Tijuana bibles were palm-sized erotic comics produced in the United States from the 1920s to the early 1960s. Their popularity peaked during the Great Depression era.
Final page of the Tijuana bible Chris Crusty, drawn by "Mr. Prolific", which borrowed the syndicated comic strip character Chris Crusty created by Bill Conselman and Charles Plumb for a topper strip which ran above their Ella Cinders
The Rubber Salesman (c. 1935), drawn in the hand of "Elmer Zilch", showing the "Ornate Border" design.
The first eight-page installment of The Adventures of a Fuller Brush Man, published circa 1936
A set of Tijuana bibles drawn by "Mr. Prolific". This set was released in 1936 and usually sold for a quarter each. Nine of the ten comics in the set are shown.
The Gideons International
Gideons International is an Evangelical Christian association for men founded in 1899 in Janesville, Wisconsin. The Gideons' primary activity, along with their wives in the Auxiliary, is "encouraging each other to do the work of the Lord, focusing on who they are before God, and strengthening the power of their personal testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ". They are most recognized for distributing copies of scripture free of charge, paid for by freewill offerings from local churches and from members themselves. This Bible distribution is a worldwide enterprise taking place in around 200 countries, territories and possessions. The association's members focus on distributing complete Bibles, New Testaments, or portions thereof. These copies are printed in over 108 languages. The association is most widely known for its Bibles placed in lodging rooms. The Gideons also distribute to hospitals and other medical offices, schools and colleges, military bases, as well as jails and prisons. The association was named after the Biblical figure Gideon depicted in the Book of Judges.
The Gideons International
The interior of Room 19, Central House Hotel, Boscobel, Wisconsin, kept in the style it was in 1898 when the founders of the Gideons met there
A Gideon member placing a Bible in a motel room
Gideon's Bible beside a Book of Mormon in a JW Marriott Hotel found in Las Vegas, Nevada