What are the most classic, non-Baker, romance covers? 5 5

[szav]

This is my favorite non-Baker romance... looks like a classic cover to me even though Harvey's don't always get the love.  Want salacious?  Try Teen-age sex club.  Love the hilarious creepy farmer/peeping tom and the couple taking a literal roll in the hay.  CGC doesn't credit any of these but GCD says Al Avison for most of the FLI...not anywhere near the technical quality of a Baker or other romance books but I just love the staging, scene set up etc.  Great blonde babe too.

Edited February 18, 2018 by szavisca

[Robot Man]

3 hours ago, Sqeggs said:

He asks for non-Baker romance books and you give him Baker non-romance books.  

Not that the books you posted aren't great one. 

Sorry, I got all excited when I saw Matt Baker... Please forgive me. I will make good on my mistake.

[Ricksneatstuff]

I like these by Hartley and Kamen

 

[Robot Man]

Here are a few NON-BAKER classic love books

See, I said I would make it up to you!

[Ricksneatstuff]

“My Life” has the best covers!!

 

[Readcomix]

That Daring Love from Robotman and Teenage sex club from Scott were the first two that jumped to mind for me, besides Cole's body of work.

Do we want classic as in already broadly recognized like those, or just great covers that may be under the radar, or both?

[Iksar]

[Readcomix]

[comicnoir]

The next 2 are from the Davis Crippen collection, who seemed to know a thing or 2 about headlights.

[comicnoir]

[bounty_coder]

7 hours ago, szavisca said:

This is my favorite non-Baker romance... looks like a classic cover to me even though Harvey's don't always get the love.  Want salacious?  Try Teen-age sex club.  Love the hilarious creepy farmer/peeping tom and the couple taking a literal roll in the hay.  CGC doesn't credit any of these but GCD says Al Avison for most of the FLI...not anywhere near the technical quality of a Baker or other romance books but I just love the staging, scene set up etc.  Great blonde babe too.

That also looks like Elvis and Monroe. 

[PopKulture]

11 hours ago, Sqeggs said:

Less well-known, and maybe more teen humor than romance, is Louise Altson.  

Classic stuff! If you didn't mention her, I would've.

Her two page interior black-and-white illustrations are like an All-American time capsule - a peek at American teen-agers coming of age in postwar America. Really great stuff.

[fett]

I picked up copies of these as soon as I could locate them  

 

 

[Mr. Lady Luck]

I no longer own this book, but it was fun while it lasted...

 

[Mr. Lady Luck]

Here's another one I had for a short period of time before I sold it to a fellow boardie.

When it comes to romance, I guess I'm a love 'em and leave 'em kinda guy.

 

[Shrevvy]

5 hours ago, PopKulture said:

Her two page interior black-and-white illustrations are like an All-American time capsule - a peek at American teen-agers coming of age in postwar America. Really great stuff

Where are those b&w illustrations published? I'd like to see them.

[szav]

7 hours ago, bounty_coder said:

That also looks like Elvis and Monroe. 

Yeah I’d noticed the Elvis look alike, but you’re right, she’s got a Monroe vibe for sure too...even more reason to love this one.

[PopKulture]

2 hours ago, Shrevvy said:

Where are those b&w illustrations published? I'd like to see them.

They were originally published in various issues of Miss America. Many examples can be seen here at Dr. Michael Vassallo's scholarly blog:

http://timely-atlas-comics.blogspot.com/search?q=louise+alston

[path4play]

I'm feeling a tractor beam like unstoppable gravitating towards the Fox My Life/My Love Life...  

[Dr. Love]

Romance is not really a key type of genre, certainly not as much as others.  No heroes or villains, no eye gouging or heads lopped off.  Hair pulling is considered big stuff! in the romance universe.  No recurring characters to speak of (except Dr. Anthony King, Hollywood Love Doctor!), it's more no-name to the max, just the generic He or She.  Superbeings are by their nature extraordinary, and that's where the fun is.  But romance is about the ordinary drama of everyday relationship.  It's a no key world because it's about the compelling nature of a woman's tears, not cheers or jeers.

We generally can't relate because we're not the target audience; that is to say, most of us have never been young girls in the late 1940's and early 1950's.  The genre was a moment in time thing.  For even female collectors in later years like Lauren or Sharon don't go for romance. 

So it's less of a key thing and more of a group thing.  There are publishers and groups of books within publishers, and certain artists of course, that seem to stand out above the rest.  Having said that, in a finite set of about 5,846 issues (more or less!), it would be very strange if individual books didn't stand out over time.  Many of the ones already posted are the known candidates.  Below are some other non Bakers.  Generally speaking, if you want sappy or corny then go for Fawcett photocovers.  If you want salacious then it's Fox and at a more refined level St. John.  More GA then SA and really no BA keys to speak of.

Young Romance 1

Negro Romance

Popular Teenagers 15

Love Journal 10

for campy, certain Marvel photocovers

Heart Throbs 1

certain DC GA & SA

Personal Love 32 (for the Frazetta interior)

Atlas - Hartley '53, Coletta '54

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2018 by Dr. Love