Romance Art

The two panels below come from the original art for page 2 of a story in issue #1 of DREAMBOOK OF ROMANCE from 1952. I think. I started collecting original Romance comic art a couple of years ago. The melodrama behind the stories--tales of intense pain starring conniving babes; misunderstood foxes; the younger, prettier sisters of scheming bitches; heartbroken sweeties who've been duped by every guy in school; thrill-crazy chicks--makes this art so much more appealing to me than superhero stuff.


Detail from Dreambook Of Romance

Take the babe above. She's just had a nightmare about the time her deranged husband came after her with a gun, threatening to kill her and the hunk he suspects is balling her. In her dream the hunk wrests the gun away from the husband and says, "If killing you is the only way to bring Marcia happiness, I'll do it!"

Then he kills her husband. Marcia and the killer embrace. "Oh, Steve!" she says. "You...you killed him!"

"I did it for you, Marcia!" he says. "Only for you!"

Then she wakes up and realizes it's just a dream. But she's in jail (and wearing a nightie and looking mighty fine in a Veronica Lake sort of way). Turns out that Steve is also her lawyer! Marcia's murder trial is over; Steve and Marcia are grimly awaiting the verdict.

Based on just this little bit of info you'd think Steve the Lawyer shot her husband. A few months after I bought this page, the seller put the last page up for sale, where Steve reveals that her husband actually shot himself dead, just to pin a murder rap on Marcia. The jury bought it. Just like in real life.