CALMCATION.COM - ARTBOOKS OF FANTASY, ADVENTURE & NOSTALGIA !!

Jungle Tails Vol. 1, 2 & 4
(1996 / 1998 / 2003 - SQP (Sal Quartuccio Publications))

Jungle girls - everywhere, all the time. The first volume, though not marked as such, has 64 full-page drawings bookended with four color paintings. Within the jungle theme, a lot of diversity can still be found - well, with the one exception of the startling amount of snake-wrestling. The fur bikini is seen quite a bit, but any number of the fems are wearing less or nothing. There is a bit of perceived salaciousness, but it slips in just under the line with a wink & a nudge. Each piece has the artist's byline, and they are all well-presented - namely: Quique Alcatena (2), Alonso (2), Tom Artis (2), Scott Barnett, Doug Beekman, Jose Casanovas (2), Carlos DeMiguel (2), Kim DeMulder, Fauve, Fernando Fernandez, Blas Gallego (7), Darren Goodacre, Brad Gorby (3), Randy Green (2), Stephen Hickman (2)**, Joe Jusko, Rosa Lleida, J. L. Marin (2), Esteban Maroto (4), Gray Morrow, Pena, Ron Randall, Kevin Rasel (3), Bob Rhett (3), Luis M. Roca (3), Romero (3), Arantza Sestayo (2), Louis Small Jr., Cesar Spadari, El Topo (2), Enrique Villagran (2), Ricardo Villagran (2), Jeff Watts (2) and Juan Zanotto (2).

** - Note that Hickman's 'well-presented' pieces here cannot additionally be found so in his own collections on The List.

Volume 2 does not fare as well. Again, paintings on the outside, but one of the inner covers is a drawing, instead of a painting, and the other inner cover is given over to a promotional presentation of the covers of their other books (not in color, but b-&-w reproductions). One of the pages is a long drawing turned sideways and there's a double-page spread that does not overcome the problem of the central gutter. This time, endless snake-wrestling gives way to instead wrestling alligators & other huge lizards. Also, strangely, there are so many different 'swipes' of particular Frank Frazetta images that I begin to suspect there is an untrumpeted homage going on here. A couple of drawings suggestively cross the line into the realm of adult themes, so I keep the book put away from children. This time the well-represented artists are: Sebastià Boada (4), Mitch Byrd (8), Castro (2), Carlos DeMiguel (4), Blas Gallego (7), Gerard Gallego (2), Tomas Giorello (7), Josep Gual, Mike Hoffman (5), Llopis (2), Anibal Maraschi (2), Maren (3), Esteban Maroto (4), Luis M. Roca (5), Romero (4), Sanjulian (2), Marc Sasso and Jose Torres.

Vol.4: Not appropriate for children or adolescents. While one of the 64 drawings is turned sideways, there are two additional lovely paintings, on the front & back covers, and this time out, there seems to be more of an even diversity throughout the collection. Several of the images jumped over the adults-only line, so the book should remain put away from minors. The included artists, all 'well-presented', are: Mitch Byrd (7), Diego Candia (3), Capdevila, Oscar Capristo (4), Abel Carrasco, Alejandro Colucci (4), Pedro Cuevas (4), Isaac DelRivero (3), Gustavo DeSimone (3), Marcelo Fleitas, Blas Gallego (2), Tomas Giorello (5), Danilo Guida, Dario Hartmann (3), Pablo Kousovitis (2), Brian LeBlanc (3), LLopis (2), Anibal Maraschi (4), J.L. Marin, Ruben Meriggi (3), Federico Ossio, Lucio Parrillo (3), Joan Pelaez**, David Pugliese (2), and Emiliano Urdinola.

** - Note that the 'well-presented' piece here by Pelaez cannot additionally be found so in his own collection on The List.

other collections of prurient interest

SQP books

SQP's Flirt books