Showing posts with label Dell Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dell Comics. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

BARBIE & KEN "Wedding"

For girls of the late 1950s thru early 1970s, Barbie and Ken dolls were fashion icons...
...so it was inevitable that there would be a comic book about their adventures.
 But, as it turns out, Barbie and Ken were secretly married the entire time!
It's true!
Here's the story from Dell Comics' Barbie & Ken #1 (1962)...
Surprised?
To be fair, the never-reprinted tale, illustrated by Norman Nodel, details the little girls in the Barbie Fan Club telling their own alleged experiences with Barbie and Ken...which are no doubt fantasies since they cover Barbie being a nurse, a ballerina, and a stewardess, as well as getting married!
Except...who is the kid going off with Patty?
As you might have guessed, Mattel had play sets (clothing and props) showing Barbie doing all those things!
BTW, note that Nodel deliberately kept both Barbie and Ken "on model", looking very much like the actual dolls...except they could bend their arms and legs (which the dolls couldn't do until the late 1960s)!

Next Week:
Another Never-Reprinted Story About Barbie!
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
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Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Anything BUT Archie! THIRTEEN GOING ON EIGHTEEN "Beginner's Luck..."

Meet 13-year old Val and 17-year old Evie...
...in their premiere tale which provides convenient expositional dialogue to help with the series' concept!
As you can see from this tale from Dell's Thirteen Going on Eighteen #1 (1962), it was closer in style to TV sitcoms like Loves of Dobie Gillis, Leave it to Beaver, or Gidget than to Archie comics.
It's possible creator/writer/illustrator John Stanley believed the series could be adapted to live action, and so never got outlandishly-silly with the situations!

Next Week:
Another Example of Humor That Doesn't Look Like Archie!
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!

And now a word from out sponsor..
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Wednesday, December 5, 2018

TEEN-AGERS INGENUE "Susie's Theory of Relativity...or How to Live with Relatives at Christmas"

It's strangely-hard to find Christmas-themed romance comics...
...but teen magazines like this Dell's Teen-Agers Ingenue from the early 1960s help fill the void!
Susan Perl also contributed to Harvey Kurtman's HELP!, as well as hundreds of children's books (and some adlut stuff too!)!
Next Week:
another Christmas Tale...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
And now a word from our sponsor...
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True Love Comics Tales!
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Italian Billionare's Christmas Miracle

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

AROUND THE BLOCK WITH DUNC AND LOO "TV or Not TV"

...we thought a bit of teen humor would be in order!
You'll note two major differences from most teen humor tales we present here...
1) the art doesn't mimic the Archie Comics "house" art style, which became synonymous with "teen humor" in the late 1950s!
2) the series is set in a big city with apartment houses and other urban elements.
(Most "teen humor" series are set in suburbs/small towns!)
This never-reprinted story from Dell's Around the Block with Dunc and Loo #1 (1961) was written by John Stanley and illustrated by Bill Williams (who were the series' co-creators).
It was one of three "teen humor" series created for Dell by Stanley, including Kookie and Thirteen (Going on Eighteen) for Dell.
We'll be presenting examples of them in the future...
Next Week:
We don't know yet what we'll present, but we can guarantee...
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...

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

PRIVATE SECRETARY One-Page Tales

Dell's Private Secretary was an attempt at a "mature content" romance comic...
...from the use of paperback cover art...
...to these curious text-heavy one-pagers...
...the b/w ones were on the inside covers, the color one was on the back cover...
Penciled by Hy Eisman and inked by Vince Colletta, these never-reprinted shorts from Dell's Private Secretary #1 (1962-63) were probably a one-off attempt at combining the text piece the Post Office required for Second Class mailing privileges with more illustrations.
Next Week:
We begin our month-long Halloween sci-fi/horror festival, and we guarantee...
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...
Agonizing Love

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

BEACH BLANKET BINGO Part 2

No, you didn't miss a post...
...the first part appeared in our "brother" blog, Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™!
To catch up, check it out HERE, then continue with the story.
Or, you could just continue from this point, since the story doesn't really make a lot of sense, anyway...
Well, now's as good a place as any to say...
To Be Concluded...
...tomorrow at
where we'll also be presenting some kool background info and pix!

Next week:
We haven't decided yet what it'll be, but we can guarantee that...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
(Oh, you've heard that, eh?)
And now a word from out sponsor...
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