#305309 - New Modern Bizarre of the Unusual No. 20

New Modern Bizarre of the Unusual, Number 20
Digest Publications
Toronto, Canada
ca. 1958

digital replica

We don't know much about the origins of New Modern Bizarre of the Unusual, No. 20. Some retailers claim that it contains content created by John Willie, but it's probably more accurate to say that this digest has components and styles that were inspired by Mr. Coutts and his Bizarre magazine.

None of the illustrations were drawn by him. There are a couple by Eric Stanton and Janine of Fads & Fancies . And others we can't connect to anyone.

There's a photo set spread through the 68 pages — a woman sitting on a stool with steel legs, wearing striped stockings and black pumps with six-inch heels. This looks a little like Mr. Coutts' style. A few photos show only her legs. If these are complete (i.e., un-cropped), it's unlikely to be his work as he usually showed complete figures, head to toe. And the shoes are about two sizes larger than the model's feet. Other photographs cannot be his as heels are too short or deal with themes he never addressed.

Like Bizarre magazine, the prose has a breezy quality. Short pieces by men read like one-sided conversations, with a bit of vernacular. As in this specimen of mid-century female objectification titled Slim Gals:

It is noted that a percentage of readers favor curved figures from Mae West pleasant plumpness to type of shapely women. Wow! Are we putting our foot forward!

To put it bluntly, gals, plump femmes have something that thin gals haven't — curves! Secret of fascination of plump women is not her weight — it's the lure in her curves. It's thrilling contrast of bosom, waist and hips. Not the ugly side-seeing hips but those luscious curves at back which are as much a part of a woman as the rest. Slim gals must do something about it. If they are all small built, then waists must be waspish even if it means tight-lacing in the old fashioned style.

Waists must not be more than one-half of breast measurements. In fact, if one can measure one-third will do the boys nicely! Otherwise the slims will be placed on the shelf stuck with outdated things in Mother Hubbard's cupboard like yesterday's whalebone corset.

Note the gals hitting the spotlight these days. Take Anita Ekberg, for instance. You — the bald-headed gent on the right — you take her measurements! A busty forty and our ruler still can add. Of the measurements of Marilyn Monroe? That's household figures by now, along with recipes for glamour girls to tint hair direct from E.S.B. This includes, of course, grandma Mae West, Jayne Mansfield, Busty Brown (of pix and burlesque), Italian Gina, Jane Russell, Betty Grable, Lana Turner, Tempest Storm, and Jenny Lee.

That great entrepreneur of the theater on the West coast, Faris, the feller who has twenty movies to his credit and half a dozen theaters in his selection, the pride of the Minsky's of the West and El Rey in Oakland, says she has 'em all beat and hep - Tempest Storm.

It's quite a set-down from the bust-line to the arch support. But beauty rests on its feet. Same bosomy gal who above the breadline looks curvaceous, might appear tottery on heels which you could do a dance on or catch a West Madison Avenue bus.

Sad these words: but one must be ruthless and wear real stilts. And further advice to the slim gal at this invasion of the bosomy ones - is to wear plenty of jewelry and heavy make-up. One must outdo the bosomy gal at her own game. We nominate Lizzy Taylor of cinema our vote on this.

Illustrated with two head shots of young Elvis Presley, showing complexion issues.

No magazine of this type would be complete without an article about chastity belts. Seen here with odd, old drawings.

Battling Amazons shows two women fighting in bras, garter belts, stockings and big panties. Other paragraphs speculate about the symbolism of the Rumba.

With two Janine drawings, a short essay discusses turn-of-the-century corsets. A letter advises how to salvage stockings by simmering mismatched pairs. Other texts present detailed descriptions of apparel ensembles with strong fetish notes.

And one publicity photo of Gypsy Rose Lee.

On the day the New Modern Bizarre ebook first appears on this website, an online bookseller offers the original at $85. Produced after Mr. Coutts left Canada, it offers a vivid peek into the fetish appetites of its creators.

The ebook contains all content of the booklet in the original page sequence. Some walls, floors and margins were cropped out. A few page layouts were revised.

Brightness, contrast and levels were adjusted and shadows reduced. The ebook improves on the clarity of the printed version.

All new scans.

One ebook, delivered by download from your 30th Street Graphics account.