My Chat With Jim Steranko on His Only Romance Comic Book Story - "My Heart Broke in Hollywood!"

While I was at the San Diego Comic-Con a couple months ago, I had the good fortune of meeting Jim Steranko. He was kind enough to divert his attention away from his convention duties and chat with me a bit about his only romance story, “My Heart Broke in Hollywood!” that was originally published in Our Love Story #5 (June 1970). Our meeting was happenstance, so naturally I was without a recording device. After we talked, I quickly ran off to scribble down some notes! So without further ado, the following narrative is what Steranko told me about his one and only romance story! The accompanying pages are the original color guide for the story!*



Initially, Steranko was asked to draw a Western story, but said that he wanted to do a romance story instead. He felt that so much of the romance comic book stories were done in the “Jay Scott Pike” style that he wanted to try something radically different, and unlike any other romance story anyone had ever seen!


After penciling and inking the Stan Lee plotted story, Steranko decided he would color it himself. Knowing his color choices were non-traditional for a romance story, he decided to wait to turn the pages in just before the 5pm deadline – by which time it would be too late to change anything! Steranko recollected that Marie Severin thought it was pretty wild, but ultimately let the story pass through as he intended.


Steranko went on to tell me that when Our Love Story #5 appeared on the newsstands, Carmine Infantino apparently called a meeting with his staff over at DC. As Infantino chomped on his trademark cigar, he passed out ten copies of the rival Marvel romance. He instructed his staff to open up to Steranko’s “My Heart Broke in Hollywood!” and exclaimed, “Top this next month or you're fired!”


And that, my friends is the story that Steranko told me! Unfortunately as I said, I didn’t have anything to record this discussion with since it occurred spur of the moment. But sometimes, those encounters are the best and elicit the most genuine of stories! It was clear from his enthusiasm that Steranko not only enjoyed telling me about his sole romance story, but that he had a great time creating it!


*A big thank you to color guide owner, Matthew Holtzman, as well as Tony Robertson who runs the terrific website, The Drawings of Steranko where the above pages are hosted. If you would like to read “My Heart Broke in Hollywood” it has been reprinted a few times and can be found on a number of websites including True Love Comics Tales which posted it just a few days ago!

Have a splendid weekend!!!

Back From Comic-Con!

Hello friends! It has been a while! As of late, I have been busy, busy, busy! Besides getting ready to move next month, I attended Comic-Con International in San Diego this past weekend! It was a great time, so I thought I would share a few highlights!

♥♥♥

I arrived in beautiful San Diego Thursday afternoon and headed straight to the convention center. Before heading out there I made up my mind to not purchase anything due to my impending move. So, I slipped by the dealer area (which is usually where I spend most of my time at conventions) and started the day off with the spotlight on Roy Thomas panel. The session was very informative and I finally got to meet Roy with whom I had worked on Alter Ego #102 (June 2011) with! He was just as nice as I had anticipated!


The rest of Thursday I walked around the exhibition hall and said hello to old friends in Artists' Alley. I also stumbled upon some amazing original romance art over at the Romitaman Original Art booth. I fell in love with the following Abel and Flessel pieces, but stuck to my guns on not purchasing anything. Discipline!

Splash page of "Wings on My Heart"
from Our Love Story #16 (April 1972)

Creig Flessel One-Pager "Fate"
from Young Romance #203
(January/February 1975)

Friday was another eventful day! The first panel I went to was the tribute to Gene Colan. I only met him once, so it was great to hear about him from his colleagues over the years. Marv Wolfman mentioned Gene's affinity for old movies a few times during the panel -- a point which I think really resonates in Colan's romance work. Overall, the panel was a fitting way to say goodbye to the recently departed industry great.


My second day in San Diego flew by and evening brought the event for which I made the trip out to San Diego in the first place -- the Eisner Awards! My grandfather, Mart Nodell was inducted into the Hall of Fame and I was there to help represent! There was a lovely dinner beforehand and my Dad and I were seated at a table with Jerry Robinson and his family, as well as the very talented Ramona Fradon. It was a fun evening and I was very proud to help accept the award on behalf of our family!

Saturday morning I had breakfast with Michelle Nolan, author of Love on the Racks: A History of American Romance Comics and collector, Dan Stevenson. The three of us had a nice chat and of course talked quite a bit about romance comics!

This was the first time in a looonnnggg time I had attended the San Diego convention without Justin. It was kind of sad, but I definitely felt his presence! LEGO had a huge representation at the con, and I even had the chance to say hello to a few of his colleagues. I also spotted Justin's 2009 comic book Super Human Resources at the Ape Entertainment booth, which was super exciting. He was missed!!!

I like my comics "Rare!"

The excitement continued on Saturday when I met Jim Steranko for the first time. Naturally, I had to gush over his only romance story, "My Heart Broke in Hollywood!" that appeared in Our Love Story #5 (June 1970). He was kind enough to tell me the story of its inception -- which I think I will save for another post -- stay tuned! He was so nice to talk to me for so long and I only regret that I didn't have a recording device on me!

Artist extraordinaire + super sweet guy = Jim Steranko!

Before I knew it, Sunday arrived -- the last day of the convention! After a short meeting with other women comic book scholars, I headed back out onto the exhibition floor. I "accidentally" made my way over to the dealer area and well... you can probably guess what happened next! Yup, I bought a few romance comics! I just couldn't help myself!

Annual Women Comics Scholars Meetup
(From the left: Jennifer K. Stuller, Jacque Nodell,
Trina Robbins, Candace West and April Murphy)

And just like that, Comic-Con International 2011 was over! I had a great time and I am very thankful that I was able to attend this year! I hope you enjoyed my little recap!!!

Fashion Files - Legs by Liz Berube!

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! Sorry I disappeared for a little bit there -- life things came up, Blogger was down and then with the weekend came a trip to the Motor City Comic Con! I had a nice time and found quite a few romance books -- about a short box full! So, while I go through those, enjoy this one page fashion spread by Liz Berube!

"Legs"
Illustrated by "Elizabeth"

Girls' Love Stories #150
(April 1970)

Young Woman of the Month - Gilda Radner

Hey friends! It has been a few days, I know! After attending the C2E2 con (which unfortunately did not yield as many romance comics as I had hoped) I went on a short visit to see my family. But now I am back!

Today I have for you an interesting little one-pager, "Young Woman of the Month" from Young Love #122 (November 1976) featuring legendary comedienne, Gilda Radner. Published shortly after Gilda began her run on Saturday Night Live as an original cast member, this beautiful piece no doubt influenced many a young reader to follow their dreams -- no matter how goofy.

Scripted by Ellen Spencer

Pencils: Joe Orlando, Inks: Vince Colletta

10 Reasons Why I am Thankful for Romance Comic Books!

Now that the turkey has been eaten and the pie gobbled down, it is time to say thanks for romance comics! There are so many reasons why I love these gems from the 1960s and 1970s, but here are just ten reasons (in no particular order) I am thankful for the oft-dismissed genre!

♥ The Thrill of the Hunt ♥

Whether found at conventions, comic book stores or on Ebay,
looking high and low for romance comics
is one of my favorite things to do!

♥ House ads ♥
Advertising titles, stories and collections of books,
the house ads of the romance comics
are both informative and fun!

♥ Stories from the People Who Were There ♥
I am so thankful that I have been able to conduct
interviews with the likes of Suzan Loeb, Irene Vartanoff and
José Luis García-López! I can only hope that many more are in store!

♥ Cardy Covers ♥
Not much needs to be said on this point --
who isn't thankful for beautifully rendered Cardy covers?

♥ Crazy Product Advertisements ♥

Fishing rods! Sea-Monkey necklaces! Diet aides! Wigs!
The list goes on and on of advertisements from the
romance comics to be thankful for!

♥ Marc and Paul ♥
One is completely lovable and one is practically the Antichrist...
Twin advice columnists Marc and Paul couldn't be more
different, but that is why I love them so!

♥ Serial Stories and Recurring Characters ♥
Becoming attached to a character in romance stories is
usually problematic due to their fleeting nature. Thankfully,
serials like "Reach for Happiness" and recurring characters like
Page Peterson, satisfy the need for continuity and familiarity.

♥ Inspiring Fashion Spreads ♥

Romance comics from the '60s and '70s are so
captivating, in part, because of the incredible fashions worn by
glamorous characters! I know I sure am thankful for
Mad Mad Modes for Moderns and Dates 'n Mates!

♥ Easter Eggs ♥
Finding an Easter Egg in a romance comic
(like this ode to Green Lantern) is always a treat!

♥ Readers of Sequential Crush ♥

I have saved my number one reason for being thankful for romance comics for last. I will try not to be too gushy or cliche here, but honestly... I am truly thankful for all the amazing people I have met through a mutual love of romance comics. Readers, fellow bloggers, dealers and everyone else -- I am so thankful for you all! You have taught me things, inspired me and made my research of romance comics a continually enjoyable and worthwhile endeavor!!!

♥ Happy Thanksgiving ♥

Motor City Here I Come!

Hi there everyone! If you are going to be in the Detroit area this weekend, be sure to stop by the Motor City Comic Con! I will be there floating around buying books, hanging out in Artist Alley and giving a talk on what else -- romance comics!


My talk will be on Saturday, May 15th at 2:30pm in Speaker Room 3 and will include a giveaway of a romance comic to an attendee selected at random! So if you are around, please be sure to come and say hi! I will also be doing the whole tweeting thing throughout the weekend, so stay tuned!!!

SpringCon Update + Fun Find

I reported here last week that Elizabeth Berube would be making an appearance at SpringCon in Minnesota the third weekend in May. Unfortunately, since I posted that announcement it has been brought to my attention by one of the convention organizers that she has had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. Lets hope that she will be able to make it next year!

***

Romance comics are truly a vast and deep treasure trove. I was reminded of that fact when the other day I was preparing the Palisades Amusement Park post and in the same issue (Girls' Romances #134) I stumbled upon this -- a little plug for the new mod Wonder Woman in the advice column, "Julia Roberts, Romance Counselor." Cool, huh?! Too bad I hadn't found this earlier. It would have been perfect for my PCA/ACA presentation! Better late than never, right?

I wonder if anyone did write in to Julia Roberts about the new Wonder Woman? Rest assured, the search continues!

Special Announcement - Appearance by Elizabeth Berube!

Aries Horoscope by Elizabeth
Secret Hearts #143 (April 1970)

One of the organizers of the Midwest Comic Book Association informed me that the one and only Elizabeth (Liz Berube for those who are familiar with her coloring work) will be making her very first convention appearance at their SpringCon 2010! The convention is being held May 15th and 16th at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul. If you are in the area, you should totally check it out! Unfortunately I will not be able to attend, as I will be at the Motor City Comic Con that weekend. If you do go to SpringCon however, be sure to stop by and meet Elizabeth. Say hello for me too while you are at it! :)

A Look at What's to Come!

Hi friends! I am currently in St. Louis for the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference! I am presenting a paper entitled, "The Look of Love - The Romantic Era of DC's Lois Lane, Supergirl and Wonder Woman" and learning lots of cool stuff about comics and pop culture! When I return early next week, I will be posting the paper here on Sequential Crush!

Have a wonderful weekend! See you next soon!!!

Chicago Comic-Con 2009

I am back from Chicago Comic-Con 2009 folks! I had a blast! Saw some old friends, made some new ones and bought a ton of romance comics -- about sixty! Like I mentioned in my previous post, Chicago is a great convention for picking up romance books. There were a ton of dealers, and with the show's new image and branding campaign there seemed to be more dealers with back-issues than ever.


I liked the feel of the show overall. It had such a warm, intimate feel to it, but perhaps that is just because San Diego (the exact opposite of intimate) was just the other week and was still fresh on my mind. Things were really hopping in Artist Alley, with lots of friendly people coming by to say hello at the Urban Sequence table, where I was helping to promote Super Human Resources. We sold out of books by early Sunday morning, leaving Justin and I free to walk around the convention. While I was looking for books, Justin was in the market for original art. He found a piece from our favorite artist...

Justin scored this beautiful Winslow Mortimer page from
Young Romance #198 (March/April 1974)

He sure found a great piece, and it was at a really decent price. Funny thing though was that the dealer had it marked as an Estrada piece, but it is definitely a Mortimer inked by Mortimer. The same dealer, Anthony's Collectibles had an entire portfolio of original art from romance books, which was great fun to flip through. Justin is going to have it framed and hang it up on the wall in our reading room, so luckily I will get to enjoy it too!

I did something at this show that I have never done before. I bought romance comics from the 1950s! I thought it would be a good idea to have a few, if only for comparison's sake. They are pretty beat up, but should be fun to read anyway.

Overall, it was a really nice con. It almost felt like it did years ago before it was a Wizard show, just on the larger side. Anyone else go to Chicago? What did you think of the rebranding of the convention? Did you buy any romance comics?!

By the way... be sure to vote in the new poll! :)

Missing in Action - AKA Chicago Comic-Con!

Hey everyone! Sorry I've disappeared for a few days! I drove up to Chicago on Thursday and have been at the convention ever since! I am having a great time at the show formerly known as Wizard World Chicago, and finding a TON of romance comics! Over the past couple of years I have found that this convention is amazing for scooping up romance books at great prices, and this year is no exception. So far I have found about 45. We will see what tomorrow brings!

One other thing... the results of the poll are in!!! Twenty readers voted and out of the choices of Jay Scott Pike, Matt Baker (from the wrong time period, but that's ok!), Winslow Mortimer, Ric Estrada, and Don Heck our winner is... drum roll please... Wait! It was a tie between Pike and Baker -- both with six votes each. Following close behind was Estrada with five votes. Thanks for voting if you got the chance! If not, don't worry because I'll have another poll up soon!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I will be back Tuesday with a full convention report!!! :)

Forgotten Romance: Artists of a Bygone Genre

While in San Diego, I participated in the Comic Arts Conference which is the academic branch of the Comic-Con, and what aids in keeping the convention a non-profit, educational entity. One of the sessions I participated in was the "Poster Session" in which a dozen or so people (such as myself) set up a display concerning comics scholarship. I gave a digital and oral presentation, as well as handed out a little booklet -- which you can download here as a pdf.

As with anything in life, I wish I had had more time to work on it. I continue to learn new things about romance comic books and comic books in general every day, and I realize it is nowhere near perfect! It is simply a little piece that serves to introduce romance comics into the scholarly sphere of comic studies, and show how the art of romance books tends to get pushed to the sidelines in favor of superheroes in academic circles.

So with that, enjoy! I welcome your comments and thoughts! If for some reason you would like a hard copy of the booklet, I have a few left. Email me at jacquenodell@yahoo.com if you are interested.

Have a great weekend!!!

Back from Comic-Con International!

Good evening! I have returned from San Diego! I got back home late last night, and jetted off to work early this morning. This is the first chance I have had to do a recap of the convention and to sit down and really think about all the exciting things that I did and saw! I wish I had taken more pictures, but my camera batteries kept dying and frankly I am not that good of a photographer, so it's probably just as well!

The trip out there was easy as could be! We were supposed to make three transfers, but our first flight was canceled and we were put on a more direct route -- which put us in San Diego earlier than we were originally going to be. The airline serendipitously put us in first class for the "inconvenience."

After getting settled at our hotel, we made our way to the con. I always think that walking up to the convention center for the first day of a show is super exciting. The anticipation was no less in San Diego.

View from the Trolley platform on the first day of the show

Between staying at our table in the Small Press area, going to panels and walking the floor to do some shopping, I saw a ton of familiar faces and met some really amazing new people. Everyone was really receptive to Sequential Crush and to my presentation on romance artists which I gave at the Comics Arts Conference (CAC). Presenting next to me at the CAC was the very knowledgeable Jarett Kobek who also shares an interest in later era of romance comics. He was super cool and really had some interesting takes on the more psychedelic Charlton romance books, especially those containing the character Jonnie L♥ve. I wish I had had more time to talk with him and his equally cool friend Elly -- as it was truly bizarre to meet someone else with such close interests to my own. Hopefully I will see them again at a convention in the future! If his schedule allows, Jarett might be doing a guest blog here at Sequential Crush in the near future, which would be really great!

Cover of the booklet I handed out during my presentation

In addition to the little presentation I gave, I also was on a panel concerning the effects of a college education on comic book careers. The consensus from most of the artists (and myself) was that college (and/or art school) is not necessary for pursuing a career in the industry. As the only non-artist on the panel, I recommended getting a formal education for the life experience and the mentoring opportunities it opens up -- but ultimately talent, drive, passion and professionalism are the factors that will seal the deal. I think someone may have filmed it. I will post the panel video if that was the case.

It seems that every year the dealer's section of the San Diego show gets smaller and smaller. There really weren't too many romance comics to be found. I am almost positive that I bought the majority of the moderately priced romance books from the '60s and '70s that were in good condition! Many of the dealer's romance books were either way overpriced or in terrible shape. I did score a nice lot of Charlton's from Motor City Comics who were kind enough to give me a really great deal. I highly recommend them for all your romance comic needs! In total I bought 33 romance comics including a Patsy Walker, a Modeling With Millie, two gothic/horror romance comics, lots of DC romance books and an Adventure Comics "Special All-Romance Issue" starring Supergirl!

Back at the hotel, looking over my loot from Preview Night

Some of the other highlights of the convention included: attending a panel by Trina Robbins on her new book The Brinkley Girls and speaking with her afterwards about romance comics; visiting with Michelle Nolan -- author of Love on the Racks and romance comic book aficionado while digging through long boxes; and talking with Shelly Moldoff and Paul Norris's son on the way to my presentation. I was a little too exhausted from flying and the time change to party too much in the evenings, but spending some time in the Gaslamp Quarter was a refreshing change from the too-quiet town I live in now. With much excitement I descended on the Urban Outfitters...and look what I found!

A romance comics t-shirt!
If it hadn't been for the goofy striped arms I would have bought it!

Overall I had a lot of fun, even though the time there just flew by! It wasn't the best convention for purchasing romance comics, but all the amazing people I met and spoke with made up for that! I hope to make it back next year!

Promoting Super Human Resources in the Small Press area and
enjoying romance comics at the same time!

Chao! Off to San Diego!

I am off to San Diego in a few hours, and boy am I excited! Since moving to rural Indiana last winter I haven't had the chance to get out and go anywhere that didn't involve seeing cows or cornfields. I am so happy to be going to a place with a downtown and with big buildings! I am also excited of course to dig through boxes of comic books at the convention!

If you are going and have a chance to stop by to say hi, I will be spending most of my time in the Small Press area at booth P15. Friday at 11:30am I will be part of a panel in room 30AB discussing the implications of college education on careers in the comic book industry. I will also be presenting on Saturday as part of the Comic Arts Conference at 2:30pm to 3:30pm in room 30AB again. So, if you are in San Diego drop by! I will try to do a mid-convention posting if I am able to, but if not, I will be back later next week!

Isn't this a nice little DC House Ad from 1973 by the way? I will be sure to follow its advice and buy DC love magazines... and Marvel, and Charlton and whatever else I can find!

I also just want to take a sec to say thanks again to everyone for making the first three months of Sequential Crush so fun and rewarding. I am really enjoying blogging about the romance comics, and I hope you are enjoying reading about them! See you soon!!!

CAC Presentation Update

Hi everyone! I hope you had a fun and relaxing fourth of July weekend! I know I enjoyed having an extra day off work to continue to prepare my presentation for the Comic Arts Conference (CAC) in San Diego that takes place in a couple of weeks!

I thought I would share a few images that I will be using for the presentation to give you a better idea of what I will be speaking about. Basically, the presentation I will be making continues my mission of preserving the memory of romance comic books and the creative teams that published them throughout the 1960s and 1970s. I will be highlighting Win Mortimer, Don Heck, Gene Colan, Alex Toth and Jim Steranko and the art that they created for the romance genre in the '60s and 1970s. These artists are usually recognized for their superhero work, but often times not mentioned for their contributions to romance comics. In many cases, the romance art these artists did was as good as or better than their superhero work, and they should certainly be appreciated for that.

Winslow Mortimer known for his Superman
and Batman covers also drew a ton of romance!
Young Romance #206 (July/August 1975)


"My Heart Broke in Hollywood" is the only
romance story Jim Steranko drew.
But my oh my, it is breathtaking!
Our Love Story #5 (June 1970)


Alex Toth's creative genius is evident even in his romance work.
Secret Hearts #143 (April 1970)

If you happen to be at the San Diego convention on Saturday feel free to stop by the CAC and come take a look at my presentation. It will be an informal discussion type thing and I will be there to chat and answer questions. Afterward, I will share the full presentation on here so those who weren't in San Diego can take a look too!

Cindy the Salesgirl - Part Two

The sheer amount of romance comic books that are out there in the world always offer up an opportunity to learn something new. A few posts ago I shared the story of a Cindy (whom I mistakenly called Candy but subsequently changed) the Salesgirl from Secret Hearts #133. When I posted it, I didn't realize that was not the only time Cindy had made an appearance. From what I can tell, she had at least three other little featurettes in the romance books of the late '60s, primarily drawn by Winslow Mortimer.

A few pages from "The Adventures of Cindy the Salesgirl" (A DC Fashion Featurette) out of Falling in Love #98 (April 1968) demonstrate once again that Mortimer was no dummy when it came to drawing beautiful girls.


The writer of the story also seems to have had an uncanny understanding of what the retail world involves. I should know... I did my fair share of working at the mall during high school and college!

How's that for an O. Henry ending? Not too shabby for a romance story!

Well, that's all for this evening! My attention has been a little divided lately. I am working on finishing up my presentation (on romance comics of course!) for the Comic Arts Conference held in conjunction with the San Diego Comic-Con International. I will be posting more details about that soon, but for the next week or so my postings may be sparse. I can't wait to share the presentation with all you readers of Sequential Crush once its all said and done! Be on the lookout!

Happy Free Comic Book Day!

First of all, I want to wish everyone a happy Free Comic Book Day! Be sure to go to your local comic book store and pick up your free comic, and if you have time- dig through the back issues!!! This afternoon I will be going to the Evansville (Indiana) comic convention, so I am sure there will be some festivities going on there for FCBD.

I have never been to this convention, but I am guessing it is on the smaller side. I am sure there will be a plethora of superhero books, but I can only conjecture on how many romance comics dealers will bring. I am guessing not a lot, but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised! I am not really looking for anything in particular, but on suggestion of my friend Jaz (who is very knowledgeable about comics) I will be keeping my eyes peeled for two books in particular, Falling in Love #99 and Young Romance #141.

I had never actually seen the cover to Falling in Love #99 before his suggestion, but it is most spectacular. It has a cover date of May 1968 and the cover pencils are by Ric Estrada. So, this is definitely one that I will keep my eyes peeled for today, however unlikely it may be.



Young Romance #141 (April/May 1966) and I have crossed paths multiple times, but I have never picked it up. Jaz said it was a good story, so it may be worth getting it. I will keep my eyes out for this one too!



I will be sure to report on any good romance finds when I return! Happy Free Comic Book Day!!!

*Images from the Grand Comic Book Database -- Check it out! http://www.comics.org/