DARING LOVE "Dear John"

What's the worst sort of mail for a guy in the military to get from your sweetheart?

But, what are the consequences when the letter turns out to be...oh, just read the story...

Wasn't it lucky that the blindness (which is only temporary) kept him from reading the "Dear John" letter in this amazingly politically-incorrect tale?

The writer and artist for this lead story in Gilmor's Daring Love #1 (1953) are both unknown.

The book is the last of three attempts by different publishers to use the "Daring Love" title on a comic book.

None lasted more than three issues and, in fact, this was the only issue from this publisher.

Next week:

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CAREER GIRL ROMANCES "No Prospects"

Here's a short from 1971 that reads more like a tale from the 1950s...

Appearing the the back of Charlton's Career Girl Romances #63 (1971), this uncredited story plays out as if Women's Lib wasn't one of the hot points of the era!

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OUR LOVE STORY "Game of Triangles"

Though told from the viewpoint of the male protaganist...

...this story was, allegedly, written by one of the few female writers in Bronze Age comics.

Was it?

Read, and judge for yourself...

This never-reprinted tale from Marvel's Our Love Story #20 (1972) was scripted by Joy Hartle and illustrated by George Tuska and Paul Reinman.

Most people believe "Joy Hartle" was a pseudonym for Gary Freidrich.

"Joy" had only two stories to her credit, both romance tales that appeared almost simultaneously in late 1972-early1973.

And, in fact, Gary's sister-in-law is named Joy Hartle!

But Gary was working steadily for Marvel at this point, scripting Captain America and Sgt Fury, as well as co-creating both the motorcycle-riding Ghost Rider and a new version of the Frankenstein Monster (both with Mike Ploog)!

So why the pen-name?

The only thing I can think of is that these stories were done during the brief period in 1971-72 when Gary had left Marvel to work at the short-lived Skywald Publishing, and were "inventory" stories used to fill out what would've been all-reprint issues of the dying romance comics line.

BTW, the cover-featured tale has one of the worst romance comics covers I've ever seen...

Art by Alan Weiss & Frank Giacoia with retouching by Marie Severin and John Romita

Heck, the guy looks more like a stalker than a lover...

Next week:

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ACTUAL ROMANCES "I Refused to Share My Husband's Love!"

Incest (potential or otherwise) is a near-taboo subject on soap operas today...

...but the then-brand new genre of romance comics took several cracks at it back in the 1940s.

Note: this never-reprinted tale from Timely Comics' Actual Romances #1 (1949) makes the brother and sister step-siblings, just to be safe.

Though the Grand Comics Database lists Mike Sekowsky as the artist, it looks a lot like a combination of Werner Roth and Bill Everett, both of whom were working for Timely.

The writer is unknown.

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!

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PEP COMICS "Enter: Veronica!"

Though Betty Cooper had a four-issue head start on Veronica Lodge...

Note: Hedy Lamarr was THE blonde movie bombshell of the era.

...when Ronnie hit town in MLJ's Pep Comics #26, the battle was on!

Note: A "sub-deb" (sub-debutante) was a rich or well-bred young woman who had not yet come out into high society.

Note: Comedian Jack Benny was famous for being incredibly cheap.

The gang seems to have aged several years to 16-17 from their 12-14 year old versions only four issues earlier.

If so, did Betty have Archie all to herself for a couple of years instead of a couple of issues?

Either way, the romantic triangle between Archie, Betty, and Veronica would become perhaps the longest ongoing three-way in popular culture.

Even though the Life with Archie comic offered simultaneous alternate future universe plotlines featuring Archie married to both Betty and Ronnie, the current story featuring his demise seems to take place in a merged reality where we don't know who his final words are spoken to...

Who do you think it is?

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!

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And now a word from out sponsor...

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