Striparama Striptease Burlesque

Striparama, Volume 2, Number 1
Selbee Associates, Inc.
New York, New York
1962

digital replica
and
optimized ebook of the Stormy comic

Mr. Burtman produced Striparama at irregular intervals throughout the 1960s. He was so fond of strippers that he married one, Tana Louise. While she brightens the cover, she is not found inside.

This issue has pictorials of Dorian Dennis, Tempest Storm, Tee Tee Red, Naja Karamuru, Gina Bell, Rita Atlanta, and alleged amateur stripper Carmen Leeds. Although sometimes shown with stage make-up and in stripper attire, they are usually seen at home or in a photographer’s studio in pinup poses.

Introduced by an Eric Stanton illustration, Joseph King's short story, “Riot on the Runway,” tells about a police raid on a small town burlesque theater after strippers’ competitive performances go too far.

Two essays about nighttime entertainment in Montparnasse are illustrated with photographs of contemporary onstage productions. The first article, “Stripteuse a la Parisienne” gives us a history of the presentation of naked beauty. We see a picture of Otero, the richest artiste of the late 19th century. We learn about other beautiful attractions at the Folies Bergère and 8 different kinds of nudity. Josephine Baker’s banana skirt is placed in its narrative context. Brimming with glittering details and quotations from scholars, this is one of the most informed and intelligent prose works we’ve encountered in a Selbee magazine.

In “Striptease: Glories of the Flesh,” Carlson Wade gives us a history of risqué stage performances on this side of the Atlantic. Apparently, the first of these were nearly-naked women who posed as unmoving mannequins. Naming the most famous women in the business, he traces the development of the art, starting in ancient times and the past 100+ years in the US.

One of the most precious features of this issue is what appears to be the first episode of Eric Stanton’s comic serial “Stormy, the Stripper.” Seven panels on two pages show the Maestro at the peak of his skill, delineating iconic pinup figures in pencil. These drawings are so good, that a short optimized ebook of just those seven panels is included in this product to offer convenient access to those fabulous curves.

Every word and picture of the original, including letters from readers and advertising, are included in this page-by-page, large format digital presentation. Page layouts were revised to obtain larger pictures of the models. The original page sequence was revised to obtain continuity of the prose pieces. Digital adjustments and retouching of specks and blemishes improves on the good photography in the original.

All original scans.

Two ebooks, one optimized, delivered by download from your 30th Street Graphics account.