Gil Cohen: Inside/Out - The Archive Collection

I've covered countless books and stories here at Paperback Warrior that feature artwork created by the legendary Gil Cohen. My first experience with the Philadelphia native was his exceptional paperback covers for The Executioner series, created by Don Pendleton. His detailed brushstrokes defined the imagery for Mack Bolan for several decades, including the spin-off titles associated with the character's rich history. 

In 2020, Robert Deis and Wyatt Doyle collaborated on a visual collection of paperback covers, One Man Army, featuring hundreds of Cohen paintings, most central to The Executioner and Mack Bolan mythos. That book, which was available in hard and soft covers from New Texture, focused solely on Cohen's paperback artistry. However, Cohen was extremely prolific in the pages of men's action-adventure magazines, often referred to as MAMs. 

There isn't a duo on Earth more skilled in telling the history of the MAM era than Deis and Doyle. Both have made it their mission to highlight and document this unique, storied tradition of vintage magazines. Both have excelled in presenting coffee table, awe-inspiring volumes that capture the essence of the MAM. Books like Weasels Ripped My Flesh!, He-Men, Bag Men, & Nymphos, Barbarians on Bikes, and artist portfolios including legends like George Gross, Mort Kunstler, and Samson Pollen.

The two have once again created a beautiful coffee table book titled Gil Cohen: Inside/Out - The Archive Collection. This is a deluxe, full-color hardcover (150ish pages) featuring Cohen's magazine covers and interior illustrations found in MAMs from the 1950s through the 1970s. I haven't counted them all yet, but according to MensPulpMags.com, there are 160 high-resolution images. Considering MAMs are very rare, this may be one of the only times a casual fan and reader will even see these paintings. 

My favorites include the book bonus artwork, including Force 10 from Navarone (Alistair MacLean, Male 1970), The Executioner (Don Pendleton, For Men Only 1969), and Thunderball (Ian Fleming, Argosy 1961). I also enjoyed reading Deis's foreword on Cohen's legacy as an artist and his contributions to Martin Goodman's Magazine Management Company, arguably the birthplace of Marvel Comics. 

Deis and Doyle promise that this book is the first in a planned four-volume series showcasing Gil Cohen's MAM art. Based on the quality of this volume, I can't wait to see more. 

Get your copy of this fantastic book HERE.