Prom Night: Dream or Nightmare? YOUNG ROMANCE "Campus Outcast"

It's May, the month of the annual high school/college ritual known as "The Prom"!

Will it be a fond memory...or something best forgotten?

We're starting the month off with a story from the guys who created the romance comics genre, Joe Simon & Jack Kirby in a never-reprinted tale from Prize's Young Romance #3 (1948)!

Though penciled and inked by long-time Simon & Kirby Studio artist Bill Draut, it's obvious the layouts are by Jack Kirby.
And, though no scripter can be traced, it's more than likely that, with that melancholy ending, Kirby and/or editor Joe Simon penned the story.
Note: We're beginning with a Young Romance story from the 1940s, and we'll end the month with a Young Romance story from the 1970s!
In between we'll look at proms in the 1950s, 60s, and even the future!

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

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Young Romance

Best of Simon & Kirby's Romance Comics

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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?)

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The Cowboy

A New Western Romance Graphic Novel

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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!

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Agonizing Love
The Golden Age of Romance Comics

YOUNG ROMANCE "Different!" Conclusion

We Have Already Seen...

Successful businessman Jack Williams and his family move to a small town where they're welcomed with open arms...until the locals discover he's an immigrant and his real name is Jacoby Wilheim!

(Note: he and his wife appear to be naturalized American citizens, and the children are apparently native-born Americans!)

Suddenly, business falls off, and his family become social pariahs!

Joe Simon and Jack Kirby weren't the sorts to let social injustices stand without speaking out.

The prejudices presented here, though mild, were (and are) quite real, and Simon & Kirby should be credited with trying to present the truth about them to their impressionable audience in Prize's Young Romance #30 (1951).

Next Week...

Our Annual Month-Long Halloween Extravaganza Begins!

We can guarantee that...

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

(Yeah, we say that a lot...but it's true!)

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Young Romance 2

Best of Simon & Kirby's Romance Comics

YOUNG ROMANCE "Different!" Part 1

With ethnic and religious prejudice on the rise again...

...perhaps we should look back on how pop culture tried to deal with it back in the 1940s...

For the answer to that, you'll have to be back here next Wednesday!

Joe Simon and Jack Kirby weren't the sorts to let social injustices stand without speaking out.

The prejudices presented here, though mild, were (and are) quite real, and Simon & Kirby should be credited with trying to present the truth about them to their impressionable audience in Prize's Young Romance #30 (1951).

And now a word from our sponsor..

Please Support True Love Comics Tales

Visit Amazon and Order...

Young Romance

Best of Simon & Kirby's Romance Comics

YOUNG ROMANCE "I Love You, Frank Gerard"

You think "mansplaining" is a new phenomenon?

Hardly.

It was happening at least as far back as 1948, when this tale appeared!

This never-reprinted story of business, love, and the business of love is from Prize's Young Romance #4 (1948).

Layouts by Jack Kirby, pencils by Jerry Robinson & Mort Meskin, inks by Joe Simon.

The writer is unknown, but believed to be Simon and/or Kirby.

Next week:

The Return of Reach for Happiness...

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

(Oh, you've heard that, eh?)

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