#492 - Diabolique 1 + 2 Selbee Associates

$4.92
SKU: #492


Diabolique, Number 1
Selbee Associates Inc.
New York, New York
c. 1961
digital replica

and

Diabolique, Number 2
Selbee Associates Inc.
New York, New York
c. 1961
digital replica

and

Diabolique, 1 and 2,

optimized for ebook viewing







Diabolique, Numbers 1 and 2

There may have been as many as four issues of Diabolique, before the title was abandoned. Issues 1 and 2 show no dates, but Dr. Bienvenu's dissertation says that Mr. Burtman referred to Diabolique in correspondence in 1961.

Mr. Burtman was so fond of strippers that he married one and she, Tana Louise, shows up on these pages with her glittery sisterhood, including Dorian Dennis, Naja Karamuru, Renee Poulon, Danielle Merrin, and Princess Domay. They appear in dramatic stage make-up and heavy lipstick, sometimes posing in costume and with props. Captions that accompany pictorials frequently use the word “beauty” and that seems to be the theme of Diabolique — women beguile with a smile. Other pages show models Barbara Bueno, Kim Foster, Regina Lynne, Freddi Robbins, Palva Itano, and Sue Butler.

Six pages show pictures of fabulous Coccinelle, a famous female impersonator who underwent surgery to complete the transformation. The varied images of Coccinelle dazzle with prettiness and femininity.

Not really the kind of fetish magazine typical of Selbee, Diabolique has a bit more mainstream pinup focus, with an emphasis on “Showgirls”. Plenty of shapely legs and cleavage, but corsets and high heels are the smallest part of the mix. Ladies who adorn the covers are not found within, which was typical of Selbee products.

Gene Bilbrew drawings brighten short stories in both issues and also appear as filler material. Articles include Paris Strippers are the Best (with a collection of photos of Paris strippers) and Eroticism in Motion Pictures by Carlson Wade. One, full-page Eric Stanton Illustration accompanies a story.

Photographs were retouched to eliminate specks and blemishes. Brightness and contrast were adjusted and, for some enlargements of small images, multiple filters applied.
In each of the two digital replicas, page sequence was revised to show pictures of the same model on succeeding pages and to present text pieces without interruption. The color centerfold photographs were rotated. Some page layouts were revised slightly to obtain larger images of the models. Including advertising, every word and picture in the originals are in the two digital replicas, except for an article about cockfights (which shouldn't have been in the original either).


Diabolique, Numbers 1 and 2, optimized for ebook viewing
The optimized ebook of Diabolique 1 and 2 contains every usable pinup picture in the originals plus the Bilbrew and Stanton illustrations. The wide ebook pages are proportioned to fill the space framed by Acrobat Reader and allow the pictures to fill the screen from top to bottom. Most ebook pages contain a pinup photo and some show choice details repeated enlarged next to the complete image or on the following page.

Some of the walls, floors and furniture are cropped out of these images to obtain large pictures of the models. This presentation is intended to make the most of the images and reduce the need for zooming and scrolling. The result is a 150+ page pinup album that anticipates the curiosity of the viewer.





Three e-books, one optimized, delivered by download from your 30th Street Graphics account.




Price: $4.92