Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Summer Love

KG Murray's digest-sized Summer Love was published c.1982/83:


The stories:

Puppy Love!, originally published in Love and Romance #14, September 1973
Unloved!, originally published in Love and Romance #21, March 1975
The Perfect Date!, originally published in Teen Confessions #85, September 1974
Older Than I Look, originally published in My Only Love #2, September 1975
Do's and Don'ts of Dating, original publication unidentified 

I think all of these stories were previously published in other KG Murray comics, and I have identified the following: Puppy Love in Romantic Dreams Library #26; Unloved! in All Love Romantic Stories #20; and Older Thank I Look in Young Love #35.

This issue is one of a handful of such digest-sized romance issues published by KG Murray C.1982-83 such as Secrets of Young Brides and Summer Magic!. I note that unlike these two samples, Summer Love does not have the Murray Romance Library imprint.

Update 13 June 2024:. I was unaware that Do's and Don'ts of Dating is the title of a series of vignettes appearing in DC Comics. The instalment in the issue begins "Look, There's Carrie!", originally appearing in Young Romance #182, May 1972, and previously published by KG Murray in Heart to Heart Romance Library #174 and Heart to Heart Romance Library #190.

Update 27 June 2024: Kudos to Marcus Brazil for identifying the source of the cover image, Secret Romance #37


Marcus says he suspects Murray only had access to the cover, not the original painted art, hence the cropping to eliminate the various trade dress elements.