Wednesday, January 8, 2020

WARTIME ROMANCES "Guilty Secrets"

Ironically, I had planned, a couple of weeks ago, to use today's cover feature...
...as the first post-Yuletide tale of 2020!
But the exacerbation of the Middle East situation by Don da Con gives the Korean War-era story a timeliness I wasn't expecting!
Penciled by comics legend Matt Baker and inked by Ray Osrin, this never-reprinted story from St John's Wartime Romances #12 (1952) was a typical about the stress and strain that wartime separation put on couples...both married and unmarried!
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...
Support Small Business
(and remember, Valentine's Day is coming!)

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Louisa May Alcott's LITTLE WOMEN Conclusion

...we've seen the Christmastime trials and tribulations of the girls of the March family, as their father goes off to fight in the Civil War.
But now...

Beth LIVES???
That's not exactly what happens in the book, though!
The original story ends, like this comic, with Beth surviving her bout with scarlet fever!
But the novel sold so well that the publisher demanded a sequel, which Alcott produced, unwillingly, under the title Good Wives!
Beth does die in the sequel, set several years in the future, as its' revealed her heart was weakened by her earlier illness!
Since the two tales were relatively-short, current publishers combine the two into a single volume!
And most adaptations modify the timeline so Beth passes away during her initial attack!
The adaptor of Louisa May Alcott's novel is unknown, but the art is co-penciled by Rich Buckler & Dick Giordano and inked by Giordano.
Next Week
We're Not Sure What We'll Present, but we Guarantee
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
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Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Louisa May Alcott's LITTLE WOMEN Part 1

It's hard to believe that, until the past couple of years...
...there was only one comics adaptation of the classic book Little Women!
And it was part of an early 1980s book-and-record set marketed towards pre-teens!
(No, there never was a Classics Illustrated version!)
Here's part 1, with part 2 to follow on New Year's Day!
The adaptor of Louisa May Alcott's novel is unknown, but the art is co-penciled by Rich Buckler & Dick Giordano and inked by Giordano.
Next Week
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

O Henry's "Gift of the Magi" x2!

As our pre-Christmas gift to our faithful readers...
...here's both of the versions of "Gift of the Magi" we've run!
This never-reprinted adaptation of the O Henry short story from First Comics/Berkley Publishing's short-lived revival of Classics Illustrated was written and illustrated by Gary Gianni in his comic book debut!
Trivia: Gianni scripted and rendered the entire six-story issue, #15 (1990), himself!
Gary's detailed, decidedly-retro style has since made him a fan favorite, especially for his work on Indiana Jones, The Shadow, Doc Savage and Hellboy!
And now...our most popular Christmas-themed post ever...
...and it shows how True Love and Christmas shopping can go hand-in-hand!
This straightforward adaptation of O Henry's Christmas classic appeared in Pendulum Press' Best of O Henry (1977) digest-sized comic.
Written by John Fago (whose father, longtime comic artist/editor Vince Fago packaged the series) and illustrated by Anton Caravana, it was part of a series of Classics Illustrated-type publications released, like the Scholastic Book Club, directly to students and school libraries.

Next Week, on Christmas Day:
The comic adaptation you didn't know existed of...
Louisa May Alcott's
Little Women!
You'll cry your eyes out if you miss it!

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

OUR LOVE STORY "Hurt and the Heartbreak!"

Some romance comic book titles just say it all...
...like this one from Marvel's Our Love Story #3 (1970)!
Don't you just love those late-1960s/early-1970s fashions?
Story by Stan Lee, art by Don Heck and Frank Giacoia, all of whom have extensive romance comics credits going back to the 1950s, and forward to the mid-1970s!
Special Bonus:
The wonderfully-overwrought cover from this issue!
Art by John Buscema & Frank Giacoia
Next Week:
Because You Demanded It...the Return of a Christmas Classic x2!
But...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!

And now a word from out sponsor..
Marvel's picked some of the best love comics from the 60s and 70s...including "My Heart Broke in Hollywood,"
Collects Love Romance #89 and #101-104; My Love #2, #14, #16 and #18-20; Teen-Age Romance #77 and #84, Our Love Story #5; and Patsy Walker #119.