Teen Secret Diary #1
In "When You Went Away," a quietly poignant tale from 1959, Margaret—a shy, overlooked girl from a small town—steps into a new life in the city, transforming herself both inside and out. With a fresh start and a bold new look, she reunites with her former boyfriend Bud, only to find herself redefining her worth in a moment that feels both tender and transformative. Written by Joe Gill and illustrated by Vince Colletta, the story unfolds with a gentle, observant touch, while Dick Giordano’s cover captures the quiet drama of change.
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With both of her parents dead, “slightly dumpy, mousey, and absolutely colorless” Margaret leaves her small town and moves to the city. She has a makeover and gets an office job. Margaret runs into her former boyfriend Bud. Before their date that night, Margaret gets a second, even more glamorous makeover: “I changed—-improved myself for you!” Bud is impressed and says he loves her.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).