#swipe file

#SwipeFile 118: Those Lips, Those Eyes!

Why draw a whole face?   

This motif appears on the posters for exploitation films Teen Age (’43, although this isn’t the original release poster) and Youth Aflame (’44).

A decade later (June ’54), “Esquire” ran a Bernard Barton ad for Jayson shirts, which was “borrowed” for “Murder Isn’t Funny” (Ace Books, ’58).

#SwipeFile 117: Multiple Mask Makeovers

Canadian 3-D horror movie The Mask (’61) featured some striking images, one of which was used intact (albeit colourised) on Silber-Krimi 777 (Germany, ’69).

A re-visioning by Manuel Breá Rodríguez appeared on --

Spectral 7 (France, ’79);

Gespenster Krimi 418 (’81)

Escorpion 9 (Spain, ‘7?)

#SwipeFile 116:  Multiple Mummies

On “Eerie” 12 (’67), Dan Adkins faithfully re-created a shot from The Mummy’s Ghost (’44).  Several years later, Leandro Biffi used the same source, but made the mummy’s face resemble Boris Karloff (rather than Lon Chaney Jr.'s version) and changed the victim’s appearance as well (he still has the bulging eyes and mouth agape in horror): “Terror” 8 (Ediperiodici, ’70), re-used on (at least) “Série Jaune” 24 (’76) and “Horror” 5 (’72).

José G. Cruz borrows from a publicity still from The Mummy’s Hand (’40) for the cover of “Santo” 479 (’69).  He flips the image, removes Charles Trowbridge, makes George Zucco younger, gives him a knife, and colours the mummy’s face & hands green. Oh, and he adds El Santo, chained to a wall in the background.

SwipeFile 115: Pseudo-Stallones, Stallone Clones, Phony Stallones

Sylvester Stallone films Cobra (’86) and the Rambo series provided major swipe-fuel for VHS box artists. 

#SwipeFile 114:  Even More Paperback Swipers

“Homicide Johnny” cover by the great Rudolph Belarski  (Popular Library, ‘ 40) > “Het mysterie van de gestloten brandkast” (The Locked Safe Mystery; Netherlands, date unknown but at least mid-‘50s or later);

#SwipeFile 114:  Zombie Walking

Inspired by key art for I Walked With a Zombie (’43) --

Clockwise:

Bunco Squad (’50 – this was an RKO film as was I Walked With a Zombie so I guess it was authorised);

Dr. Neff’s spook show ads (as early as ‘46);

House of Dracula/House of Frankenstein Double Bill (’53): the “Who Said the Dead Don’t Walk” catch-phrase is also from I Walked with a Zombie promotional material (IWWAZ was re-released in ’53). Note: this is the only one of these swipes that gives the Zombie Lady pupils for her eyes;

A mystery image used since the mid-‘90s for various merchandising items, music covers, etc.  Sometimes referred to as “Ms. Mesmer” but apparently not related to the comic book character of that name.  I can’t locate the original or find any artist credit;

“Seven Tickets to Hell” ('72): Gray Morrow paperback cover art . This is not an exact swipe, more of a re-imagining, but uses main elements of the original. The "Ms. Mesmer" image borrows the "eye" motif from Morrow's painting.

#SwipeFile 113: Demon Doubles

The Original: Goliath and the Vampires  (’64 USA release of ’61 Italian film), Reynold Brown art;

Swipe 1: Night of the Blood Monster (’72 USA release of ’70 film);

Swipe 2:  a package show that played various drive-ins in the early ‘70s.  In some (but not all, as this example shows) cases Night of the Blood Monster was one of the features and used that film’s tagline “Horror will hold you helpless!”

#SwipeFile 111: Bare Shoulders, Thighs & Haystacks

Zoe Mozert painted Jane Russell for “The Outlaw” poster & suddenly “bare shoulders, thighs and haystacks” became a thing.