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What are the rarest romance comics?
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Started by Bo_Hogg,

6,525 posts in this topic

Bumble Kitty

Bumble Kitty

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Posted
On 8/18/2021 at 4:02 PM, Dr. Love said:

A better question is why do adult male collectors buy photocovers?  For that, you'd have to ask me and @Bumble Kitty.  It's an acquired taste, shall we say, not natural to guys that grew up on Marvel superheroes.

The best way to answer this question is for me to post some photocover romance books over the next few weeks. Some of the covers are quite interesting and give insight into the specific culture at that time.  Plus when I picked them up, they were quite affordable.  Not like today with the Promise Collection books.

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comicnoir

comicnoir

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Posted
On 8/18/2021 at 7:02 PM, Dr. Love said:

Ron's right.  Made good business sense not just on the money front - and these guys were all about the money - but the market they were aiming at were used to buying other romance publications (pulps and slicks primarily) that showcased photocovers, so they were a familiar and easy way to transition into this new purchase.

A better question is why do adult male collectors buy photocovers?  For that, you'd have to ask me and @Bumble Kitty.  It's an acquired taste, shall we say, not natural to guys that grew up on Marvel superheroes.

I did enjoy owning these three for a while.  Wasn't easy getting them out of Bechara Maalouf's hands back in the day.  I still have trouble on occasion with my rear end from the bending over he gave me at the time!

@sagiihey Corey this one's for you too!

 

IMG_5780.thumb.JPG.69ce1609371514c91d6b639da8e44a32.JPG

 

 

 

 

Maybe the most desirable trio of photo covers in the hobby.

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eschnit

eschnit

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On 8/18/2021 at 6:02 PM, szav said:

Makes sense then.  Seems like they may not have sold well because you see a few titles that started with drawn covers that went over to photos mid run, only to go back to drawn again later in the run.

Thank God St. John decided to make the switch on Cinderella Love

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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On 8/20/2021 at 7:47 AM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I've read where Young Romance #1 is considered to be the first romance book.

Is there a consensus as to the first appearance of Good Girl Art?  Or is this an impossible question, with just too many examples that could be considered GGA?

It was Fox's post-WWII output in Blue Beetle, Jojo, Phantom Lady etc. and the art of Baker, Feldstein and Kamen that was the inspiration for defining a comicbook GGA genre, though there are certainly plenty of other GGA books before and after.  With Fox, the "message" was more clearly and consistently stated, but it was an evolution of what had occured prior, so not sure it makes sense to pick a "first" GGA issue.

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Yorick

Yorick

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On 8/19/2021 at 6:41 PM, eschnit said:

Thank God St. John decided to make the switch on Cinderella Love

Interestingly, those are not the St John issues.  Ziff-Davis had the title rights for a few issues.

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Yorick

Yorick

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On 8/19/2021 at 3:04 PM, Dr. Love said:

Now that's one you wont see everyday. At least not in the USA!

I wonder why they couldn't use the same photocover as the American edition. I'm also thinking not 52 pages, yeh?

Only 28 pages with contents from the Alice Kay photo cover issue (v3n5 - #17).  Maybe they thought Alice wouldn't sell as well as Lana Turner?

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rjpb

rjpb

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On 8/20/2021 at 9:22 AM, adamstrange said:

It was Fox's post-WWII output in Blue Beetle, Jojo, Phantom Lady etc. and the art of Baker, Feldstein and Kamen that was the inspiration for defining a comicbook GGA genre, though there are certainly plenty of other GGA books before and after.  With Fox, the "message" was more clearly and consistently stated, but it was an evolution of what had occured prior, so not sure it makes sense to pick a "first" GGA issue.

Especially as it is one of the most abused descriptors of the era. Some people seem to think "Good Girl Art" applies to any competently drawn attractive woman on or in a Golden Age comic book. 

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RareHighGrade

RareHighGrade

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On 8/20/2021 at 4:47 AM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I've read where Young Romance #1 is considered to be the first romance book.

Is there a consensus as to the first appearance of Good Girl Art?  Or is this an impossible question, with just too many examples that could be considered GGA?

Here is a panel from the cover of New Fun Comics #5 (Aug. 1935).  It may qualify as the earliest candidate for GGA.  I also believe it's the earliest bondage cover.

 

NewFun5Panel.jpg

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GreatCaesarsGhost

GreatCaesarsGhost

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On 8/21/2021 at 5:22 PM, RareHighGrade said:

Here is a panel from the cover of New Fun Comics #5 (Aug. 1935).  It may qualify as the earliest candidate for GGA.  I also believe it's the earliest bondage cover.

 

NewFun5Panel.jpg

That’s definitely GGA. And unless you count Little Orphan Annie, I declare this . . .^^

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