Harlequin and New Canadian Library

The 100th issue of CNQ has two articles by Brian Busby (see The Dusty Bookcase) on Canadian paperbacks. One is about the New Canadian Library series, the other about long forgotten Canadian author Kenneth Orvis (pen name for Kenneth LeMieux).

Below is Orvis's first book (and only Harlequin) plus some late number NCLs.

Harlequin 367 - August 1956

Harlequin 367 back

NCL N152 - 1978

NCL N152 back

NCL N154 - nd

NCL N154 back

Ricochet Books

November's Quill & Quire has an article on Montreal publisher's Ricochet Books. Fine article except, once again, the error that Brian Moore's first novel, Wreath for a Redhead was pseudonymous. Also below are the original editions of the three books illustrated in the article.

More on Ricochet Books at The Dusty Bookcase.

Harlequin 102 - March 1951

Harlequin 102 back

Harlequin 262 - December 1953

News Stand Library 116 - July 1950

Popular Library 612 - 1954

Harlequin Artists - Part XXXVII - William Book

Like G. Collins, the subject of my last post, William Book only did two signed covers for early Harlequin, both in 1953. And like Collins there is little to be found about Mr Book other than he was a mid century commercial artist who did illustrations for Canadian magazines and newspapers and lived in Hamilton, Ontario.

Harlequin 218

Harlequin 218 - March 1953

Harlequin - July 1953

Harlequin Artists Part XXXVI - G. Collins

One of the 22 identifiable artists on early (first 500 issues - 1949 to 1960) Harequin books is G. Collins. Who is he/she? Possibly Gordon Collins, Ontario College of Art 1944 graduate in Commercial Art. Otherwise no information found.

Harlequin 433

Harlequin 422 - April 1958

Harlequin 433 - July 1958

Harlequin Artists Part XXXV - Derrett (2)

In the first of the posts about early Harequin artist Derrett I said that I didn't know anything about him. Thanks to a correspondent I now can identify the artist with the third highest number of Harlequin covers in the first 10 years.

His full name is James Derrett McCarthy (1927-1982). A graduate of the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University), he was a commercial artist whose work could also be seen on other paperback covers and in Canadian magazines

Here are four of his covers from 1952 - all historical fiction.

Harlequin 169 - May 1952

Harlequin 178 - July 1952

Harlequin 187 - September 1952

Harlequin 190 - October 1952

The Dusty Bookcase

Just out - The Dusty Bookcase (Biblioasis) by Brian Busby. Using posts from his The Dusty Bookcase blog, Mr Busby has told us the story of over a hundred (in his words) "forgotten, ignored and supressed" Canadian books. Among the books are sixteen that are the subject of this blog - Canadian paperbacks of the '40s and '50s. Bonus is cover and design by Seth.

Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and buy.

Export Publishing Enterprises:

nn	Artists Models and Murders	Tedd Steele
70	Love is a Long Shot	Alice K. Doherty
74	Soft to the Touch	Clark W. Dailey
84	Sugerpuss on Dorchester Street	Al Palmer
94	The Penthouse Killings	Horace Brown
11A	The House on Craig Street	Ronald J. Cooke
21A	The Door Between	Neil Perrin
22A	The Governor's Mistress	Warren Desmond

Harlequin Books:

22	Crazy to Kill	Ann Cardwell
177	The House That Stood Still	A. E. van Vogt
233	Die With Me Lady	Ronald Cocking
283	A Body For the Blonde	Ken McLeod
390	Adopted Derelicts	Bluebell S. Phillips

Arrow Publishing:

115

Bad Men of Canada

Thomas Kelley

Studio Publications:

107

Flee the Night in Anger

Dan Keller

Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada:

517

Present Reckoning

Hugh Garner

NSL 70 - September 1949

NSL 70 back

NSL 74 - October 1949

NSL 74 back

Harlequin 22 - November 1949

Harlequin 22 back

Harlequin 177 - June 1952

Harlequin 177 back

CTED AND SUPPRESSED WRITI

The Pyx

Just back from Montreal where I bought the newly published twelfth book in Vehicule Press's Canadian noir series - John Buell's The Pyx (New York: Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1959). The cover is taken from the original paperback edition - 1960's Crest 408. Although Barye Phillip's signature as artist has been removed.

Vehicule Press - 2017

Farrar, Straus & Cudahy - 1959

150 and Counting

The British North American Act, enacted March 29, 1867 by the British Parliament, provided for Confederation of the three British North American colonies, Canada (Upper and Lower), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Now much amended as the Constitution Act, 1867, it was proclaimed into law on July 1, 1867 and Canada was born. The first official birthday celebration was in 1868, July 1 being named Dominion Day in 1879 and Canada Day in 1982.

Expo 67 and Marshall McLuhan. Two lasting memories of Canada's 60s. 

Here are pages from an early Expo souvenir book and 1960s paperback editions of McLuhan's four most famous books. The Medium is the Massage is a PBO.

Beacon Press  BP 265 - 1967

Beacon Press BP 265 back

Signet Y3913 (Can printing) - 1969

Signet Y3913 back

Bantam R3348 - 1967

Bantam R3348 back

Signet Q3039 - 1966

Signet Q3039 back