Perry Mason Part II

In my last post I introduced the Pocket editions of Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason novels. From 1940 until 1977 Pocket published all 82 novels in nearly 900 printings. The first decade's covers are illustrated. From 1950 to 1957 most of the covers are photographs. From 1958 to 1964 they are illustrated and after 1964 photographs again.

The photograph covers are, by and large, awful. The 1958 to 1964 illustrated covers are among the best ever produced in US paperbacks. Here are three by the one of the best of the best. Robert McGinnis is still working at 92 - see Hard Case Crime.

Pocket 4505 - July 1962 - 8th printing

Pocket 4519 - May 1963 - 4th printing

Pocket 4521 - July 1963 - 4th printing