Lianne Kolirin chats to Sam Peffer about his skills in the field of popular art

Flicking through Sam Peffer's portfolio, the question "what is art?" inevitably arises. While his work will never hang in the National Gallery, the Finchley illustrator is unquestionably talented in his own field of popular art.

The walls of the 76-year-old artist's home are adorned with etchings of Omar Shariff, Jimmy Dean and Paul Newman. Before the advent of the multiplex and neon lights, Sam Peffer painted huge cinema billboards.

Now retired, Sam remembers: "The way cinemas advertised was vastly different to the way they do today. There were massive cut-outs of scenes from the film on the front and around the foyer."

The illustrator, professionally known as Peff, started his career after leaving school aged just 14.

He said: "I was always interested in painting film stars' faces as a boy and I went to a firm by Finsbury Park and started off pasting up boards."

Sam served in the Royal Navy during the war, and on returning to civilian life he started to take art more seriously.

"I went to the Hornsey School Of Art on a rehabilitation course to get back into Civvy Street after five years of fighting. Art is the job that I have done but at one time it was a toss-up between art and boxing."

Several years later Sam started designing book covers for everything from classics to James Bond novels.

With titles as diverse as To the Devil a Daughter and The Case of the Lucky Legs, coming up with ideas was not always easy.

"I'd read the book first and do a rough suggestion. The models were engaged, the costumes hired and the pictures taken. I worked from the photograph, but it was black and white in those days and the paperbacks always had a colour cover."

Painting pictures of aliens, soldiers and scantily clad women may seem like a great way to make a living, but Sam insists there was more to it.

"It was a tough life and it wasn't always plain sailing. There were arguments with publishers about petty little things."

Sadly Sam no longer paints.

"My artwork is being sought by collectors of junk and pulp books. There are societies that have bookfairs every year. I normally go along and when people buy books with my covers on, I just sign my name."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.