Friday, April 1, 2022

Amourous Education GINGER "Smellbound"

We presented two later versions of this tale HERE and HERE...

...Now here's the story that started it all!
(Note: all three tales are by the same writer!)
The biggest difference is that the teacher isn't a science instructor, but a history teacher, but many of the elements (including the perfume store, and of course, the punchline) are the same!
Freelance writers like Mendelsohn were dependent on producing volumes of work to pay the bills, since comics (and pulp magazines) weren't high-paying gigs back then.
It was strictly "work for hire", a one-time payment only!
They didn't get reprint fees, nor payment (not even a credit/acknowledgement) if their stories were re-used on radio/tv/movie versions of the characters, which they ofter were!
So it's not that unusual for writers to reuse storylines for stories for different publishers!
(We presented a kool example of this during our last year's annual Halloween blogathon starting with THIS TALE, and continuing through the links...)
Illustrated by George Frese, Mendelson's story from Archie's Ginger #1 (1951) was a continuation of the character's strip which premiered in Zip Comics in 1943, continued in the back of Suzie Comics, and finally got it's own title in 1951!
Ironically, the mid-1950s "Seduction of the Innocent" scandal involving horror and crime comics that caused numerous publishers to close and the surviving companies to reduce their output, doomed the wholesome character's book to end at #10 in 1954 when Archie cut back their line!
She disappeared until the early 2000s, when Archie began reprinting her stories in their numerous digest-sized titles, introducing her to a new audience who weren't even alive when she first appeared!
Happy April Fool's Day!
Be Back Next Wednesday for More Amorous Education!

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Amorous Education CANDY "Chemical Formula"

...was the final version of a plot used three times by writer Jack Mendelsohn.
This is the second version of the tale!
This never-reprinted story from Quality's Candy #42 (1953) has some differences from the later Tippy Teen tale, but the similarities are unmistakable.

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
(Oh, you've heard that, eh?)
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Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Amorous Education TIPPY TEEN "Chemical Warfare"

Archie wasn't the only "teen humor" strip set in high school...
...as this tale from one of the many Silver Age competitors' comics, Tower's Tippy Teen #1 (1965) demonstrates!
Tower's character, Tippy Teen, was not an Archie clone.
She didn't have two boys fighting over her, as Betty and Veronica did over Archie, but a number of her supporting characters seemed like close relatives to some of Archie's pals and gals.
It's not surprising, since a number of Archie Comics writers and artists were also doing work for Tower, including Dan DeCarlo, Sam Schwartz, Harry Lucey (who penciled this story) and Bob White!
Tippy also had several spin-off comics including Tippy's Friends Go-Go & Animal and Teen-In, which serves as the basis of our Tippy line of kool kollectibles!
Trivia: The story is reputed to be a reworking of a story from Ginger #1, a short-lived title published by Archie Comics that reversed sexes for the lead characters.
(The lead was a red-headed girl pursued by blond and brunette boys.)
Since I don't have the issue, I can't verify it.
But the cover sorta speaks for itself...
Art by Geo Feese (signed)
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, March 16, 2022

Amorous Education CAMPUS LOVES "They Said I was Fast"

Is this how the repressed readers of 1950s comics saw college sex...
...as if school was a modern Sodom?
Quality Comics' Campus Loves #2 (1950) presented this "naughty" tale, which couldn't be reprinted after the Comics Code came into effect, even with numerous alterations like similar tales we showed HERE and HERE!

The art is by Bill Ward, who later became noted for risque "good girl" work like this cover art...

 I'm not ashamed to admit it's in my personal library.
It's a Price Guide!
I use it as reference!
Really...
Next Week...
We're Not Sure What We'll Present!
But We Can Guarantee that...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
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Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Amorous Education SEARCH FOR LOVE "Atomic Amour!"

With all the current talk about Russkie deceit and deception...
...we forget they were masters of such things during the Cold War!
Since the story begins in high school, we thought we could list it under the subhead "Amorous Education".
As hard as it is to believe, this tale appeared in a romance comic, specifically, ACG's Search for Love #2 (1950).
Similar tales had appeared in crime/espionage titles, but their audience was radically-different from romance series' readers!
Regrettably, both the writer and illustrator(s) are unknown, so we can't blame anybody in particular for their stereotyped attitudes towards intelligent women.
Next Week:
We Don't Yet Know What We'll Present, But We Can Guarantee...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
And now a word from our sponsor...
Please Support True Love Comics Tales!
Visit Amazon and Order...