I literally laughed out loud when I read Tony Isabella‘s gag for this art. For those of us who know romance comics, it’s outright hilarious!

Sobbing, broken-hearted females graced the covers of a staggering number of romance comics. Love didn’t make these women happy. It made them miserable—before their inevitable happy endings, of course.

Crying damsels in obvious distress didn’t appear on the covers of every romance comic. But they showed up so frequently that it must’ve been a challenge for the artists. How could they top the misery level of previous covers? How many tears were enough? Or too much?

Original Vintage Art & Text

Art by John Tartaglione from the story “To Stella with Love” in FIRST KISS #3, 1958. Click link to read the vintage comic book where this art first appeared.