Mustache Mania!

Mustaches have been in vogue at various times throughout human history, but never were they quite as impressive as they were in the 1970s. The '70s was the era of the mustache -- everyone wore them... televisions stars, movie stars, and yes, even my father.

I wouldn't ride around in
metal basketry until years later...
My oldest sister, Shannon -- all too
fortunate to be a child of the '70s!

But my dad and those celebrities were not the only ones sporting a mustache in the '70s, believe you me. Romance comic book characters did as well! Not only were mustaches fashionable, but in the romance comics, the mustache helped to convey a variety of male archetypes and embody varying degrees of characterization... as you will soon see!

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Charlton was ahead of the mustache game
with this flirtatious "adult education" teacher character.
"A Kiss for Teacher"
Career Girl Romances #47
(October 1968)

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Some mustached men
left heartache in their wake!
"When Love Dies"
Secret Hearts #142
(March 1970)

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Mustaches were no guarantee
to a woman's affections, however.
"One More Chance!"
Heart Throbs #146
(October 1972)

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Mustaches came in all colors and were
worn by men of all occupations, including
this hardworking construction worker...

"Happiness Now"
Just Married #110
(April 1976)

...and this Vietnam deserter.
"One Heart Must Break!"
Our Love Story #15
(February 1972)

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The young, handsome rebels of the romance comics
were prone to keeping their upper lip hairs festive...

"One Husband, Two Loves!"
Girls' Love Stories #157
(February 1971)

...as were the single fathers of the romance comics.
"Cupid is a Monster"
Romantic Story #116
(December 1971)

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Not all female romance comic book
characters were fans of the 'stache.

"The Boy Who Can't Be Mine!"
My Love #29
(July 1974)

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The mustached men of the romance comics
were suave. Sometimes too suave for their own good.

"Lisa -- Make Up Your Mind!"

Young Love #101
(November 1972)

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Though this leading lady may
have loved two men, it wouldn't be for long.
For some ladies, mustaches = a nightmare!
"I Loved Two Men"
Girls' Love Stories #165
(January 1972)

"Bad News!"
Falling in Love #143
(October/November 1973)

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But in the end, sometimes it is
the guy with the mustache that
wins over the girl's heart!!!

"First Date!"
Falling in Love #142
(August/September 1973)

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The House Ads of the Charlton Romance Comics!

Crazy fonts! Bright colors! Inventive one-liners! The house ads of the Charlton Romance Group had everything going for them to attract readers to the company's wide range of titles. Here is just a smattering of the very cool house ads that Charlton featured in their romance comics from 1967 through 1973. Notice the number of titles quickly expand from eight in 1967 to nine in 1968 and to eleven in 1970. Not only did the number of titles increase, but the names of titles changed over time as well -- for example, in the summer of 1971, Hollywood Romances was replaced by the For Lovers Only.

Teen Confessions #43

(March 1967)

Career Girl Romances #47
(October 1968)

Romantic Story #99
(March 1969)

Hollywood Romances #52
(April 1970)

Love Diary #67
(July 1970)

Sweethearts #114
(January 1971)

Just Married #80
(November 1971)

Romantic Story #116
(December 1971)

Teen-Age Love #82
(March 1972)

Teen-Age Love #94
(August 1973)

There were so many of these groovy beauties to choose from, so don't be surprised if this post has an eventual sequel!!! What do you think? Do you have a favorite ad out of the ones shown here?

A Collection of One-Pagers

Not all stories in romance comics were full length. Below are seven one-page stories from both DC and Charlton romance titles. What they lack in breadth, they sure make up in charm!

"A Kiss in Time"
Pencils and inks by Charles Nicholas
Just Married #67
(October 1969)

Done in this divergent style, Henry Boltinoff (of Super-Turtle fame) shows romance readers the elusive male perspective.

"Teen Fables"
Script, pencils and inks by Henry Boltinoff
Girls' Romances #155
(March 1971)

One-pagers weren't all done for the gag. Some were quick and simple ways to convey romantic norms and expectations.

"Days to Remember"
Pencils by Charles Nicholas
Inks by Vincent Alascia
Just Married #93
(March 1973)

Some, such as "Pen Pal!" were effective because of their clever punchline.

"Pen Pal!"
As rendered by Art Cappello
Just Married #100
(May 1974)

The two following one-pagers from DC (from titles Young Romance and Young Love, respectively) are some of the last the company would publish in the disappearing genre of romance.

"The Movie!"
Young Romance #205
(May/June 1975)

"Two-Timing...Darling!"
Pencils by Mike Sekowsky
Inks by Dick Giordano
Young Love #121
(October 1976)

"Shadow from the Past" is by an artist you don't normally see associated with romance comics -- Mike Vosburg. Vosburg was the artist who drew the majority of the covers that appeared at the beginning of the television show, Tales from the Crypt. By the time this one-pager was published in 1979, romance comics had all but vanished.

"Shadow from the Past"
Pencils and inks by Mike Vosburg
I Love You #127
(December 1979)

I hope you enjoyed these one-pagers!
Have a wonderful weekend!!!

The Hippy and the Cop

During the 1960s and '70s, students across the nation questioned authority. The injustices in the South made them question authority, as did the Vietnam War.

It is no surprise that romance comics attempted (though sometimes insufficiently) to follow the relevant issues of the day.

Charlton's "The Hippy and the Cop" from Just Married #77 (June 1971) does just that by pitting characters from two diametrically opposed social groups against one another.

Drawn by Art Cappello and inked by Vincent Alascia, "The Hippy and the Cop" tells the story of Barbara, a studious senior at UCLA. Her friends are into Student Power, but Barbara has no time for such things -- although she doesn't say so outright. Her boyfriend Mitch Allen comes by and sees that her friends are protesting again. While discussing the ironic violent practices of the peace groups on campus, Barbara notices a mysterious package.

Is being a cube worse than being a square?

The package turns out to be a bomb. Thanks to Mitch's cool, calm head and quick thinking, he is able to put out the fire caused by the bomb. Barbara remarks that she can't believe a boy she knows would have done such a thing. Mitch is shocked that she knows who planted the package, and asks for his name. Without hesitation she tells him -- Eldon Sayers.

The next day when Barbara gets to campus, she learns from the other students in the movement that Eldon has been arrested. The other students are suspicious and wonder how the "fuzz" found out. As Barbara mulls over who she told, she sees Mitch at a police car and realizes that her boyfriend is an undercover cop!

Barbara is furious about this revelation, and as she shouts "let me go, cop" the guys from the movement fly over with fisticuffs.


As Barbara watches in tears, the other students taunt Mitch. They even throw raw eggs at him, soiling his undercover "regular college guy" outfit. Splattered with yolk, he thanks Barbara for not throwing one at him. News travels swiftly that the students are headed to a demonstration at the administration building. They plan to occupy it and ultimately shut down the school.

The police are right behind though, with Mitch heading the operation, this time in his uniform. As the students continue to hurl insults at him, Barbara hurls one of her own -- to the students! She tells them that never liked their movement anyhow and that she was stupid for listening to them. Barbara then proclaims her love for Mitch and announces that she will be marrying him.

You are such a good friend, Lanie!

Overall, its a pretty entertaining story with a compelling cover, also by Cappello. Just as there are multiple stories of the Women's Movement in the romance comics, there are also quite a few stories of Student Power. One thing I have noticed though with the student movement stories is that they are very general and the students just seem to be protesting for the sheer pleasure of protesting. The resistance never seems to fully develops their grievances or articulate what specifically they are fighting for. I know it is a lot to ask for in an eight-page story, but I think the characters in the Women's Movement stories tend to be more convincing in their rhetoric.