Marvel's Love Tales 39 from December 1949 features a classic photo cover. I'm not entirely sure what the fight is about, but I can imagine the Timely photographer yelling "hold that pose!" The book's a 52-pager, the kind I really enjoy just picking up and reading all the way through. What value for 10c!
I've chosen this story from the book, "Shock!", because it features the fortunes of a young private nurse when she is bequeathed property and a large bank balance by the elderly woman for whom she has lovingly cared with great dedication. She takes the opportunity afforded by her new found wealth to broaden her experience by taking an extended voyage, first across the Atlantic to London. On the ship she meets a charming young man and falls in love for the first time. She also becomes the target of a fortune-seeking scoundrel, who poisons her mind against her new-found love. His scheme fortunately comes unraveled, even though he's managed to get this innocent young lady to the altar, because the genuine article has used his own wealth to hire detectives to track her down. All ends well with the right man marrying her after the first wedding is found to be invalid.
The back cover has yet another example of psychological pressure to conform to an industry-determined 'acceptable' body image:
To me it seems that some of the early Marvel romance books did, at least on the cover, display hints that they were trying to emulate the sleazy Fox titles, although in my opinion the Marvels were superior in quality. For me they have the charm of Quality comics coupled with the gritty determination of Charlton.
Do you know who the artist is for this issue? I am making a work of art based on one of the panels and would like to credit the original artist.
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