He’s Handy, Manly…Plus Eye Candy!

He’s Handy, Manly…Plus Eye Candy!

The original art from FIRST KISS #25 is below. It’s the opening page from a story about a woman who’s deeply in love with a guy…or rather the guy she wants him to be someday…when she gets through fixing him.

Click on image to see enlarged image.

↓ Transcript
SCENE: Woman kissing a male carpenter outside.

WOMAN (thinking): I love handymen!
They’re so... handy!

Art by Charles Nicholas & Dick Giordano

Mistakes Worth Making

Mistakes Worth Making

Below is the art the way it looked when it was published in FIRST KISS #30 in 1963. Charlton’s printing was rarely good and here it’s just plain crummy. To see how crummy keep scrolling down for a side-by-side comparison with the LAST KISS art.

When I bought the rights to FIRST KISS years ago, in the deal Charlton included black & white photostats (or negatives) of all the art. That’s what I’ve been scanning from and while the stats are sometimes dirty or of poor quality they’re usually far superior to the art as it appeared in the published comic books.

In the LAST KISS art (below left) you can still see some of artist Luis Dominguez’s fine line work. There’s plenty of detail for the eyes, the eyebrows and shoulder. But in the published FIRST KISS art (below left) that’s all disappeared or bulked up into muddy blacks. Such a shame!

↓ Transcript
SCENE: Buxom, barely dressed woman pats her hair and smiles at man.

WOMAN: If this is a mistake...let’s make sure it’s a big one!

Art by Luis Dominguez

Bad Eggs

Bad Eggs

People really seem to enjoy seeing the original art for my Last Kiss gags. I was a bit surprised by one response, though. Recently a reader asked about seeing the art as it was actually printed in the Charlton Comics decades ago.

Hmm. Why not? Here’s a scan I did tonight from the original 1959 issue of First Kiss #9.

As you can see, I removed the woman (Ginny’s mom) in the background to focus in on Ginny in the foreground. I do occasionally crop things out. Deleting a person is somewhat rarer!

↓ Transcript
WOMAN: Tightwads are like bad eggs! They should never get laid!

Art by Vince Colletta Studio

Playing Doctor

Playing Doctor

I used this art earlier this year (with a different gag) and posted the original 1960s art then. But here’s the original art again for anyone who missed it. A classic bit of medical wisdom!

↓ Transcript
SCENE: Doctor talking to woman patient.

DOCTOR: I can't find anything wrong with you! But...it’s been fun looking!

Art by Vince Colletta Studio

Dance Sex

Dance Sex

Below is the original romance art from the 1960s.

Of course, the original dialog is totally innocent—in context. But, if you want to read it as a continuation of my Last Kiss dialog…wow! Those are two horny kids!

Apparently they’ve decided that some “like sex” isn’t as much fun as the real thing.

↓ Transcript
SCENE: A man and woman are holding hands at a dance.

MAN: Gee! Dancing is like sex! It’s more fun with a partner!

Art by Vince Colletta Studio