Love Diary #81

This December 1972 Charlton romance anthology wraps its cover — penciled and inked by José Luis García-López — in a cascade of heart-shaped vignettes: a couple caught in a close, tender kiss, another pair relaxing outdoors by a sun-dappled riverbank, and a dramatic scene near a rustic Barn Theater, all framing the troubled young woman in the foreground whose thought bubble asks why Aaron insists she date Cole. The warm pastoral settings and overlapping hearts give the cover an intimate, diary-entry feel perfectly suited to the title, promising emotionally charged stories inside — including "Night of Madness," drawn by Art Cappello. At just 20 cents, it's a genuine snapshot of early-'70s romance comics at their most heartfelt.