Sweethearts #73

Charlton's Sweethearts #73 from September 1963 captures the bittersweet tension of mid-century romance comics at their most emotionally charged. Dick Giordano's cover art layers several vignettes at once — a couple sharing a close, tender kiss in the foreground, a inset scene showing a man caught between two women, and a forlorn young woman lost in thought beneath the caption "What Was 'My Big Mistake?'" — all framed by the cover text hinting at heartbreak when someone named Lyle reappears. With writing by Joe Gill and inks by Vince Colletta on the interior, this issue also features a Bonomo Turkish Taffy prize giveaway that feels like a genuine time capsule of early-'60s pop culture.