Comments on: Agonizing Love: The Golden Era of Romance Comics

By: Grant

Grant — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:40:17 +0000

This would make a nice companion to the “Marvel Romance” collection…

http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Romance-Stan-Lee/dp/0785120890/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306981273&sr=8-1

..which does have full credit listings for each story. The stories range from 1960 to 1972 and has some pretty great artists like Kirby, Steranko, Colan, Starlin and Giordano.

Also, I really like Love on the Racks. Michelle Nolan’s encyclopedic knowledge of all comics from the late 40s and 50s is unparalleled. I really enjoyed her columns in Comic Book Marketplace and Alter Ego.

All three books would make a nice “romance comics” collection.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:02:45 +0000

The author didn’t consider any questions related to creators, beyond the Simon/Kirby history in the introduction, but that wasn’t his purpose — he was approaching these comics as artifacts.

By: TonyJazz

TonyJazz — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:06:55 +0000

As we know, the creators of these books were men. In fact, were ANY of these stories/series of comics written by women? (Did he touch upon that subject?)

I get a kick out of the fantasy of woman’s intuition. I remember learning it from the Dick Van Dyke show growing up, and it took years for me to realize what a silly concept it was!

By: Jacque Nodell

Jacque Nodell — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:48:40 +0000

Yeah, I don’t know if male fans are drawn in by the Simon and Kirby origin and that is why some prefer the earlier books or what? I personally enjoy the later romance issues because there is a very distinct youthfulness to the stories and the art stemming from both the implementation of the Comics Code and the increasing notion of “teenage-hood” and youth culture in the ’60s and ’70s.

Thanks again for the great review!!!

By: Johanna

Johanna — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:28:02 +0000

Oh, wow, Jacque, that would definitely be a book to read! Good luck with that project. I find it interesting that, just based on anecdote, the male fans of the genre tend to prefer the oldest romance comics (like here, where Barson sticks to work pre-1957), while female fans like the kitschier later stuff.

JRB, perhaps, or from clippings, or even found on the internet without proper citation. But these listings don’t even have series titles attached to them! I dunno, it just seemed weird for this kind of book.

By: JRB

JRB — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:24:00 +0000

“Bizarrely, some few items are credited as “Unknown issue, circa (date)”. I don’t understand how you reprint material without knowing where it came from — didn’t you have to find it somewhere?”

From issues with had lost their covers, perhaps? I have this problem with some early magazines I collect; they’re only dated on the cover, so if you get an issue with no cover, you’re stuck unless you can find another copy to compare it to.

By: Jacque Nodell

Jacque Nodell — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:58:28 +0000

Very nice review, Johanna. I did an interview with Barson before the book came out, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Looking forward to it though!

Speaking of a study of women who were romance readers! I have informally started querying women about reading them (mostly readers of the ’60s and ’70s romance). Usually I find them by accident, just by chatting! But that helps illustrate their prevalence at the time these women were young girls. I have found their memories of the romance comics to be on the general side — which has so far prevented me from conducting official interviews. I better get on that!!!

And don’t worry, Johanna… while I have no idea if Barson is going to do a sequel of the later material and though it is a little ways off yet, I am in the early planning stages of a book version of Sequential Crush!

By: Johanna

Johanna — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:02:42 +0000

I hope you like the book – I did. The question of what was chosen to reprint was interesting — I noticed that no DC content (other than covers) was included, either. When it comes to audience and the like, it’s not a deep investigation, but one that relies on assumptions, true. I’d love to see someone do the survey you propose, but it would be difficult, given that the audience would be in their 70s or older at this point, and tracking down readers could be a struggle.

By: JennyN

JennyN — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:48:06 +0000

Thanks for the review, Johanna – I bought the book last week and it sounds as enjoyable as I’d hoped. Though even flipping through it, I’d noted a few awkwardnesses, some of which you mention: the persistently jocular tone, especially (which whatever Mr Barson’s intentions, tends to come across as an attempt to ward off the dreaded girl cooties). I also find it interesting that although several images by the truly fabulous Matt Baker are reproduced on splash pages, Barson neither prints any of the stories he illustrated – mainly in titles published by the St John company – nor references either of the titles about Baker / St John by John Benson, published by Fantagraphics. If he’d looked at Benson’s “Romance Without Tears”, Barson would have read that a number of those devouring the St John titles appear to have been young *men*, especially soldiers in or waiting to ship out to the Korean war zone. (A look at the letters page of any St John comic of the era confirms this).

Though personally I’m waiting for the day when someone thinks to survey the old ladies who were once young girls, and put the question I’ve never seen any recent writer on romance comics ask: What did YOU think? What did *you* enjoy, and why? Were there any writers or artists you looked for especially? Etc, etc. I can only assume that’s much too simple for either fanboys or pop-culture gurus…