ROMANTIC ADVENTURES "Bewitching Buccaneer"

Swashbucking rogues have always been objects of romantic desire...

...as this tale featuring a sea-going scalliwag in the Errol Flynn/Tyrone Power mold proves!

Romances set in the Old West were a popular sub-genre of both comics and novels in the early 1950s.

In fact there were a number of titles like Range Romances, Golden West, and  CowGirl Romances!

This story from ACG's Romantic Adventures #8 (1950) may have been a test to see if comic readers were interested in historical romance tales set in other time periods.

Since pirates were popular in novels, it was thought they'd sell equally-well in comics.

However, reader response must have been lackluster, since such "historical romances" remained few and far between on the four-color pages.
BTW, Anne Bonny was a real female pirate, and will be the subject of this week's post on our "sister" blog Heroines this Friday, when we re-present the first story in her short-lived comic series!
Written by series editor Richard E Hughes, illustrated by Charles Sultan.

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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FRANKENSTEIN "Frankenstein's Wife"

With a new Frankenstein film opening this week...

...we thought we'd take a look at another side to the world's most famous monster, and discover he's (unfortunately) a lot like many of today's guys...

Written and illustrated by Dick Briefer, this tale of domestic "bliss" from Prize Comics' Frankenstein #1 (1945) shows the Monster to be much like many Gen-X, and Millennial guys!

And this was written 69 years ago!

The more things change...

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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GIRLS' ROMANCES "Made for Each Other"

Sometimes a cover just doesn't go with the story it's supposed to promote...

Art by Don Heck and Vince Colletta

...like this cover which (though nicely-done) doesn't match up with the story!

Heck, they got the girl's hair color wrong and the guy doesn't wear glasses!

Oh, well...on with the story...

Is it just me or is Candy a little passive-aggressive?

Illustrated by the talented Art Saaf, this story from DC's Girl's Romances #159 (1971) makes Candy, sadly, seem like a real doormat.

I'd love to blame the writer, but we don't know who he/she 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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LOVELORN "World's Most Dangerous Game!"

While the Polar Vortex freezes all it sweeps over...

...lovers know how to keep things hot..Hot..HOT with indoor games by the fireplace!
BTW, though the logo says "Confessions of the Lovelorn", the book's title was officially just "Lovelorn"...until the next issue and for the remainder of the book's run!

BTW, 1956, when ACG's Lovelorn #75, was published, was an Olympic year!

Regrettably, both the writer and artist are unknown, but I'd conjecture that editor Richard Hughes is the scripter and Curt Swan was the penciler (and possibly inker).

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...

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ARCHIE "Christmas Cheers"

It's comics' all-American boy...as most of you don't know him...

...a buck-toothed, layabout, closer to Reggie (who doesn't appear in this tale), than the wholesome teen of today!

Written by Harry Sahle and Ed Goggin, penciled by Sahle and inked by "Ginger" (Virginia Drury), this story from MLJ's Pep Comics #46 (1944) is notable for the debut of two characters; Pop Tate, owner of "Pop's Chocklit Shop" (Called "Tate's" in this tale), and Gabby, a short-lived character who screwed-up other people's lives by continually blabbing things others were not meant to know!

As you can see, the original Bob Montana character designs (which Sahle and Drury matched almost exactly) had not yet been updated to the streamlined Dan DeCarlo versions, which serve as the templates of the characters to this day!

We're taking next two weeks off, and will return January 8th, so be here or...

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!