Poll Result Time!

Good evening everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend! The last poll ended and here are the results as to what you the Sequential Crush readers would like to see more of!

• Chronicles of recurrent characters garnered eight votes for the win!
• Issue reviews, individual story reviews, and socio-historical themes each had six votes a piece.
  
• Advertisements and fashion features were the least desired, both with two votes.

Thank you to all those that voted. This will help me continue to deliver all the romantic goodness you have come to expect from Sequential Crush! If you didn't have a chance to vote, feel free to put your wishes in the comment section of this post. Also, check out the new poll!!!

Stay groovy! :)

Sequential Elizabeth Story

While perusing for something else this evening I came across this short sequential story, "Kiss Me Only in My Dreams!" from Girls' Love Stories #149 (February 1970) by the talented Elizabeth Berube. Last week when I made my initial post on Elizabeth, I was only aware of one sequential story -- so this one makes two! Pretty exquisite, huh?!

Though I love the line work and the decorative quality about the story, the coloring is what really makes it stand out for me. Those almost fluorescent colors against the black really pop out. Since Elizabeth colored many DC stories later on, it makes me wonder if she colored her own romance stories?

A Cautionary Tale

There is no doubt that this gorgeously drawn one-page story, "Uptight" from Young Romance #166 (June/July 1970) by Black Cat artist Lee Elias, is a great example of the diversity of artists featured in the romance comics. Unfortunately, it is also a good example of the kind of story that helps propel today's notion that romance comics are filled with worthless drivel deserving of a few laughs and nothing more.


On one hand, this story serves as a handy historical document and a reminder of how far our notions of women in the workforce have come. The same year this story was published in Young Romance, a very important stride concerning equal pay for male and female workers was made with the case of Schultz v. Wheaton Glass Co. Though legally this cased helped to solidify the Equal Pay Act of 1963, it is obvious from this story that not all facets of society had embraced the concept of the career-driven woman.

On the other hand though, I myself as a woman who is actively pursuing a career, can sympathize with the obvious internal conflict felt by our protagonist, Carol Loring. Balancing a career, and the ever-present cultural and biological pressures to "have it all" are something I think that many young women still feel today.

Happy Halloween!!!

In honor of the holiday, this morning I decided to read my first Gothic romance comic. I bought a couple over the summer, and have been saving reading them for the perfect time. I started with Charlton's Haunted Love #1 (April 1973) simply because the cover by Tom Sutton is really gorgeous.

The two sequential interior stories were alright, one called "Eternal Teacher," and the other, "A Kiss to Save Him from the Grave." The former had an O. Henry ending and the latter was very confusing overall -- in fact, I am not sure it completely made sense!

The genre of Gothic romance comics didn't last long. The first two appeared from DC in 1971, Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love and Sinister House of Secret Love. Both ran for four issues each, before undergoing title changes to assimilate more with mainstream horror comics of the '70s. Haunted Love lasted slightly longer, from 1973 to 1975, with eleven issues. For a more in depth discussion on these Gothic tales, check out Irene Vartanoff's blog entry on them. In the meantime, have a happy and safe Halloween!!!

Artist Spotlight - Elizabeth Berube

Elizabeth Berube
Secret Hearts #142 (March 1970)

If you read a lot of '70s DC romance comics, you will undoubtedly come across the work of Elizabeth Berube. Simply signed "Elizabeth," Berube's work stands out amongst other romance artists of the time for its quiet beauty and unique sense of movement.

In The Great Women Cartoonists by Trina Robbins (Watson-Guptill, 2001), Berube is cited as being the "last woman to illustrate a romance comic" -- working on the DC romances until 1974. Elizabeth's contribution to the romance comics included fashion featurettes, horoscope pages, tables of contents and other various intricate and ornamental pieces.

"Beauty on a Budget"
Falling in Love #119 (November 1970)

"Think Thin"
Young Romance #166 (June/July 1970)

I personally am a fan of Elizabeth's artwork -- I think that something about its softness and femininity speaks to me. She did so many featurettes in the romance comics of the 1970s, so I have many examples to share in the future. Until then, I hope you have enjoyed this little taste of her whimsical style!