Selling Romance - The Debutante Pin!

Ad from the back cover of
Falling in Love #60 (July 1963)

Even if you weren't a mid-century society girl, you could feel like one with "The Genuine Debutante Pin" advertised on the back cover of early '60s romance comics! The mix-and-match set consisting of three pin shapes and three settings, promised to raise charm levels and make any young woman's outfit befitting to that of a "wardrobe of a society princess." Not too shabby for $3.95!

Fab! Tuff! Outasight! - Monkees Mania in Romance Comics!

Hello, romance comic fans! When I was a kid and dragged to comic book conventions, I quickly learned that having a niche thing to collect made the cons ten thousand times more fun. At 12 years old, I wasn't super into collecting comics (yet), but I had been recently captivated by the Monkees and oh goodness, was I obsessed! And so, the comic book conventions I attended with my family turned into all out Monkees memorabilia hunts. I still really dig the Monkees and I am of course a wee bit sad I won't be seeing any of their latest tour performances.


Anyhow, how does this relate to romance comics, you ask? Well, there are quite a few advertisements for Monkees merchandise in the romance comics. Quite fitting when you think about it!

In the DC advice column "To You... from Carol Andrews" from Falling in Love #95 (November 1967), Carol advises readers on a new teen mag from DC called Teen Beat. The inaugural issue featured a sensationalistic story on the Monkees!


The second issue of Teen Beat was reincarnated as Teen Beam. This house ad for Teen Beam advertising frameable Monkees pictures was printed in Young Love #66 (March/April 1968).


Charlton published a magazine called Teen Tunes and Pin-Ups and naturally, advertised it in their romance comics. This ad featuring Micky, Davy, Mike, Peter and compatriots appeared in Teen Confessions #48 (January 1968).


Space in some of DC romance comics were purchased by Charlton to advertise their "huge kissable - SINGABLE - posters" of the Monkees. This one appeared on the back cover of Girls' Romances #130 (January 1968).


The Beatles made a few appearances in the stories and covers of romance comics, but besides these advertisements, I don't think any story in romance comics mentioned the Monkees. *Sob!*

Selling Romance - Career Girl Guides

"A gal trying to successfully solve bewildering problems about a career, marriage, etc., will find these SUCCESS GUIDES reveal startling but proven steps to success."

Or so promised this ad selling "Career Girl Guides" that appeared in romance comics such as Falling in Love #94 (October 1967). Aside from the guide that features tips on how to become a successful, glamorous model and the one with advice on breaking into show business, these guides appear to have left much to be desired for young women in search of career counseling.

We can only hope that the young ambitious readers of romance comics turned their attention to Charlton's Career Girl Romances instead!

Selling Romance - Diversity in Wigs!

Any casual reader of romance comics from the 1960s and '70s is aware of the fact that wig advertisements were never in short supply! This ad for "Permanently Styled" S-T-R-E-T-C-H wigs from a company called Valmor out of Chicago appeared in Charlton's Secret Romance #29 (October 1974).


This ad is particularly cool because of the variety of wigs including the "Afro American" and the "Afro Puffs" style -- "the latest rage" which could be worn three different ways. The Afro hairstyle is of course associated with the 1960s and '70s, born out of the "Black is Beautiful" movement.

Valmor, the company that produced these wigs, sold beauty products aimed at African-American women since the 1930s -- including skin-lightening creams. Author Juliann Sivulka explains in her excellent book, Stronger Than Dirt: A Cultural History of Advertising Personal Hygiene in America, 1875 to 1940 that Valmor's early advertisements for the African-American female consumer were, "centered on achieving beauty to attract a man, rather than female dignity and racial advancement." It is obvious from this romance comic ad that by the 1970s, Valmor had engaged with both the political and beauty needs of the mid-century woman.

♥♥♥

Join me this weekend to find out --
What is wrong with Angela and Celia?

Selling Romance - "Don't Let Them Call You Skinny"

At the turn of every year, when resolutions are made (and not always kept) weight loss is often a common goal. But what about weight gain? This advertisement for "Wate-On" from Charlton's Teen Confessions #30 (October 1964) purports to do just that -- aid in the putting on of weight and give true believers a shapely body.


Available in four forms, "Wate-On" promised that it would not only help add shape to trouble spots such as the bustline, arms and hips; it would also help fight fatigue and "nervous tension." According to this food blog, our product in question was concocted of the following ingredients:

♥ Hydrogenated Stabilized Soybean Oil
♥ Water
♥ Sugar
♥ Propylene Glycol
♥ Polyoxyethylene 20 Sorbitan Monolaurate
♥ Sorbitan Monostearate
♥ Xanthan Gum

Though today it seems that most people are in search of weight loss and not weight gain, it is obvious that the quest for beauty transcends time!

Nice Date!

I feel like I have seen this guy from Girls' Love Stories #180 (November/December 1973) someplace before...

Oh yeah! The infamous Moon monster!!!

Young Love #93 (March 1972)

If You Hate Marc -- You'll Love Paul!

Tune in tomorrow night to meet Marc's twin brother, Paul! What is he like? Are they two birds of a feather, or does Paul have his own agenda? It is a post not to be missed!!!

Falling in Love #139

(January/February 1973)

See you tomorrow night!

Selling Romance - Vel-X Gum

You would be hard pressed today to pick up a women's or fashion magazine that didn't mention weight loss to some degree. Romance comics of the 1960s and '70s were not immune to the advertisement of products to help readers achieve just the right look. This ad for Vel-X gum appeared in Charlton's Time for Love #15 (March 1970).

"Don't miss dating and good times because you're FAT!"

I am guessing there was either a stimulant in the gum, or that the plan entailed chewing excessive amounts to reduce cravings. How ever it worked, the placement of this advertisement would have been seen by even the youngest members of the romance comic book audience -- 12 year olds.

We may sometimes think of the whole diet phenomena as a relatively modern thing, but as evidenced from this ad for Vel-X Gum and the following TAB commercial from the early '70s -- it is anything but new.

At least in the romance comics there were also ads to help the skinny ladies put ON weight. I doubt you will find that today!

It Happened at Woodstock!

Forty years ago today, the last bands played the Woodstock festival and the people who made the pilgrimage out to Bethel, New York began to head home. The event was not quickly forgotten however, and was immortalized in a documentary film, comic books, and yes -- cheap costume jewelry.


This advertisement from 1971 appeared in several romance comic books. Notice how it capitalizes on the slogan from the documentary film released in '70 -- "No one who was there will ever be the same" and uses the dove-on-guitar imagery from the poster.

1971 was evidentally a big year for Woodstock memorabilia. The same year as the jewelry ad made its rounds, Marvel released a story called "It Happened at Woodstock!" which appeared in My Love #14 (November 1971).


Marvel's story by Gary Friedrich with art by Gray Morrow (which will make you jump out of your seat and say WOW, by the way) is a more sophisticated tale than its DC counterpart. Read the whole story at The Golden Age of Comic Book Stories blog (thanks so much to fellow romance blogger Jarett Kobek for the heads up), and be prepared to be blow away by Morrow's gorgeous depiction of the festival. I personally think it is a really interesting story, if you can forgive the fact that the splash page says the event happened during the summer of 1968. Other than that error, the story serves as a pretty darn good historical piece. It documents not only the artists that performed at Woodstock, but the social mores surrounding the expectations for young women at the time to "settle down" and begin domestic life. It is definitely one of my favorite romance stories with some of the best art that came out of the genre. Be sure to check it out!