Romantic comic books issue 1

Tales of secret love, heartbreak, unrequited love, and reconciliation. Runaway bride Liz thinks she's ruined her life, not to mention her fiance Neil - but then she runs right into Larry's arms. Carol judges everybody by their family connections to high society, until she meets handsome Peter Barker. Elaine's dreams of becoming a flight attendant seem doomed to frustration, but then she meets a handsome pilot. Runaway Girl; For Love Alone; Faithless; The Hearts Surrender; Empty Arms. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Ken Bald. "Second-Hand Love," pencils by Pete Riss; a plain Jane girl longs to date the class football star. "You Can't Learn Romance!," art by Ken Bald; A young school teacher yearns to know about romantic love. "Hollywood Heartbreak," pencils by Max Elkan, inks Ray Willner; A woman cozies up to a Hollywood start to further her acting career. "The Remembering Heart" text story. "I Was a Fugitive from Love!," inks by Sam Cooper; romance story featuring newspaper columnist. "Woman in White," art by Edvard Moritz; A nurse longs to marry a rich doctor. 52 pgs., full color. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.

Art by Walter Johnson, Manny Stallman, Ed Waldman and Frank R. Sieminski. Lurid tales of love and crime, with lush covers reprinted from Avon paperbacks. A woman swears shes done with love, but one man wants to change her mind; Redheaded Tina looks older than she is, but her love of good times leads to trouble; Tricia leaves her boxer boyfriend when she gains wealth and fame, but he never forgets her. Featuring a painted cover reprinted from Avon paperback #252. No Other Love!; Running Wild; I Pawned My Love!; Flight from Shame; Star of the Month: Zachary Scott; Love Diary. 52 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Photo cover by L. Willinger. "The Widow and the Veep" one-page story, art by Mort Leav; At the age of 70, widowed U.S. Vice-President Alben Barkley marries 37-year-old widow Jane Hadley. "Love Was Not Enough," art by Jack Sparling; Alice boasts to her friends and family about her new husband Jeffs stellar career as a reporter but he tells her to curb her enthusiasm; When the district attorney asks Jeff to help investigate gangster Big Jim, Alice brags to a friend and Jeff is fired from the newspaper for violating confidentiality. "Second Wife," pencils by Max Elkan; After his wife Nelda dies in a car accident, Michael weds Loretta on the rebound; However, Michael constantly compares Loretta to Nelda, unfavorably; Loretta decides to leave him. "The Turning Point," art by Mort Leav; Actress Laura marries screenwriter Mark; He is unhappy in his work and suffers a nervous breakdown; Laura and Mark go to his family farm in Wisconsin to recover. "The Kiss I Couldn't Forget!", art by Frank Borth; Eva refuses to marry her hometown sweetheart Alex until she discovers if she has the talent to become a writer; She moves to New York and is hired as an advertising copy writer in Martins agency. "I Was a Selfish Wife!"; Sue convinces her husband, boxer Pat, to accept a fight with Tiger Madison because she wants the money for a trip to visit her family; Pat knows he isnt ready to face Madison, but accepts the bout anyway. "Second Chance at Love!", art by George Appel; Marie is divorced and has a five-year-old son; She falls in love with engineer Ralph, but Johnny doesnt want a "new daddy," and so Marie says she cant see Ralph any more. "Falling Out of Love" Problems of the Newlywed article. Cary Grant and Betsy Drake photo on back cover. 52 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Stories and art by Edd Ashe, King Ward, and Al Carreno. This early romance comic from Fawcett had particularly complex plots to go with the tears and kisses. After a mishap on a store escalator, "Boots" meets handsome doctor Larry, but she dreads taking him home to her large and disorderly family. Doris doesn't believe in the kind of love they talk about in the romance novels, until she meets Bob and literally gets weak in the knees. Switchboard operator Elissa falls for telephone lineman Lennie, in a story with some great art of a 1940s red convertible. Plus a pin-up of screen legend Ray Milland, star of The Lost Weekend and future star of X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes. Short Wait for Paradise; Superstitious!; A Tearful Illusion; The Unforgiving Heart; Rendezvous of the Heart; Glamour Girl; Romantic Secrets' Star of the Month: Ray Milland. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover by Odgen Whitney. Art by Odgen Whitney. ACG Comics reprints daffy love stories from Romantic Adventures, the classic 1950s romance comic from the original ACG. A woman has a total breakdown because of her love woes, but a psychiatrist sets her straight; A career woman helps raise her spoiled niece, who later tries to steal her man; the title of the third story, Cupid is a Horse Named Bertram, speaks for itself. Love of a Lunatic!; Cupid is a Horse Named Bertram!; Its Never Too Late to Love! 32 pages, B&W. Cover price $2.75.

Add to cart Fine $7.70

Volume 1 - 1st printing.

Written by Wataru Watari. Art and cover by Naomichi Io. Translated by Jennifer Ward.

An adaptation of one of the bestselling light novel franchises in Japan brings high school cynicism face-to-face with youthful enthusiasm in this bittersweet comedy of errors!

Hachiman Hikigaya is a cynic. "Youth" is a crock, he believes, a sucker's game, an illusion woven from failure and hypocrisy. But when he turns in an essay for a school assignment espousing this view, he's sentenced to work in the Service Club, an organization dedicated to helping students with problems in their lives!

How will Hachiman the Cynic cope with a job that requires - gasp! - optimism?

Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 192 pages, B&W. Age 13 and up

Cover price $13.00.

Add to cart VG- 3.5 $119.95 or Best Offer View scans Cover and interior oxidation. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

Cover art by John Prentice. "Love Me...", art by Dick Rockwell; Lingerie shop owner Lynden falls in love with Tyler but later thinks her roommate Ginny has stolen him away; Tyler shows up and says Ginny was lying: he only cares for Lynden. "Jealousy Was My Undoing," art by Al McWilliams; Newlyweds Dorothy and Pierre host Pierres old friends Bill and his wife Kitty; Dorothy learns Kitty used to be Pierres dance contest partner and is jealous; Bill and Kitty are later killed in a plane crash. "You'll Come Back," art by John Prentice; Dance team Eddie and Nora audition for a Broadway show but star Delilah insists that only Eddie be hired; When Eddie refuses, Delilah takes them both, but splits up the act. "I Had To Choose"; Business executive Pam is too busy for her friend David, so she asks her assistant Madge to keep him company; Madge sets up Pam with a blind date: David. "I Found My Heart In The Past" text story. "Take Me As I Am"; Office worker Helen meets wealthy Royce at a skating rink; She conceals her working class background from him, pretending to live at the mansion where her mother is employed as a cook. "Unwelcome"; Toms widowed father John returns from Europe with a new wife, Wilma, and her teen-aged daughter, Martha; Tom makes friends with Martha, who grew up in a concentration camp, but he spreads nasty rumors about Wilma. 52 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Cover art by Dick Beck. "She Hated Her Husband!"; Elaine married TV repairman Larry while still in high school; 18 months later she hates her life as a mother and housewife; After Elaine goes to the beach with friends and takes their baby along, Larry takes the infant and goes home to his mother. "Thrill Seeker," art by Edward Goldfarb; Brenda leaves her small town and would-be suitor Tom for a vacation in New Orleans during Mardi Gras; She falls in love with a costumed man named Andre, but sees him kissing another woman and returns home, disillusioned. "The Turning Of The Worm text story by Diane Lowe. "I Fell In Love With An Ex-Con," art by Dick Beck; Connie, secretary for the parole board, falls in love with paroled convict Joe, over her fathers objections; Joe disappears after meeting her father and Connie thinks hes rejoined his old gang; When Connie sees Joe in police custody, she fears the worst. "My Terrible Confession"; Even as a child, Carol "had no regard for truth and honesty," and as a department store employee she continues to take credit for work others do; She falls in love with her new boss Bruce, even though he warns her that he can't stand liars; Carol mistakenly wins a store slogan contest, but doesnt admit the error. 36 pgs., full color.

NOTE: Other than the issue #, Romantic Hearts (1951 1st Series) #11 and Romantic Hearts (1951 1st Series) #1 are virtually identical. Cover price $0.10.

Cover art by John Prentice. "I Was The Babe In The Woods"; Jean and Bob are rival store buyers but also romantically involved; Jean cheats to beat Bob out of a shipment of costume jewelry and he breaks up with her. "The Instant Before Love"; After her fathers death, Allison has to drop out of college because her father owed money to Mr. Dodson; Allison is compelled to work as the Dodsons maid to pay the debt. "Cosette, Paris and Love," art by Bill Ely; After the war, Jack stayed in Paris to study art, and fell in love with model Cosette; However, she had to stay there to care for aged painter Marcel, who lost his mind after his son was killed. Jack promises to return for her soon. "Nice Respectable Romance," art by John Prentice; Jennie assumes shes going to marry her uninspiring longtime boyfriend Tom, but she is attracted to handsome newcomer Dean and they fall in love; However, when she sees Tom with Anita, Jennie becomes jealous and announces their engagement. "When You Have A Man" text story. "'Til That Wonderful Day"; Secretary Kate and her boyfriend Tom work in the same factory; Foreman Snyder wont allow Tom to present his idea for an improved machine. "How Love Came To Mac O'Roney," art by Dick Briefer; College student Mac does everything he can to make Bubbles fall in love with him, even though her criteria for a boyfriend changes frequently. 52 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Story, art and cover by Jason Thompson. A guy who works in a comic book store falls for the girl who always comes in to buy Star Wars comics. 32 pages, B&W. Mature readers. Cover price $2.95.

Add to cart CGC 7.0 $849.00 or Best Offer View scans Paper: Off white to white Label #0250413020 Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout.

Cover art by Walter Johnson. "Experiment with Love!", art by Al Fass; Nurse Phyllis loves Dr. John, and when hes promoted to resident surgeon at the clinic, they make wedding plans; However, he falls for wealthy Valerie and breaks up with Phyllis. "Love on the Run," art by Bob Mack; Dianne and her husband Jerry spend a weeks vacation with a wealthy client; Dianne is impressed by handsome Pietro, and when Jerry cuts his vacation short to fly to an engineering project in trouble, Dianne refuses to accompany him. "Bluebeard's Eleventh Wife" text story. "Love Conquers All"; Marcy is directing the towns amateur theatre show; Jessica brings in professional singer Crane to help; He says Marcy will have a great show business career and she falls in love with him; But Crane is recalled to military service for the Korean War and dies in a plane crash. "K.O. for Cupid," art by Walter Johnson; Student Janey has a crush on college professor Peter, but "campus coquette" Marla also wants him; Janey sees Marla kissing Peter and is angry, although Peter later claims Marla was the aggressor; Janey and Peter are stranded on an island after their boat sinks during a campus activity. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

1st printing. Age of Innocence: The Romantic Art of Jeffery Jones is a stunning exploration of the feminine mystique by an award-winning master at the peak of his form. Featuring nearly 50 magnificent full color paintings, this is a collection to treasure for years to come. Softcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 40 pages, full color. Mature Readers Cover price $14.95.

Art book featuring official art from the anime of the same name. Softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", 144 pages, full color, Japanese language.

Volume 1 - 1st printing.

Written by Wataru Watari. Art and cover by Ponkan 8. Translated by Jennifer Ward.

Hachiman Hikigaya is a cynic. "Youth" is a crock, he believes--a sucker's game, an illusion woven from failure and hypocrisy. But when he turns in an essay for a school assignment espousing this view, he's sentenced to work in the Service Club, an organization dedicated to helping students with problems in their lives! How will Hachiman the Cynic cope with a job that requires--gasp!--optimism?

Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 240 pages, Text (with B&W Chapter Illustrations).

Cover price $14.00.

Volume 1 - 1st Printing. Story, art, and cover by Wataru Momose. Anzu must play along in this altered reality before she can return to her normal life, so she begrudgingly makes friends with Tsukasa Kazuki. He unfortunately happens to be one of the hottest and most popular guys at school, and whats worse, she realizes that he might not even be that bad of a person! Softcover, 6-in. x 8-in., 192 pages, full color. Cover price $16.99.

Story by Allen Saunders. Art by Ken Ernst and Paul McCarthy. An early precursor to romance comics. The bulk of the issue is taken up with a collection of a Mary Worth strip from 1944. Mary's new tenant, Senora Lisa De Leon, keeps her face hidden under a veil while she undergoes a mysterious treatment from Dr. Karen Ward. But how will the new love of her life feel when her procedure is done? Also featuring pinup photos of movie stars John Hodiak and Alan Ladd, and a one-page Gertie O'Grady gag strip. Romantic John Hodiak; Mary Worth: Doctor Ward's Secret; Gertie O'Grady; Romantic Alan Ladd. 48 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Limited Signed Edition hardcover in slipcase - 1st printing. Signed and numbered by Jeffrey Jones, limited to 500 copies. The slipcase is bound in cloth with photo inlay. This deluxe edition contains an extra illustration not included in the regular editions.

Age of Innocence: The Romantic Art of Jeffery Jones is a stunning exploration of the feminine mystique by an award-winning master at the peak of his form. Featuring nearly 50 magnificent full color paintings, this is a collection to treasure for years to come. 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 40 pages, full color. Mature Readers

1st printing. Age of Innocence: The Romantic Art of Jeffery Jones is a stunning exploration of the feminine mystique by an award-winning master at the peak of his form. Featuring nearly 50 magnificent full color paintings, this is a collection to treasure for years to come. Hardcover, 8 1/2-in. x 11-in., 40 pages, full color. Mature Readers Cover price $29.95.

Add to cart Fine $9.49

1st printing. Story and art by MariNaomi. From her father and mother's interracial marriage to her own "you show me yours, I'll show you mine" moments on the playground, from drug experimentation to sexual/identity questions, MariNaomi lays her inner life bare. Kiss & Tell is her funny and frank memoir in graphic form: a fresh and offbeat coming-of-age story unfolding against the colorful backdrop of San Francisco in the '80s and '90s. Through deft storytelling and charming illustration, she carries us through first love and worst love, through heartbreak and bedroom experimentation, as she grows from misfit teen to young woman. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, B&W. Cover price $15.99.

Add to cart Very Fine $2.50

2nd and later printings. Story and art by MariNaomi. From her father and mother's interracial marriage to her own "you show me yours, I'll show you mine" moments on the playground, from drug experimentation to sexual/identity questions, MariNaomi lays her inner life bare. Kiss & Tell is her funny and frank memoir in graphic form: a fresh and offbeat coming-of-age story unfolding against the colorful backdrop of San Francisco in the '80s and '90s. Through deft storytelling and charming illustration, she carries us through first love and worst love, through heartbreak and bedroom experimentation, as she grows from misfit teen to young woman. Softcover, 6-in. x 9-in., 208 pages, B&W. Cover price $15.99.

Add to cart Near Mint $40.00

1st printing. Edited by Chris Pitzer. Featuring the talents of the best and brightest of the worlds of independant comics and animation, and storyboard design Project: Romantic is an anthology about love and love stuff. Hardcover, full color. MATURE READERS. NOTE: Limited Edition of 500 copies. Cover price $60.00.

Add to cart Fine $5.99

1st printing. Edited by Chris Pitzer. Featuring the talents of the best and brightest of the worlds of independant comics and animation, and storyboard design Project: Romantic is an anthology about love and love stuff. Softcover, full color. MATURE READERS. Cover price $19.95.

Add to cart Near Mint $14.00

1st printing.

Story and art by Liv Stromquist.

The internationally acclaimed activist follows up her satirical work of graphic medicine with this collection of humorous comics essays about how historical and societal shifts have altered - and perhaps destroyed - "romantic love."

The deceptively simple through-line for Swedish media personality and activist Liv Strömquist's The Reddest Rose is the question: Why does Leonardo DiCaprio date an endless string of twentysomething models? Her answer - in the form of this collection of well-researched, humorous comics essays - tracks how philosophers and artists, from the Ancient Greeks to Beyoncé, conceptualized romantic love. Strömquist's signature interlocutor characters, drawn in a zine-y, flat, blocky style, ask each other questions and offer sharp commentary as they guide readers throughout history and the change in societies' values, from showing love/loving to getting love/being loved. (Poet Hilda "H.D." Doolittle - who was so love-stricken by a man taking off his glasses that she believed they viewed dolphins together in another dimension - lends the book its title.) Lord Byron, Socrates, Byung-Chul Han, Ezra Pound, Slavoj Žižek, Lou Andreas-Salomé, Ariadne, and many others make cameos.

For the first time in English, in The Reddest Rose, Strömquist wonders: in a rationalist, consumerist world, can romantic love survive?

Softcover, 7-in. x 9-in., 184 pages, B&W.

Cover price $24.99.

Add to cart PR 0.5 $49.95 or Best Offer View scan Interior is complete. Near full length spine split (chew). Water saturation. Mold spots. Consignment. 3% buyer's premium charged at checkout. Graded by MCS, not consignor. Other items consigned by humble cow

"Love Is on a Distant Star"; Libby quits her teaching job and moves to New York to study singing at the "Beethoven School of Music"; She lives with her "Bohemian" Aunt Pat, who tries to make Libby loosen up. "If That's All You Offer"; Cindy is exasperated because her reporter boyfriend Chick spends too much time working; She wants him to be an influential "somebody" in town; Cindy starts dating newcomer Hal, who claims to have big plans. "Please See Me as Yesterday"; On vacation, Marcia sets her cap for wealthy Dirk, disabling her car as a pretense to meet him; Mechanic Ken repairs the car; Marcia is attracted to him but thinks hes too working-class to be of interest. "Noon over Westchester" text story. "Twelve Steps to My Arms"; Joe is an engineer who wants to be a writer; His upstairs neighbor Harriet has wild parties which prevent him from writing. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

1st Printing - Replica Edition, reprinting "Romantic Detective" from April, 1938. Softcover, 7" x 10", 128 pages, B&W. Cover price $14.95.

1st printing.

Macoto Takahashi is the legendary artist known for his romantic images of female characters adorned with roses, flowers, ribbons, lace, stars and so on. Heavily influenced by Art Deco, Macoto Takahashi's work laid the foundation of female characters in Japanese Manga. This book reveals the history of Macoto's artworks and the stories behind the images.

Softcover, 5 1/2-in. x 8 1/2-in., 176 pages, full color. Cover price $29.95.

Add to cart GD+ 2.5 $24.00 View scan Cover to cover puncture in margin.

Stories and art by Edd Ashe, Ed Robbins, Rod Reed and Max Elkan. For those who prefer romance with a little Southwestern seasoning, Fawcett presents tales of love on the range. Susan falls for heroic singing cowboy Doug, but his heart belongs to the open range. A fifty-year feud between the Barkers and the neighboring Jacksons heats up when Janie Jackson and Lin Barker fall in love. Ranch owner Laura is as tough as any cowboy, but when rustlers target her cattle, she's willing to accept the help of handsome wandering cowpoke Rod Foster. Heartbeat of Treachery; Love Feud; Sky Riders; The Tall Stranger. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Vol. 1, No. 2 - September 1931. 6.75" x 9.75", 130 pages, B&W. Cover price $0.20.