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Writer's pictureOPAL

An Ode to Female focused Vintage Comics from the 1950's

I've had an obsession with Vintage comic books since I was a little girl. I find a lot of ideas we get from movies and other forms art originated from the comics that were produced during the 1950's. Artists in these times had to work very hard at conveying their message through art because film wasn't as prevalent as it is today. They paid a lot of attention to detail and I often find many hidden messages in the comic books that were produced during this time. It also gives you a window into what life was like during this era.





One thing I'd noticed as I'd hunt for old comics was the abundance of masculinity and lack of dominant female characters. The women were often seen as objects either to loved by men, rescued by them, or simply extras in the story to fill in space. As I began to dive deeper into this land, I discovered a hidden world of female focused comics.




If you remember, the 50's was when women began fighting for their equality, dressing how they want to dress, and speaking out for themselves. I wanted to share a few comics that I've found didn't gain as much popularity as some in the Marvel collection... but they are signifiant artifacts in society.







WEIRD LOVE


This is an interesting one... Weird Love began in the 1950s and featured an array of sick and twisted love stories. It has a slightly haunted vibe to it and presents various romantic situations that are very prevalent today. I enjoy seeing how similar love was in the 50's as it is today.












CRIMES BY WOMEN


Crimes By Women was a ten cent comic book published by the Fox Features Syndicate from June of 1948 to August of 1951.








WOMEN OUTLAWS


Published by Victor Fox beginning in 1948, most of the issues were a spin off of Crimes by Women who was also written by Victor Fox.









COWGIRL ROMANCES


A Fiction House production originally released quarterly beginning in 1950.



JUMBO COMICS


Probably my favorite comic series. I love the art featured in this collection and their use animals give it a jungle feel. Jumbo Comics was an adventure anthology comic book published by Fiction House from 1938–1953. Jumbo Comics was Fiction House's first comics title; beforehand the publisher had specialized in pulp magazines. The lead feature for Jumbo Comics' entire run was Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.










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