"Elopement Hid Our Sins"St. John
Pictorial Romances
Script by Dana Dutch
Art by Matt Baker
Number 19
1953
Between 1949 and 1955 romance comics represented twenty-five percent of comic sales. And for good reason! Before the Comic Book Code Authority became the dictator of the market place in late 1954, romance comics were more real to life, less formulaic and way more racy. And a hell of a lot of fun.
Elopement Hid Our Sins is no exception. Beautifully illustrated by Matt Baker, Elopement Hid Our Sins is a story of a worldly young woman who had grown weary of the loneliness of loveless affection.
Enjoy.
Art by Matt Baker
Number 19
1953
Between 1949 and 1955 romance comics represented twenty-five percent of comic sales. And for good reason! Before the Comic Book Code Authority became the dictator of the market place in late 1954, romance comics were more real to life, less formulaic and way more racy. And a hell of a lot of fun.
Elopement Hid Our Sins is no exception. Beautifully illustrated by Matt Baker, Elopement Hid Our Sins is a story of a worldly young woman who had grown weary of the loneliness of loveless affection.
Enjoy.
Momma Mia! What a knockout story. The art is flabbergasting. Damn! Talk about lush brushwork! And, like you say, the story rocks pretty hard. Great post!
ReplyDeleteMykal: Yes, the artwork is just gorgeous in this one. I am obsessing over 50's romance right now, so there is very likely more to come of such artwork and that 50's glimpse at the seedier side of romance. So much fun!
ReplyDeleteI was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out why he wanted to marry her in the first place -- I would never have guessed embezzlement! Can't wait to see more '50s stuff you come up with!
ReplyDeleteWoo, that is one text-heavy story. Its like if Alan Moore wrote a romance comic and they left all his pages of background detail in.
ReplyDeleteThat cover is exceptional--the color, the composition, the lighting. Beautiful.
Jacque: Yes, I had run through plenty of sin scenarios to cover up but embezzlement didn't even make the list!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to post another 50's story early next week.
Rob!: I think if Alan Moore had written this story, the sin that the elopement hid would have had something to do with buggery.
Spectergirl: This was a great story. Do you know if it was written by Dana Dutch? It happened in this story, and it's something I've noticed from romance comics of this period, guys acting as if it's perfectly acceptable to grab a woman firmly by the arms and effectively using force to get their own way. It just seems to have been the norm for the time, as much as women giving a guy a solid slap in the face.
ReplyDeleteKB: Thanks KB! I had not been able to find the writing credit anywhere, but once I was able to do a cross search with Dana Dutch, I was able to confirm it. You are absolutely the man for being able to guess the writer! I'll add it to the entry.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the rough handling, which always seems so prominent during this period, seem to border on abuse. It is hard to believer it could possibly be a reflection the reality at the time, but I would have to assume it does to some degree.
For the record, I have never slap anyones face.