#400455 - Three Painful Years Claire Willowes Gargoyle Sales
Three Painful Years
by Claire Willowes
Gargoyle Sales Corporation – Item No. 162
New York, New York
ca. 1957
digital replica
and
optimized, pictures-only version
The colonial setting of Three Painful Years serves as antique pretext for a cornucopia of punishments enforced on four royal British beauties as penalty for an aborted burglary. Gargoyle Sales Corporation Bulletin #6 advertises Item #162 with these words:
An illustrated story in 48 chapters; each chapter containing approx. 300 words of tingling text, illustrated in appropriate and exciting fashion.
Here is a startling, historical tale. In the period around 1750, when the United States was merely a group of English Colonies, where slavery was commonplace and the savagely applied lash, the socially accepted form of discipline.
A group of voluptuous young women, enmeshed in a hot bed of political intrigue in England, are sent to the Colonies to expiate their crimes.
The graphic descriptions of the merciless tortures to which they are subjected . . . and their amazing fortitude in not only surviving but eventually retaliating against their inhuman tormentors . . . makes an absorbing story. Details of dress, the punishments meted out, and the trials of these fabulous beauties are authentic; carefully drawn out of the history books of the period. Each chapter is beautifully illustrated in pen and ink by that unusual artist — Claire Willowes.
Claire Willowes' ink renderings present shapely captives in lace-trimmed lingerie, bloomers, bras, corsets, stockings (sheer and fishnet), garters, high heels, boots and gloves. A few scenes show captives in equestrian tack. Female tormentors don similar costumes but those wardrobes include ornate dresses.
Female figures define hourglass silhouettes with appealing curves and tapers. Feet are disproportionately small; breasts, sometimes pointed, are firm, full and buoyant.
After the hapless quartet gets birched in public in England, they're shipped to North Carolina and sold as slaves to Lady Leona. While brushing her mistress's hair, Lorraine's hairbrush hits a snag. Lady Leona immediately bends her slave across her lap and delivers a sound spanking. In the episode that follows, Lady Leona threatens Lorraine with discipline from Margery, household overseer. The picture shows Margery riding Edith as a booted pony girl in the stable.
Lorraine's first impulse, after Leona mockingly lets her up off her lap like a naughty child, is to strike back, to avenge the indignity done her. But Leona, sensing her high-spirited new maid-slave's emotions, drawls languidly as she waves the comb in the air, "I really wouldn't, Lorraine. An indentured servant who dares rebel against her master or mistress in the Colonies, may be flogged publicly, branded and have the offending hand lopped off. Now, get back to my hair, and mind you, don't snarl it again or I'll have Marjory trice you up for a taste of the cane. Well, what do you say to that?"
"Y..yes..." Lorraine is fighting the tears, squirming from the spanking, sick with shame before this stunning woman, not much older than she, not even her peer, save for the terrible fact of her own disgraced servitude from that misbegotten prank. She remembers the title of respect due, for Leona is ruthless, will not hesitate to turn her over to Margery, who loathes people of her class.
Grudgingly, eyes lowered, trembling, she murmurs, "Yes, m...mistress."
"Ah, that's better, see you remember your place, Miss!" Leona says sharply, smiles as Lorraine follows her to the boudoir table humbly, resumes combing her black tresses with care.
Margery Kenton savours her position as house overseer. She has it in for all these new indentured bond maidens. Even now, she has strapped a saddle onto Edith, affixed bridle and reins.
"Now, you uppity vixen, you're going to be my filly round the stable," she snaps. "Then I'll curry you down with the brush, teach you your place! Giddyap!"
Arm binders, ropes, pipes, chains, and cuffs immobilize convicts and attach them to walls, stocks, wood frames, tables and chairs. Punishment utensils include branches, hairbrush, crop, cat, whip, paddle and rotating paddle machine. Sometimes weights aggravate discomfort. Metal, wood, ball, fabric and leather gags accomplish silence.
Like Mr. Klaw, Gargoyle Sales reproduced comic art on photo paper, an economical production mechanism for short-run duplication. A standard size of photo print paper is 8” X 10”. Two chapters were printed in that space and cut in half.
The ebooks were derived from new scans of the original, 70-year-old photo prints. As chemicals were required to develop these reproductions, prints show variations in tone and density.
The digital replica presents all 48 chapters at full size. Most illustrations are vertical. Horizontal pictures were rotated to facilitate ebook viewing. At the end, this ebook includes a rough copy of Gargoyle Sales Corporation Bulletin #6 and a note from the company to the customer who purchased Three Painful Years.
Brightness and contrast were adjusted. Images were edited to disclose details within black regions. Clear pictures show smooth lines and gradients and appropriate grays.
All new scans.
An optimized ebook presents only Ms. Willowes' skillful art. Each numbered panel appears complete with borders. Virtual enlargements of action, devices, and figure features follow, showing multiple characters in each scene. Intended to reduce the need for zooming and scrolling to inspect details, this iteration presents the content of 48 drawings on 200 pages.
Ms. Willowes' cartoon art reflects the hairdos, apparel and figure ideal that were featured in American movies of her day. The comic serial will appeal to both bondage and fetish fans with nostalgia for 1950s styles.
Two ebooks, one optimized, delivered by download from your 30th Street Graphics account.