153. October 1964 - Midwood “Take What You Want”. Blonde unbuttoning black dress standing in green bedroom. Husband sitting with head in hand.

Midwood 32-482 – ASK ME NO QUESTIONS by McCord, 1965.

ASK ME NO QUESTIONS art appeared again as an illustration for “The Swinging Coed” in the March 1968 issue of MAN’S.

154. October 1964 - Midwood “Don’t Be Easy”. Girl in gold bikini on deck of rich man’s yacht – owner & couple in background – white sky.

Midwood 32-455 – THE LOVE PIRATE by York, 1965. One of Rader’s favorite themes: the object of desire.

155. October 1964 - Midwood “Daytime in Suburbia”. Girl in black see-through nightgown against suburban sunset.

Midwood 32-450 – DAYTIME IN SUBURBIA by West, 1965.

156. November 1964 – Midwood “The Stakes Are High”. Girl in high evening hair-do in black low cut evening gown looking at papers from briefcase – man in background behind beaded curtain.

Midwood 32-468 – THE HIGHEST BIDDER by Fields, 1965.

157. November 1964 – Midwood “Ten O’clock Town”. Dark haired woman holding terry cloth robe (white) together under breasts – young sister in shorts & halter in clinch with fellow on stairs – red rug & blue background.

Midwood 32-464 – OPEN HOUSE by Ellis, 1965.

OPEN HOUSE art was flipped and recycled for Bee-Line 211, THE LOVE RACKET.

158. December 1964 – Midwood “Wanton in White”. (“The Playmates” is crossed out.) 2 girls on beach in bikinis, one standing, other lying down – water & sky background.

Midwood 32-465 – PAGAN SUMMER by Mayo (Gil Fox), 1965. 

PAGAN SUMMER was cropped and recycled for a black & white illustration in MAN’S January 1968

159. December 1964 – Midwood “The Playmates”. Girl in red striped short nightgown, strap off shoulder, sitting on rug hugging knee – low table with drink & stuffed animals – High Key.

Midwood 32-484 – FINDERS KEEPERS by Britain (Elaine Williams), 1965. Retitled reprint of LADDER OF FLESH. The author, Midwood editor Elaine Williams, committed suicide in 1964.

FINDERS KEEPERS art was recycled in 1966 for Private Edition 402, THE BITTER FLESH.

160. December 1964 – Midwood “The Leaking Truth”. Snowbound group in country lodge – 6 figures – foreground group blonde in tight ski pants with two college boys.

Midwood 32-478 – THE SWAP SET by Collier, 1965. No question they needed to change that manuscript title. The threesome in the background were recycled into a new cover for Bee-Line 229, shown here with Midwood F236, WILD HONEY.

161. January 1965 – Midwood “Kid Sister”. Teenage blonde sitting on floor crosslegged in open pajamas. Couple at door in background. Interior – morning.

Midwood 32-506 – KID SISTER by Clements, 1965.

162. January 1965 – Midwood “Guest Farm”. 17 year old blonde sitting on tree stump, wearing bra top and shorty jeans – man with rake and woman in background – motel.

Midwood 32-492 – HANDY-MAN by Clements, 1965.

163. February 1965 – Midwood “The Beauty Game”. Lesbian – Girl in foreground in black bra & panties – smart woman sitting in background. Low key.

Midwood 32-494 – THE BEAUTY GAME by Paine, 1965.  Who was Emory Paine? See OBSESSION below.

164. February 1965 – Midwood “The Cool Coed”. 3 girls – foreground girl in white robe on floor holding wine glass – 2nd girl on couch with leg up – 3rd girl hooking bra in black panties.

Midwood 32-496 – THE COOL COEDS by Ellis, 1965.

165. March 1965 - Midwood “Strange Mate” by Burt Hirshfeld (sic). Dark haired girl removing slip over head, back to viewer wearing hip length stockings, blond in background seated in red wing chair in pink slip & stockings. Bed in background. Low key.

Midwood 32-510 – OBSESSION by Emory Paine (Burt Hirschfeld), 1965. I was not expecting to learn any of the identities behind Midwood pen names from Paul Rader, but in this notebook entry he has given us the real author’s name. No idea why, he had never named an author before. 

166. March 1965 – Midwood – Teenage blonde in pajamas – man & wife in background.

Midwood 32-520 – SOONER OR LATER by Ellis, 1965.

167. March 1965 – Midwood – Top view of couple on floor – blonde in black stretch pants & gold orange sweater – hairdo above head, hands in hair, lying on back. Man on elbow in white sweater – vertical striped background.

Midwood 32-554 – CAMPUS JUNGLE by Ellis, 1965. Reprints Midwood 182 with new cover. Rader was with Midwood for 12 years, so long that he eventually was doing new covers for books he had done a different cover for before.

168. no date – Midwood – 8 b&w inside illustrations for 2 stories – “Satin in Silk”
- “Strangers Make the Best Lovers”. $400.

Midwood 34-505 – THE VOLUPUARY / ONE FOR ALL by Nelson / Woods. Photo cover. The first of Rader’s 12 interior sets for Midwood. They paid him $50. for each illustration. The titles are switched inside the book, so the first four illustrations are for ONE FOR ALL, the last four for THE VOLUPTUARY.

169. April 1965 – Midwood “The Kenyon Girl”. Three girls in dressing room – low key mood.

Midwood 32-522 – WINNER TAKE ALL by Clements, 1965. 

170. April 1965 – Midwood “An Evil Kind of Love”. Teenage dark hair girl looking at nude blonde at dressing table – high key.

Midwood 32-523 – ALONE AT LAST by Russo (Gil Fox), 1965.

171. April 1965 – Midwood 8 b&w inside illustrations for 2 stories – “Pickup” – “On Call”.

Midwood 34-518 – ON CALL / THE PICKUP by Nelson / Curtis, 1965. Photo cover.

172. May 1965 – Midwood “The Doctor and the Dyke” – blonde on red couch in white slip – doctor sitting in chair on right. Low key.

Midwood 32-527 – SECRET SESSION by Hytes (John Plunkett), 1965. Retitled reprint of Midwood Y176. Rader’s notes reveal the book still had its original title at the time he painted and sold this cover art. The painting re-appeared on the British paperback DEVIATION, shown in our UK section.

173. May 1965 – Midwood “The Boss’s Daughters”. Teenage blonde in transparent white shorty nighty standing in doorway of her bedroom – pastel colors.

Midwood 32-539 – HONEY CHILD by Hamilton, 1965. Midwood published a book at this time called THE BOSS’S DAUGHTER, #37-534, but Rader was not the cover artist. His description matches HONEY CHILD instead.

174. May 1965 – Midwood “Twice With Julie” sitting couple back to back man in pajama pants & dark-haired girl nude holding white sheet in one hand covering front except one breast – low key.

Midwood 32-541 – TWICE WITH JULIE by Hytes (John Plunkett), 1965. Second printing of Midwood F188 with new Rader cover.

175. June 1965 – Midwood “Temporary Secretary”. Young blonde taking dictation – low cut dress – dark blue, red print – boss standing at right looking at cleavage.

Midwood 32-535 – TEMPORARY SECRETARY by Ellis, 1965.

176. June 1965 – Midwood – 8 inside b&w illustrations for “Runaway” and “Off Limits”.

Midwood 32-533 – RUNAWAY / NOW OR NEVER by Nelson, Haney, 1965. Photo cover.

177. June 1965 – Midwood “Strictly For Profit”. Two men and redhead in low cut red cocktail dress at club dinner table – blue background.

Midwood 32-567 – STRICTLY BUSINESS by Brandon, 1965.

Midwood recycled this cover art just a year later for THE ADDED ATTRACTION / CAUGHT IN THE ACT, Midwood 34-772.

178. July 1965 – Midwood “The She Menace”. Dark haired girl in transparent red negligee, woman on knees – high key.

Midwood 34-636 – MIDNIGHT MISTRESS / PRIVATE PLEASURES by Hayes / Stevens, 1966. Interior illustrations by an unknown artist. Midwood paid once but got two covers out of this painting. On this, the first, only the dark-haired woman appears. The entire painting was used later on 21 GAY STREET, Midwood 33-854, shown below.

179. June 1965 – Photo series at Metropolitan Opera Building for High Fidelity Magazine. (not shown)

180. July 1965 – 8 inside b&w for “The Swingers” & “The Sweetest Tramp” – Midwood.

Midwood 34-548 – THE SWINGER / NOT SO NICE by Brooks / Haney, 1965.

Photo cover.

181. July 1965 – Midwood “Hip Chick”

Young blonde in shorty blue jeans and knotted polka dotted blouse looking at garden party – yellow sky.

Midwood 32-579 – COUNTRY GIRL by Ellis, 1965. Rader would soon do another cover used for HIP CHICK, this one matches the cover of COUNTRY GIRL.

182. August 1965 – Midwood “Luxury Liner”. Four figures, blue background.

Midwood 32-578 – ALL TOGETHER NOW by Mayo (Gil Fox), 1965.

183. August 1965 – Midwood 8 inside B&W illustrations for “Not So Innocent” and “Not a Mortal Sin”.

Midwood 34-562 – NOT SO INNOCENT / SUGAR AND SPICE by Moore / Ellis, 1965.  Rader will re-use plate 7 one year later for the cover of 34-679, GIRL IN THE MIDDLE.

184. September 1965 – Midwood – “Bernice Marque”. Blonde in white satin gown, bronze statuette, man in black tie suit – low key.

Midwood 32-589 – THE BODY BEAUTIFUL by DeMarco, 1966.

185. September 1965 – Midwood – 8 b&w illustrations for “Allison” & “Forgive & Forget”.

Midwood 34-576 – GIRL ABOUT TOWN / DO UNTO OTHERS by Grant / Stevens, 1965. Photo cover. Rader used plate 2 for the cover of CAMPUS QUEEN, 33-682.