#300325 - Terror at the Bizarre Art Museum Eric Stanton Nutrix 1959

Terror at the Bizarre Art Museum
Volume One, First Edition
22 illustrations by Eric Stanton
Nutrix Co.
Jersey City, New Jersey
1959

a digital replica

Mr. Klaw sold print photographs (8 x 10 glossies) originally intended to advertise feature films. Hollywood studios would send a set of 12 pictures as part of a press kit to movie theaters that exhibited and to publications that reviewed films. He acquired them from these sources after they used them for their intended purpose

At his Manhattan store, pictures were organized by movie and actor names. Legend says that he received continuous requests for movie stills that showed Hollywood actresses tied up and damsel in distress scenes. As each set of 12 contained no more than one or two of these, he never had enough to satisfy demand. The popularity of this scenario suggested the idea that he make his own photos and illustrations of damsels in distress and sell them by mail. Persecution by local law enforcement and postal officials hastened his hegira to New Jersey, where he began publishing his Nutrix booklets on several themes, including bondage.

the story
“The editor of the popular Pleasure Parade” assigns a reporter, Billjohn, and photographer, Myra Lenshound, to interview Bonnie Gage and create a preview of her soon-to-be-opened bizarre museum. Mr. Klaw was editor and publisher of Nutrix Pleasure Parade. [The text was likely written by Mr. Klaw and he probably gave similar instructions to young Mr. Stanton.]

The Dage premises resemble a chamber of horrors wax museum, with exhibits that depict gory scenes from legend and history. Guided by Ms. Gage, prose and illustrations take us on a tour of her scenes. She shows complex, full-size displays and miniature models.

Many representations refer to a well-known literary idiom, but vary from the original narrative, usually by changing the main character from male to female. Scenes draw on paradigms from Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Alexander Dumas' Man in the Iron Mask, and Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Damsels in distress scenarios include a buzz saw, moving walls, defrosting snakes, spiders, catapult and guillotine.

the pictures
In facial and figure features, this 1959 work shows development of Mr. Stanton's skill, departing from the rigidity of his comic serial work for Mr. Klaw. Here, his ink delineations show fluid lines and good perspective. With color and drama, he presents the feelings of his female characters — anger, fear, glee, contempt, anguish — on a nice assortment of faces.

Much discussion of Mr. Stanton's art makes reference to his association with cartoonist Steve Ditko, an art school classmate. At this point in his career, they shared studio space. The style of these pictures may well reflect Mr. Ditko's influence and ink.

Bondage contraptions vary from tables to the four arms of a fire god, but most accomplish attachment by ropes, chains and cuffs. Settings often suggest incarceration, with stone or masonry backgrounds. Most characters wear high heels.

It's likely that the pictures were made before the story was written. The story connects circumstances shown in the pictures, which are positioned near prose that describes their narrative content.

the ebook
The digital replica presents all the content of the Nutrix booklet, including ads, in the original sequence. Tonality was adjusted and many specks retouched. Pictures with a horizontal orientation were rotated to appear appropriately in the ebook.

All new scans. 64 pages.

Using a scheme of disguises within conceits, Terror at the Bizarre Art Museum parades bondage predicaments with flimsy connections to classic narrative contexts. The publisher, Mr. Klaw, exploited Mr. Stanton's popularity, adding his name to the cover and twice inside. His illustrations animate scenarios with ominous tension and vivid dynamics. This obscure morsel of 20th century erotica is now available in a clear and convenient ebook iteration.

One ebook, delivered by download from your 30th Street Graphics account.