Laugh at Love FLIP! "For the Love of Mike"

Our final "Laugh at Love" entry was created for one of the many MAD comic book clones of the 1950s!

But, it was illustrated by an artist who was noted for his serious romance comic stories!

Writer Nat Barnett never wrote a romance comic tale.

His two-dozen or so comic book scripts ranged from humor (including this story from Harvey's Flip! #1 [1954]) to horror to war, but absolutely no love comics!
Artist Bob Powell was another matter, as anybody who has perused this blog can tell you!
Starting with "I Joined a Teen-Age Sex Club!" he's one of the biggest comic creatives featured here!
As a bonus for our finale of fun, here's the original art for this story, thanks to the ever-amazing Kraktactaka!

Next Week:

We're devoting all of March to one graphic novel of True Love based on a very popular (and controversial) prose series!

And, as Always, We Guarantee That...

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!

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Sincerest Form of Parody

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John Buscema Tales "Prescription for Happiness" & "S.O.S. for Love"

Though most of John Busecema's romance comics stories were one-shots...

...along with one two-parter (as shown HERE and HERE), he did do two series of 2-3 page shorts!

Entitled "Prescription for Happiness" and "S.O.S. for Love", the shorts featured distressed lovers asking a counselor for advice, much like the licensed (and unlicensed) advisors we presented last year in our Advice d'Amour tales!
Appearing in Orbit's Love Diary and Love Journal comics, the strips initially-featured rotating artists, but once Buscema took over, he stayed on both of them for the remainder of their runs, doing almost a dozen tales of woe!

Yes, the title on this one is "S.O.S. Love in Distress".

To be fair, this was the final strip in the final issue of Love Journal, so the editor can be forgiven for letting the incorrect header slip by!
After all, what were they going to do...fire him?
In a couple of cases, as Orbit was winding down operations just before cancellation, they took an "S.O.S. for Love" strip from the previous year like this one...

...and re-ran it as "Prescription for Happiness", just changing the logo and re-naming the counselor...without even redrawing him to match the other strip's host!

I guess they thought "PfH's" Ray Mann and "S.O.S.'s" Mark Ford were interchangeable!

Next Week...

What Will February Bring?

At This Point, We Haven't Decided Yet!

But We Can Assure You...

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!

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Big John Buscema

Comics and Drawings

A combination of complete checklist of Buscema's comic and magazine work and a heavily-illustrated catalog of a 2009 Italian museum exhibition of his work!

John Buscema Tales LOVE DIARY "Not Meant for Love"

Once he was no longer constrained by Atlas Comics' tight graphic formatting...

...artist John Buscema was able to indulge his storytelling instincts, making any tale he illustrated, even one as well-written as this, better!

Written by Dorothy Woolfolk, who later became the "womens' comics" editor at DC (including romance and superheroine titles), this never-reprinted story from Orbit's Love Diary #13 (1951) is a classic example of what a romance comic was in the genre's prime!

Next Week, a 1960s story from John Buscema!

Witness his artistic evolution decade by decade!

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!

And now a Word from Our Sponsor...

Please Support True Love Comics Tales

Visit Amazon and Buy...

Big John Buscema

Comics and Drawings
A combination of complete checklist of Buscema's comic and magazine work and a heavily-illustrated catalog of a 2009 Italian museum exhibition of his work!

Love on New Year's Eve LOVE DIARY "Make Way for Love"

Though the caption on the cover references a story about three New Year's resolutions...

...the cover art doesn't show the characters from that tale (or any other story) in the issue!

At least it's by the same artist...John Buscema!

Illustrated by John Buscema and scriped by a currently-unknown writer, this never-reprinted story from Orbit's Love Diary #33 (1953) superbly-demonstrates the versatility of an artist most present-day comics fans know only for his voluminous Marvel superhero work and Conan the Barbarian!

But that'll change in January, which we decree will be...

John Buscema Month!

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If Miss It!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Alex Toth Tales POPULAR ROMANCE "Blinded by Love"

This tale about a love triangle from childhood to adulthood...

...and from lighthearted fun to tragedy would make for a heck of a Hallmark Channel movie!

This poignant Alex Toth-penciled and Mike Peppe-inked story from Standard's Popular Romances #22 (1953) is probably the single-most reprinted tale from any of the company's romance books.

Next Week:

We don't know...yet...what Alex Toth Tale we're going to present!

But we can tell you this...

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!

And now a word from our sponsor!

Please Support True Love Comics Tales!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Setting the Standard

Comics by Alex Toth

...which includes the tale presented here and other romance (as well as sci-fi, war, and horror stories) by Alex Toth for Standard Comics!

Alex Toth Tales THRILLING ROMANCES "Chance for Happiness"

Can a war bride find happiness in America with her ex-army husband?

Or will annoying in-laws who look down their noses at immigrants screw the whole thing up?

While the scripter of this poignant tale of redemption and reconciliation from Standard's Thrilling Romances #23 (1953) is unknown, the pencil art is by comics legend Alex Toth (with inks by Mike Peppe) who went from being one of comics' best storytellers to designing/art directing most of the 1960s-70s non-funny animal output of tv animation studio Hanna-Barbera, including Space Ghost, Scooby-Doo, Super Friends, and Josie and the Pussycats!
So, this month, our topic is one particular artist, and we'll be featuring his romance comics art from the 1950s through 1970s!

Next Week:

We Don't Know Which Alex Toth Tale We'll Present...Yet!

But, We Guarantee That...

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!

(and now a word from our sponsor...)

Please Support

True Love Comics Tales!

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Treasures Retold

Lost Art of Alex Toth