Dynamic Drawings and Data of Decidedly Dubious Distinction!

Hey, Kids! Comics from 50 Years Ago!
February 10 & 12, 1970

Groovy Age Splash Page of the Week

Brave and the Bold #116 (September 1974)

Groovy Age Spotlight On...
Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, Groove-ophiles! Since today's all about hearts and flowers, Ol' Groove thought he'd share a beauty of a romance tale with ya! It's a beauty 'cause it's illustrated by the unusual team of Gene Colan and Sal Buscema! Methinks their styles went quite well together on the Stan Lee scripted "How Do We Know When It's Really Love?" from Our Love Story #4 (January 1970). Yeah, you could say the story is corny and dated in it's 1960s jet-set flick-inspired way, but that's part of it's appeal, imho. Ain't Valentine's Day kinda corny (in a sweet way) and about... dates (kinda)…? Okay, I'll shut up and let ya enjoy the purty pitchures…

Marvel-ous Monday: "One Upon a Time...In My Heart!" by Jackson, Mooney, and Chan

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! As Ol' Groove dashes this post off on the old laptop, love is in the air all aound--it's Prom Season! My FaceBook page is filled with former students in suits, tuxes, and gowns of all shades and styles, so I guess that's what brought romance comics to my pea-brain! "Once Upon a Time...In My Heart" comes to us from Our Love Story #21 (November 1972) and was written by Joy Jackson (who wrote one other story for Marvel that appeared in OLS #18--maybe we'll dig it later) and was illustrated by the most unusual (but kinda cool) artistic team of Jim Mooney and Ernie Chan (then "Chua"). This one features a girl falling for a rock star whose middle name is bound to be Eddy or Eddie! Grab the Kleenex, baby!

Cover art by Win Mortimer

Random Reads: "When a Love Story Ends" by J. Thomas and Weiss

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Remember those rare days when you'd be so bored you'd dig for something new to read...even if it was through your mom's stack of romance mags? (Please don't let me be the only one who ever got that desperate!) Dull and yucky (to a kid) as they were, sometimes something cool would turn up--like a story from a fave writer and/or artist. Our Love Story #29 (May 1974, reprinting stories from ish #17, March 1972) reprinted one such lucky find, "When a Love Story Ends" written by Jean (Roy's former wife) Thomas and illustrated Alan (Warlock, Shazam!) Weiss! Can you dig it?

In the Spring, a Young Man's Fancy Turns to--Marvel Romance Comics?

Okay, so Marvel touted their Groovy Age romance comicbooks as the comics you buy for your favorite chick--so then why all the Charles Atlas ads, man? (Charlton and DC produced romance mags as well--with more female-friendly ads, and we'll get to 'em eventually--you've been forewarned!) But seriously, did'ja ever wonder what your favorite Marvel Bullpen superstars were doing when they weren't writing and drawing the adventures of Thor, Captain America, Spidey, or Daredevil? You really wanna know? Are you sure? You really, really wanna know? Okay, then, here's the answer, Groove-ophile!

From Our Love Story #2 (September 1969), here's Stan Lee with the double-whammy team of John Buscema and John Romita with "I Love Him, But He's Hers!"

Next up, check out "A Fool About Love" by Holli Resnicoff (Stan's secretary/Mike Ploog's wife), Gene Colan, and Bill Everett from OLS #27 (November 1973)...

And finally, from OLS #28 (actually reprinting the story from OLS #15), here's a real twist--writer Steve Englehart's turn as a romance artist on "One Fleeting Moment--!", written by Gerry Conway and Holli Resnicoff...

Guess that's one way to while away time between Avengers/Defenders Wars and Secret Empire Sagas, huh, Groove-ophiles?