The Eyes of LoveCharlton Comics
Illustrated By: Charles Nicholas
Career Girl Romances
Number 48
1968
So that you won't mistakenly think that Marvel had a monopoly on understanding the modern career girl, Charlton Comics gives us Career Girl Romances and one of my all time favorites The Eyes of Love.
In The Eyes of Love we are thrown into the life of Roz, a model at the pinnacle of her career. Though she is one of the world's top paid models and considered one the world's most beautiful women, Roz can not help but shed a tear because the man she loves does not return her feelings. Rudi is her photographer and in fact doesn't seem to see the women he photographs as anything but product. He demonstrates this fact by casually telling one of his models that he can no longer use her because, as he so delicately puts is, "you're a cow now". How can you NOT fall in love with this guy?
Upon leaving a photo shoot one day Roz confronts the man of her dreams in an awkwardly written conversation where she both praises him for his encouragement to better herself with speech, ballet and acting lessons (insert foreshadowing music here) and derides him for lessening her beauty in person by making her lose weight for the camera.
Wow! Could he be a bigger jerk? Yes, yes he can.
Later, while lunching with a far less attractive friend a handsome man approaches their table and to Roz's surprise the man in question tries to pick up her companion instead of her. For Roz, that is the last straw.
And she does show him, with a week of gluttony the likes of which has not been seen since Roman times.
Wow, looks like she is only 9 pounds underweight now. Good for you Roz!
When next she returns to Rudi's studio he seems to instantly take notice of her and tells her how nice she is looking. But after he develops that day's film all Hell breaks loose.
He tells her how she bulges and yells that she did it on purpose. And then goes into a tirade about the science that is photography.
So Roz is out of the modeling business but all that "bettering herself" wasn't for nothing. She soon becomes a celebrity on the game show circuit. Then, while out for dinner with her producer she runs into Rudi where he explains his true feelings about her weight.
And about his true feelings for her.
So Roz finally has the man she loves. Of course Rudi isn't the only love in her life:
You've certainly got a talent for homing in on the most priceless romance comics as well as providing simultaneously side-splitting and poignant commentary. It also goes to show what a gold mine those apparently mindlessly hacked out and cheaply printed Charlton comics can be. Charlton comics have been put down for decades but if you're prepared to give them a chance all sorts of goodies appear, for a variety of reasons. I can't quite articulate what it is about these soapy romance comics (from all publishers) - they're both unreal and real at the same time. It seems to me, the more I read them, that although they make you think "nobody would ever act that way in real life", there's way more than a grain of truth in this stuff! I think it is because, wherever the writers get their ideas from (Joe Gill told me that he got a lot of his ideas from reading paperback novels) the ideas themselves often boil down to stereotypes, behavior patterns that people will recognize and that will resonate. And although stereotypes become exaggerated, there is awkwardly some aspect of reality that forms their basis.
ReplyDeleteWait... so he kept her thin to keep her to himself? Crazy!
ReplyDeleteThe blog looks good, I look forward to more posts!
KB: I really love the old Charlton Romances. They really do have some unique stories that stick out as some of my favorites. I think they can be easily overlooked if only for the consistently poor printing quality. Marvel and DC certainly had them beat on cover art but occasionally you do run into some unexpectedly beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteJacque: Yeah, not exactly the makings of a healthy relationship. Really kind of abusive. Are we actually supposed to be happy she landed him?
Spectorgirl: More Nicholas! Eeeexcellent. That nice, shiny polish he gives things seems really well suited to romance comics.
ReplyDeleteThis poor girl is on quite the rollercoaster, though, isn't she? First she's a blimp, but wait! He likes them chunky! Well, now that the truth is out, Roz is going to make real sure she doesn't turn into one of those skinny chicks Rudi hates. Life becomes smorgasbord. She'll just plain graze that fridge and be buying all new "comfortable" clothes in about a month.
Great post! Keep them coming. -- Mykal
Mykal: Yeah, I just picked up a 1963 Charlton with another story with Nicholas art. It's really pretty nice.
ReplyDeleteI really do feel sorry for Roz having to pick between a career and being with the man she loves. Luckily careers outside of modeling have FINALLY opened up for us ladies. And with the invention of fast-food we really do get to have it it all.
Yikes! Gotta run, I've got an all-you-can-eat buffet schedule for 12:30.
Wonder what she looks like now after all those years eating away! LOL
ReplyDelete