One might choose, say, February to talk about romance comics. But, it was such an essential part of the comic industry that it felt almost too cliché to do something then. With today’s publishers, there are not many romance comics. They haven’t been part of DC or Marvel since the 1970s. And neither company does a fantastic job of making those classics more readily available. That’s too bad because a lot of iconic creators worked on romance comics and, at one time, were highly profitable for publishers—not only DC and Marvel.
Around 1950, romance comics accounted for nearly 20% of all comic book sales, meaning approximately 1 in 5 comics sold was a romance comic. They were a significant influence and romance comics during their peak, making them a major driving force in the comic book industry at the time. By the late 1950s, the market for romance comics became oversaturated, leading to a decline in their appeal. During this time, readers began gravitating toward emerging genres such as superheroes and science fiction. By the 1970s, romance comics had largely disappeared from mainstream popularity.
You know how romance comics began—with Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. The same two who created Captain America. Together, they were fantastic businessmen. Simon and Kirby recognized that while comic books were primarily aimed at young male readers, there was a significant female audience that was largely ignored. They noted the popularity of teen humor comics like Archie among young girls and saw an opportunity to create a more mature version aimed at older female readers.
Simon and Kirby were brilliant businessmen who identified an untapped opportunity in the comic book market. While comics primarily catered to young male readers, they recognized the presence of a substantial female audience that had been largely overlooked. Observing the success of teen humor comics like Archie among young girls, they envisioned a more sophisticated and mature alternative targeted at older female readers.
Young Romance—the first romance comic was published by Prize Comics in 1947, and they put out 171. From there, it switched to DC Comics, where it lasted until issue 208 in 1975. Fantagraphics Books put out three volumes of collected Young Romance. The first volume, edited by Michel Gagné (of Fantagraphics), was among the 2013 Eisner Award nominees.
Unfortunately, the third volume is only available. But, at the public domain site Comicbook+, you can check out and download the first 124 issues. And while you’re there—check out some of the other romance comics—you might be surprised by what you find!
Many iconic writers and artists worked—or even got their start working in the romance genre. Some of the writers who babbled in romance comics might surprise you: Robert Kanigher, Roy Thomas, and Gary Friedrich. Among some of the artists were Jerry Robinson, Gene Colan, Carmine Infantino, Jim Starlin, and Dick Giordano. Before swinging over to draw Spider-Man, John Romita Sr. spent several years working at DC on their romance comics.
To get a deep dive into romance comics, I highly recommend Love on the Racks: A History of American Romance Comics. It’s written by Michelle Nolan, a highly regarded comic book historian, journalist, and author, and is known for her comprehensive exploration of comic book history. Her work delves deeply into niche genres such as romance and teen humor, shedding light on their cultural significance and evolution.
There you go! An introduction to romance comics—a genre I hope one day will not only make a fantastic comeback, but maybe DC and Marvel will put out some fantastic trades. Hey! If you can make omins for House of Mystery and a trade on the Silver Age Detective Chimp stories—there’s gotta be some hope of more romance… one day!
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