Trouble brewing. Karen meets Brad, a handsome guy who falls for her. So far so good. But Karen has a boyfriend-stealing sister, Enid, to whom she introduces Brad. Uh-oh. Karen even tells Enid she is bringing Brad home because, “I want him to meet you.” Why is Karen playing with fire, knowing her sister will make a play for Brad? Is she testing Brad’s love and devotion? Is she purposely sabotaging her relationship with Brad so she will be able to grow into an old, bitter women (hence, the title of the story), blaming her sister for ruining her life?
That’s all the amateur psychiatry I can muster for a six-page love story. The main selling feature for me with “Bitter Love” is Reed Crandall’s artwork. He draws Karen as pretty but demure, and Enid as gorgeous and sexy (the red hair and the plunging decolletage are clues). Beyond the artwork, the story follows the predictable patterns of comic book love, with Karen’s demureness and dignity winning out over hot sister’s hotness.
Illustrator Norman Saunders did the cover. From
Cinderella Love #11 (actual #2, 1951):
OK, these stories have a dark heart that's easy to miss because of how quick a read they are -- but consider this:
ReplyDeleteBrad outright lies to her. Brad outright hangs out with the sister, regardless of how Karen feels. Brad only learns a lesson when he sees that HE'S being played. Karen accepts Brad back on the flimsiest of premises. Basically, if you're the dude, do WHATEVER. Women don't learn lessons, women will just fall apart if you give them the time of day, etc, etc. Basically, Brad is absolutely free from consequences.
Crandall does a bang-up job on this one.
Crandall's women are absolutely gorgeous. You just can't go wrong with his females.
ReplyDeleteBrian, probably a good example of a love comic aimed at females, but written by a male. He might have been reminding those readers that as down and dirty as guys could get, they were still "on top," as it were.
ReplyDeleteNeil, I agree. He was someone who could be counted on to provide beautiful girls to any story.
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