Number 614


Two tough broads


In his famous screed, Seduction of the Innocent, Dr. Fredric Wertham claimed that all comic books were crime comics. That's true of both of these stories. "Jailbird's Romance" is from My Romantic Adventures #49, 1954, and is disguised as a love comic.

There's no disguising "Killers on the Loose! Francine O'Connor, the Empress of Crime," which is from a 1952 Avon crime comic, Prison Break #3.

Ogden Whitney's "Jailbird's Romance" tells of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who falls into crime. She goes to prison, gets out, falls in love, and then in defiance of the usual love comics ending she loses the guy she loves and goes back to prison. In my book that makes it a crime comic, not a love comic. Whitney used Craftint* board for his artwork.













The Grand Comics Database gives credit to artist Tex Blaisdell for the "Empress of Crime." He drew some good girl fight panels. The women in these stories are tough. They need to kick ass and do. They need to survive in a world of men. And they do.

*Craftint, now known as Grafix, has been discontinued. See the story here.