Wednesday, May 27, 2015

TENDER LOVE STORIES "Campus Crusader in Love"

Good Deeds or Good Loving...
That's the choice Christine has to make when her love of social justice and her love for her long-time friend come into conflict...
Unfortunately, none of the creatives were credited, so the writers and artists are regrettably, unknown.
However, the cover art is clearly inked (and probably penciled) by John Severin.
This cover-featured tale from Skywald's short-lived Tender Love Stories #3 (1971) was the only new story in the 52-page book!
The rest were reprints modified to update the clothing and hairstyles to then-current trends.
It was a common practice on romance titles from the mid-1960s until the genre died out in the mid-1970s.
We ran a "before-and-after" example of it HERE.
BTW, is this story looks familiar, it was the very first tale we ran on this blog back in 2011.
Unfortunately, the Dreaded Deadline Doom caught up with us as we prepared for vacation, so we decided to do a "re-presentation" rather than miss a week.
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 our sponsor...
You can own a kool komic collectible
(t-shirt, mug, tote bag, etc.)
embellished with the cover from this week's torrid tale...
...by clicking HERE!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

REACH FOR HAPPINESS Episode 9 Part 2

Rita Phillips, a girl from the "wrong side of the tracks" is engaged to upper-crust Doctor Greg Marsh.
But Rita's sleazy former paramour (and employer), nightclub owner Ray Silva has decided to try to reclaim the woman he still desires...
Note the sales figures at the bottom of the page.
Secret Hearts was selling over 200,000 copies per issue!
Today, only three to five comics (out of a couple of hundred) break the 200,000 copy level on a consistant basis.
Comics in 2015 average 50,000 per issue...or less!
(Secret Hearts was considered a middle to lower-selling title in 1967!)
How times have changed...
Be back next month as we continue romance comics' longest-running soap opera!
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?)
This chapter of "Reach for Happiness" from Secret Hearts #118 (1967) was written by Jack Miller, with layouts and pencils by several different people including Jay Scott Pike, John Rosenberger, Jim Mooney, Ross Andru, and Gene Colan with primary inks by Jim Mooney and additional inks by a couple of others I can't identify right off.
And now a word from out sponsor...

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

REACH FOR HAPPINESS Episode 9

Even as soap operas disappear from TV screens...
...we have a heck of one in graphic novel form!
Let's reintroduce the cast, catch up on doings in Danville Corners, and jump back into the narrative...
 Next Week...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
(Oh, you've heard that, eh?)
This chapter of "Reach for Happiness" from Secret Hearts #118 (1967) was written by Jack Miller, with layouts and pencils by several different people including Jay Scott Pike, John Rosenberger, Jim Mooney, Ross Andru, and Gene Colan with primary inks by Jim Mooney and additional inks by a couple of others I can't identify right off.
And now a word from out sponsor...

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

CINDERELLA LOVE "So You Are Going to Get a Job?" & "So You Got the Job: Tips on Holding It!"

If you're old enough to read romance comics...
...you're old enough to get a job to pay for them!
The writers and artists for these never-reprinted one-pagers from St John's Cinderella Love #13 (1953) are unknown.
Next week:
The Return of Reach for Happiness...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
(Oh, you've heard that, eh?)

And now a word from out sponsor...

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

CINDERELLA LOVE "My Gay Deception!"

No, it does not involve a lesbian relationship and a "beard"!
This was the 1950s, you silly gooses!
It involves photobombing with the 1950s version of PhotoShop!
Photo-manipulation software is now so prevalent in our lives that it seems we couldn't live without it.
But, as recently as the 1990s, doing what Carol did required expensive equipment and materials as well as some technical expertise.
Talk about a tale reflecting its' era...
This story from Ziff-Davis' Cinderella Love #6 (1952) was illustrated by Bob Oksner, but 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!
(Oh, you've heard that, eh?)

And now a word from out sponsor...