Brides in Love #43

The dramatic cover by Dick Giordano sets the emotional stakes immediately: a well-dressed man coldly dismisses a tearful beauty queen — complete with crown, sash, and trophy — while a heartbroken young woman in yellow kneels nearby, clinging to a silver cup as the caption speaks of Larry's bitter parting words. Charlton's Brides in Love consistently delivered this kind of charged romantic tension, and issue #43 is no exception, teasing the featured story "Beauty Queen" with a cover scene that crackles with jealousy, regret, and longing. Inside, writer Joe Gill and artist Hal Grauer (inked by Vince Colletta) bring "He's Not for Me" to life — a 1964 romance comic that wears its heart very much on its sleeve.