Tales THRICE Told: TEEN-AGE ROMANCE / OUR LOVE STORY "Summer Must End!" & MARVEL ROMANCE REDUX "I Was a Beach Blanket Barbarian!"

For Some People, the End of Summer Can't Come Fast Enough...

Cover art by Jack Kirby and George Klein

...but this torrid tale by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Vince Colletta just screamed to be told as soon as possible (and not for the reason you think)!

PSST!

Wanna know a secret?

This story, which we're presenting from Atlas' Teen-Age Romance #84 (1961) later appeared in Marvel's Our Love Story #9 (1971) in an extremely-modified form!

The art in Our Love Story was retouched by art director John Romita Sr to "update" the hairstyles and some of the fashions, including the swimsuits...

"Why did they do that?" you may ask...

With sales falling on most non-superhero genres in the late 1960s (including Western and war as well as romance), this "updated reprinting" became a common practice on romance comics until the genre all-but died out in the late 1970s.

Publishers would do a new 6-12 page lead story and use retouched reprints to fill out the book.

Editors felt that:

a) the plots were relatively timeless.

b) updating the art was cheaper than totally-redrawing the story. 

c) the artists were better-utilized doing stuff that sold better (like superheroes).

d) the audience for romance comics, unlike superhero comics, totally-changed every 5-6 years anyway, and wouldn't notice the "old" plots.
But this wasn't the last time the story would be modified.
As you'll see, Marvel could modify more than just the art!
Five years after DC did the snarky Truer than True Romance trade paperback...

..which took old romance comics and rewrote them,.Marvel did a mini-series based on the same concept...except it was written entirely by males!

(The DC book was rewritten by a female writer.)

Here's what they did with "Summer Must End"...an interesting combination of both the Jack Kirby/Vince Colletta original and the John Romita Sr-modified/updated version..

Re-written by John Lustig, who had experience doing similar re-writes of Charlton's First Kiss romance comic series as Last Kiss.
You can check that out HERE!

Next Week...

We Don't Yet Know What We'll Present, But We DO Know...

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

Support True Love Comics Tales

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Marvel Romance Redux
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Divorce American Style GIRLS' LOVE STORIES "Child of Divorce"

We End the Month with a Case of a Product of a Broken Marriage... 

Cover art by Art Saaf & Vince Colletta
...and how it may affect the now-grown daughter's future!

Art for this never-reprinted story from DC's Girls' Love Stories #163 (1971) is by Tony DeZuniga.

The writer is unknown.

Next Week , We're Returning to a Previously-Done Theme with All-New Entries!

Which One?

You'll Have to Be Here To See!

But We Guarantee...

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

And now a word from our sponsor...

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Heart Throbs
Best of DC Romance Comics

Divorce, American-Style BRIDES IN LOVE "Day of Divorce!"

June is the Month for Weddings, Right?

Art by Dick Giordano

Not here, it ain't!

According to myth, marrying between June 1st and June 20th would lead to everlasting love, since the Roman goddess Juno (Queen of the Gods) celebrated her festival during this time!
Normally, we'd do happy wedding tales in June.
But this year, we're feeling cranky and contrary!
So, let the never-reprinted recriminations begin...

Will other stories this month end as happily as this one by writer Joe Gill, penciler Joe Sinnott, and inker Vince Colletta from Charlton's Brides in Love #36 (1963)?

You really believe we're going to tell you?

Not with three more posts about divorce from the 40s to the 70s to go this month!

Next Week:

We Can Guarantee that...

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

And now a word from our sponsor...

Support True Love Comics Tales

Visit Amazon and Order...

Dingbat Love

(covering Jack Kirby's unique and unpublished projects, including True-Life Divorce and Soul Love!)

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Prom Night: Dream or Nightmare? TEEN-AGE ROMANCE "When a Teen-Ager Falls in Love!"

It's Said That Girls Mature Emotionally Faster than Boys...

...so how does a 15 year-old sophomore get the attention of an 18 year-old senior?

(And yes, the prom is an integral part of this story!)

As you can see, a prom does play a critical part in this tale!

We know this never-reprinted story from Atlas' Teen-Age Romance #78 (1960) was penciled by Dick Giordano and inked by Vince Colletta.

But, the plotter/scripter is, sadly, unknown.

We speculate that the book's editor, Stan Lee, plotted it, with his brother, Larry Lieber the likely scripter!
And, you'll note that last week's tale was from the 1940s, with this one from the 1960s!
Did we leave out the 1950s?
Heck and gosh, no!
The 1950s prom tale will appear next week, with the 1970s tale winding up the month the week after!
Why aren't we running them in chronological order?
Be here next week to find out!

Next Week:

We Know Exactly What We'll Present, and We're Not Going to Tell You!

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

And now a word from out sponsor..

Visit Amazon and Order...

Marvel Romance: the Trade Paperback!

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