Optical Toy: PHENAKISTOSCOPE 1840s Joseph Plateau

Moving images from the amazing optical toy, the Phenakistoscope, created in Belgium, circa 1841 by Joseph Plateau. Exceptional bizarre and surreal optical illusions created by a device that was a precursor to motion pictures at at the turn-of-the-century. A relatively simple device that employs the spinning of a flat plate covered with a series of similar images, that when spun create "moving pictures" via the connection between the eye and the brain know as

the persistence of vision. Click here for more.

 

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 FUMETTI Italian Adult Comics 1970s

Largely unknown outside of Italy and the world of comic book collector's, the Italian adult, sexually explicit graphic novels, known as fumetti, are quite a surprise coming from a country where little erotic material was produced in the modern era. The covers are uniformly wonderful displaying the range from simple seduction to total, all out sexual fantasy.

Common themes run through these comics: lesbianism, catwomen, sex machines, interracial couples, crime, female domination, sci-fi sex, vampires, monsters, bondage and sado-masochism. During this period, the various series included Sesso Majjo, Maldrak, Gengis Kana, Pussycat, Giovani d'Oggi, Ilona, and Fathoman. The internal illustrations were done in a very simple, almost naive style, printed in black and white and resembling the sequential story telling of today's graphic novels. Contents are sometimes sexually explicit, while simultaneous lacking eroticism

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eBay store link at the top of the page

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Optical Toy: PHENAKISTOSCOPE 1840's Joseph Plateau

Moving images from the amazing optical toy, the Phenakistoscope, created in Belgium, circa 1841 by Joseph Plateau.  Exceptional bizarre and surreal images created by a device that was a precursor to the modern moving image at the turn-of-the-century, film and the cinema. A relatively simple looking device that depends on the spinning of a flat plate covered with images and the connection between the eye and the brain: the persistence of vision. More here.

Click any image to enlarge

 

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Sci-Fi + Horror Films: MIDI-MINUIT FANTASTIQUE Paris 1960s Magazine

In the wake of the success of Famous Monsters of Filmland published in American in 1958, came one of the most important scholarly publications devoted to the fantastic cinema, Midi-Minuit Fantastique (Midday~Midnight Fantastic). Published in Paris by Eric Losfeld starting in 1962 ,the magazine was devoted to all aspects of horror, sci-fi, monster and fantasy films. Created and edited by Michel Caen and Alain Le Bris with the editorial assistance of Jean Boullet and Jean-Claude Romer it remains an important historical and visual reference. Here are the covers, plus random photos, from the first nine issues including the rare and illusive issue number eight devoted to Eroticism and Terror in the English Cinema. Other special issues included Vampires, King Kong, Terrance Fisher and Vamps Fantastique. 

Click any image to enlarge

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