GERALD POWELL, The "MAJOR" Cover Illustrator

Gerald "Gerry" Powell carried the cover art load at Major Books for all four years of their short existence; from 1975 thru 1978. A generally low print run, mass-market offshoot of Milton Luros' California based erotica publishing house American Art Enterprises, Inc., Major concentrated instead on mainstream genres; westerns, historicals, adventure, romances, gothics, mysteries, thrillers, crime, fantasy, and science fiction. While there were several well-known authors that Major published, it was mostly first-timers and pseudonyms that dominated their lineup. Some of these writers were quite good though while others weren't. Approximately 200 titles were published, maybe more, though determining an exact figure may be impossible to obtain at this late date. Powell seemingly produced more than half of all of their cover art. A staggering amount to be sure, especially when you consider that so many of his paintings averaged 30 x 20 inches in size.

Gerald Powell's commercial art roots go back to the 1950s and '60s, and many fully established publishers and clients. He produced dozens of paperback covers for Gold Medal, Signet, Pyramid and Dell, in addition to hardcover art for Whitman and Arcadia House. I'm sure he produced dustjacket art for several other hardcover publishers too. He also supplied illustrations to various men's adventure magazines, or MAM's, as they are commonly called. But it was his astonishing output at Major in the late 1970s that I find so thoroughly fascinating. What a absolute grinder he was. And what a major talent too!

That's one mighty big blaster Powell painted, but his man better turn around cause the threat is also behind him! Seven Steps to the Arbiter by L. Ron Hubbard was published by Major in 1975. It was originally published in 1949 as The Kingslayer, a collection of three linked stories. L. Ron Hubbard, before he became what he is today (whatever that is), was a prolific writer of entertaining pulp fiction.

"Everywhere, Kit Kellan saw nations entangled in wars, people starving, decent governments falling, planets in shambles. He saw ruin spreading throughout the galaxy. And he knew it was all due to the vicious, unheeding rule of the Arbiter, who held absolute dictatorial power throughout known space. Kit had been ordered to kill the Arbiter. but because Kit could not prove the facts about his past, he was a man without a country, a planet, or a future. He was an outlaw everywhere he went. And besides, nobody knew who or where the Arbiter was..."

Powell produced the cover art on House of Secrets, and apparently on every gothic in Major's lineup-- around 30 or so. This book was published in 1976. Edna Ames was a pseudonym of Andrew J. Collins, who co-authored the science-fiction thriller, The Rombella Shuttle, another title issued by Major. I suspect Collins had a hand in a few other Major's as well.

"Dana Reardon had been summoned from her brother's wealth. He'd died unexpectedly, and his beautiful young widow had been unable to locate the vast fortune Dana's brother had hidden somewhere in the old house, in one of its secret rooms. Only Dana knew the secret passageways, the rooms with no doors; she'd played in them as a child. But Dana was grown now; she'd blocked the house from memory. There wasn't even a glimmer of recollection-- but her sister-in-law, and her accomplices, had devised ways to force Dana to cooperate... Dana knew she had to get away from the sinister forces at the house; there had to be a way...if only she could remember!"

This is one of Powell's best covers, a masterful display of figures in motion. Aussie Lawman by Glenn Holt was published by Major in 1976. Glenn Holt is probably a pseudonym, or perhaps just a one time acceptance by Major-- I couldn't find any other titles there, or, for that matter, elsewhere. 

"A grueling, deadly pursuit. an Australian Mounty, a Scotland Yard Detective, and a native bushman set out to track the murderer of the town's leading citizen. Across the scorching desert, ambushed by pigmies, the trio unrelenting stalk their man. What none of them knew or suspected was that the fugitive was waiting for them!"

The curtains are billowing but the window appears to closed---what's up with that, Gerry? Briarwood by Kay Ashby was published by Major in 1976. Kay Ashby also wrote five other novels, all gothic styled mysteries of a sort: Climb A Dark Cliff (Dell, 1972), Crown Valley (Dell, 1973), Cold Chill of Coptos (Beagle, 1974), and Marcadia (Dell, 1974). 

"She returned to the old mansion with her childhood memories of sepia photographs and tales told to her by her family. She'd expected grandeur-- but found a crumbling mansion, overrun with weeds and scurrying creatures in the night. Little by little, she restored the house and met her neighbors. It was then she learned of the secrets long-buried and never discussed; it was then she found her life in deadly danger!"

Here you can see the color difference between Powell's original art and the printed version. Gunfire at Purgatory Gate by Martin Ryerson was published by Major in 1976. It appears that Martin Ryerson wrote a passel of western novels: Showdown at Devil's Fork (Vega, 1963), Gun-fire at Big Needles (Vega, 1964), Sudden Rage at War Rim (Vega, 1964) Thunder in the Badlands (Avalon, 1964), Border Justice (Avalon, 1965), The Gunfighter (Award, 1970), The Bitter Breed (Major, 1977), Sheriff Without A Gun (Major, 1978), Canyon Fire (Leisure, 1980), The Quick Badge (Leisure, 1981), and A Nest Of Rattlers (Leisure, 1981). Wow! Naming a western is kinda like naming a rock band-- it's half the fun!

"Purgatory Gate was a nowhere town, just a resting place for the stagecoaches. Nobody would stay there unless he had to-- which made it very convenient for every gunslinger, bushwhacker, and bandit for miles around. When the town mayor hired Adam Grant to get rid of the outlaws, they laughed. One man against an army of thieves and killers? But they didn't know Adam, or what he could do with a pair of smoking .44s!"

Powell repurposed this painting on the April, 1984, cover of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine. William L. Rivera's Panic Walks Alone was published by Major in 1976. The book has a dedication, so I'm betting that William L. Rivera is the author's real name, though this may have been his only foray into fiction. 

"As far as the police were concerned, the murder of the insurance executive was just one of those things; another "senseless" killing by some nut. But the company's Board of Directors felt differently about their employee's death. A lot differently! They attached a much more complex, and dangerous, meaning to it; one that threatened the security of the business and the lives of their employees. That's when they called in Turo Bironico-- a very special kind of investigator!"

I saw this Powell cover being ridiculed on another blog for obvious reasons, but I don't think it should be taken quite so literally. The Implosion Effect by Gary Paulsen was published by Major as a paperback original in 1976. Gary Paulsen, who passed away last month at the age of 82 after going more than two decades with a bad ticker, published more than 200 novels, most of them for the young adult market, but that didn't make them any less compelling. He was, and always will be, one of America's best writers. 

"The International Combine. They swore to Jason that there was nothing genuinely illegal about building a secret satellite tracking station... just smart businessmen getting the jump on the stock market. And for half a million dollars, Jason Theiss was ready to believe them. That was before the murders began, and before some over-anxious governments decided to muscle in."

The Silent Scream by Jane Lake was published by Major in 1976. Powell used the classic gothic theme "women running from houses" for his cover illustration (also take note of the menacing figure watching from the window!). Jane Lake is a pseudonym of Marianne Joyce Maglich (1943- ), who wrote only one other novel, Images of Evil, a gothic thriller published two years earlier by sister-press Canyon Books. 

"Alison had been commissioned to illustrate Margaret Palmer's newest book; a children's story built around the monstrous chimeras guarding the mansion. They were ugly, frightening stone creatures that silently warned people away. The stone heads simultaneously repelled and fascinated Alison-- until their horrible secrets put her life in jeopardy!"  It looks like Powell placed a chimera centered among the second floor windows, but the title font is unfortunately obscuring it.

After enduring the "Big Lie" for more than a year now, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at this book and its cover art by Powell (while still being absolutely scared to death for the future of our precious democracy). The Deadly Election was published by Major in 1976, and it was one of only a couple of novels that Mort Castle wrote before he became associated as a celebrated teacher, writer and editor of horror fiction. His award-winning writing chops, rough hewed as they were back then, are still abundantly evident in this fun-filled romp of a political thriller.

"When there was a sudden slaughter of the top Mafia dons, and a tripling of violent crimes in the streets of America... V. Dano Drake [a descendant of Dracula] knew it was time to announce his candidacy for President of the United States. But one man-- fabulously wealthy Jabez Wonders [Walt Disney in disguise], owner of the biggest fantasyland in America-- knew who was behind the sweeping crimewave, and he planned to stop him. That's when he pulled together three of the most unusual people in the country, and put them into training. A very special kind of training, for a very special assignment! CODE NAME KALEIDOSCOPE!"

Powell knew that you can't have a train thriller without somebody getting thrown overboard. Cell Car 54 by James M. Fox was published by Major in 1977. It was first published as Free Ride by Popular Library in 1957. James M. Fox was a pseudonym of Dutch born, Johannes Matthijs Willem Knipscheer (1908-1989), a writer valued mostly for his hard-boiled mystery series Johnny and Suzy Marshall. He also wrote under the pen-name Grant Holmes.

"Sergeant Jerry Long thought he was pulling simple escort duty. He'd baby-sit Leo Maxwell, a boxer-pimp who was being extradited from New Orleans on a California manslaughter charge. Off duty, he planned to cruise the lounge car, check out the action, and even grab some shut-eye. But other people had other plans for him! First, Long rousted a trigger-happy Sicilian gorilla who tried to camp out in the next car. Then there were tow beautiful broads, just dying to get their painted claws into Maxwell's throat. And those other creeps, lurking about, eyeing him and his prisoner. Long knew he was in trouble-- deep trouble. The train was crawling with Syndicate hitmen. They had one target: Leo Maxwell. And there'd be a dead cop, too-- if Long dared to block the way to Car 54."  I can't get the theme song from the television show Car 54 out of my head!

The Rombella Shuttle by Bill Convertito and Andrew J. Collins was published by Major in 1977. Some people think this is the worst science fiction novel that's ever been written. It probably isn't, but it's not a book you would gladly press into someone's hand either, unless you just wanted to get rid of the damned thing! Powell's cover art is pretty cool though.

"Talk about Environmental impact! Earth's time table suddenly speeded up. The population began to reproduce like crazy-- in defiance of established zero population growth principles-- and gestation took only three months! Hospitals were packed with kids who could walk, talk, and do other strange things only a few days after delivery! Soon there wouldn't be enough money, or food, or water in the world to support them. And still they kept coming! So Martin James and the other scientists of his Institute of Applied Logic were hired to discover why, and how, and who on Earth (or in Space) was behind the baby boom-- before the whole world went broke... or starved... or died of thirst!"

I love the way Powell has his building just cracking in half like an egg. The Accident by Walt Browder was published by Major in 1977. It doesn't appear that Walt Browder published any more books after this, or even before it, at least under that name.

"Top Secret: On this afternoon, from 36,000 feet over Georgia swampland, an Air Force fighter plane, carrying a nuclear bomb, crashed, killing the pilot and destroying the plane. The bomb, however, was still intact and thrown clear, and... A taut story of insanity and destruction that hasn't happened yet-- but it could!"

Powell was clearly at his best painting western themes. Some of them are so accomplished that I think they should be hanging in museums. The Bushwackers by Cliff Davis was published by Major in 1977. Cliff Davis could be a real person, but the name is not attached to any other books besides this one that I know of, nor is there any other information about the author online.

My actual copy of this book got inadvertently sent away before I could inspect the copyright page or capture the blurb off the back. All I have is what's pasted on the front:

                               "SOME MEN KILL TO LIVE-- THE LIVED TO KILL!"

This one is definitely museum worthy by Powell. The Caves by Norman Thaddeus Vane and R. Rude was published by Major in 1977. I don't know who R. Rude is, but Norman Vane was an accomplished screenwriter, producer, playwright and film director. His screenplay credits range from television series episodes to 1968's Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter to 1983's Frightmare. He also directed Frightmare. His published works include the novelization of Lola (Avon, 1971), the horror novel The Exorcism of Angela Gray (Belmont, 1974), and of course The Caves. Vane was also a frequent contributing writer to Penthouse magazine.

"1884. The Immense Arizona wasteland. Geronimo and his band of murderers race over desert and sagebrush. In pursuit are Major Pilcher and the 4th Cavalry, slowed by an exhausted group of terrified civilians, but driven on by a reward of $100 in gold for every warrior's scalp. The hunted and the hunters close at the sky-high stone walls of Skeleton Canyon. Geronimo is trapped. The soldiers brace for battle. But the Indians make no move to break out-- instead, they silently disappear into the foreboding canyon walls. Half of Pilcher's command enters the The Caves-- and are trapped by a landslide. Thus begins an incredible two-month odyssey of desperate men set against nature and one another. Terrified soldiers and civilians are faced with Apaches in ambush, death, starvation, cannibalism, and utter despair! The reward that drives them on is no longer gold-- it is survival!"

Sure, cowboys now ride jeeps instead of horses, but according to Powell they still hang cattle thieves like always. The Mutilators by Mervin Casey was published by Major in 1977. As far as cattle-mutilation novels go, this one has to be one of the best, but then again, it might just be the only one ever written. Mervin M. Casey Jr. (1937-2019) was a Colorado Springs native who worked for the El Paso County Department of Transportation Engineering Division until his retirement in 1999. He volunteered regularly at the Old Colorado City Historical Society and he was also the author Janus 13 (2003) a fast-paced thriller about a lone vigilante (dubbed the serial-serial by the FBI) who hunts down and kills serial murderers.

"[A Note from the Author: The Mutilators represents a fictionalized account of varied and widespread facts. One fact, not included in the novel, (but which appeared in both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post) remains: "On October 16, 1975, the horribly mutilated body of a woman was found in downtown Denver, Colorado. Her breasts and sex organs had been removed and she had been disemboweled." ...? ]"

"[A Note from the Publisher: While the mutilation of cattle has been going on for several years, it is a fact that between April and September of 1975, about 129 cattle were victims of these bizarre killings in Colorado alone. This book, however, is a novel; a fictional attempt to examine these strange events. Sutton County does not actually exist, nor do any of the characters mentioned within this novel. The characters and sites, and those who are portrayed as occupying official positions, do not depict the persons who actually held those positions and those places, at the time described in this novel.]"

"A reward of $25,000 has been offered for any clue leading to the capture and arrest of the MUTILATORS!"

"The favorite theory right now... is that occultists of some sort are involved... a rank amateur would not be able to (a) levitate so as to leave no footprints or drag marks, (b) drain out all the blood without leaving evidence of a pumping machine, (c) make the neat surgical incisions that were used to remove the organs and extremities, or (d) perform two such operations on the same night, hundreds of miles apart." -- Isaac Bonewits, Gnostica Magazine.

"The ranchers are... Literally up in arms... The thing that's puzzling and frightening to them is that somebody can get onto their ranches and actually cut up an animal and leave no trace. What we're afraid of is that we are going to have a homicide on our hands." -- Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

"The above quotes are taken from Alexander Cockburn's article, "Rippers of the Range," which appeared in the December issue of Esquire."

Bounty Man's Target by Buck Adams was published by Major in 1978. This is another paperback that has gone missing from my collection, but because of Powell's great cover art, I wish it were still there. Buck Adams is undoubtedly another pseudonym; the name isn't associated with any other books that have been published, western or otherwise. 

"The Mexican federales wanted him for his involvement in an Apache uprising that crossed their frontiers; the Tucson Raiders wanted him just for the fun of it. So Kildoon took refuge in a remote settlement for men who'd prefer not to be found. But once Kildoon learned about the gold, there wasn't a man alive who didn't want to see Kildoon dead!"

I've not seen any other covers with this particular horse and rider setup-- maybe it's a Powell exclusive! Gunslinger Justice by Dean W. Ballenger was published by Major in 1978. Dean Ballenger, who also wrote stories for MAM's and had a dozen novels published in various genres, is notorious with "trash lit" fans for having written the Gannon crime trilogy: Blood for Breakfast, Blood Fix and Blood Beast (Manor, 1974, all respectively). I owned and read the first volume, then unwittingly sold it to my local bookstore owner Patty. On my next visit she practically met me at the door. "One of your books is worth ten-thousand dollars on Abe!" she laughed. Well it's not, but someone did list the only available copy online for that absurd amount. It's gone now, so it's anybody's guess as to whether it got sold or not. Patty never listed my copy, and sold her store right before the pandemic hit. The new owners either forgot about it, or Patty took it with her to Texas. But seriously folks, it's only worth $20 dollars at best, no matter how scarce copies are.

"One of you is gonna git hanged, and I don't much care which one!" "When the Valley land baron sent five of his men to lynch the Dexter boy for something he couldn't have done... Gabe was obliged to hang on, and shoot two others... and it set off a range war with Gabe Monroe the No. 1 target!"

Here's another one of Powell's best covers, on Arthur Tofte's The Ghost Hunters. Major published it in 1978. Arthur Reginald Tofte wrote five science fiction novels (including this one, perhaps his best), one historical novel, one contemporary novel, and more than two dozen short stories, all while working for or being retired from Allis-Chalmers. He passed away in 1980 at the age of 78.     

"A master storyteller delves into the forbidden world of the supernatural and exorcism... The old castle had been preserved because of its priceless antiquities and vast collection of art treasures. Lately, the castle was beginning to deteriorate, sliding slowly into the lake. There was no logical explanation for what was happening; in fact, it seemed impossible. But seven concerned people were determined to find the mysterious reason-- even if it destroyed them!"

It's pretty easy to be carried away by Gerald Powell's illustrations-- for me anyhow. I love his solid compositions, colorful palette and painterly style. His western art, which he excelled at, is darn near faultless. The Secret Lover by Ursula Bloom was published by Major in 1978, and sported this handsome 30 x 20 acrylic and gouache painting by Powell on its cover. I've been unable to locate a copy of the book itself, online or anywhere-- it seems to be one of the rarer Major titles. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Englishwoman Ursula Bloom as being the most prolific female writer in history, with an estimated 564 romance and historical novels published. What an absolute grinder she was. And what a major talent too!

What Gerald Powell ended up doing after his art stint for Major is not really known. In fact, there's very little information about Powell at all; birth date and place, training, clients (besides known publishers), marriage, children, death, or what have you. Not that any of that really matters-- it's his body of work that's important. And for illustration nerds like me, his body of work is exemplary.

[November, 2021, © Jeffersen]