Posted By Dan Greenfield on Sep 27, 2025 | 2 comments

SCOTT SHAW! SATURDAYS…

By SCOTT SHAW!

Romance comics never get the same attention as superheroes, horror and Western books, yet at one time they outsold almost everything on the spinner rack.

Jack Kirby and Joe Simon created the genre with their first issue of Young Romance, published in 1947. Soon, through its relatable and excellent storytelling, circulation expanded, thanks to previously ignored readers: teenage girls and housewives. It wasn’t long before most of comicdom’s major publishers had their own lines of romance comics.

Young Romance #1 (Sept.-Oct. 1947, Prize). Cover art by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon.

But by the 1950s, it seems that the overwhelming interest in love comics’ was wearing off its shine. Without many continuing characters, their covers and stories began to look too similar. Simon and Kirby’s Young Romance, In Love, Young Love, Western Love, and Young Brides continued to lead the love-pack without foregoing quality. But many of their competitors had no problem in amping up the melodrama.  American Comics Group seemed particularly skillful with really creepy situations, while others leaned on sometimes all-too-obvious threats of rape, as you’ll see here.

This trend didn’t last long, especially since covers like these were unlikely to pass the Comic Code Authority. Other than Dell, the major publishers maintained a smaller number of romance comics, except for Charlton, which still pumped out a number of love titles until publisher expired.

OK, prepare to wince, Oddballs.

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First Love Illustrated #20, August 1952, Harvey. I’ve never seen a romance comic with a bloody car crash on its cover. Let’s hope she had a box of ketchup in the rear seat.

Al Avison

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Lovelorn #5, April-May 1950, ACG. I’ve got a few mainstream comics with necrophilia themes on the cover, but they were on horror comics, not romance ones!

Ken Bald

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My Romantic Adventures #76, April 1957, ACG. Considering that, by this time, romance comics were on the wane, this cover might be based on ACG’s circulation numbers for this series.

Ken Bald

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Lovelorn #10, February-March 1951, ACG. If a teacher busted a student for reading this comic in class, maybe she could chop her way out by claiming it was actual “history.”

Artist unknown

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Teen Confessions #52, November 1968, Charlton. Every time I look at this Charlie Manson-ish cover, I hear “Helter Skelter” in my head.

Ernesto R. Garcia

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Western Love #3, Nov.-Dec. 1949, Prize. Uhhh, is this cowgirl the grand-grand-grand-grand daughter of Catherine the Great?

Photo cover by Ken Murray

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Popular Teen-Agers #10, January 1952, Star. At least this cover is honest. These teens are literally “rolling in the hay.”

L. B. Cole

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True Love Problems and Advice Illustrated #9, May 1951, Harvey. “Gangster Girl” is all you need to know here.

Lee Elias

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Romantic Adventures #50, October-November 1954, ACG. Despite the bright yellow coloring, I’m sorry to report that “Love of a Lunatic” is not set in Springfield.

Ogden Whitney

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Lovers’ Lane #38, Jan. 1954, Lev Gleason. And now we get to some covers that you can’t laugh at. Here’s  young lady dodging a date rapist.

Fred Kida

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Boy Loves Girl #29, Nov. 1952, Lev Gleason. Here’s a potential circus assault.

Fred Kida

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Teen-Age Temptations #8, June 1954, St. John. Here’s a fortunately interrupted white-trash attack.

Matt Baker

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Young Romance #80, Dec. 1955, Prize. And yet, outliving most of these series, Simon and Kirby’s Young Romance was still producing stories with a relatively upbeat tone.

Kirby and Simon

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Want more ODDBALL COMICS? Come back next week!

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MORE

— ODDBALL COMICS: The Cool, Short Life of FAST WILLIE JACKSON. Click here.

— ODDBALL COMICS: Jack Mendelsohn’s Wonderfully Loopy JACKY’S DIARY. Click here.

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For over half a century, SCOTT SHAW! has been a pro cartoonist/writer/designer of comic books, animation, advertising and toys. He is also a historian of all forms of cartooning. Scott has worked on many underground comix and mainstream comic books, including Simpsons Comics (Bongo); Weird Tales of the Ramones (Rhino); and his co-creation with Roy Thomas, Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew! (DC). Scott also worked on numerous animated series, including producing/directing John Candy’s Camp Candy (NBC/DIC/Saban) and Martin Short’s The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley. As senior art director for the Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency, Scott worked on dozens of commercials for Post Pebbles cereals with the Flintstones. He also designed a line of Hanna-Barbera action figures for McFarlane Toys. Scott was one of the comics fans who organized the first San Diego Comic-Con.

Need funny cartoons for any and all media? Scott does commissions! Email him at shawcartoons@gmail.com.