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SMB Noir

For the Fans of Hardboiled, Pulp & Gumshoe Art

Back in 2013, our tumblr site was started and ran until 2018, when they decided it was too "adult" - too lurid, supposedly. We followed the exodus to newtumbl and four years of dedication vanished in June of 2023. That work was not only new posts but upgrades of hundreds of old tumblr posts as well. So far, there has been no way to rescue those posts, so this will be the third version of this project. And, I'll warn you in advance, I may slip in covers that are not crime or mystery but just because I like the artwork. Enjoy!

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Category: paperback

1957 Signet edition – cover art by James Avati

1957 Signet

cover art by James Avati

Posted on April 29, 2026April 7, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, paperback, pulp, short story collection, spicy, uncategorizedTags dame, femme fatale, james t. farrell, signet paperbackLeave a comment on 1957 Signet edition – cover art by James Avati

1956 Graphic paperback ~ cover art by Walter Popp

cover art by Walter Popp

Robert O. Saber (aka Milton K. Ozaki),

A Time for Murder, 1956 Graphic paperback original

September 13, 2014

Posted on April 29, 2026April 7, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, original art, paperback, pulpTags dame, dressing table, femme fatale, graphic paperback, robert o. saber, walter poppLeave a comment on 1956 Graphic paperback ~ cover art by Walter Popp

1962 Midwood paperback original – cover art by Ron Lesser

1962 Midwood paperback original

cover art by Ron Lesser

better image than previously posted

Posted on April 29, 2026April 7, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, paperback, pulp, spicyTags dame, midwood paperback, mike avallone, ron lesser, smokingLeave a comment on 1962 Midwood paperback original – cover art by Ron Lesser

cover art by Rudolph Belarski

January 1949 issue

cover art repurposed for 1950 Popular Library release

Posted on April 27, 2026April 6, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, magazine, mystery, paperback, pulpTags a.j. collins, black book detective, g. wayman jones, helen reilly, popular library, rudolph belarskiLeave a comment on cover art by Rudolph Belarski

cover art by James Meese

James Alfred Meese (American, 1917-1971)
cover of The Beautiful and Dead by Ross MacRoss (Gold Medal, 1954).
Oil on board, 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 40.6 cm)
Signed lower right: Meese

Posted on April 27, 2026April 6, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, original art, paperback, pulp, uncategorizedTags alley, gold medal paperback, james meese, oil on board, ross macrossLeave a comment on cover art by James Meese

1953 Gold Medal paperback original – cover art by Barye Phillips

1953 Gold Medal paperback original

cover art by Barye Phillips

his seventh novel under his name. his supervisors at the CIA thought it was great cover for an agent to be a writer

November 29, 2013

Posted on April 27, 2026April 6, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, paperback, pulpTags barye phillips, e. howard hunt, gold medal paperbackLeave a comment on 1953 Gold Medal paperback original – cover art by Barye Phillips

1954 Gold Medal paperback original – cover art by Ray Johnson

1954 Gold Medal paperback original

cover art by Ray Johnson

Posted on April 27, 2026April 6, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, paperback, pulpTags day keene, gold medal paperback, ray johnsonLeave a comment on 1954 Gold Medal paperback original – cover art by Ray Johnson

1951 Gold Medal paperback original – cover art by Barye Phillips

1951 Gold Medal paperback original

cover art by Barye Phillips

1953 Phantom edition from Australia

Posted on April 27, 2026April 6, 2026Categories australian pulp, crime fiction, Hardboiled, paperback, pulpTags barye phillips, gold medal paperback, paul connolly, phantom paperbackLeave a comment on 1951 Gold Medal paperback original – cover art by Barye Phillips

December 1963 Dell paperback original – cover art by Ron Lesser

December 1963 Dell paperback original

cover art by Ron Lesser

better image than previously posted

Posted on April 26, 2026April 6, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, paperback, pulpTags dell paperback, frank kane, johnny liddell, private eye, ron leserLeave a comment on December 1963 Dell paperback original – cover art by Ron Lesser

1957 Gold Medal paperback original – cover art by Mitchell Hooks

1957 Gold Medal paperback original

art work by Mitchell Hooks

better image than previously posted

Posted on April 26, 2026April 6, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, paperback, pulpTags gold medal paperback, mitchell hooks, peter rabeLeave a comment on 1957 Gold Medal paperback original – cover art by Mitchell Hooks

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