About

Black Cactus is a celebration of erotic art and literature, often pornographic in nature, with an emphasis on the paperback sleaze of the 1950’s - 1980’s.

The smut of the 1950’s & 1960’s while often revolutionary for its time was still subdued due to obscenity laws. This all changed after the Supreme Court ruling Stanley v. Georgia (1969) which stated that the First and Fourteenth Amendments prohibit states from criminalizing private, in-home possession of obscene materials. 1969 is also the year that Andy Warhol’s Blue Movie was released. It was the beginning of the “Golden Age of Pornography” which would last for 15 years until 1984.

Black Cactus brings together titles from both before and after obscenity laws changed with a focus on books featuring illustrated cover artwork.

Areas of interest include LGBT+ stories, illustrators, female authors, and a variety of topics in the context of smut.

Vintage erotica, smut, paperback sleaze...

This website is intended for Adults Only. If you are not 18+ please click here.