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Two Roy Lichtenstein Inspirations, Secret Hearts #83 up for Auction

Secret Hearts #83 published in 1962 by DC contains two "inspirations" for the work of Roy Lichtenstein, both originally from Tony Abruzzo.


Secret Hearts published by DC Comics was part of a boom in romance comics popular in the Golden Age of Comics and the early Silver Age. Kicked off by Captain America co-creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby with Young Romance in 1947, Secret Hearts was one of the many imitators of the form. But Secret Hearts #83 published in 1962 hides something under its John Romita Sr cover. The lead story, Run for Love! drawn by Tony Abruzzo, lettered by Ira Schnapp and written by an unknown writer, opens like this.

Secret Hearts #83
Secret Hearts #83 from 1962

Despite the wording at the bottom of the page, the imagery was lifted by Roy Lichtenstein for his painting Drowning Girl, also known as Secret Hearts or I Don't Care! I'd Rather Sink, exhibited the year after the Secret Hearts #83 publication, without source credit. It is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Secret Hearts #83
1963 Drowning Girl by Roy Lichtenstein.

And while this may be one of the most famous Roy Lichtenstein paintings, recreated from romance and war comics that would define him, the comic also has a second Roy Lichtenstein swipe in it as well for the painting Hopeless, also from 1963. Here's the page from the comic, also drawn by Tony Abruzzo.

Secret Hearts #83
Secret Hearts #83 from 1962

…and the Lichtenstein painting, Hopeless which is currently on display at the Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel, Switzerland.

Secret Hearts #83
1963 Hopeless by Roy Lichtenstein.

A copy of Secret Hearts #83 is currently up for auction from Heritage Auctions, and will go for a lot less than a Roy Lichtenstein "original", whose artwork Masterpiece sold at auction for $165 million in 2017.

Secret Hearts #83 (DC, 1962) CGC VG+ 4.5 Off-white to white pages.  The splash page from this issue was used as inspiration for Roy Lichtenstein's "Drowning Girl". John Romita Sr. cover. Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs art. Overstreet 2023 VG 4.0 value = $8. CGC census 10/23: 2 in 4.5, 11 higher.

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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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