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

[MrBedrock]

It would be really tough to pick a classic cover, or most desired cover from all of the Harvey romance books. There are so many really good ones but, other than the First Love 13 nothing that stands above the rest.

[Dr. Love]

It's funny but Elias never makes it onto the Best list.  Not easy to do both horror and romance well.  But he did.

[Ricksneatstuff]

 I have absolutely no idea how I forgot about these. 

 

[N e r V]

1 hour ago, Dr. Love said:

It's funny but Elias never makes it onto the Best list.  Not easy to do both horror and romance well.  But he did.

 

That’s a cool jungle theme cover. Kind of like what might happen between all those action scenes in Jungle or Jumbo when things are calm.

Very nice! 

[Readcomix]

2 hours ago, MrBedrock said:

It would be really tough to pick a classic cover, or most desired cover from all of the Harvey romance books. There are so many really good ones but, other than the First Love 13 nothing that stands above the rest.

@mustang33guy, what about that lurid First Love with the creepy guy coming out of the woods at night with the shotgun?

[N e r V]

3 hours ago, Readcomix said:

@mustang33guy, what about that lurid First Love with the creepy guy coming out of the woods at night with the shotgun?

That’s 34. There are actually several Harvey Romances with people being surprised with someone holding a gun coming out of the woodwork. Not a very pc theme in today’s world.

[N e r V]

5 hours ago, MrBedrock said:

It would be really tough to pick a classic cover, or most desired cover from all of the Harvey romance books. There are so many really good ones but, other than the First Love 13 nothing that stands above the rest.

You might be correct but I have several favourites from them. Lots of head shots were above average to me.

I don’t have scans of my copies but here’s a few I think rise above.

[Readcomix]

1 minute ago, N e r V said:

That’s 34. There are actually several Harvey Romances with people being surprised with someone holding a gun coming out of the woodwork. Not a very pc theme in today’s world.

Thank you; I couldn't recall the exact number! I guess there are a few Harveys with that cover theme; that one just stuck out to me as particularly lurid.

[N e r V]

7 minutes ago, Readcomix said:

Thank you; I couldn't recall the exact number! I guess there are a few Harveys with that cover theme; that one just stuck out to me as particularly lurid.

[OtherEric]

Not quite sure these two qualify as classic; but with the Superhero crossover interest I think they're some of the higher profile ones:

[PreHero]

I don't collect romance (yet?), but the details on this cover caught my eye.

[jimjum12]

4 hours ago, PreHero said:

I don't collect romance (yet?), but the details on this cover caught my eye.

BILL WARD 

....He used to be a hotly collected artist who isn't as avidly sought after now.... which means you don't usually have to "bend over" when purchasing .....although some of them are still pricey.... like the Torchy bpoks. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Mr. Lady Luck]

13 hours ago, MrBedrock said:

My choice for the most (fill in the blank - suggestive, overlooked, underrated) romance cover...

 

Agreed!!

[Sqeggs]

On 2/18/2018 at 10:02 AM, szavisca said:

On 2/18/2018 at 2:51 AM, 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.

I think the creepy farmer is meant to be daddy come to protect his innocent daughter's virtue. 

[Sqeggs]

19 hours ago, MrBedrock said:

My choice for the most (fill in the blank - suggestive, overlooked, underrated) romance cover...

 

A gal tries to get a little relief from a bunion and all she gets is innuendo!

 

[Sqeggs]

On 2/18/2018 at 6:59 AM, Mr. Lady Luck said:

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.

 

I think Colletta had a knack for covers that captured romance the way a 1950s teenage girl imagined it to be or hoped it would be. 

[szav]

4 minutes ago, Sqeggs said:

I think the creepy farmer is meant to be daddy come to protect his innocent daughter's virtue. 

Yeah not technically a peeping tom... just a guy that hasn’t taken a bath or seen a dentist in a long time ... who happens to have a hot daughter that all the bad boys want a little one on one time with... classic rural America from that time period.

[Sqeggs]

23 hours ago, Dr. Love said:

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

 

@Dr. Love is testifyin'! 

Hartley is really an in-and-out performer for me; I love some of his covers, but others seem weak either because he rushed them or for some other reason. 

[Sqeggs]

18 hours ago, Ricksneatstuff said:

 I have absolutely no idea how I forgot about these. 

 

There are GA books that I collect not because I like the art or the stories all that much but just because they are kind of cool and hard to find.  EC romance would be Exhibit A in this category.  I'm not a Feldstein fan and don't think he did a good job with the romance covers.  This one is probably my favorite and I sure would like to find a nicer copy. 

[Sqeggs]

19 hours ago, EC ed said:

19 hours ago, Dr. Love said:

And Ed would have, I believe, the highest overall set of EC romance...in the entire world.

Not sure whether that's true (there's always Halperin)...but if so, you get the assist   

Does Halperin have every EC but the magazines?  I was surprised to find that he (apparently) doesn't have a copy of Shock Illustrated 3 -- presumably because it's a magazine.