Episode 3 - All Love comics

Welcome back to the Forgotten Library; I’m Nikki Gee. Today, we’re going to blow the virtual dust off some Golden Age comics, namely, a series called All Love by Ace Magazines.

A quick history of comics. There are four divisions, or ages, of comic books: Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Modern. Of course, there were comics before the Golden Age, but the heydays of these colored panels began in the late 1930s. The Golden Age runs from approximately 1938 (with the introduction of Superman) to 1950, which ushers in the post-World War era and the decline of superhero comics in favor of what’s known as genre comics (romances, Westerns, and so on).

The Silver Age ran from about 1956-1970, with Marvel running at the head of the pack; during this time, there were also codes of decency that made it harder for some comics to continue publishing their earlier fare. The Bronze Age is usually defined as 1970 to about 1985, with grittier themes taking hold; and after that, and running through the present, is the Modern Age, with big-budget film adaptations and the legitimization of the comic book as an art form and even college course material.

A goodly portion of Golden Age comics are in the public domain, despite their publication date, as the copyrights were not renewed; this was prior to United States copyright laws undergoing a major overhaul in the 1970s, leading to the longer waiting periods for material to enter the public domain that we have today.

Ace Magazines was run by a husband and wife team called the Wyns. They published pulp fiction in addition to comics, and their longest-running contribution to the superhero genre was Super-Mystery Comics, featuring Magno the Magnetic Man and his boy partner, Davey. They also published some mystery comics, but their largest genre was romances. Titles such as Glamorous Romances, Love Experiences, and Real Love endured until Ace got out of the comics game in 1956.

If you are a fan of the Golden Age superhero comics, such as Captain America, you might be surprised to learn that such artists as Joe Simon and Jack Kirby spent their time after the war drawing up stories of dreamy young women with hearts in their eyes. The types of stories featured in these comics were inspired by the true confession magazines that were popular during this period, except now they were accompanied by four-color strips. Simon and Kirby’s inaugural effort was entitled Young Romance, and it became very popular and spawned many imitators.

Even if you’ve never picked up any of these comics, you have probably seen some of these tear-stained girls before. In the 1960s, Roy Lichtenstein took ideas from these brooding panels of single girls and blew them up to the size of paintings. This was part of the Pop-Art movement, and his work parodied many melodramatic themes. One of the more famous ones is entitled “Drowning Girl,” where the thought bubble says, “I don’t care! I’d rather sink- than call Brad for help!”

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Unlike other serials, romance comics tended towards several stories in an issue, with characters that you’d likely never see again, unless they came from an earlier or different serial. Which makes sense, as these were purported to be “real-life” tales of love and romance.

Today’s selections come from the 7-issue run of All Love, which ran from May 1949-May 1950. All Love followed on from a comic named Ernie, which were light romance and humor comic strips featuring the titular character. So, issue #1 is really issue #26, which must make these so confusing for collectors.

“Romance Breaker” is the title of our first tale. We open with a good-looking couple in the foreground, dancing close together. In the background, two young women are eyeing them and one apparently has her eyes on this Brad Parker, but Gwen should forget about him, because he belongs to Connie Adams. Gwen, however, doesn’t care; as her friend drily remarks, “When Gwen Hammond likes something – she goes after it and gets it.” Gee, I wonder where this is going?

Brad and Connie go outside for some air and we discover that it’s been a few weeks since they’ve had a date, but they’re obviously serious about each other, as he mentions marriage in an oblique way. They plan to spend the next afternoon together after Connie’s sorority meeting.

The next day, at the meeting, the girls are discussing Gwen and how she’s rich and would be a great asset to Gamma Tau; then, Connie gets a call from Brad, who has to break their date, and he’s awfully sorry, aw shucks. Later, Connie sees him drive past the sorority house with none other than Gwen in the driver’s seat! Connie’s friend complains that Gwen took a boyfriend away from her, too, and Connie says she ought to blackball Gwen out of the sorority; that’ll show her. The friend helpfully informs her (and us) that it takes two blackballs to keep a pledge from joining.

We cut to a few days later during voting. Gwen tells Connie that Brad sends his regards; “he’s a lot of fun, isn’t he – or wouldn’t you know anymore?” Mee-ow. Just before the votes are tallied, Connie thinks to herself that she’s glad she didn’t blackball Gwen, but apparently SOMEONE did, so Gwen is on a six-month probation. Of course, Gwen thinks it’s Connie, despite the girl’s protestations. Gwen says she’s definitely going to take Brad away from her now, and slaps her, leaving in a huff with her squad, all bitchy and impossibly tiny-waisted.

Brad is seen once again in Gwen’s car, and he waves to Connie outside the sorority house. The next day, though, he sees Connie and is angling for an invitation to the sorority dance. Connie’s all, “Oh, hasn’t GWEN asked you?” and she has, but he wants to go with her. She told you about the blackball, too, didn’t she? She did, and aw shucks, she seems like a nice sort of gal, so why would someone do that to her? Are you really that dim? Connie tells him that he should go with Gwen, because he sure isn’t getting an invite from her. He’s all, well, if that’s how you want it! Later, Connie is crying in her blue jumpsuit and her friend tells her that she needs to go so that Gwen doesn’t gloat over her absence.

At the dance, Gwen is dancing with Brad, of course, and causing all sorts of gossip. Then Gwen becomes the Uber-Bitch and announces to the crowd that she and Brad are engaged. *gasp Well, this announcement begets another – Connie’s friend admits that SHE was the one who blackballed Gwen, not Connie. “I did it, and I’m not sorry! I’d do it again – because I never believed the sorority should accept members who are cruelly selfish and take whatever they want regardless of anyone else’s feelings!” Read: you stole my boyfriend, too, so fuck you.

Brad rolls up and says, “Hey, we’re not engaged and you need to apologize to Connie!” Connie runs off, crying. Brad does the smart thing and follows after her, but he is still dumb because he doesn’t understand why Connie would think he was dating Gwen. “You were riding around with her!” she says. Oh, and also being very vague about where you were going . . . He was apparently tutoring her and “since she paid better than most I couldn’t very well refuse!” Oh ho ho ho, really!! Smells like prostitution! But of course, despite the money, he won’t be doing that anymore. And Connie is happy and they kiss, the end.

In addition to stories, the romance comics also had little advice columns; in this one, it’s called “Chats on Charm.” The secret to popularity . . . Maybe she's born with it. Maybe you build that confidence in yourself. Trust your judgment. Be hopeful and positive. Oh, and that deep, dark mood you get? Just get over it. There’s no such thing as depression; have a laugh and move on!!

Being a good listener is way more important than being chatty, this advice columnist informs us. However, you’re only a good date if you keep up your end of the conversation. So, which is it? No wonder teenagers had no idea what to do with themselves!

Moving on to issue #27. The title is “Wild by Reputation.” We open with two girls, a buxom blonde in a blue dress pinning a rose to her hair, and a brunette sitting cross-legged on the bed. You can tell she’s supposed to be the nerd, I guess, because of her fashion choices (green pants and yellow and white check shirt) and also, because she’s reading a book. The blonde, Glenda, says that she can still get Judy a date for the evening, but Judy would rather stay home and read, rather than go dancing at the roadhouse. Glenda essentially calls her a fun-hater and says that she’ll be at home with books the rest of her life with that attitude. Well, Glenda, books won’t flake on you like men will!

Glenda’s date is named Randy, and despite him being in a hurry, once he sees kid-sister Judy, he suddenly has all the time in the world. She is polite but escapes quickly. Later at the roadhouse, he presses Glenda for information about her sister, which annoys Glenda, and is totally not creepy, right?

The next morning, Randy just so happens to bump into Judy as she is on her way to her job at the community center. He offers her a lift, and says “Just call me Randy,” which – YEAH, you are. He tries a line on her, and when she asks if he’s practicing for the roadhouse, he puts his grubby hands on her shoulders and says he doesn’t NEED any practice and he’s had a string of ladies to prove it. She smacks him with her purse and storms off.

At the community center, Judy meets with the new director, Jimmy, who is clean-cut, all-American, and blonde. They take to each other right away, and start going out. Two weeks later, it appears they have fallen very deeply in love. Awww.

But what’s this? Randy sees them together and decides to strike. He slithers into the community center and starts chatting with Jimmy. Randy’s the name and women’s my game. Lemme introduce ya to the Barton sisters. That Judy, oh man, leading the night club crowd around every night at the roadhouse. What a slut. Well, goodbye!

Jimmy is left wondering, Does everyone know that Judy is the town bicycle but me?

What should I do? Should I ask the girl I claim to be in love with if the rumors about her are true? Or do I trust this patent-leather-haired smarmy jerkoff I’ve never met before?

Jimmy is not too bright or forthright, so he goes on the next date, but is cagey. When Judy presses him, he tells her he had spoken to Randy. He claims, “I don’t believe the guy for a second, but I don’t really know you well yet, Judy.” Hello. You told her you loved her. Why would you do that, then?? Which is pretty much Judy’s reaction, as warranted and expected. She flees, crying, and goes home to pack for the next train out of town.

Of course, because Randy is a slimy dude, he’s proud of his accomplishments, so after a few drinks, he almost gleefully tells Glenda about his meddling in Judy and Jimmy’s affairs of the heart. She throws her drink AND slaps him, and then runs out to find Jimmy for the heartwarming conclusion.

Jimmy, of course, gets to the train station before Judy can embark. He’s been such a fool. Yeah, you still are! She even TELLS him that there can’t be any love without trust or understanding, but all he says is he’s sorry, and she forgives him right away, and then says yes when he asks for her hand in marriage.

Are.You.Kidding.Me.

He was completely willing to believe you were a whore from a total stranger. But that’s okay?? He’s not much better than Randy! Actually, Randy is more upfront about his reprehensible behavior . . .

In this issue’s “Chats on Charm” is a wonderfully ridiculous piece about good date etiquette. I think you need to hear this bit in its entirety, so I’ve enlisted a special guest to help me.

Chris Douglas finally asked Janet for a date. She was thrilled. She bought a new dress, used expensive perfume, spent hours over her makeup. She looked wonderful, and she should have made a big hit, but in fifteen minutes she muffed all her chances with Chris. Can you see why?

She didn’t look anything like her Tinder profile? Oh, wait, wrong era.

Their date was for eight o’clock, but Chris arrived twenty minutes late. When Janet saw him, she immediately exclaimed, “I thought you’d never get here!”

Chris started to explain, but Janet took him into the living room, where her mother was seated. Janet introduced Chris. “Chris, this is my mother, Mrs. Ross.”

A few minutes later as they were leaving to go out, Mrs. Ross said, “Janet, try not to be too late.”

“Oh, Mother!” Janet groaned, then said she was old enough to take care of herself.

When the discussion was over and they were on their way, Chris said, “I thought you might enjoy that new picture at the Paradise. Or would you rather go dancing?”

“Oh,” Janet said good-naturedly, “it doesn’t make any difference to me.”

And so the evening went. It was the only date Janet ever had with Chris. What did Janet do that was wrong?

Honestly, the only thing that might have been a bit obnoxious was her talking back to her mother. And she could have been a little nicer about his being late. But apparently, Janet made FIVE mistakes. Let’s continue.

Her first error was her greeting. “I thought you’d never get here,” started the evening off with a reproach. It would have been far better to let Chris explain his delay, and then see whether or not he was blameworthy.

Then in her introduction Janet made two more errors. She introduced her mother to Chris, when it should have been the other way around. And it wasn’t necessary for her to mention her mother’s name unless it was different from her own.

I think I sprained my eyeball from rolling it too hard. Really? If this is why someone would not take you out on a second date, honey, you dodged a bullet. A priggish, smarmy-ass bullet.

Janet should never have argued with her mother over whether or not she would be in late. The discussion embarrassed Chris and should have been left for another time.

To top everything off, Janet’s indifference to the evening’s entertainment was not only rude, but showed a definite lack of enthusiasm. And what man wants to date a girl who lacks sparkle and zest?

Okay, in the version of the tale you spin here, she says “good-naturedly” that it doesn’t make a difference. Depending on how you say it, it could mean that you’re “meh” about it, or that you would rather the other person make a decision. Which, if you have read any advice books from this time period (I’ve perused a few), they tell young girls not to be pushy or make decisions (except of course to not let men kiss them too much and of course, never ever have sex). SO, if this is what Janet has been taught, she’s saying in a nice way that Chris should decide whether they go watch a film or dance. It pisses me off that there were so many mixed messages for women during this time period; have sparkle and zest, but don’t be TOO crazy now, like picking your own seat or ordering for yourself in a restaurant. Be a fucking unicorn, but then be alone, because the men are scared of you.

More confusion lies in the following section, titled “Things that Attract a Boy.” Obviously, your face. Be pretty. Don’t have resting bitch face. No fatties. Be charming and feminine. But also “be as capricious as you want,” because “boys like a girl’s moods! They make boys feel superior.” Um, they already did without any of this nonsense, but way to feed the fire. WHO wrote this shit? “Boys shine in the light of a girl’s appreciation. Give real appreciation to the boy you admire.” Sure, but I will add IT SHOULD BE RECIPROCATED, otherwise, to hell with that asshole. I would never have made it during this time period. Not only do I wear glasses, I speak my mind and am way too smart for most of the penis-wielding brigade.

Next up, “Mad at Men.” We open with an angry-looking woman at a bar, perhaps? She’s blonde and pretty in a severe sort of way, which might be due to her tight rolled hairstyle. The woman is sitting with an older jowly gent, who has his hand a little too firmly on her arm. They’re sharing the table with another couple, also made up of a young woman and an older man. She thinks to herself that she can’t stand this anymore and her posture looks like she’s ready to up and leave the table.

In a text box, the girl, Alice, tells us that she’s very hard up, down to her last dollar; that’s why she’s here, on a date with a tired old businessman. Her rooming-house buddy, Flossie (FLOSSIE?!), got her this date, saying that she’d just have to smile and make time with the oldster to get her room rent. Oh, Alice, I don’t think that’s quite how this works . . . apparently, they’re being a bit too crude and she wants to book it out of there.

Flossie tries to hold her back, telling her that she just has to be a willing ear, and she’ll get some money. Alice wants no part of this business; these old dudes are disgusting and she had “no idea” it would be like this. Again, how naïve are you?

Oh, here’s a young and handsome gent. Apparently, he’s been glaring at Alice all evening. Flossie tells her that’s Wilson Breen, the famous writer-explorer. He got his heart broken by a dame who decided to date a banker instead, so he went to Greenland and wrote a book about it. Alice asks, “If he’s so famous, what’s he doing in THIS dive?” Apparently, she’s never heard of slumming it.

Flossie tells her that she should stop acting like a baby and be friendly, make yourself some money. They are really sugarcoating this for the reader, eh?

Alice tries to stick it out, remembering the single-digit balance in her bank account, but then Grandpa makes another pass at her, and she makes a run for it . . . smack into none other than the great Wilson Breen. She mentions she’s trying to escape and he wants to know why’s she even there . . . which, is that any of your business, bub? But Alice tells him what Flossie told her and he says, “You’re not that innocent!” which yeah, I have to agree with you there. She says he’s “horrid.” But . . . is he lying, Alice? Is he now?

Of course, as luck would have it, a terrible rainstorm rolls in as Alice is leaving the place and waiting for a bus. Wilson sees her and offers her a lift to town in his car, as the last bus has already come and gone. He does apologize for his earlier comment; “I just didn’t think a girl like you had any business at that kind of party.” She just tells him to go away, and in response he PICKS HER UP and carries her to his car, saying, “This is be kind to animals week. I can’t let even a dumb bunny like you catch pneumonia!”

Alice admits that his car was nice and warm, and that he seemed nice after they got to talking. He sees her home but Alice finds her key doesn’t work and that the landlady has rented her room to another tenant; she’s also holding Alice’s suitcase for ransom. Wilson seems to feel bad now and he apologizes again. “I should have known right away that you were just a nice kid in a jam.” He takes her to his apartment and says he’ll go to his club and sleep there.

After a restful night, Alice unthinkingly answers the phone and it’s a woman. She hangs up before identifying herself. Alice sets about making breakfast and Wilson comes in. They enjoy a nice meal together and he even helps her with the dishes. She tells him her sad story about her difficulties in finding jobs, and then the doorbell rings. Who could this be? MYRA! She starts grilling Wilson about who THIS woman is, and Wilson is all, is it really your business now? Apparently, this is the woman who left Wilson for the banker and why he went to Greenland. Myra says that she’s going to make sure everyone knows about “this hussy” and then no one will read your book!

Wilson says “She has every right to be here. You know why? Because she’s my wife, that’s why!” Myra storms out in a huff. Alice feels bad that she messed up things by being there, but Wilson says he wants nothing to do with Myra.

And then he asks her to be his wife. “You’re sweet, you’re a good cook, I’ll bet you’d make a peach of a wife.” Whaat?

Of course she says yes, because this is a fantasy. The end.

If you think that one was crazy, how about this one? “I Took Lessons in Love.” We have a college-aged couple at a diner, sitting next to each other in a booth. The “voiceover” style text box tells us that Tod Anderson and this girl, whose name is Penny, had been engaged for six months when Tod decided to call it off.

Tod says he feels like “a heel” to do this, but apparently, he’s been listening too much to his psychology professor, who says that “some women are born to be bachelor girls or career women. Others are created just to be loved!” I presume, because he’s breaking up with her, that she’s one of the first two. SO much to unpack here, where to begin? I should add that this assclown is wearing a letter-sweater, so he’s obviously a jock. Penny asks who the other girl is, because that’s the only likely explanation.

Tod just spouts more pearls of wisdom from this Professor Rogers: “Men rarely marry the first girl they get engaged to.” So you’re supposed to leave a string of broken engagements behind? Then he mentions that he hasn’t been doing so great in the course, but Professor Asshole’s secretary, Lilith, has been helping him out. Penny is all, I knew it! Well, Professor Rogers also says not to make a scene when you’re jilted. So, here’s your ring, and I’m going. Gawrsh, Penny, I’m sorry! He sez, as if that fixes everything.

Later that day, Penny is in Professor Jerkface’s classroom, and he asks to see her after class. Apparently, he wants to suspend her from his class, as she “laughed in all the wrong places” and even hissed once. She says she wants to suspend HIM, from the end of a rope! “You’re a fake!” Penny says. “I followed all your goofy rules for winning my man! I was aloof . . . I never chased after him . . . I didn’t accept every date, so he wouldn’t be too sure of me! And what happened? I lost my fiancé!” Oh, look, it’s the 1940s version of The Rules. Professor KnowItAll says he’s sorry, but “I am sure it was all your fault.” Then he reiterates the stupid shit that Tod said, that there are two types of women – career woman and bachelor girls. By bachelor girls, does he mean lesbians? Penny’s angry flailing knocks a vase onto the prof’s desk, spilling water all over his manuscript. She offers to retype it and he says he’ll get Tod back for her.

Penny finds herself at Professor Rogers’ house, or Giles, as his uncle Abner refers to him, for tea. Uncle Abner is happy that Giles has found himself a wife, and Giles says, no, you have it all wrong; she followed my rules and they didn’t work, so I’m gonna fix it. Wise Uncle Ab says, You can’t make rules for love! But of course, Giles’ whole book is predicated on this nonsense. Abner asks Penny why she doesn’t just forget about Tod; he was so easy to lose, why would you want him back? Giles says revenge oughta do it and that she can be a case study in his book. This makes Penny pissed again. Abner suggests that Giles be the “other man” in this scenario and Penny takes him to the weenie roast at the beach, which isn’t a euphemism in this context, but perhaps should be. Giles refuses, saying it will cause talk. Abner suggests telling the crowd that they’re engaged. Which, again, isn’t this the same day?

Giles picks her up later in his car, looking all snazzy, and he tries to give her some advice, and then says that Tod is a dope and he has bad grades. Penny, not doing herself much credit, says, “Who cares about his grades? He’s a good kisser.” So Giles tries to show her that he’s better, I guess, and gathers her up in his arms and kisses her, making her all a-tingly. They get to the roast and Giles announces their engagement to the assembled bonfire-goers. Tod is very confused by this development.

A week goes by where Penny goes out on dates with Giles; she’s becoming quite fond of him. Then, one night, Tod comes roaring into Giles’ house and yells at Penny that she’s causing a scandal, and says he’s sorry he drove her to this, and will forgive and forget and take her back. Abner asks him what happened to his gal, Lilith? “Did you find out she’s awfully boring and a regular clinging vine once you get to know her?” Giles comes in and Tod calls him a wolf, which seems to please Giles and he sweeps Penny into his arms and kisses her right there in front of Tod.

Tod does the very adult thing and walks away – oh, wait, no he doesn’t; he punches Giles in the face. And then he’s upset when Penny tells him that she never wants to see him again. But – but – I hit him for you! She sends Tod packing, which also confuses Giles and makes Abner laugh, especially since Giles faked the fall. Aaand also spread rumors about Penny being up at his house unchaperoned, so that Tod would come charging up and try to win Penny back. Penny is pissed by this, saying she can take care of herself. Abner says that Giles is being dumb; he’s obviously crazy about Penny, but doesn’t seem to realize it.

So, yes, Giles loves her. And penny has fallen in love, too. All of this, of course, botches the good professor’s entire thesis. His new rules? “Spend every minute with him. Never refuse a date with him. Nag all the time. Go into a temper and throw things. Weep frequently.” Whaaat? She just says, let’s not talk about rules, kiss me instead. “But first,” Giles concludes, “Let’s set our wedding date.”

Oh, boy, I need a drink after that one.

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One of the things that really stands out about these genre comics (aside from the fact that they only ever feature white men and women) is how quickly relationships seem to deepen and marriage becomes the only conclusion. Yes, these are fantasies, and truncated stories, so the plot needs to move along quickly. However, there is a little bit of truth to them. According to historian Jessica Weiss, in post World War America, “the timing of major transitions to adulthood collapsed as young people threw over the accepted ordering of milestones to maturity; couples rushed through major milestones: high school graduation, military enlistment or discharge, quickly followed by marriage, parenthood, and often, more schooling.” Women’s roles were shifting, and rapidly, during this time period – child to woman, student to wife, worker to homemaker.

Dating practices were in flux; the idea of “going steady” was in its ascendency, and the average age of first marriages dropped considerably. Most parents were opposed to this idea of “going steady,” mainly because of the sexual angle, so some young couples decided to marry early to throw over that risk and avoid the sexual frustration. As historian Emma Gardner puts it, “at their best, romance comics acknowledged the difficulties and fears of characters going through anxiety-provoking romantic situations even as they reiterated traditional gender roles . . . they are worth a second look, for [they] were part of a widely popular discourse that reflected, expressed, and helped shape the conventions of postwar middle-class American culture.”

Well, that’s the show. If you liked this episode, please like, subscribe, review, or whatever option your podcast aggregator has available. The Forgotten Library is available on the following platforms: Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, Pocket Casts, PodBean, RadioPublic, Stitcher, and TuneIn. There’s also a Twitter account now @forgottenlibra1. Show suggestions are always welcome. Until next time, I’m Nikki Gee, your intrepid library haunter.

Sources:

Ace Magazines (comics). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Magazines_(comics)

All Love. https://comicbookplus.com/?cid=3245

Gardner, J. (2011). “True-To-Life”: Romance Comics and Teen-Age Desire, 1947-1954. Forum for World Literature Studies, 3(1), 118-128.

Gardner, J. (2013). She Got Her Man, But Could She Keep Him? Love and Marriage in American Romance Comics, 1947-1954. The Journal of American Culture, 36(1). 16-24.

J. Murrey Atkins Library – UNC Charlotte. Heroes and Villains: Silver Age Comics. https://silveragecomics.uncc.edu/timeline