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What are the rarest romance comics?
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6,659 posts in this topic

On 4/15/2024 at 7:39 PM, BuscemasAvengers said:

Next up is Love Romances 79. Had this pegged as either an 8.0 or 8.5, so happy with the result, and it takes over as highest graded.

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Sooooo nice to see CGC credit Baker (and Colletta for that one).

Have to get one back now (:

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On 4/28/2024 at 9:47 PM, Ricksneatstuff said:

Here are a few more recent pickups

If I showed everything I’ve been buying it would become quite apparent I have a problem. 

You should see what I have acquired over the years!  Next time you are in town, I will invite you to the "support" group that helps deal with this "problem".

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On 5/1/2024 at 12:35 AM, Ricksneatstuff said:

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Good stuff!  

I saw the Love Diary stories, and the "Need More Money" looked like it was a story title.  My eyes perked up if that was a story name in a romance book...  thought that was a "tad" suggestive for a second.  Jeez, what does Barbara do for that extra cash!  Then again, I haven't had coffee yet...

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On 5/2/2024 at 9:10 PM, Ricksneatstuff said:

Fascinating history @sfcityduck

Thanks for sharing. 
 

I have picked up most of the Kirkpatrick covers and they are some of my favorite. 
 

I THINK this is my favorite, but so many great ones. 
 

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I completely agree. That cover is not just great art, as good as anything of that period, but also emblamatic of everything I think Alice Kirkpatrick was thinking as she drew that cover. Basically: "This beautiful woman does not want to be with that man. She's looking in a different direction entirely. At me (Alice)." 

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On 5/4/2024 at 8:13 AM, Dr. Love said:

Romance was a blockbuster endeavor from 1950 to 1952, at one point capturing approximately 25% of the market in the post war shakeup, and involved all publishers (except Dell).  Certain artists specialized in the genre, especially as it represented a smaller footprint into the mid and late 50's - Baker, Colletta, and Romita come to mind. Others had a notable presence - Bald, Whitney, Anderson, Kirkpatrick, Kirby, Buscema, Hartley and the like.  

Then there were some artists who dabbled in romance, a side hustle as it were from their more known work.  These artists might have less than 10 romance covers, if that many.  Heath, Everett, Schomburg, Infantino, Pike, Ward.  And Bernard Baily.

Baily is particularly interesting for a number of reasons.  In my mind an accomplished artist, while identifiable in style, has a certain versatility that allows them to express their hand in different settings, different genres.  Most, even the greats like The King, could not.  But Baily could.  

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That is impressive.  But a more complete transformation to something more mainstream, for a whole different market altogether - that is kinda awesome.  And not just transforming as an artist.  Baily was one of a small group who stretched entrepreneurially as well, for those were very few.  In 1943 he founded Baily Publishing.  In 1953 Baily produced this wholesome gem of a digest for his own company, For Girls Only - The Magazine for Girls of All Ages.  While at the same time, turning out Weird Mysteries and so much more for the ultimate fly-by-night publisher and creator of some of the most extreme horror comics of that time, Stanley Morse.  Wow!  

 

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Bailey really ran the gamut genre wise. Personally, I prefer his horror and More Fun work. Yes, I am a sicko. But his romance stuff is also pretty unique. You just know who did it at a glance.

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