Hi-School Romance #11, Charlton Comics, October 1951.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.
This by far is my favorite post of the year. As a rule I try not to pick in advance the Valentine’s post comic, I really enjoy the exercise of looking for the book that ‘speaks to me’ at this moment in time. Today for some reason I want to explore the excitement of risking everything for love.
I once heard a saying that goes something like this – a healthy man has a thousand wishes but a sick man only has one. That is a beautiful saying but don’t you believe it for a second. OK I’ll admit that half of it is true but I’ll argue that the other half is wrong. We only think we wish for a thousand things, the truth is we only wish for one thing, and that is love. Have we not read the books, have we not rhymed off the poems, have we not sung the songs? Chase your trophies and amass your possessions, it’s all for naught without love.
With the thought of risking it all for love I present his week’s Undervalued Spotlight as Hi-School Romance #11.
Hi-School Romance #11 offers up a fantastic Al Avison cover depicting a beautiful girl sneaking out her window to elope with her handsome young beau. What awaits them they don’t even know but what does it matter, they are in love.
Cover artist Al Avison is probably best known for his cover run on Captain America #11 to #19, there were a few classic covers in that run including the “Remember Pearl Harbor” cover on #13 though for my money I’d go with his cover to Cap #15 where he gives us swastika branding, girl tied up and robots! I think Al did the interior story art up until #21. Al Avison stopped his Cap run to join the army and serve in WWII.
I say there’s no fun in owning a comic collection with a single or even a narrow focus. We should all sprinkle beautiful reminders of our hobby’s diversity and Hi-School Romance #11 is one such beautiful reminder, one you can keep in the box with hearts on it.
Hi-School Romances #11 is hardly worth anything in the Guide and there was a sale in 2016, a CGC 9.4 fetched $111. If the buyer is reading this I’ll give you double!
The 47th Overstreet price break for this book is $40/$50/$60 in the 8.0/9.0/9.2 grade splits.
Reasons to buy this comic book as an investment:
- Beautiful eloping cover by Captain America artist Al Avison
I’m sure there are plenty of overlooked gems out there to be snatched up if your into Golden Age Romance comics. It seems like many collectors and investors are mostly buying up books with either Matt Baker or LB Cole art. So there are many others that go unnoticed in the market.
Great point Nathan
A Harvey comic book Walt…not a Charlton as described in your title page. As your blood rages romance, on this valentine days posting, Ill forgive you….But early Harveys had a nice romance and horror comic line ups to go along with Casper, Sad sack and other such children titles.