French "Gore" series

[bushwick]

Not sure if this in the right place, but it'll have to do.

I was just looking for stuff on Shaun Hutson on the web (don't ask), when I saw covers for French editions of some of his books (inc 'Chainsaw Terror' by 'Nick Blake'), under the series heading "Gore". Checked the link, and there's a whole (French) blog devoted to this series of books. My French is conversational at best, but there looks to be some good interviews and background about this series of books, running to over a hundred editions. The first in the series is Russo's 'NOTLD', there's some Laymon there, some French authors I've not heard of, some Hutson, Lewis Mallory.

This seems to have sparked a memory for me - I swear I remember seeing some of these covers in shops in France during a school visit when I was 11, and being suitably impressed. The cover paintings are superb, very explicit and go way further than the (admittedly not always tame) British pulp covers of the time. Throats torn out, naked women disembowelled, hung from hooks, axes in heads...nudity and gore all over the place. Most countries in Europe put us to shame, don't they? These were displayed in bookshops and newsagents for all to see and as far as I know the moral fibre of France is still reasonably intact. This seems to have been a very long running series. Some of the French titles sound fascinating - I wonder if they were ever translated into English. Does anyone know any more about this series? Justin?

Anyway, have a look at this site and the very nasty cover illoes:

collectiongore.canalblog.com/

edit: Might be teaching my grandma to suck eggs here, but have found out a little more. This series was put out by Fleuve Noir, who seem to be a sort of French NEL who started out in the 50s, specialising in pulps. The series ran from 85-90 apparently, over a hundred books in 5 years which is pretty good going. Timeframe is a little later than the UK 'nasty' boom. I presume these things were good sellers. Admirable lack of censorship on those covers, anyway! Good old France, a country where no one bats an eyelid over nudity on advertising billboards...

[bushwick]

shit, there's even HG Lewis' '2000 Maniacs' there! (Gore 13)

and Guy N Smith! and Harry Adam Knight's 'Slimer'! and 'Night-Shriek' by Michael Wolfitt! and John Halkin! 'Pestilence' by Edward Jarvis! they're all there!

and who the hell puts a huge circular saw going inbetween a woman's legs, right up to the belly, on a bloody book cover? jesus!

lots of 'inspiration' taken from various movies on these covers...I've already spotted Re-Animator, Cannibal Ferox, Cannibal Holocaust...great hack work!

[andydecker]

thanks for the link.

Some really interesting coverwork. They sure had a thing for dismemberment, huh?

I never knew that Richard Laymon was so big in France.

[erebus]

Had a laugh looking at those. Great link Thank You. Some of those gore covers have APPALING artwork. Did they send A4 sheets of paper to primary schools and ask them to draw a nasty picture. Particuar around the 70 onwards mark.

And what the hell is going on on the cover of book 108 ??