I think I love pulp fiction as much as Quentin Tarantino! The covers are works of art. Whilst admiring Ed Valigursky's covers I've noticed a recurring theme, an astronaut similar to our friend Mattel's Man In Space, Major Matt Mason! Ed's Matt has the same dark hair, beefcake looks and a white space suit with the iconic black-ribbed joints! I've posted a few examples of his pulp covers and two shots of the Major so you can see what I mean.
Now I'm not saying that Valigursky's spaceman became Major Matt! The source of the Major's spacesuit is likely to be have been the US Mercury and Gemini astronauts [ref. Wildtoys]. I'm just fascinated by the influence that the early US space missions had on late 1950's and 1960's popular culture like paperbacks and toys. As for the Valigursky man's head, with it's jet black short hair and hollywood looks, it appears frequently in his pulp art and for all we know may be a self-portrait of the young Ed himself. I wonder who Matt Mason's face was based on? Anyone know?
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