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Love, Espionage and the Atomic Cannon in G. I. Sweethearts, at Auction

G.I. Sweethearts #37 is another unusual fusion of Cold War espionage and romance, featuring the then recently-revealed atomic cannon.

Published Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:47:07 -0600

by Mark Seifert

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Article Summary

Explore Cold War romance in G.I. Sweethearts #37's unique war comic narrative.
Discover the atomic cannon's role in this fascinating espionage tale.
The M65 atomic cannon had undergone highly-publicized tests in May 1953.
Quality Comics' blend of love and war released shortly after the real-life atomic cannon was unveiled.

The Korean War era combined with the post-WWII concerns of the Cold War to transform war comic books into their own distinct genre that lasted for decades, and like other genres, war comics often had specific themes. For example, the nature of war and the impact of service on relationships made for natural romance-war genre crossover titles like Quality Comics' G.I. Sweethearts and True War Romances. We recently covered a remarkable combination of Cold War politics, espionage, and romance in Quality's Flaming Love #1, and the publisher gave us another excellent example of this combination in the G.I. Sweethearts #37 story Drafted for Heartbreak, a beautifully written and drawn story whose creators are sadly unknown.

In Drafted for Heartbreak, young Doris Kenny is a "government girl" who works for the Bureau of Government Statistics. She's engaged to corporate lawyer Burt Phillips, and as our story begins, all seems well for the happy couple. But this domestic bliss is interrupted by visit from the FBI, who inform Doris that due to her background (she had also been a radio show singer in earlier days) she was in a position to do a great service for her country.

It appeared that there was a leak at a U.S. Army ordnance base concerning the then recently-developed Atomic Cannon. The FBI tasks Doris with posing as club singer near the base to find the source of the leak. Unfortunately, she must prepare to leave immediately without saying a word about what's going on to her fiancé Burt. Doris does eventually track down the source of the leak, and things take an unexpected turn when Burt tracks down Doris.

Hitting newsstands at the beginning of October 1953, Drafted for Heartbreak was likely written not too long after the highly publicized testing of the real-life M65 atomic cannon that May. At least 20 atomic cannons were produced and deployed to Korea and Europe. They fired 600-pound shells at a range of up to 20 miles and with a yield of between 15 and 20 kilotons. They were retired in 1963, when more effective nuclear shells were developed.

This issue is another example of the unique detail that Quality brought to their entire line, including their romance titles. There's a copy of this unique Cold War fusion of war and romance up for auction in the 2024 February 29 – March 1 Golden Age Romance Featuring Fox Comics & Comic Art Showcase Auction #40258.

G. I. Sweethearts #37 (Quality, 1954) Condition: VG. The first copy we've ever seen from this tough title. Some small pieces are missing from the cover. Overstreet 2023 VG 4.0 value = $24.

G. I. Sweethearts Group of 4 (Quality, 1953-55). Includes issues #35 (VG-, foxing and staining), 39 (VG, foxing, tanning, and staining), 43 (VG-, foxing, staining, and spine fray), and 44 (VG-, water damage and foxing). Approximate Overstreet value for group = $100.