of Gil Elvgren" poster book. This exceptional collection of calendar images exemplifies why Gil Elvgren is considered the master of pinup art. This poster book is offered as the first in a collector's series. Printed full color.

Pin-Up Dreams: The Glamour Art of Rolf Armstrong by Janet Dobson, Michael Wooldridge

Rolf Armstrong's luminous portraits of famous actresses and idealized girls-next-door made him one of the highest paid commercial artists in America. Widely considered the 'Father of Pin-Up Artists,' his first calendar pin-up, created in 1919, defined the vision of feminine beauty for the next forty years. Today, the very same characteristics that defined Armstrong's art in the first place: grace, vibrancy, and an indescribable lifelike quality, are attracting a growing number of modern art devotees everywhere.

Pin-Up Dreams showcases 300 resplendent reproductions of the very best of Armstrong's dream-girl images. This dramatic guide begins with the story of this renowned artist’s fascinating life and career. Then, dazzling full-color photographs showcase the wonderful work he created over his 50-year career—one that included over 200 magazine covers for such esteemed publications as the Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Screenland and Photoplay. Later, he was best known for calendar art and was dubbed the 'Father of the Calendar Girl' by The New York Times.

For readers interested in vintage Americana and true American art, Pin-Up Dreams provides a treasure trove of lavish cultural and fashion history from one of the country's legendary artists.

For the Boys : The Racy Pin-Ups of World War II by Max Allan Collins

The First-Ever Book Devoted Exclusively to Pin-Ups and the War

For the Boys is a profusely illustrated scrapbook of World War II pin-up memorabilia. Over 500 color images showcase nosecone art, postcards, pin-up calendars, cartoons, matchbooks, and playing cards sent from the homefront to boost morale. There's even an events calendar chronicling the progress of the war.

The lively text chronicles the story of the pin-up girl in World War II - from such Hollywood movie goddesses as Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth, to the fabulous dream girls of calendar artists like Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas.

Join us on this sentimental reminder of the all-American good life these GIs were fighting for.

Betty Page Confidential by Stan Corwin Productions, Bunny Yeager (Photographer)

Curvaceous, friendly and wholesome-looking, Playboy pinup Betty Page was the perfect compliment to the still-innocent fantasies of young men during the Eisenower years. Betty Page Confidential includes a biography of the reclusive goddess, an official Betty Page trivia quiz and 100 photos.

Rolf Armstrong: The Dream Girls (Vignettes) by Ben Stevens, et al

Widely considered to be the "Father of Pin-Up Artists," Rolf Armstrong's first calendar pin-up, "Dream Girl" in 1919, defined the vision of feminine beauty, which dominated the genre for the next four decades. Armstrong's legions of admirers continue to grow.

Military Pin-Up Kits

Military Pin-Up Kit Gil Elvgren by Gil Elvgren

The Military Pin-Up Kit by Gil Elvgren Artist Gil Elvgren (1914-1980) was lesser known than George Petty and Alberto Varga of Esquire magazine pin-up fame, though he was the most widely published pin-up calendar artist during World War II. Known for his depictions of wholesome girls-next-door, he was also a master at placing girls in precarious situations that always managed to lift their skirts.

Military Pin-Up Kit Earl Moran by Earl Moran

During World War II, nothing boosted morale like a pin-up girl. From barracks to bars, these scantily clad lasses were common décor virtually everywhere GIs congregated. Each Military Pin-Up Kit contains eight authentic pin-up reproductions, four pin-up postcards, and a glamorous 21-inch poster—all contained in a nifty self-mailer ready to inspire that retro man of today.

Click 1-3 by Milo Manara

This is the most popular series ever created by Manara, with gorgeous, erotic art and an unusual, captivating story. In the end, is the device really working or has she learned to enjoy her sexuality? Find out here, and in the two sequels to the original stand-alone graphic novel.

The Women of Manara by Milo Manara

"Compliant yet aloof, near yet inaccessible, too beautiful to be true, but too true to be only on paper...these are the women of Manara." The world-renowned Italian artist brings you page after colorful page of sexy, exquisite women in exotic and erotic situations. Sections include Starlets, Between Themselves, The Humiliated, City of Pleasures, and more.

Indian Summer by Milo Manara, Hugo Pratt

A story of the first settling of America, as 17th-century Puritans clash with savage Indians. Swept into rape and violence is (naturally) a beautiful white girl, and Manara produces his usual selection of eroticism with an independent Puritan "witch," a beautiful Indian girl, an Indian/white woman rape, all blended into a realistic historical adventure. An excellent collaboration of two giants of European graphic storytelling.

Gullivera by Milo Manara

Jonathan Swift's classic takes a naughty turn when guided by the erotic sense and exquisite artwork of Manara! Gullivera becomes a voluptuous pirate, then a naked giant in Lilliput, then a tiny elf, and finally is captured on a flying island by a horny band of girls...into s&m! Nicely drawn erotica.

Little Annie Fanny

Little Annie Fanny, Volume 1, by Will Elder, Hugh Hefner, Harvey Kurtzman (Editor)

Little Annie Fanny, the buxom blonde who appeared for 26 years in the pages of Playboy magazine, returns in the first of a two-volume reprint. Created by Mad Magazine cofounder Harvey Kurtzman and legendary cartoonist Will Elder, Fanny's comic exploits (in various states of undress and nearly always topless) are set during the swinging '60s. These panels, published from 1962 to 1970, allow few cultural events of the period to escape Kurtzman and Elder's madcap social satire. Psychedelic drugs, the sexual revolution, the Peace Corps, the civil rights movement and the space race all feature as backdrops for Annie's misadventures and almost all of the gags involve Annie shedding her clothes while the men around her turn into fawning idiots. Among her many adventures, the witless actress sprints in the 1968 Olympics, plays football for the Green Bay Packers and gets naked with the Fab Four. The book features inspired caricatures of Marcello Mastroianni, Barry Goldwater, J. Edgar Hoover, Frank Sinatra and other figures of the time. The drawings are striking for their color and detail (other artists assisting Elder include Frank Frazetta, Al Jaffee and Jack Davis), and the backgrounds are filled with hilarious antics in the classic Elder style. Sketches, drawings-in-process, a history of Little Annie Fanny, as well as annotations on each comic segment are also included.

Little Annie Fanny, Volume 2: 1970-1988, by Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Hugh Hefner (Editor)

Dark Horse concludes its complete reprinting of Playboy`s legendary Little Annie Fanny strip, with an even bigger second volume, at the same price as the first. Picking up where the first volume left off, this collection follows the strip through to its end in 1988. Ralph Nader, the women`s movement, Star Wars, and Arnold Schwarzenegger all fall victim to the merciless and masterful satire of Kurtzman and Elder. The first volume was a smash hit, and the second includes all the same goodies, with never-before-seen production art and behind-the-scenes info about Hefner, Kurtzman, Elder, and the host of cartoonists who contributed to this revolutionary comic.

The Art of Eric Stanton: For the Man Who Knows His Place by Eric Kroll (Editor), Eric Stanton

"I draw better than most of your artists," Eric Stanton is supposed to have told Irving Klaw by way of introduction. Klaw, the entrepreneur famous for his photographs of Bettie Page, was always on the look-out for new talent and that meeting marked the start of a dazzling career for the man who now ranks beside John Willie as one of the supreme masters of erotic and comic art. Stanton drew his first dozen comic stories for Klaw, who published them in instalments, and from 1958 until 1966 shared a studio with Steve Ditko, one of the creators of Spiderman. Often Stanton did the drawings in ink and Ditko coloured them in. Eric Stanton also made a name for himself designing covers for men's magazines. This book is one of the first publications on one of the grand masters of pulp.

Eric Stanton: The Dominant Wives & Other Stories (Klotz Series) by Eric Stanton

For the MAN in you!!!
You can trace a thematic line between the work of comic-book artist Eric Stanton and his fellow American image-maker Russ Meyer. Both began producing their art in the aftermath of World War Two, both were obsessed with a similar parodic vision of the female. Tall, absurdly buxom, with long legs, a slim waist, long hair, and an expression of insane desire imprinted on her beautiful face, as with Meyer, Stanton's depiction of woman was beyond reality. They were amazon descendants, femme fatales, mistresses of the whip or the handcuffs; simultaneously a parody and a sincere celebration of empowered sexuality.

The men in his fast-moving narratives are often striving to escape but they are always immobilised, restrained literally by ropes, or simply frozen in their awe at the sight of Stanton's superheroines. So prolific was the artist that his collected oeuvre, all the covers, illustrations (for magazines such as Exotique) and comic books, could now fill several libraries, but one should really stumble upon Stanton by chance. At midnight in a cheap hotel room, you might come across this edition lurking under the mattress with a girl's name and a phone number scrawled inside. You probably won't even need to phone that number.

Eric Stanton: She Dominates All and Other Stories (TASCHEN Icons Series) by Eric Kroll (Editor)

Stanton has been called "the Rembrandt of Pulp-Culture." His imaginative, detailed full-color comic strip narratives picture buxom, leggy femmes fatales having their way with tied-up, handcuffed, or simply awestruck men.

The stories included here are highlights from the huge tome Eric Stanton, The Man Who Knows His Place. Look at it how you want - Stanton's imagery is either an empowerment of female sexuality or a gross caricature of female-domination fantasy. Either way, Stanton's images are extra-hot and are guaranteed to put hair on any man's chest!

Eric Stanton, Reunion in Ropes (TASCHEN Icons Series) by Burckhard Riemschneider

He's been called "the Rembrandt of Pulp-Culture" and it's not hard to see why - Stanton is the crème de la crème of his genre. His imaginative, detailed full-color comic strip narratives picture buxom, leggy femmes fatales having their way with tied-up, handcuffed, or simply awestruck men.

The stories included here are highlights from the klotz title "Dominant Wives & Other Stories." Look at it how you want- Stanton's imagery is either an empowerment of female sexuality or a gross caricature of female-domination fantasy. Either way, Stanton's images are extra-hot and are guaranteed to put hair on any man's chest!

Artist Archives is a stunning series of beautiful art books celebrating the Golden Age of Illustration. Each volume showcases fourteen faithfully reproduced artworks that were selected with attention to historic significance and artistic merit. These collections are valuable references, as well as nostalgic reminders of glamorous periods.

Widely acknowledged as an authority on the pin-up, Max Allan Collins is author of award-winning Elvgren: His Life & Art and has written monographs on Earl MacPherson, Billy DeVorss, and Gil Elvgren for the "Vignettes" series.

Elvgren Girls I (Artist Archives) by Gil Elvgren, A visual record of work done by the Father of Cheesecake Pin-Up. Everywhere men gathered during WWII their focus was on Elvgren's beautiful women.

Playful Pin-Ups (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, Whether just trying to run their errands or leisurely lounging, these beauties are all caught in revealing predicaments. The use of pale, muted color is striking, the effect of the painting both sexy and amusing, which is always the object in a compromising-situation pin-up.

Cowgirl Pin-Ups (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, Saddle up and head west with these cowgirl cuties. A "lass" round-up of some of the most beautiful cowgirls ever painted by some of the most talented pin-up artists of America's Golden Age. Happy trails.

Indian Maidens (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, Through the 1920's Indian maidens glamorized the passing of the Old West. They adorned the walls of saloons and tobacco shops, and were important precursors to the pin-up girl.

Pirate & Gypsy Girls (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, Ahoy Mate! With skirts hiked-up as high as the seas, these icons of independent womanhood are colorful reminders of adventurous tales and mystical times of long ago.

Seaside Sweethearts (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, Surf's up – way up! with the tropical persuasions of Seaside Sweethearts. From Hawaiian hula girls to bathing suit beauties, this is a sensual collection from the WWII era.

Patriotic Pin-Ups (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, These scantily-clad patriotic lasses helped remind the boys what they were fighting for. Old Glory never looked so good! In these newly patriotic times, the simplicity and the naivete of these bygone days are sweetly inspiring.

Exotic Ladies (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, The risqué calendars of the 1920s and 1930s. Forerunners to the poster and cover girls of later years, these ladies proudly marked the march of time.

Pin-Up Nudes (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, When clothes slipped off the cheesecake pin-up, artists had a heyday creating the perfect woman. This collection includes popular paintings by artists like Gil Elvgren and Rolf Armstrong.

Varga Girls II (Artist Archives) by Max Allan Collins, The companion to Varga Girls I. Continuing the record of this memorable illustrator, this book includes more provocative pin-ups epitomizing the artist's style and "patented" airbrush technique.

Pirelli Calendar

Other

1000 Pin-Ups by Harald Hellmann, 768 pages.

I haven't seen this book, but considering it's from Taschen with 768 pages, a discounted price and what appears to be a Driben cover, how bad could it be???

The Pin-Up: A Modest History, by Mark Gabor

As I mentioned previously in the credits page, There's some good historical information in here, although the pages are mostly black and white photography and the color reproductions are of poor quality.