Teen Confessions #89

Teen Confessions #89 (On Sale: June 1975) has one of my favorite cover paintings by the late, great Don Newton. This is one of Newton's few romance covers ever and it sure is a beaut.

I don't normally buy romance comics; the main attraction for me was the Don Newton cover painting, so I am not an expert on romance stories. This issue's lot seem pretty pedestrian to me but I'm not really one to judge. We begin with  "Let Them All Talk!" a seven-page story penciled and inked by Art Cappello. It is the story of Donna, a 21-year old engaged to Richie Dutton, who falls for her older boss, Jason Clark, who is, gasp, 35 years old. I find it funny how Cappello draws Jason with huge streaks of grey hair at his temples. Anyway, everyone thinks Donna is just a gold digger going after Jason's money, but really she admires her boss who has been widowed for a year. When Richie leaves her she realizes she only feels sorry for Jason and does not love him, but Richie comes back and TALHEA (they all live happily ever after). Art Cappello's artwork is pretty pedestrian at best.

Next is "Please Don't Leave Me" another seven-page story this one drawn by the team of Charles Nicholas and Vince Alascia. This is the story of Claudia who gets engaged to Michael Ross, the most handsome man she has ever seen. Michael has a reputation for having "chased every chick in town" but Claudia says she believes he will be true to her. One night at dinner Michael invites another couple Joy and Jim to join them at a party. Jim and Claudia commiserate at how neither is very happy with this arrangement. At the party Michael spends his time dancing with Joy and later on Claudia  catches them kissing. Jim also sees the kiss and ends up taking Claudia home that night. The next day Michael takes Joy to the beach and Jim comes over and suggests that he and Claudia  go as well. Claudia ends up giving Michael back his engagement ring and starts dating Jim and TALHEA. The Nicholas/Alascia art is pretty standard for that team.

Our last seven-page story is the cover story "Running Wild!!" drawn by Spanish artist Demetrio Sanchez Gomez who worked in the Catalan style popularized in the US by the likes of José González, Esteban Maroto and Ramon Torrents. The work is very good indeed. Rosalie is a seventeen-year-old "good girl" who goes for a ride with biker Pike Roman and has her heart tugged for the first time. However, Pike wants to "share" his girl with fellow biker Chopper. Rosalie resists at first but is soon talked into letting Chopper kiss her. Later Pike says that from now on Rosalie is his "private chick." Rosalie's friend Tim Edwards warns her that Pike is "bad news" but Rosalie thinks Tim is just being a child. Tim tries to intervene again between Pike and Rosalie and Rosalie has to talk Pike and the bikers out of beating him up. Pike, Rosalie, Chopper and his girl all ride out to a lover's lane area and begin making out. This makes Rosalie very uncomfortable. Tim shows up and asks if she wants a ride and Pike and Chopper jump him. Rosalie runs to Tim's car and uses it to run over their motorcycles. Tim jumps in the car, they drive off and TALHEA.

This is not a great book, but the beautiful Don Newton cover and the artwork of Demetrio Sanchez Gomez make it well worth owning.

Edited by George Wildman.