With a new academic year now starting up in the United States, this seems like an ideal time to revisit Killer Covers gallery of more than 80 schoolrelated book. Killer CoversAboveThe First Quarry, by Max Allan Collins Hard Case Crime, 2. Ken Laager. Below, rightThe Art Studio Murders, by Edward S. Aarons Mc. Fadden, 1. Robert K. Abbett. Cheap Haunted Castle Cartoon. Sexual seduction sells. Just ask the producers of TV commercials, or the editors of Playboy, or even the authors of myriad young adult novels who have discovered they can boost their readership by filling plots with toothsome vampires. Book cover designers are equally well versed in the power of sensual temptation. Thats been especially true of those responsible for paperback cover art. From the early era of paperback books, publishers have understood that sales can be boosted if they decorate their faades with shapely legs, or smoothly rounded breasts, orbest of allscenes in which one lightly clad individual seeks to inveigle another into carnal congress. Nine years ago, in the diapered days of The Rap Sheet, I sought to make this point with a post showcasing sexy vintage paperback fronts. At the time, Hard Case Crime was preparing to release Max Allan Collins The First Quarry, the earliest of what will now soon be seven prequels to his original, 1. Quarry. The new Quarrys Climax is due out this coming October. I opened my 2. Rap Sheet post with some brief remarks about Ken Laagers cover art for Collins novelembedded aboveand noted that its concept followed a tried and true pattern. It shows a man seated on a couch presumably the aforementioned assassin, holding what looks to be a gun, I wrote, while a curvaceous brunette stands in front of him, quietly but seductively removing her brassierethough he seems too involved in whatever hes thinking to notice. This sort of cover illustrationof a sexy female with her back turned to the book buyer, displaying her virtues to some man who is either surprised or distracted by other mattershas become something of a standard. I then went on to feature eight examples of similar covers. In the years since, I have amassed many more such paperback fronts. I always had it in mind to elaborate on my original Rap Sheet post, but. I find time enough to edit that collection. Below you will find 1. This artwork was drawn from the Web and other sources, but I owe particular debts to novelist Bill Crider, in whose fine blog youll find older paperback covers posted every day, and Art Scott, co author of The Art of Robert E. Mc. Ginnis 2. 01. Bouchercon in New Orleanshanded me a USB flash drive containing hundreds of paperback fronts on which women appear in states of dishabille. Im still looking for other ways to bring the rest of those images to the attention of Killer Covers followers. Among the artists represented in this gallery are Mc. Ginnis, of course, but also Harry Schaare, Charles Binger, George Ziel, Paul Rader, Robert Maguire, Mort Engel, Rudy Nappi, Carl Bobertz, Barye Phillips, Fred Fixler, Tom Miller, Ernest Chiriacka aka Darcy, Edward Mortelmans, Mitchell Hooks, Ron Lesser, Raymond Johnson, James Meese, Charles Copeland, Robert Stanley, George Gross, Harry Barton, Darrell Greene, Jerome Podwill, and Stanley Borack. Click on any of the covers here to open an enlargement. Additionally, theres a subcategory of similar covers on which women pose in the altogether for at least mostly artistic purposes. One of my favorites among these is the 1. Fontana Books edition of Shabby Tiger, by Howard Spring shown at the bottom left of this set, with a cover illustration by Italian painter Renato Fratini. You can enjoy Fratinis original art for that paperback here. Twentieth century magazine editors, seeing how successful paperback publishers had been with this style of artwork, tried it themselves. Below and on the left is the cover from the July 1. Manhunt while beside it is embedded the front from the November 1. Sadly, I dont know who painted either piece. JPG?1499759453' alt='Surf`S Up Ipod Cartoon' title='Surf`S Up Ipod Cartoon' />AskMens Entertainment channel keeps you up to date on pop culture, gadgets, movies reviews, and gear for guys.