Wednesday, June 26, 2013

TEEN LOVE STORIES "Follow Your Fate" Part 1

A 1960s romance comic story, but not from a romance comic book...
...but from a teen romance magazine, published in 1967!
Next week:
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
(Oh, you've heard that, eh?)
This tale appeared in the first issue of the short-lived Teen Love Stories magazine (not a comic book, as explained HERE) and was a reprint of a British romance strip (which explains some of the phrases like "That was a near thing...")
Of all the ongoing Warren Publishing comic magazines (including Creepy, Vampirella, and 1984), Teen Love Stories was the shortest-lived at only three issues, all of which are very hard-to-find!

And now a word from out sponsor...

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

LOVE DIARY "Not the Right Type"

It's summertime, so let's go to the beach...
...where studly lifeguards and beautiful babes mix and mingle in a hot, passionate broth under the sun!
(I gotta work on my imagery...)
Remember...always be yourself!
If the art style looks familiar, that's because this was an early assignment for John Buscema, one of the primary artists at Marvel Comics from the late 1960s until his untimely passing in 2002!
Incredibly-versatile, there was nothing John couldn't illustrate, from war to superheroes to romance to his most famous work on Conan the Barbarian!
This particular never-reprinted story from Orbit's Love Diary #36 (1953) is both penciled and inked by Buscema, a practice he almost always did during his first period in comics from 1949 to 1960.
After a brief stint in advertising, he returned to comics in 1966, quickly becoming the number two artist at Marvel behind Jack Kirby.
In order to match Kirby's legendary speed (up to five pages a day), Buscema stopped inking his work, except on very rare occasions.
When Kirby moved to DC in 1970, Buscema's style rapidly became the "house style" for the company.
(In fact, the original version of How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way features Buscema demonstrating anatomy, perspective, and storytelling with his unique flair.)

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...

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

ROMEO & JULIET Conclusion

You really expected me to paraphrase Shakespeare?
Geez, I'm not that egotistical!
Verily, let us returneth to the tale...
This it not the Classics Illustrated version, but part of the Famous Authors Illustrated series that competed with CI for the "comic book adaptation of classics" market for several years.
This particular edition, from Famous Authors Illustrated #10 (1950), was adapted by St John romance comics scribe Dana Dutch and illustrated by longtime CI contributor H C Kiefer!
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!

And now a word from out sponsor...

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

ROMEO & JULIET Part 2

Verily, things doth not be copacetic in Verona!
Pray, let us behold the love-smitten swain and the lovely object of his affections ...
Verily, ye didn't know Shakespeare invented the soap opera, dids't thou?
This it not the Classics Illustrated version, but part of the Famous Authors Illustrated series that competed with CI for the "comic book adaptation of classics" market for several years.
The Famous Authors line was doing pretty well, so Classics did what any business would do when faced by a successful competitor...they eliminated the competiton by buying the company!
This particular edition, from Famous Authors Illustrated #10 (1950), was adapted by St John romance comics scribe Dana Dutch and illustrated by longtime CI contributor H C Kiefer!
Next week:
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
(Please don't give away the ending!)

And now a word from out sponsor...

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

ROMEO & JULIET Part 1

With the recent return of All My Children and One Life to Live...
...what else could I do except present the greatest love story of all time?
Plus, if any of you need a crash course in Shakespeare's classic for finals...here it is!
Don't you just hate when that happens?
This it not the Classics Illustrated version, but part of the Famous Authors Illustrated series that competed with CI for the "comic book adaptation of classics" market for several years.
The Famous Authors line was doing pretty well, so Classics did what any business would do when faced by a successful competitor...they eliminated the competiton by buying the company!
This particular edition, from Famous Authors Illustrated #10 (1950), was adapted by St John romance comics scribe Dana Dutch and illustrated by longtime CI contributor H C Kiefer!
Next week:
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
(Please don't give away the ending!)

And now a word from out sponsor...