Trade Marks: Teen Angst

This is a terrific collection of pre-Code romance stories put out by Malibu in 1990. My good friend Mickey was kind enough to send this little treasure my way. It's a black and white collection of stories originally published by Avon and St. John. The reproduction is decent and the introductions are solid, even if no new ground is truly covered. Many of the stories have artwork by Matt Baker and Everett Raymond Kinstler, and those gents certainly know how to make a romance story leap off the page. I was also very impressed with the artwork of Rafael Astarita, a nearly forgotten Golden Age great. Among the highlights is Jinx Girl, about a woman whose lovers have the habit of dying just before they are about to propose. Conversely, A Dangerous Woman, is about a gold digger who marries an elderly man who simply refuses to die. Make Believe Marriage involves a woman who pretends to be married in order to land a job. Even though her lie is revealed, things end in a wonderfully neat and tidy manner. Didn't they always? This is a great sampler of pre-Code romance and I highly recommend grabbing a copy if you can find it. Trade Mark: B+