Tuesday, 1 April 2014

The Last Export

I have just found the last book from early Canadian paperback publisher Export Publishing Enterprises that I needed to complete my collection. As far as I know there are no further books, including reprints.

This is one of two books published in the American series (with the "A") that were unnumbered in the Canadian series. The edition I was missing was the DJ version.
 
News Stand Library 22A - February 1950
with dust jacket

 
News Stand Library 22A back
with dust jacket

News Stand Library 22A - February 1950

News Stand Library 22A back

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Beaver Publications Part VII

In my last post on early Canadian mass market publisher Beaver Publications I discussed the armed forces editions of Beaver's three books. Each book also had an illustrated cover version which are very uncommon. But I have just recently found one of them: Rendezvous in Vienna was published with two different illustrated covers.

In these earliest mass market paperback days in Canada distribution had to be spotty. Especially for a Hamilton based publisher. There are more armed services editions to be found than the illustrated versions which were presumably sold in bookstores or, perhaps, on newsstands.

The editions are identical except for the covers. I don't know anything about the artist "Globe" but his name can be found on the odd Canadian pulp from the early 1940s.
 
May 1941 
 
May 1941 back
 
May 1941
 
May 1941 back

Sunday, 1 December 2013

Gisele Lepin Returns

Thanks to Vehicule Press Gisele Lepin, like a breath of cool clean air, returns. Originally published by Export Publishing Enterprises in 1949 the Vehicule Press edition of Sugar-puss on Dorchester Street has a lovely adaptation (by J. W. Stewart) of the original artwork by D. Rickard (note initials on the window). Actually its the art on the Canadian edition. There was a further edition for the American market with artwork by Sid Dyke. And yet a third version on the DJ that is found on the American edition. Will Straw, who introduces the Vehicule edition, talks about buying the American edition in the mid 1980s.
 
Vehicule Press - 2013
 
Vehicule Press back
 
News Stand Library 84 - November 1949
 
News Stand Library 20A - February 1950
 
News Stand Library 20A DJ

Sunday, 17 November 2013

Beaver Publications Part VI

I've done a few posts on the first mass market paperback publisher in Canada - Beaver Publications of Hamilton, Ontario who published three books in 1941. Recently I came across something that I hadn't known about Beaver. I did know that they issued two versions of each of the books - illustrated and unillustrated covers. I speculated that the unillustrated were published for the armed forces. 

Below is the proof of that - a box with the three books designed to be a gift for a member of the armed forces. It includes a gift card. There is also a brown box version. One of the books in the box is Cherchez la Femme?


 

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Export Publishing Enterprises Artists Part VII

Very few of the covers of early Canadian paperback publisher Export Publishing Enterprises were signed. Here is one artist who remains anonymous.

News Stand Library 52 - June 1949
 
News Stand Library 53 - June 1949
 
News Stand Library 74 - October 1949

News Stand Library 75 - October 1949