Last year on Beer Day (There's more than one date for this celebration, I wonder why?) we shared a frothy mug of ale, courtesy of Enoch and Judge magazine. But there are times when a beer just doesn't suit the mood and our leggy flapper from a 1927 issue of Snappy Stories is dressed for something a bit more sophisticated. So only a martini will do, but none of that bathtub gin....
This cover was one of the last Bolles did for Snappy. I think the magazine tanked out a few months later and it took a year or so before it was rehydrated by Frank Armer, who hired Bolles for some of his other publications, most of which were only sold at smoke shops and taverns. In fact Bolles did another version of this for a 1930 issue of Pep, which was one of Armer's most successful sellers until he got the utterly insane notion of spiking one of the issues with some full frontal nudity in the photo insert. But that's another story and for the details you should read Doug Ellis's Uncovered, which unwinds the serpentine tale of the smooshes
and is chock full of exquisite illustrations of rare material, including stacks of Bolles covers.Speaking of exquisite, I'm sure that many of you recognize the girl in the martini theme from the famous stage production by Dita Von Teese. I have no idea what the inspiration was for her act, though I'd like to think that Bolles had something to do with it. Maybe the original recipe for the martini girl is his too!
....
6 comments:
great cover!!
i cant stand Dita Von Teese though ick!
Ha ha! Whether you like her or not she does wear great costumes.
that's true! i just wish they were on someone less revolting and who hasnt had sex with marilyn manson!
Olivia has done some nice paintings of her though. i'd like to see Olivia paint a naturally curvy gal like Aria Giovanni instead of all these breast-implanted types like Dita, Julie Strain and Masumi Max.
but its all good ;)
Flappers and forbidden alcohol! A great mix from the roaring '20's. Thanks for a little Von tease publicity. I think its great that she tries so hard to keep the burlesque dance art alive (and make a buck along the way - nothing wrong with that). How many girls-in-a-glass did Bolles paint?
I've seen only two girls in glass (I like that alliteration) paintings. Olivia once told me a story about having dinner with Dita (who had posed for her), when Pamela Anderson showed up. Could you imagine the distraction that caused?!
Not that I intended it but there's a big resemblance between this cover and the skater.
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