Wednesday, February 28, 2018

GIRLS' LOVE STORIES "Revenge!"

We wind up Black History Month with one of the few Black romance tales by DC...
...which also has a rather unique history behind it!
In our entry about Fawcett's 1950s title Negro Romance (HERE), we mentioned that the actual stories were rather generic, with the characters being illustrated as Black rather than White being the only difference.
This John Rosenberger tale from DC's Girls Love Stories #170 (1972) proves that point, since it's a visually-modified version of this story...
...from Young Romance #151 (1967-68)!
In fact, the original tale was the cover feature!
While the fashions, hairstyles, and the leads' facial features were modified, except for a couple of captions, the script stayed exactly the same!
Even the characters' names (Terry and Rich) were unchanged!
(Credit where credit is due: the amazing comics historian Jaque Nodell pointed out the link between these two stories several years ago HERE!)
But the saga doesn't end there!
The story was re-presented one more time, in Young Love #111 (1974)...
This time with the usual updating of hairstyles and fashions...but very little modification of the original script and Terry and Rich stayed Caucasian!
Want to see the two other versions of this torrid tale?
Let us know!
Next Week:
We don't know what we'll present..yet,
but we can guarantee that...
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...

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

FAST WILLIE JACKSON "Dee Dee: Tickets Now On Sale"

Some women have little self-esteem...
...throwing themselves at men who don't appreciate them at all!
Bet if they did a follow-up to this never-reprinted tale from Fitzgerald Publications' Fast Willie Jackson #5 (1977), it would show Dee Dee sitting miserably with Helen, Tina, and Frankie!
In real-life, lack of self-esteem affects many intelligent, attractive women of all ethnicities, trapping them in unhealthy relationships!
Illustrated by Gus Lemoine, the script was either by him or publisher/editor Bertam Fitzgerald.
Previously, Gus pencilled shorts and a couple of covers at Archie Comics from 1967 to the mid-1970s.
The Fast Willie books were his final credited work.
(There is a theory that Gus was really Henry Scarpelli, a versatile humor artist who did work for Archie as well as Archie-clone books for both Marvel and DC.
The period when "Gus" was active at Archie was before Scarpelli's credited work appeared there and disappeared after Scarpelli began receiving credit for his work on Archie titles.
So...it's like "Gee, Clark, we never see you when Superman's around! Why's that?"
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...
featuring the cover art from several HTF issues
on kool kollectibles!

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Valentines Day Special MY ROMANTIC ADVENTURES "Comic Valentine!" Conclusion

...struggling artist Peg Manton couldn't find a profitable venue for her talent.
Broke and starving, she encountered George Jessup, an average guy who recognized her artistic ability, and suggested she try her hand at doing a comic strip!
With his guidance, she created "The Loves of Lorna Lee", basing Lorna on herself!
The innovative strip was snapped up in record time by a newspaper syndicate!
While Peg revelled in her new-found professional success, George professed his love for her.
But Peg didn't feel the same way, and George accepted his fate as a close friend, continuing to offer suggestions about the strip...which had started losing readers due to a lack of a compelling male co-star to match the female lead.
With George's help, Peg created an extremely-manly character..Greg Gallant...who proved so popular that he stole the stip's title as well as his creator's heart as she began having erotic fantasies about her own creation!
A major studio bought the rights to the strip and came up with the idea to cast an unknown actor to play the part...with Peg making the final decision!
Wow!
All that in a 13-page story!
These days, it'd be a full-length Graphic Novel!
Writer/editor Richard E Hughes and illustrator Ogden Whitney presented an extremely idealized version of what goes into creating and marketing syndicated comic strips, as well as offering a beautiful and talented woman who looked past the physical to choose a guy who, though less handsome than his rival for her affections, possessed intellectual and emotional attributes she wanted in a "significant other"!
A most appropriate tale for Valentine's Day, eh?
Next Week:
We don't know what we'll present..yet,
but we can guarantee that...
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

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentines Day Special MY ROMANTIC ADVENTURES "Comic Valentine!" Part 1

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
Celebrate with this unique tale from ACG's My Romantic Adventures #111 (1960)!
No, it's not a dream!
Not an imaginary story!
That's Greg Gallant!
(Or is it?)
Only writer Richard E Hughes and artist Ogden Whitney know!
You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out!
And Keep in Mind...
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

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

SOUL LOVE "Old Fires!"

This is the only complete story from Soul Love that was ever published...
...appearing full original art-sized in in Privateer Press' tabloid-sized Jack Kirby Masterworks (1979)
Written and penciled by Kirby, inked by Vince Colletta
You can read other Soul Love tales we've presented HERE and HERE.
Soul Love would have been the second romance comic oriented to a Black audience.
The first was the 1950s series Negro Romance, which we covered HERE.
Next Week:
We don't know what we'll present..yet,
but we can guarantee that...
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!
And now a word from our sponsor...
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
UrbanWear with a "Black is Beautiful" flair!
Stand tall and proud with a Lichtenstein-style comic book image of lovers in a romantic clinch!
A Pop Art classic with a Black twist!