This week’s Covers of the Week highlights male romance cover models from the 1970s to the 1990s. The four notable models showcased here are Guy Bishop, Chad Deal, Mike Dale, and Cherif Fortin.
Male Romance Cover Models
We all know Fabio, John DeSalvo, and Steve Sandalis. But what about other men who modeled during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s?
For this week’s Covers of the Week, we’re looking at other popular models on the front of romance novels besides the “Big Three.”
Looking at these attractive men, we can see how the image of the romance cover hero has evolved throughout the years.
The Models
The four men whose artful forms we appreciate are pictured on the covers below.
Guy Bishop:
Guy Bishop was an internationally famous model who lent his face to countless magazine and book covers. He appeared in glitzy advertisements and walked the Paris and New York runways, showing off designer clothes.
Chad Deal:
Deal posed for hundreds of romance covers in the late 1970s and 1980s. Perhaps one of the first cover model icons, Deal had a long and successful career. He posed for twice as many covers with Elaine Duillo as Fabio did (over 40 vs. 19).
Mike Dale:
Dale has worked for Bantam Loveswept, Silhouette/Harlequin, Zebra, and many other publishers. His face was ubiquitous on 1990s romance covers, and his down-to-earth appeal made him a natural for category romance. A true example of a silver fox, Dale now runs a life management business, teaches yoga, and models for catalogs and fashion magazines.
Cherif Fortin:
With smoldering green eyes, Fortin’s features are as much a work of art as his covers. This cover model was the muse of photographer and artist Sara Lynn Sanders. The pair first worked together on the 1997 stepback reprint of Marsha Canham’s A Pride of Lions. Now Fortin and Sanders work together as artists and writers, crafting medieval romances and covers.
The Covers
This week, from Monday, August 30 to Sunday, September 5, 2021, Sweet Savage Flame‘s Covers of the Week #21 highlights male romance cover models! Enjoy!
Your Opinion
What do you think of this edition of Covers of the Week?
Is there a model you’d like us to highlight in the future? Who is your favorite old-school cover model?
As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.