TIJUANA BIBLES A Miscellany 1930s ~ 1950

TIJUANA BIBLES A Miscellany 1930s ~ 1950

The  Tijuana Bible first appeared in the 1930s and was the inspiration for comic books that would be flooding newsstands. These small format, eight-page booklets of illustrated erotic stories were know simultaneously as eight-pagers, dirty comics and 2x4s. They feature film stars, gangsters, criminals, world leaders and especially comic strip characters all of whom were extreme horny and constantly in need of "knocking off a piece". Favorite characters include Popeye, Mae West, John Dillinger, Orphan Annie, Maggie and Jiggs, Smilin' Jack and the diligent door to door salesman, The Fuller Brush Man.

eBay store

Posted here are examples of some typical original covers as well as scans showing the internal artwork. At the end are a few examples of the much rarer 16-pagers, created in a larger format and consistently displaying some of the best artwork. Click for an excellent wikipedia entry about Tijuana Bibles

Sixteen-pagers

vasta@earthlink.net 

MoMA PS1 Art Book Fair ~ Scene at the Fair 2014

Four incredible days in Long Island City where an amazing variety of international artists, antiquarians, 'zinesters, publishers and booksellers once again descended on MoMA PS1. The New York Art Book Fair has become the not to be missed artist's book event in the world and at the moment, rivaled only by the show in Los Angeles, also produced by Printed Matter. 

A huge thanks goes out to all the Printed Matter crew, especially to show coordinator Jordan Nassar and show curator Shannon Michael Cane. See my previous post for the 
Vasta Images/Books stand.

Here is a glimpse of what I saw at the fair, some photos taken early in the morning prior to the arrival of thousands of attendees. No doubt there was an increase in this year's attendance as the pulse, the ebb and flow of people, never ceased. See you in Los Angeles in February!

click any image to enlarge

The Dome with Five Points in the background awaiting the wrecking ball. 

Just not right!

 Classics, jarred and preserved!

Looking down at the Werkplaats Typografie space

Shapes and structures

 Dieter Roth Literaturwurst 1969

 Second floor, the black room

 Very cool foam floored music room: please, no shoes!

 Shannon, show curator par excellence!

 8Ball (above) 'zine tent and Emma Kohlmann, watercolorist and 

artist's book publisher in the big 'zine tent.

 Oliver, one our first and favorite customers, all peace and 

burgundy colored!

My stand in the "I" gallery, as well as the stands of three colleagues

Kerry and Miles of Ampersand

Arthur Fornier and part of his incredible selection of counter culture 

magazines and newspapers setting-up.

 One of the original dealers of artist's books, Jean-Noel Herlin (right), who recognized the importance of art ephemera over 35 years ago.

Jan van der Donk (foreground) at the Maggs Bros. stand

 

 The Norwegian room...on to Bergen in November for their art book fair!

Frank exhibition in the (beautiful) boiler room

 

vasta@earthlink.net