Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged:

L.B. Cole Channels Archie Romance, Popular Teen-Agers at Auction

Standard Publications' Popular Teen-Agers started out exactly what it sounds like: a teen comedy like Archie Comics with L.B. Cole covers.

Star Publications' Popular Teen-Agers is an unlikely suspect for that publisher's second most long-lived title out of the nearly 50 series the publisher produced 1949-1954.  The series continued its numbering from the similarly-themed School-Day Romances beginning with issue #5.  Perhaps publisher and cover artist L.B. Cole opted to go with a title that was much more on the nose — in other words, the original concept of the title was to be a teen humor series like the incredibly popular Archie Comics.  However, by issue #9, the series had reverted to the typical Star Publications model, using reprinted material, often from the Fox Feature Syndicate romance line in this case, with new L.B. Cole covers.  Additionally, the Popular Teen-Agers title was shrunk on the cover in favor of more obvious romance titling like "Love" and "Romance."

Nevertheless, L.B. Cole made this change in strategy work, and the title lasted through four years of weird and wonderful covers by Cole. Two of these were reprinted in 1958 by Accepted Publications.  You can get several issues of Popular Teen-Agers up for auction in the 2023 October 26 – 27 Romance Comics Featuring L. B. Cole Showcase Auction #40224 at Heritage Auctions.

Popular Teen-Agers #5 (Accepted Publications, 1958) Condition: FN. L. B. Cole cover. Reprints Popular Teen-Agers #5 by Star Publications (1950). There is some foxing on this copy. Overstreet 2023 FN 6.0 value = $36.

Popular Teen-Agers #10 (Star Publications, 1952) Condition: FN. L. B. Cole cover, the first "Secrets of Love" version. Spanking panel. Overstreet 2023 FN 6.0 value = $2,513.

Popular Teen-Agers #9 (Star Publications, 1951) CGC VG 4.0 Off-white pages. L. B. Cole cover. Overstreet 2023 VG 4.0 value = $142. CGC census 10/23: 4 in 4.0, 5 higher.

Popular Teen-Agers #21 (Star Publications, 1954) Condition: GD. L. B. Cole cover. Water damage, and the top staple is popped from the back cover. Overstreet 2023 GD 2.0 value = $41.

Popular Teen-Agers #7 (Star Publications, 1951) Condition: VG+. L. B. Cole cover. Manny Stallman art. A piece is missing from the bottom of the spine, the bottom staple is popped from the back cover, and there is a 1" spine split at the bottom. Overstreet 2023 VG 4.0 value = $86.

Popular Teen-Agers #6 (Accepted Publications, 1958) Condition: VG/FN. Reprints Popular Teen-Agers #6 by Star Publications (1951). L. B. Cole cover, a hot pink variation of the original. Overstreet 2023 VG 4.0 value = $24; FN 6.0 value = $36.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!