vintage for men only ad of the day

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Vintage Ad #804: Electric Spot Reducer
But wait, there's more! For a limited time, we'll toss in a set of sanding discs that allow you to use the Spot Reducer for simple household tasks like finishing furniture!

Considering that this magazine is titled For Men Only, I'm guessing this product was meant to be purchased as a gift for the little lady, or else it wasn't considered macho enough to show a man using this product apart from its untapped potential as a workshop tool.

For Men Only was one of Martin Goodman's stable of men's adventure magazines that flourished from the early 1950s through mid-1970s. Though the contents page indicates this issue was put out by Canam Publishers (one of about six million publishing house names Goodman operated under), this issue bears the Atlas distribution logo that also marked Goodman's comic book line, which evolved into Marvel Comics. Stories tend toward the first person and are distinguished by sensationalistic titles and gory subheads. These magazine filled their audience's cravings for blood, guts, military adventure, exotic animals, illicit activities, true crime, medical oddities and the occasional slice of cheesecake.

Among the articles in this issue, besides those mentioned on the cover:
  • "The Day it Rained Blood"—a tale about construction workers falling to their death while building an unidentified Canadian bridge in 1949. Subhead: "They were squashed off the bridge the way you would wipe a spider off the sidewalk with your shoe. Then globs of human flesh spattered the ground."

  • "Blast Out His Belly"—a story about a battle with guerillas in Egypt in 1951. Subhead: "I lunged for Davis's body as a hot slug slashed across my wrist. I had to get him out of their line of fire, but my hands kept slipping off his bloody arms."

  • "I Bucked The Winds of Hell"—an account of surviving treacherous conditions near Thule Air Base in Greenland. Subhead: "I tried bending backward and digging my heels into the ice. Then my legs slid out from under me and I slammed into a wind-blown drift—backside first."

  • "His Head Began to Bloat"—disaster strikes a sponge-fishing crew in the Gulf of Mexico. Subhead: "Tons of water closed in on him, forcing flesh and blood into the only open part of his suit—his diving helmet."

Source: For Men Only, January 1955 

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