Panther Books Continued

 

Fiction of a Generation Edited by Whit & Hallie Burnett

Panther Books 1413 First 1962.

Mine Enemy Grows Older by Alexander King

Panther Books 1453 First 1962.

The Camp Across the River by J.W.G. Moran

Panther Books 1468 First 1963.

The Keener Love by Sally Thompson

Panther Books 1496 First 1963.

Redcap by Philip McCutchan

Panther Books 1532 First 1963.

The Kilroy Gambit by Irwin R. Blacker

Panther Books 1557 First 1963.

The Mind of Mr Soames by Charles Eric Maine

Panther Books 1700 First 1964.

Summer Glare by Gerard Hamilton

Panther Books 1734 First 1964.

Two Panther Books I am looking for are Ack-Ack by General Sir Frederick Pile Panther Book No. 623 Published 1956 and The Fall of the a Titan by Igor Gouzenko Panther Book No.1038 Published 1960.

I have two copies of Ack-Ack one with artwork uncredited and the other by John Vernon, The Fall of a Titan I have one copy uncredited. None of these uncredited ones are Peff's, but we know from Sam's records that he did illustrate covers for these tiles but maybe were not published.

Panther Books

Over the past couple of months his agent was doing very little apart from invoicing his client and getting his twenty percent agent fee, so Sam had to consider very seriously whether to dispense of his services and do it all himself.
Having received a phone call from his agent explaining he had read an advertisement by Panther Books who were seeking Artists to illustrate their paperbacks, on Sam's behalf he made a phone call to Panther this resulting in Sam having to make contact with the Art Director a Mr. Mortimer and make an appointment.
The result from this was a commission to illustrate the cover for The Amazing Mr. Doolittle.

It was after this initial meeting at Panther Books that Sam had decided to dispense with the services of his agent Hugh White.

The Amazing Mr. Doolittle by Quentin Reynolds

Panther Books 571 First 1956.

The Amazing Mr. Doolittle Rough.

Sam was to illustrate around thirty Panther covers between 1956 and 1964 two titles in particular gave him great satisfaction namely Joe Louis American and Jack Solomons Tells All, This as because he had been a very proficient amateur boxer and would have considered this as a profession but his greater love was art.

The Other Side of the Hill by B.H. Liddell Hart

Panther Books 575 First 1956.

Great Day in the Morning by Robert Hardy Andrews.

Panther Books 585 First 1956.

An RKO Picture Movie Tie-in.

Temptress Returns by Edward Allcard.

Panther Books 590 First 1956.

Nautical Series No.3

Lower Deck by John Davies.

Panther Books 596 First 1956.

The models on front cover are Sam to the right and Jack Cooper his brother-in law.

Joe Louis American by Margery Miller.

Panther Books 601 First 1956.

Art Sample Not Published.

Joe Louis American Pull.

No Lettering in Band.

Marshal Without Glory by Ewan Butler & Gordon Young.

Panther Books 608 First 1956.

Moscow by Theodor Plievier.

Panther Books 611 First 1956.

Animal Heaven by Alistair Scobie.

Panther Books 615 First 1956.

Animal Heaven Rough.

Rossano by Gordon Lett.

Panther Books 617 First 1956.

The Cruiser by Warren Tute.

Panther Books 621 First 1956.

Gideon Goes to War by Leonard Mosley.

Panther Books 634 First 1957.

Yangtse Incident by Lawrence Earl.

Panther Books 647 First 1956.

Friend or Foe? by Oreste Pinto.

Panther Books 653 First 1957.

10 Days to Die by Michael A. Musmann0.

Panther Books 657 First 1956.

Book of the Month No.8.

The Cretan Runner by George Psychoundakis.

Panther Books 659 First 1957.

Flying Saucers Have Landed by Desond Leslie & George Adamski.

Panther Books 663 First 1957.

The Truth About Edith Thompson by Lewis Broad.

Panther Books 670 First 1957.

Mister Adam by Pat Frank.

Panther Books First 1957.

In the Spring of 1955 Sam made contact with a Hugh White another Artists Agent and by mutual agreement severed his ties with Artists Partners.
Mr. White gained a commission for Sam and on the strength of this and the promise of further work decided to move into the World as a full time Freelance Commercial Artist, so on June 30th 1955 Sam started his new adventure.
It was from here that Sam was to do a Story Illustration for "Women's Own" the story title being "Red Red Rose".
For this Illustration Sam used himself and his wife Kity as the models for the photography session and took the pictures with his delayed action camera, develop and print them himself and chose one of the photos to illustrate the full colour rough for the Art Directors approval, after it was approved Sam carried on with the finished Illustration, and with acceptance of the finished artwork was offered another commission through Hugh White from "Woman's Own" unfortunately we do not know this title.

Red Red Rose 1955 for Woman's Own.

From here Hugh White had made contact with the Art Director at Corgi Books who was John Richards another very fine paperback cover artist whose work can be found on many Corgi titles, at this meeting Mr. White had taken with him a specimen of Sam's work and from this was commissioned to illustrate the 1956 Corgi edition of Peter Cheney's G-Man at the Yard.

The original artwork was sold at auction in 1993 and again  around 2008.

For this cover Corgi were paying for the Professional Modelling fee's and the photography session which was carried out by a West End photographer Arthur Brilliant.

G-Man at the Yard by Peter Cheyney.

Corgi Books T159 First 1956.

 G-Man at the Yard Original Artwork.

This led to Sam's second book cover for Corgi titled Jivaro published 1956 by Bertrand Flornoy about the Headshrinkers of the Amazon.

For this Sam made contact with The British Museum and was allowed admittance to the area that housed these items and proceeded to photograph shrunken heads for his reference shots. 

 Jivaro by Bertrand Flornoy.

                                                          Corgi Books S165 First 1956.

With the finished Jivaro artwork completed Sam made contact with his agent who up till now would take the final artwork for approval but at this time the agent was busy and asked Sam if he would deliver it, so after making an appointment with John Richards duly delivered it and was to meet him for the first time.

Approval for the artwork gained Sam was offered a Western Title to illustrate by the name of Tombstone.

Having amassed a great deal of reference material over the years from magazines of all types Sam was able to produce two roughs for John Richards approval, with ones of these being accepted Sam then went on to do the finished cover and again delivered this.

Tombstone by Clarence Budington Kelland.

Corgi Books P47 First 1956.

Tombstone Rough 1

Tombstone Rough 2

It was while working at Theatre Publicity Sam was thinking more of becoming a Freelance Artist and acquired the services of a company called Artists Partners an agency whose Director was a Mr. Donovan Candler and from here Sam was to illustrate the odd Press Advertising Feature.

While still in full time employment at Theatre Publicity some of the Directors decided to form a new company which was to be known as Pearl & Dean. Sam moved with the new company and was still in charge of the Art Department, one of the influences for moving was that the agency Artists Partners Studio was in that area.

At this time Sam gained his introduction into paperback cover art through his agency and was commissioned to do two covers for Milestone Publications both  for the Miss Otis series.

Ben Sarto, Miss Otis Moves In Circa 1954.

The model photo taken by and developed by Sam of his wife Kity for the above paperback cover.

The above two photos again taken by Sam.

One of these may have been used for the other title for Milestone Publications which Sam produced.

Any help on tracking this down would be very much appreciated.

A Brief Biography

Sam was born November 3rd 1921, one of three children sister Ivy and brother Jim, he left school at the age of 14years.
He started work in 1936 for Leon Goodman Displays earning seven shillings per week these were engaged in the constructing of cinema displays that adorned the cinema foyers.
Here Sam was employed for six months and he prepared the boards for the artwork.
It was here that he made the acquaintance of Henry Fox who was to become one of John Spencers top paperback Artists.
From here Sam moved on to Weddell Brothers who were poster writers and silk screen printers, here he gained his initial experience engaged in the duty's of filling in the outlined letters on posters with the colours required then to tracer, poster-writer and the finally artist. He was employed here from the Summer of 1936 until August 1941.
August 1941 Sam joined the Royal Navy and after training was passed as Able Seaman Gunner and joined the SS Empire Stour.
One of his expeditions of the war was the involvement in Operation Pedestal (The Relief of Malta Convoy) and was demobbed January 1946.

His first position after the war was to attend a Government Further Education Scheme and attend Hornsey School of Art on a grant of £3.00 per week.
After completing this course Sam found employment at an art studio run by a Mr. Moulding in Chancery Lane these were engaged in designing press adverts in line or line and wash.
Then on to Hope Advertising of Charing Cross Road who produced Film Posters here he was a Lettering Artist. Another move led Sam to John Defrene established in Wells Street where he illustrated a poster of Deanna Durbin which was placed in the foyer of The Tivoli Cinema in The Strand.

January 1st 1949 Sam married his wife Kit.

Whilst at Defrene's the seeds of Free-Lancing were sewn.
From Defrene's Sam was introduced to Theatre Publicity by his Brother in Law Jack Cooper who was later to become a stunt man, these were situated in Finchley Road.
Here Sam illustrated Film Posters and was later to take charge of the Art Studio it was here he first met John Vernon where an established friendship was made. It was while working here Sam was thinking more of becoming a Freelance Artist and joined a company called Artists Partners an Agency whose Director was a Mr. Donovan Candler, from here Sam was to illustrate the odd press advertising feature.

Advertising Art

Model in Car Boot Circa 1950's Signed Peff.

Unpublished Advertisement late 1940's

Specimen Magazine Illustration Circa 1950's Signed.

Specimen Magazine Illustration Unpublished late 1940's Signed.

Specimen Magazine Illustration  late 1940's Signed.

Portrait of J.E. Hoover late 1940's Unpublished Specimen Signed.

Black & White Drawing Unpublished Specimen Signed Peff.

Specimen Magazine Illustration Signed Peff.

Unpublished Cadburys Chocolate Advert Signed Peff.

Specimen Magazine Illustration late 1970's Signed.

 Pin-Up late 1940's for Artists Partners Agents.

Pin-Up late 1940's for Artists Partners Agents Unpublished.

Late 1970's Specimen Magazine Illustration Signed.

Early 1970's Pin-Up Signed.

Specimen Illustration late 1960's Signed.

Holiday images 1970's Unpublished Advertisement.

Raymond Chandler interest, black & white painting for a proposed London Weekend Television Series
called Chandlertown: The World of Raymond Chandler. The Artwork appeared on the cover of the Press Release Folder Circa 1980.
Do you have one? would love a copy.