 "Pin
Up Poster Book--the Billy DeVorss Collection"
by Max Allan Collins
Collectors Press, 1997
Pin-up artists, as a
whole, are a very unsung group. Just like pulp writers, these artists toiled
away to make easily sellable commercial art, but looking back on these
calendars, matchbook covers, magazine covers, and pin-up postcards, you
see that the art is more than just throw-away consumerism. The golden age
of pin-up art (1930's through the 1950's) gave us great artists like Vargas,
Elvgren,
Petty,
Armstrong,
and
Driben. Following in the wake of these masters where
some unsung artists like Billy DeVorss. A good pin-up artist
had a way of capturing the free and easy feminine spirit of the golden
age of glamour. Some pin-up artists dealt with kitschy cuteness, some with
sophisticated sensuality, while others were drew to just titillate. DeVorss
was
different. Even though he played around with these elements, his works
mostly dealt with a stylized romanticism. To quote the author, "The characteristic
DeVorss
girl is neither coy nor compromised; she boldly engages the reader with
her eyes. No matter how skimpy or non-existent her outfit, she is unashamed.
The
DeVorss girl knows she is beautiful, and pride and self-esteem
create an aura around her that merges with her beaming, wholesome, apple-cheeked
smile. She is confident, not arrogant, and she is almost always happy."
Here are a few examples of DeVorss' work:
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