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

The Price of Stardom in Hollywood Secrets #1, Up for Auction

Hollywood Secrets #1 with cover and art by Bill Ward features tales of romance inspired by the scandal tabloids of the era.

Hollywood Secrets #1 is one of the rarer books of the recent romance comics I've written about for this auction at Heritage Auctions. Featuring a Bill Ward cover, this is a book that didn't have a giant print run in the first place and now is even harder to find in any kind of good shape. This copy, taking bids right now and at $41, is a CGC 6.0, and according to the census, only has one copy that is graded higher at the moment. And this one was graded in 2006. That is some rarity right there.

The featured story in this issue, "Second Chance" by artist Bill Ward, is typical of the title.  A young actress moves to Hollywood, leaving her college sweetheart behind.  Climbing towards stardom, she is forced to date a studio executive to continue her career — at the cost of her true love.

Hollywood Secrets For When You Couldn't Find A Tabloid

Hollywood Secrets #1 (Quality, 1949) CGC FN 6.0 Off-white to white pages. Bill Ward cover and art. Just one copy has been given a higher grade by CGC to date. Overstreet 2023 FN 6.0 value = $156. CGC census 1/24: 2 in 6.0, 1 higher. Bill Ward cover. Comic stories reprinted in Hollywood Secrets of Romance (I.W. Reprint) #9. In order of appearance: "Ladies' Man" art by Bill Ward, reprinted as "Self Centered" in Love Confessions (1949) #10; "Star of Tomorrow"; "My Heart's in the Saddle" art by Reed Crandall; and "Theatre Lover". "The Gentle Monster" text story. 36 pages. Full color. Cover price $0.10.

You know, after weeks of writing about these romance auctions, I am convinced that there should be reprints of these books. Some of the biggest names in comics cut their teeth in these, from artists to writers, and much of their early work is just gone from history. Hollywood Secrets and books like it deserve to be preserved in some way for when getting your hands on these becomes even more impossible than it is now. Until then, this is the only way.  There's a copy up for auction in the 2024 February 29 – March 1 Golden Age Romance Featuring Fox Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40258.

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