Agonizing Love
The Golden Era of Romance Comics
Michael Barson(Author)
Harper Design (Publisher)
Published on 1. May 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-0-06-180734-3 (ISBN)
Description
There is no other anthology on the subject on the market that is at once this colourful, large in format, or lengthy - or provides a pop-culture perspective by an authority. This is a big, thick book with more than 250 illustrations comprised of great vintage covers, a selection of juicy stories reproduced in full, advice columns, and advertising. Its graphic, eye-catching package - which will include a heavy red card stock bellyband with a die-cut heart-shaped frame - will emphasize the book's collectibility as well as its irresistible gift appropriateness. This book is a valentine to the era. It will be of interest to comics and graphic novel fans, those with an interest in nostalgia, and the chick-lit audience, too. This book is also a real standout in the genre.
There are a couple collections that use the original strips from the era, replacing the old dialogue with contemporary dialogue that mocks the original scenarios ("Truer than True Romance"; "Romance Without Tears"); a thin collection issued by Marvel that reprints a select number of strips without any commentary at all ("Marvel Romance"); a collection of romance novel covers ("The Look of Love"); and a book dedicated to a specific romance comic ("Confessions, Romances, Secrets and Temptations: Archer St. John and the St. John Romance Comics"). Chronicle also published "From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Female Comics From Teens to Zines", but this is a history of girl comics.
There are a couple collections that use the original strips from the era, replacing the old dialogue with contemporary dialogue that mocks the original scenarios ("Truer than True Romance"; "Romance Without Tears"); a thin collection issued by Marvel that reprints a select number of strips without any commentary at all ("Marvel Romance"); a collection of romance novel covers ("The Look of Love"); and a book dedicated to a specific romance comic ("Confessions, Romances, Secrets and Temptations: Archer St. John and the St. John Romance Comics"). Chronicle also published "From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Female Comics From Teens to Zines", but this is a history of girl comics.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Illustrations
250 Colour
Dimensions
Height: 280 mm
Width: 214 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
1026 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-180734-3 (9780061807343)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Michael Barson is the author of more than a dozen books that celebrate popular culture. His work has appeared in the pages of Entertainment Weekly, Premiere, American Film, and AMC magazine, among other publications. His books and postcard anthologies include Lost, Lonely & Vicious, Born to Be Bad, Teenage Confidential, True West, and Red Scared! He lives in suburban New Jersey with his wife of twenty-six years who hasn't stopped weeping since tying the knot. They have three boys, none of whom has a clue about love or romance-yet.