Fly-by-night

Wednesday, 8 September 2010

Derby Publishing Part II

Continuing our look at Derby Publishing Company, here are books 4 through 6 of 12 published. All three are dated 1949, have 160 pages and cover art by D. Rickard.

Derby's address at 347A Yonge Street in Toronto was for many years the famous Sam the Record Man store which closed in 2007. The site is being developed by Ryerson University. Here is a fascinating now and then comparison of the buildings. The then picture is apparently from the early 1950s - Derby could still be there.

Burning Desire by Perry Lindsay (pseudonym for Peggy Gaddis [1895 - 1966]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1947 as The Burning Desire.

The French Wench by Robert Norcross (pseudonym for Albert Quandt [? - ?]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1949. The author also wrote as Charles Thornton.

The Long Night by Joe Lederer [1904 - 1987] was first published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1931 as Overnight - translated by Guy Endore from Musik der Nacht published in Germany in 1930. Joe is short for Josefine.

Derby 4

Derby 4 back

Derby 5

Derby 5 back

Derby 6

Derby 6 back

Sunday, 5 September 2010

Derby Publishing Part I

Derby Publishing Company was a Toronto (at 347A Yonge Street) based paperback and comic publisher. In 1949 and 1950 Derby published 12 paperbacks. Here are the first three with published dates of 1949, all with cover art by D. Rickard.

Profane by Ralph Carter (pseudonym for William Arthur Neubauer [1916 - 1982]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1947. Page count of 152.

Sinner Take All by William Arthur (pseudonym for William Arthur Neubauer [1916 - 1982]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1948. The author also wrote as Gordon Semple and Norman Bligh. Page count of 168.

Passion or Kingdom by Claude Anet (pseudonym for Jean Schopfer [1868 - 1931]) was first published by Dodd, Mead in 1930 as Idyll's End. Page count of 180.

Derby 1

Derby 1 back

Derby 2

Derby 2 back

Derby 3

Derby 3 back

Saturday, 4 September 2010

Export Canadian Paperback Originals Part III

Export Publishing Enterprise Ltd published 55 paperback originals in 1949 and 1950. Taking into account known pseudonyms there are 44 named authors plus two anonymous editors of collections. Only 13 of the 44 have been identified. The remaining 31 authors make their only appearance in an Export book. I can find no other books they wrote or anything about them.

Here are three of these authors from October 1949.

News Stand Library 77

News Stand Library 77 back

News Stand Library 78

News Stand Library 78 back

News Stand Library 79

News Stand Library 79 back

Beaver Publications Part III

Canada's earliest mass market paperback publisher shows up in the oddest places. The last post described the listing for one of the books in the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries.

Here is one more - the April 1942 issue of the University of Toronto Quarterly. In the "Lists of Publications" section on page 359 all three Beaver books are noted.

Hard Case Crime Part II

Here are two more from my favourite current mass market paperback series, Dorchester Publishing's Hard Case Crime. Two pseudonyms and one title change. In Fidel Castro Assassinated the attempt takes place while Castro is making a speech. And just yesterday Castro made his first speech in four years before the Cuban public. Fiction to real with 49 years between. Interesting to note that the much better cover for the original House Dick is the work of Robert McGinnis who has done 11 covers for Hard Case Crime.