This is the strangest tie-in I've ever come across - it's not based on a TV series or film, well not officially. But the title's Leatherwood, the main character is Cliff Leatherwood. And is the resemblance on the cover to a certain Clint Eastwood a coincidence?
I've not read it, picked it up amongst a pile of secondhand books but it amuses me but the plot, involving a freedom fighter called Benito Juarez makes it sounds as if it's aiming for the feel of the dollar films.
It was published by Powell Books of California in 1970 and is credited to the name Stack Sutton. It was probably a house pen-name. The publisher's
address is in Sherman Way, Reseda and there is a list of other western titles inside the book but author names are not specified. There doesn't seem to be a cover price anywhere on the book.It shows how vibrant the paperback business was in those days - books like this would have probably turned a tidy little profit.
WESTERN RELATED -There's a great interview with Black Horse Writer, John Paxton Sheriff over on Western Fiction review
2 comments:
That book is REALLY intriguing. The only Powell Books I know of now is the Portland bookstore that is one of the biggest in the country. But I don't think they were ever in the publishing business and they started in Portland in 71.
I used to live near Sherman Way in Reseda - from what I remember, it was never a huge commercial street but more residential with some mini-malls. More so in 1970, so I'm thinking maybe this was a mom-and-pop business. But what is more interesting is that there are no author's names - but you don't think they were written by the same Sutton dude?
The cover sure is a 1970 look, man. Far out.
Powell Books was a small California firm whose main claim to fame (I believe) was Darkness Weaves.., the first of Karl Edward Wagner's Kane stories. Because of the scarcity and cheesiness of many of the books, they command fairly stiff prices today. Many of the books (in numerous genres) were written by Charles Fritch; perhaps this one was too. Fritch edited the short-lived sf magazine Gamma, and served as editor during the last days of Mike shayne Mystery Magazine.
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