with Sweetheart Diary #8 [December 1951] appearing on newsstands.
Fawcett published 14 issues from Winter 1949 to January 1953 with
Charlton continuing the title with different numbering. The first
Charlton issue was #32 [October 1955] and the final issue would be
#64 [August 1962].
The Grand Comics Database doesn’t have a whole lot on this issue.
The happy couple shown on the photo cover are not identified, but
I’m going to call them Joan and Bernie and add how delighted I am
that these two crazy kids found each other.
There are three comics and one text story in this issue. The GCD
reports that Bernard Bailey drew the 11-page “Out of the Past” and
that John Martin wrote “Island Romance,” the two-page prose story.
The other two stories are “Love’s Destruction” (10 pages) and the
nine-page “Returning My Love.”
I was going to make up crazy shit about these stories, but I don’t
want to disrespect Joan and Bernie’s love. I’m a romantic, I am.
Keep reading this bloggy thing for more vintage comic-book covers
from the month of my birth. If you have additional information on
any of these old comics, please share with me and the rest of the
class. If you have these comics and are willing to part with them,
e-mail me to discuss trades.
******************************
Random thoughts from your weary Tipster:
Tuesday was a back-breaking day in which I worked around 16 hours,
wrote over four thousand words of columns and blogs, had a number
of conversations about upcoming assignments, made convention plans
and answered dozens of e-mails. I’m back at the keyboard, but too
unfocused to write reviews. These next several bits are what you
get instead.
Jerry Ordway, one of the best comics artists there is and a pretty
good writer as well, isn’t getting enough work from DC Comics and
other large publishers. I’m pleased my friend Jerry and others are
talking about the ageism and disrespect directed towards our older
comics creators. You know...something I’ve been writing about for
well over a decade. Nice to see the rest of you finally catching
up with me. As for Ordway’s individual situation, about all I can
add is comic-book companies are stupid. The editors and publishers
who aren’t standing in line to hire Ordway should be very thankful
breathing is an automatic response.
******************************
I am also pleased comics fans and professionals are standing up to
express the logical position that an activist bigot should not be
writing Superman, especially for a publisher whose comics have won
several GLAAD Awards. If the hateful policies and positions Orson
Scott Card so publically advocates came to pass, real damage would
be visited on the lives of decent, law-abiding citizens. Because
they are gay. That’s not my country.
Card will suffer very little from the backlash against his bigotry,
but I’d have no problem if he did suffer greatly...just as long as
no unlawful actions were taken against him. The man is a vile bigot
and his kind is destined for the dustbin of history. The sooner
he’s swept away, the happier I’ll be.
******************************
Though I’m not remotely a fan of attorney Marc Toberoff, I like him
a heck of a lot better than I like DC’s lawyers and the assorted
Internet slugs who rail against Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel’s
family for not rolling over for a soulless corporation. I know how
angry I can get over DC’s dishonesty and disrespect towards me and
my creation - Black Lightning - but I can only barely imagine what
it’s like for the Siegels, what with Superman being the cornerstone
of DC’s multi-media empire. I wish the Siegel family all the best
in their ongoing battle for simple justice.
******************************
I have mixed emotions about Jon Stewart’s taking three months off
from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to direct a movie. I’m happy
Stewart is doing a project he is obviously passionate about, but I
am sad there will be one less hilarious voice of reason for those
three months.
On the other hand, John Oliver taking over the hosting duties will
be very interesting. I can just imagine the reaction of the Faux
News cretins to their insanity being commented on by someone who’s
not a native-born American. It will be delicious.
******************************
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reports the sequester may ground Air
Force demonstrations at civilian air shows. That strikes me as an
excellent place to cut some expenses. Yes, the amazing skills of
the Thunderbirds pilots are thrilling to watch, but I’ve always
been concerned at the idea of putting those pilots at risk for our
entertainment. Grounding the demonstrations decreases spending and
ends that risk. A win-win as I see it.
******************************
Medina citizens on both sides of the political fence freaked out a
bit when The (Medina) Gazette reported the Medina County Sheriff’s
Department had acquired a drone for rescue and related operations.
Then, a short while later, the paper ran an article about a local
company that felt our area had all the elements to make drones and
sell them to the public.
This is how my mind works sometimes. I immediately wondered what
the National Rifle Association’s position was on drones. Getting
to the bottom line, I have nothing against the NRA outside of its
ridiculously paranoid and dishonest leaders and its membership’s
seeming inability to recognize that. But I hadn’t heard the group
express any opinion on drone proliferation.
On the one hand, the NRA might fear the jack-booted thugs that we
elected to office would use drones to spy on their gun collections
and terminate them on a whim. On the other hand, they might take
the position that private ownership of even armed drones is covered
by the Second Amendment as was the intent of our country’s founding
fathers. On a third hand, someone should use the name “Jack-Booted
Thugs” for a rock band. It’s a natural.
******************************
A recent issue of Rich Johnston’s Bleeding Cool magazine included
an article on rancorous feuds between comics professionals. Wretch
that I am, it was hard for me to work up much concern for most of
the listed professionals. Discussing this with a industry friend,
I came to this conclusion:
I'm astonished by the large number of feuds that continually arise
in the comics industry, especially when these feuds involve people
who are doing incredibly well. I would be sitting pretty if I had
their fame, income and opportunities.
When I read about these mostly absurd quarrels, I want to grab the
Hatfields and McCoys of comics and just slap them upside their big,
ego-swelled heads. They need the tough love.
I’m taking a few days off from blogging, but I’ll be back on Monday
with more stuff.
© 2013 Tony Isabella
I have to smile at the last bit about comics professionals getting into feuds. Reminds me of the first phone call I ever received from The Tony Isabella regarding a feud then going on between apa members.
ReplyDeleteIt seems ages ago because it was.
Steve C.
On the Orson Scott Card thing:
ReplyDeleteThe fact that he is part of an group that intends to destroy same gender marriage rights should be cause for alarm. He's part of a hate group that a "Superman" would not be part of. I was glad to see the artist who was supposed to draw the story withdrew from the project. I am very disturbed that DC would employ someone of such a high profile that advocates those views. I didn't know Orson Scott Card was part of this group until the story broke. Knowing this, I can't pick up any of his books without thinking about it. It's too bad. Ironically, the values of his Ender character are in complete contrast to his own personal views.
Sad to read about Jerry Ordway's plight about work. Unfortunately, age discrimination is not just confined to the comic book industry. It is all over. - A.
ReplyDelete