Showing posts with label Jack Kirby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Kirby. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Romance on the Range REAL WEST ROMANCES "To Fight for Her Man!"

In the Old West, Men Were Real Men, Women Were Real Women...

and everybody had real guns...and knew how to use them!






Edited by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (the team who invented the romance comics genre), Real West Romances was one of two cross-genre titles Prize Comics published between 1949-1950, with the other being Western Love, also edited by Simon & Kirby!
This particular never-reprinted tale from V1N2 (1949) was illustrated by Leonard Starr, and likely written by Simon and/or Kirby.
It's also probable Kirby did rough layouts for the story.

Next week:
We haven't decided yet which Western Romance Story 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...
Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Buy...
A New Western Romance Graphic Novel
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Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Laugh at Love! MARVEL ROMANCE REDUX "Mice and Money" / LOVE ROMANCES "By Love Betrayed!"

Here's a Silver Age romance story illustrated by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta...

...which noted award-winning novelist/screenwriter/comic book author Joe R Lansdale rewrote!
I doubt plotter Stan Lee and scripter Larry Leiber or artists Kirby and Colletta ever thought this story would end up reading like that!

In fact, editor Lee was so pleased with the results that he made it the cover story for Atlas' Love Romances #102 (1962)...even though no cover art existed!
(The main figure is from the story's splash panel and the others are re-worked art from other stories!)
Next Week:
Our Annual "Beach Read" Gothic Romance...but with a Humorous Twist!
And 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
Visit Amazon and Order...

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Super-Love MIGHTY THOR "To Become an Immortal!" Conclusion


...Thor has brought his mortal love, Jane Foster, to Asgard to "meet the family" and get All-Father Odin's approval for marriage!
However, things are not going as well as hoped...

Though the romance between Jane and Thor ended at this point, it wasn't truly over (as explained HERE)!
Eventually, Jane became the Goddess of Thunder by wielding Mjonir!
But before that momentous event occurred in the Marvel Universe, it happened in an "imaginary story" that was never part of official Marvel history...though it was published by Marvel!
You can see that story HERE!
Next Week:
Another super-romance (with a wedding) featuring the most famous couple in comic book history!

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Super-Love MIGHTY THOR "To Become an Immortal!" Part 1

From Mighty Thor's introduction in Marvel's Journey into Mystery #83 (1962)...

...one of the ongoing plotlines was Dr Don Blake aka Thor's love for Nurse Jane Foster.

It was a classic case of unrequited love, complicated by the fact that Thor's father (Odin, ruler of the Norse gods) disapproved of the romance, believing the mortal woman was "unworthy" of his immortal son!
Thor eventually revealed his secret to Jane, and, in Marvel's Mighty Thor #136 (1966), brought her to Asgard to meet the family...
This certainly takes meeting the prospective in-laws to a new level of stress!

Only in Theaters
This Weekend!

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Wedding Bliss AGONIZING LOVE & "Hurry Up Marriage!"

This absolutely wonderful trade paperback about romance comics...

... features a crying bride on the cover from a cover illustrated by the legendary Jack Kirby from the groundbreaking comic he co-created with Joe Simon, Young Romance!
But here's the kicker...there's no story inside to go with the cover!
Simon and Kirby often would do a cover concept first, then do a story based on it!
Sometimes they'd come up with a cover idea...but then couldn't expand it into a tale they were creatively-satisfied with!
But, the cover was pretty good, and they didn't want it to go to waste, so they'd use it anyway!
This situation existed with all three of the Simon & Kirby Prize Comics romance titles; Young Romance, Young Love, and Young Brides!
Here's another cover involving a bride and groom that didn't have a story attached...
Here's a generic one that could've been (and was) used on any of the series...
And here's one that did have a related story in the issue...
BTW, note the differences, including the fact there's no gruff Old West-style sheriff in the tale below!
Cover art is by John Prentice, and the story art is by Bob McCarty, both working from Jack Kirby layouts!
Next Week...
We return to Super-Love with a special look at the soap opera-style Mighty Thor/Jane Foster romance!
And, We Can 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
Visit Amazon and Order...