Love in the Time of Covid-19 CYNTHIA DOYLE: NURSE IN LOVE "Decision"

Wonder why the suffix "... Nurse in Love" is used for this series?

Well. when a character who's never appeared before can deduce what's going on, it's pretty damned blatant!

You have to ask, if Cynthia Doyle: Nurse in Love's feelings are that obvious to a person she's never seen before, why doesn't Doctor Benson realize how Nurse Doyle feels?

Because this is a soap opera in comic book form, that's why!

It's not meant to be even a semi-serious feature about a female medical professional, like Dr Pat!

This is, as most 1950s-1970s strips starring nurses were, a three-Kleenex romance comic!

Heck, before the book became Cynthia Doyle: Nurse in Love as of #66, it was Sweetheart Diaries, a romance anthology!

Cynthia appeared in a single story in the final issue, then the entire book was turned over to her!
Why?

As we pointed out in an entry about City Surgeon, in the early 1960s, one of the most-popular genres in pop culture was "medical drama"!

Spearheaded on TV by hunky prime-time physicians Dr Kildare and Ben Casey along with the related series The Nurses as well as daytime soap operas with hospital settings and paperback romance novels with covers featuring "studs in scrubs" with swooning nurses, comics hopped on the medical bandwagon!

Charlton , which couldn't afford the rights to comics based on any of the TV shows, launched numerous series featuring doctors and nurses including Dr Tom Brent: Young Intern, Nurse Betsy Crane, Young Interns, Sue & Sally Smith: Flying Nurses and, of course, this book!

(Oddly, there were never any cross-over stories between the various books!)

Written by Joe Gill, penciled by Dick Giordano and inked by Vince Colletta, this story from issue #69 (1963) came about halfway through the book's run.

BTW, if you're wondering why this story has a "Covid-19" classification, it's because Dr Stark is suffering from a fatal disease, and the surgery can only postpone his inevitable demise!

Note: there were never any comic series or books about male nurses!

There were several one-off tales, but the profession was considered "unmanly".

Next Week...

Another Tale of Disease, Debilitating Conditions and Desire!

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

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Nurse Nurse

Love in the Time of Covid-19 SWEETHEARTS "My Last Chance for Love"

Last week, we told you the later, shorter version of this tale... 

...now here's the earlier, longer (and sassier) version, beginning with the second page!

Now we return to the story we re-presented last week...

Why were five pages from this tale from Fawcett's SweetHearts #83(1950) cut from the reprint we showed you last week?

Did the Comics Code Authority (which didn't exist when this story was first published) insist on the alterations?

And, if so...why?

We'll never know the answers!

Next Week...

Another Tale of Disease, Debilitating Conditions and Desire!

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

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Agonizing Love

The Golden Age of Romance Comics

Love in the Time of Covid-19 MY SECRET LIFE "My Last Chance for Love"

Think only we humans suffer during pandemics and epidemics?

Here's a tale involving doctors and patients you've never seen before on this blog!

Is this what passed for "true love" back in the 1950s?

This story from Charlton's My Secret Life #19 (1957) seems to think so!

But there's a kicker to this!

Next Week...

The Original Version of This Tale of Disease, Debilitating Conditions and Desire!

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

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Agonizing Love

The Golden Age of Romance Comics

Love in the Time of Covid-19 YOUNG ROMANCE "Scheduled for Heartbreak"

What happens when step-siblings in a mixed marriage fall in love?

It sure as hell ain't gonna be the Brady Bunch!

But that's not even the big plot twist in this never-reprinted story from Prize's Young Romance #103 (1959-1960)!

You just knew there had to be a disease somewhere in there!

And, of course, there's hope that modern science would somehow save the doomed step-brother/bridegroom!

If not, que sera sera!

BTW, before you freak out, only in Virginia is it illegal for step-siblings to marry!

It's not like they're actually brother and sister, or even first cousins!

Next Week...

Another Tale of Disease, Debilitating Conditions and Desire!

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

And now a word from our sponsor...

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Agonizing Love

The Golden Age of Romance Comics

Love in the Time of Covid-19 TRUE LOVE CONFESSIONS "Fool's Gold..."

Why is it that most stories involving two medical personnel in love show the woman as a nurse?

And that she's in the profession only to find a doctor to marry?

This never-reprinted tale from Premier's True Love Confessions #8 (1955) features not one but two studly doctors for the nurse to choose from!

The story, illustrated by Hy Fleishman, also gives Lila a third guy (rich, older, but non-medical) to choose from!

But in the end, she opts for the poor, but dedicated, Roc!

Next Week...

Another Tale of Debilitating Conditions and Desire!

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...

Agonizing Love

The Golden Age of Romance Comics