Romance Without Tears (Paperback)

~ John Benson (Editor)
Key Phrases: Betty Lou

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is the kind of unusual, well-researched book readers have come to expect from Fantagraphics: a collection of romance comics from the 1950s that, rather than appealing to kitsch, offers a kink in the usual formula. These comics empower, rather than infantilize, women. Written by the somewhat mysterious Dana Dutch, a man mostly remembered as middle-aged and Irish, these comics were published by the equally unusual Archer St. John, who gave his talent a wide berth in the heady, fly-by-night days of 1950s publishing. Completing this unusual group is Matt Baker, one of the few African-American artists in comic books at the time, renowned for his voluptuous (but not exploitative) drawings of women. Baker's biography, like Dutch's, is cloudy at best-no one seems to know much about them. This is almost fitting for a couple of mainstream talents at odds with the very genre they excelled in. The normal romance comics of the time castigated strength, taught subservience and generally reinforced the contemporary stereotypes of good girls and bad girls. Dutch's stories always managed to subvert that norm with subtlety and wit. Rather than being dull and helpless protagonists, his women were active, feisty and independent. With bold writing and smooth, graceful artwork, these tales are fun and visually compelling stories-not just relics of the past, but good comics that hold up. The combination of Dutch and Baker might best be compared to the films of Douglas Sirk: rich, gorgeous but subversive takes on a familiar genre.
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Product Description

A first-time collection of the best romance comics of the 1950s.

Four genres dominated American comic books in the 1940s and '50s: superheroes, funny animals, horror, and... romance. This revisionist collection of romance comics stories from the '50s challenges the cliché of the "tear-stained face" that later dominated the genre and became widely known and vilified as a tiresome icon of moral uplift.

These bright, naturalistic tales (originally published by Archer St. John and written by unrecognized comics master Dana Dutch) are about high school girls who may be inexperienced but definitely have minds of their own: they choose their guys, not the other way around, and they use their heads in dealing with life's difficulties rather than waiting to be saved by some cardboard Romeo. They make all kinds of mistakes, learn from them, and hardly ever suffer. What kind of mistakes? Well, there's going out with a prude or a conceited jerk, of course. But also, improbably enough: Allowing themselves to be picked-up by strangers in a neighboring town; leading guys on with heavy petting; making nervous boyfriends check into a room as man and wife, as a gag after the car breaks down; lying to the folks and going on a "thrill" weekend in the big city; eloping with a couple of rough guys they met at a riverfront café and finding out after the marriage was consummated that it was all a sham... Well, okay, in that last case they did suffer, but it was a rare exception.

Many of these stories are illustrated by Matt Baker, who achieved fame for his work on Phantom Lady and other sexy female characters in the '40s and '50s. His work for St. John is less known yet the most sophisticated and mature of his career. Baker was a superb illustrator and a first-rate draftsman with a slick, urbane approach to contemporary material. In addition to the stories themselves, the book includes also 16 pages of Baker's luscious full-color covers. Romance Without Tears is edited by comics historian John Benson, who also contributes an introductory essay.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156097558X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560975588
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #827,750 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of Romance Without Tears, September 25, 2005

By	Tom Jones (R.I.) - See all my reviews

The stories are very good which is what the author used to determine his selection of which stories to include in this collection. He does state in the intro that if art were the main criteria to be used for which stories to include then he would have selected all Matt Baker artwork. I personally would have prefered all Baker art as he is arguably the best artist for this genre. Some of the other art is mediocre. The selection of covers are all Baker's and they are excellent. If all art was Baker's I would have rated this book a 5.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feature satisfyingly strong girls and women who never suffer, August 10, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Romance comics taken from the 1950s collections are gathered in a revisionist anthology to challenge the icon of the 'tear stained face' of later years. The comics portrayed in Romance Without Tears feature satisfyingly strong girls and women who never suffer shame, heartache or guilt - and who can be as outrageous and forceful as they wish. Of course, there's romance and heartbreak too - and the full color portraits make for an exciting, intriguing title.