You'll Love These CGC-graded Romance Comics in an Upcoming Heritage Sale
Posted on 10/4/2023
Love is in the air with an assortment of Silver Age romance comics certified by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®), which are being offered in the Romance Comics Featuring L.B. Cole auction through Heritage Auctions on October 26-27, 2023.
Romance comic books in the 1950s and 1960s experienced a surge in popularity, becoming one of the dominant genres in the industry during this period. These comics typically featured stories of love, relationships and drama, catering predominantly to a female readership. Titles like "Young Romance" and "Young Love" pioneered the genre, often portraying idealized and aspirational romantic scenarios, while also addressing social issues of the time such as gender roles, dating and societal expectations.
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Included in the auction is Secret Hearts #83 graded CGC 4.5 (lot 83254). This 1962 comic featured a panel drawn by comic book artist Tony Abruzzo that later inspired pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s famous 1963 painting “Drowning Girl.” While some argue that Lichtenstein’s work copied comic book art, others see it as a form of homage or a commentary on the influence of mass culture on art. Ultimately, the interpretation of Lichtenstein's work is subjective, and opinions on it vary widely within the art world and among art enthusiasts.
Also in this auction is a Falling in Love #1 graded CGC 8.0 (lot 83024). This comic was released by DC Comics in 1955, featuring work by writer Carol Andrews and artist Irv Novick. There are scant previous sales of this book, but a CGC 3.5 copy was sold for $225 in 2022, and bidding for this copy has already surpassed that amount to guarantee this as the new highest-selling copy.
Other CGC-certified comics in this auction include:
- a Confessions of Love #6 graded CGC 6.0 (lot 83015)
- a Confessions of Romance #9 graded CGC 4.0 (lot 83020)
- a Confessions of Love #13 graded CGC 7.5 (lot 83017)
- a Love Romances #57 graded CGC 8.0 (lot 83119)
- a Popular Teen-Agers #9 graded CGC 4.0 (lot 83191)
- a Popular Teen-Agers #11 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 83193)
- a Top Love Stories #3 graded CGC 6.5 (lot 83274)
- a Top Love Stories #5 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 83276)
- a True-to-Life Romances #11 graded CGC 3.5 (lot 83310)
- a True-to-Life Romances #22 graded CGC 6.0 (lot 83321)
About CGC
Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes.
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