Technically this isn't Silver Age, but it's not far from it. And you can tell it's a Stan Lee presentation.Picked this up at a library sale, even though it was coverless. This was the book that gave us the red-white-and-blue superheroine Miss America, but at this juncture it's more like a love comic that wants to be Seventeen.
The first page is an ad for something called the Arlene Airess Fan Club. ("Become a Junior Stewardess!") Then the contents, a couple of single panel gags, and the first text story, "Romance for Rosalie." Rosalie has to choose between her journalism teacher and her boyfriend. "Ridge was so unaware of life's deeper experiences, the struggle, the suffering!" (Have him read this story — he'll know suffering!)
"For GIRLS Only!" Advice from Jean Goodman. "Dear Jean, I am 16 years old and have been going steady with a boy for the past four months. His birthday is nearing and I wonder whether it would be proper to give him a gift? If you think so, would you also suggest something? Mary Ann" No, Mary Ann, you suggest something; you suggest an editor's pipedream.
Patsy Walker in "Her Riotous Romance!" We open at the business of that "very outstanding Chinese-American laundryman, Willie Hep Song!" Willie's "hep song" is "How Are Things In Glocca Morra..." not a wild choice at first glance, but then, Finian's Rainbow was kind of subversive for its time.
Patsy drops in at Willie's to pick up her father's shirts. Through one of those hilarious contrivances her package gets mixed up with a handsome boy's; when she returns his shirts, she pilfers a framed photo of him. (Situational ethics — very handy for a potential superheroine.)
Patsy isn't sure how she'll tell her boyfriend Buzz Baxter she in love with someone else, but then she stops in at the soda fountain and sees Buzz waiting on her rival Hedy Wolfe. "Why, the NERVE of that Buzz Baxter!" And the narration goes, "Women are funny, aren't they?"
It turns out that the boy in Patsy's picture is Hedy's new beau. (What odds??!?) Patsy gives Hedy the picture — and I means gives it to her, as in fitting the frame around her neck. (The artwork is really too stiff for this kind of slapstick.)
"HELLO, GIRLS!" Illustrated letter from the editor (Stan Lee). He writes that the magazine is more popular than ever; that "Stitchin' Time" will now be a regular feature — "We never dreamed that so many of you were Sewing Sallies!"; and "Your own beloved Jean Goodman has a right-from-the-heart message for you Miss Americans... it's called 'Do You Rate A Date?' and don't you DARE miss it!"Excelsior! — no, wait, that comes later...
Hm. Two pages on clothes and grooming tips for school. Weekends "warrant a few elaborations, you'll want a good manicure to push that cuticle back, and remember, don't, don't, DON'T cut it unless you want horny rims around your nails." Mustn't make your rims horny, now.
"Hollywood's Younger Set — As May Mann Sees It!" Lessee, I recognize Van Johnson, Sonny Tufts — Sonny Tufts?!? — Jack Oakie, Carol Landis, Betty Hutton, Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney. Dunno Kay Williams, Kurt Kreuger, Mariano Sayer, Cathy Downs, Galen Gough ("the world's strongest man"), Peter Shaw, Alan Mowbray, Ivan Kirov, Michael North, Ginny Simms, Luana Patten and Bobby Driscoll (stars of Disney's "Fun and Fancy Free" — weren't those school kids?), Anita Gordon, Gloria Jean, Nicholas Fieuliette, and Marshall Thompson. "And that's Hollywood!"
"Teen Teasers!" Word puzzles. I think I'll post a couple separately.
Text story "Smuggler's Secret!" "It was Her duty to help Dick catch the smuggler… but then she found out he was Dick's own brother!" Can you stand the suspense.
More Grins for Gals: "Officer, I want you to arrest my girl — she threw me over —" "But, I can't arrest her for that." "You didn't let me finish — she threw me over a cliff."
Patsy Walker in "The Southern Belle." One Lulubelle Lee comes to town with a "Suthun" accent that would embarrass Carol Burnett. She looks up Buzz Baxter, simply because she saw his name written down. Seems she's a little man-crazy: "Ah jus' LOVE boys! Even YANKEE ones!" Lulubelle and Patsy are at daggers drawn — "Remember General Grant?" — when in walks a palooka in plaid named Hoimen, and suddenly Lulubelle starts talking South Bronx. "Dis is de foist time I seen youse since de Woild's Serious!" Don't think about it, it's almost over.
More single panels. Two girls pass a third who has glasses and a book. "Well anyway, she won't ever have to worry about a broken heart!" Someone tell the editor about hands that feed you and why they shouldn't be bitten...
A two-page text story about a girl named Vicky and her birthday party -- mind if we skip this? The light's bad and I can't see this is anything noteworthy...
"Fashioned for You!" Four mix-and-match suits for school. "New 'Longfellow' jacket, three tiered in back, with balloon sleeves buttoned at wrist. Straight-lined skirt, slit smartly at sides. Does best with frilly pastel blouse or dickey, high-necked sweater and pearls." This is for school? Even in '48?
Text story: "A Bit of Blarney." "Sure 'tis a sorry state when a fine braith of an Irish lad can't be courtin' a fair colleen for fearin' the rage of his father!" Oy.
Last editorial page, "Stitchin' Time!" Two dresses on display — a daytime date dress with a "mad money" pouch, and "Everyday's a holiday in this dream dress, fashioned for Fiesta!" Both patterns available for twenty-five cents each (in coins). By the way, I understand dressmaking is making sort of a comeback these days. Maybe Marvel should reissue some of these patterns?
Full page ad for Cracker Jack. One-third page for a diet aid — "Reduce FAT! Up to 5 lbs a week — yet eat plenty!" Two-thirds for Junior Miss Magazine. Back cover inside ad, Harem Co. House of Rings. Back cover, very torn — text ad for "Bad Skin?"
The first page is an ad for something called the Arlene Airess Fan Club. ("Become a Junior Stewardess!") Then the contents, a couple of single panel gags, and the first text story, "Romance for Rosalie." Rosalie has to choose between her journalism teacher and her boyfriend. "Ridge was so unaware of life's deeper experiences, the struggle, the suffering!" (Have him read this story — he'll know suffering!)
"For GIRLS Only!" Advice from Jean Goodman. "Dear Jean, I am 16 years old and have been going steady with a boy for the past four months. His birthday is nearing and I wonder whether it would be proper to give him a gift? If you think so, would you also suggest something? Mary Ann" No, Mary Ann, you suggest something; you suggest an editor's pipedream.
Patsy Walker in "Her Riotous Romance!" We open at the business of that "very outstanding Chinese-American laundryman, Willie Hep Song!" Willie's "hep song" is "How Are Things In Glocca Morra..." not a wild choice at first glance, but then, Finian's Rainbow was kind of subversive for its time.
Patsy drops in at Willie's to pick up her father's shirts. Through one of those hilarious contrivances her package gets mixed up with a handsome boy's; when she returns his shirts, she pilfers a framed photo of him. (Situational ethics — very handy for a potential superheroine.)
Patsy isn't sure how she'll tell her boyfriend Buzz Baxter she in love with someone else, but then she stops in at the soda fountain and sees Buzz waiting on her rival Hedy Wolfe. "Why, the NERVE of that Buzz Baxter!" And the narration goes, "Women are funny, aren't they?"
It turns out that the boy in Patsy's picture is Hedy's new beau. (What odds??!?) Patsy gives Hedy the picture — and I means gives it to her, as in fitting the frame around her neck. (The artwork is really too stiff for this kind of slapstick.)
"HELLO, GIRLS!" Illustrated letter from the editor (Stan Lee). He writes that the magazine is more popular than ever; that "Stitchin' Time" will now be a regular feature — "We never dreamed that so many of you were Sewing Sallies!"; and "Your own beloved Jean Goodman has a right-from-the-heart message for you Miss Americans... it's called 'Do You Rate A Date?' and don't you DARE miss it!"Excelsior! — no, wait, that comes later...
Hm. Two pages on clothes and grooming tips for school. Weekends "warrant a few elaborations, you'll want a good manicure to push that cuticle back, and remember, don't, don't, DON'T cut it unless you want horny rims around your nails." Mustn't make your rims horny, now.
"Hollywood's Younger Set — As May Mann Sees It!" Lessee, I recognize Van Johnson, Sonny Tufts — Sonny Tufts?!? — Jack Oakie, Carol Landis, Betty Hutton, Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney. Dunno Kay Williams, Kurt Kreuger, Mariano Sayer, Cathy Downs, Galen Gough ("the world's strongest man"), Peter Shaw, Alan Mowbray, Ivan Kirov, Michael North, Ginny Simms, Luana Patten and Bobby Driscoll (stars of Disney's "Fun and Fancy Free" — weren't those school kids?), Anita Gordon, Gloria Jean, Nicholas Fieuliette, and Marshall Thompson. "And that's Hollywood!"
"Teen Teasers!" Word puzzles. I think I'll post a couple separately.
Text story "Smuggler's Secret!" "It was Her duty to help Dick catch the smuggler… but then she found out he was Dick's own brother!" Can you stand the suspense.
More Grins for Gals: "Officer, I want you to arrest my girl — she threw me over —" "But, I can't arrest her for that." "You didn't let me finish — she threw me over a cliff."
Patsy Walker in "The Southern Belle." One Lulubelle Lee comes to town with a "Suthun" accent that would embarrass Carol Burnett. She looks up Buzz Baxter, simply because she saw his name written down. Seems she's a little man-crazy: "Ah jus' LOVE boys! Even YANKEE ones!" Lulubelle and Patsy are at daggers drawn — "Remember General Grant?" — when in walks a palooka in plaid named Hoimen, and suddenly Lulubelle starts talking South Bronx. "Dis is de foist time I seen youse since de Woild's Serious!" Don't think about it, it's almost over.
More single panels. Two girls pass a third who has glasses and a book. "Well anyway, she won't ever have to worry about a broken heart!" Someone tell the editor about hands that feed you and why they shouldn't be bitten...
A two-page text story about a girl named Vicky and her birthday party -- mind if we skip this? The light's bad and I can't see this is anything noteworthy...
"Fashioned for You!" Four mix-and-match suits for school. "New 'Longfellow' jacket, three tiered in back, with balloon sleeves buttoned at wrist. Straight-lined skirt, slit smartly at sides. Does best with frilly pastel blouse or dickey, high-necked sweater and pearls." This is for school? Even in '48?
Text story: "A Bit of Blarney." "Sure 'tis a sorry state when a fine braith of an Irish lad can't be courtin' a fair colleen for fearin' the rage of his father!" Oy.
Last editorial page, "Stitchin' Time!" Two dresses on display — a daytime date dress with a "mad money" pouch, and "Everyday's a holiday in this dream dress, fashioned for Fiesta!" Both patterns available for twenty-five cents each (in coins). By the way, I understand dressmaking is making sort of a comeback these days. Maybe Marvel should reissue some of these patterns?
Full page ad for Cracker Jack. One-third page for a diet aid — "Reduce FAT! Up to 5 lbs a week — yet eat plenty!" Two-thirds for Junior Miss Magazine. Back cover inside ad, Harem Co. House of Rings. Back cover, very torn — text ad for "Bad Skin?"
