Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Bill Ward, quality comics, Romance Comics

Bill Ward and the Forbidden Love of Broadway Romances #1, at Auction

One of Quality Comics' themed romance titles, Broadway Romance #1 features Bill Ward cover and art and well-crafted stories about love on Broadway.

Published Sun, 25 Feb 2024 18:57:08 -0600

by Mark Seifert

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Article Summary

Bill Ward's stand-out cover art for Broadway Romances #1 is one of Quality Comics' best.
The sophisticated themes of Quality's 1940s-50s romance era are on display this issue.
Quality Comics was publishing 14 romance titles at the peak of the genre's popularity.

Bill Ward's cover for Broadway Romances #1 is one of the best romance covers Quality Comics published during its 1949-1956 romance era. Best remembered for his character Torchy, Ward was well suited for the romance genre, during this period likely worked on at least 200 comic books at Quality, at least half of those romance. There's a high-grade copy of Broadway Romances #1 up for auction in the 2024 February 29 – March 1 Golden Age Romance Featuring Fox Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40258.

Quality published 14 short-lived romance titles at its peak, many of which included covers or art by Ward and Reed Crandall, and were generally more sophisticated than the typical romance comic book of the era — not to mention more risque. Some of Quality's romance output included advertising from Frederick's of Hollywood during the later part of this era.

The company published several romance titles with specific themes like Broadway Romances, such as Campus Loves, Hollywood Secrets, Range Romances, and G.I. Sweethearts. Quality put more than the usual effort into making these themes authentic. For example, the best story from Broadway Romances #1, Thief of Hearts, features an NYPD detective on the trail of Broadway ticket scalpers, who ends up finding romance in an unexpected place. The writers for this issue are unknown, but it's not unlikely that Quality Comics associate editors Elaine Allen and Gloria Bley had a hand in the stories for this issue.

This debut issue is a beautiful example of romance comics at the peak of the genre, and there's a high-grade copy of this issue for auction in the 2024 February 29 – March 1 Golden Age Romance Featuring Fox Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40258.

Broadway Romances #1 (Quality, 1950) CGC VF+ 8.5 Cream to off-white pages. Bill Ward cover and art. Paul Gustavson art. Overstreet 2023 VF 8.0 value = $334; VF/NM 9.0 value = $567. CGC census 1/24: 2 in 8.5, 3 higher.