Renato Fratini, 1967, gouache on board
Cover illustration commissioned by Corgi Crime for a Mickey Spillane novel published in 1965. 'Me Hood' was originally published in July 1959 as a complete novelette in Cavalier magazine.
The “pulpiest” of all pulp fiction writers, Spillane clearly hit on a formula that worked. His books have sold more than 225 million copies worldwide and seven of his books feature in the 15 bestselling books of all time in America. Eye-catching cover illustrations were critical to the sales strategy of moving large quantities of books off shelves quickly and, as a result, illustrators had extraordinary impact.
This artwork is sold with a copy of an original Me Hood! paperback featuring the Fratini artwork.
The original painting art board is approximately 40 cm wide x 55 cm tall.
