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The original 1971 publication of the above Replica Edition from 2000 has various asking prices on eBay, from just under £100 all the way up to over £1,500. Even some of the replicas are pretty heftily priced in my opinion. However, I got mine for a far more reasonable amount, which didn't even come close to breaking the bank.
What interested me about this mag, which is unashamedly aimed at the girlie market, is the roster of artists whose work it contains. Are you ready for this? In either a pencilling or inking capacity, Jay Scott Pike, Bob Oksner, Morris Waldinger, Win Mortimer, Art Saaf, Vince Colletta, John Romita, Tony Abruzzo, Ric Estrada, Wally Wood, Norman Nodel, Mort Drucker, Bob Lander, Mike Sekowsky, and Bernard Sachs. The stories are written by Robert Kanigher and Jack Miller (one strip in two parts) and do the job, though you won't be on the edge of your seats while reading them.
I learnt about this mag only recently, and it was quite a surprise when I realised the replica itself is 26 years old, and the original a whopping 57 years old. Some of the strips look as though they've been resized and had panels extended, but it's been done reasonably well, in the main. Of course, I know all you male Crivs are far too manly to be interested in the subject of soppy romance and (ugh) love, but I thought you might have some wee sisters who might be. As for myself, I only bought it to use as material for the blog as, like you, I'm also far too manly for such stuff. (As my close friend and constant companion Cyril will testify.)
Unfortunately, the square-bound spine is just a little too tight to open the mag wide enough to scan the interiors flatly, so you'll just have to take my word in regard to the quality of the art, which ain't half bad in my opinion. Comments, anyone?
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I have a few DC and Marvel romance comics and most are pretty decent with as you note, some top rated artists (Toth, John and Sal Buscema, Gene Colan, Romita , Steranko etc). I wasn't aware of this facsimile but I would have bought it if I had known. I have noticed a good few romance comics from the past in sale at eye- watering prices. Its strange that we guys think of romance comics as soppy and not manly but we devour comics featuring big muscle bound men lol
ReplyDeleteWell, in my own case, being a big muscle-bound man myself (isn't that right, Cyril?), it's only natural that I'd identify with and relate to them, McS. I can't relate to soppy, soft and curvy voluptuous women 'cos I've never met a real one. (Tongue firmly in cheek.) Actually, I imagine the mag is the US equivalent of the UK's Mandy and Bunty, etc.
DeleteYour post reminds me of a 1970s Marvel "Bullpen Bulletin." Some unknown copywriter, doing a good job of emulating Stan-speak, was going down the list of the month's upcoming titles, and when he came to one of the romance titles, he said something like, "Don't write this one off, guys! Get a load of these gorgeous girls!"
ReplyDeleteI've looked at romance titles from time to time over the years, but most of them don't hold my attention no matter how nice the art. I did like some stories in DC's "Gothic romance" offerings-- SINISTER HOUSE or something like that. The title in which Madame Xanadu debuted, DOORWAY TO NIGHTMARE, also offered a good Gothic romance ambience. All thanks to Carmine Infantino encouraging staid DC to take a chance on horror-vibes-- though by the time Xanadu appeared, poor Carmine had been shown the door, and Jenette Khan built on what he'd started and arguably reaped the rewards CI should have got.
I must confess there's a number of what qualifies as 'good girl art', GP, and for some strange reason I don't understand, I find my eyes lingering on those kind of panels. Guess I'm just a perv. Having said that, while McS was seemingly paying more attention to 'muscle-bound men' in the superhero comics, I was lusting after the women, like Sue Storm, Jean Gray, Wanda Maximoff, Janet Van Dyne, Supergirl, etc.
DeleteLol you cheeky wee besom. I only really had a comic book "crush" on Gwen Stacy although it was more the storyline soap opera romance between Gwen and Mr Parker that I found endearing.
ReplyDeleteGuffaw! You know I'm only joshing, McS. One day I'll have to sit down and make a full list of all the comicbook cuties I fancied while growing up. I suspect they outnumber any real females I fancied, which if true, makes me a sad git.
DeleteAnd when I say 'real females', I don't mean movie and TV actresses 'cos I fancied plenty of them. I mean only ordinary burds who existed in my everyday reality.
DeleteOh, I'm not any less an art-perv than anyone here. I just can't get motivated to devote time to the pure romance comics for whatever reasons. I admit I might be curious though about how certain artists like Wally Wood, who were masters of the BO-OING effect, handled the mundane romance genre. Maybe I'll google Wood + romance and see what I see.
ReplyDeleteWood inked one story in this ish, GP, and I didn't think it was immediately obvious it was him. I'd have preferred to have seen him pencil and ink it.
DeleteIf your looking for "BO-OING" art from Wally Wood, Google "Sally Forth" Gene
ReplyDeleteShouldn't that be more like 'BOIIIIIIIING', GP & McS?
DeleteKid, my sister read Mandy so I know that that US romance magazine was nothing like Mandy!!
ReplyDeleteOn a different subject - for my 10th birthday I received a POTA annual from my "Auntie" Linda (she was actually my mother's cousin) and I recently looked on YouTube to see if anyone might have reviewed a copy. Somebody had indeed made a YouTube video in which they flicked through that very POTA annual and it was fascinating to see those pages again for the first time since the '70s.
You read Mandy as well, CJ, so that's how you 'know'. However, you can't really know for sure as you haven't read this comic mag to compare, have you? Both comics had 'romance' stories in them, so in that sense they were the same.
DeleteTrack down a copy of that POTA Annual on eBay and recapture your 10th birthday, you sentimental devil.
Kid, Mandy didn't have any romance stories!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, were the reprints in Conan Saga in colour or black & white?
Well, I wouldn't know, CJ, 'cos I never read Mandy. And I did say 'I imagine' the mag was like Mandy and Bunty, I wasn't stating it as a fact.
DeleteConan Saga's interiors were in b&w, just like the original printings in SSOC. You should try out 'Reforged' as the stories look great.
CJ, I checked, and in the '80s, Mandy had 'boyfriend-themed' stories, so that sounds a bit like 'romance' to me.
DeleteKid, Mandy was aimed at girls aged about 8 to 12 who were too young for boyfriends and I don't remember any 'boyfriend-themed' stories in the comic. My sister graduated from Mandy (and Judy) to Jackie which was more magazine-like and aimed at teenage girls and which did contain photo-strip romances. It's ironic that Jackie was meant for older girls and yet its' obsession with boys, make-up and pop stars was far more puerile than anything in Mandy.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia, CJ, in the '80s, Mandy had (as I said) boyfriend-themed stories. I didn't pluck it from the air. And as we all know, Wikipedia is never wrong.
DeleteKid, my sister only read Mandy for a couple of years around 1979/80 so maybe later in the '80s the comic decided to adopt more "grown-up" themes for its' stories? I can only speak for the period I remember.
ReplyDeleteAs I was obviously referring to the period in which it appears they had 'romance' stories, CJ, what you should have said was that Mandy didn't have any romance stories when you and your sister read it. Then you wouldn't have ended up with egg on your face - again. Anyway, do you read any girlie comics (on the Internet) nowadays? Go on, you KNOW you do.
DeleteKid, you seem to think I should be embarrassed for having read Mandy which is a bit rich considering your own latest purchase is a lot more "girlie" than Mandy ever was. I would happily have read Warlord or Roy Of The Rovers too if I'd had a brother but those comics weren't available to me. As it happens I'm not the slightest bit embarrassed that I read Mandy, Judy and Misty so there! And no, I don't read any girlie comics online!
ReplyDeleteThe difference is, CJ, I bought 'Love Stories' because of the roster of artists contained therein, not for the subject matter, so I have nothing to be embarrassed about. You, however, read your sister's comics and probably also played with her Sindy and Barbie dolls as well. Just admit that you feel you were born in the wrong body and are seriously considering transitioning. (Guffaw!) I'm actually considering transitioning as well - into a nice human being.
DeleteAlso, what was wrong with buying your own comics, rather than relying on a sibling to provide you with their copies?
DeleteKid, methinks you are being deliberately mischievous as you know I was a huge Marvel fan with no interest in girls comics but my sister's comics happened to be lying around so I chose to read them to pass the time and I have no regrets doing so.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my sister had a Sindy doll and accompanying accessories but not a Barbie.
Of course I'm being deliberately mischievous, CJ - how else would I have any fun around here? Did you have an Action Man, aside from your POTA figure? And did you ever catch him trying to look up Sindy's dress? (I actually lettered a Sindy strip or two back in the '80s.)
DeleteNo Action Man but I did have Star Trek and Space: 1999 figures as well as POTA.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Sindy had been a comic-strip. Which comic was she in?
Difficult to remember, CJ. Back in the '80s, while I was in King's Reach Tower in London one day, I was asked by the late Pat Kelleher of Temple Art Agency if I'd letter a strip (or two) for him for some comic-or-other. That project didn't happen, but Marvel UK acquired the material and published it in a Sindy Special. I got an apologetic note from Pat, saying that he hadn't got the full amount for the art so could only pay me half of what I should've got. Still, better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. I think I've got a copy of the mag somewhere so if I ever find it, I'll show it on the blog.
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