Jack Oleck,
Jack Kirby and
Joe Simon have a sad but important message for us:
Love can be tough if you're a
Nazi.
We're in post-war Germany, and two girls,
Kate and
Annaliese, are pretty resentful of the American occupation...until Annaliese gets a gander of a handsome sergeant, that is:
Well, it turns out that
Jack was interested in Annaliese, too!
And so begins their tragic affair!
Kate, however, disapproves most heartily!
GASP!
Ah, but once a Nazi,
always a Nazi!
So here comes the uncomfortable conversation they probably should have had
before the "weeks" of dating...
You should have seen that coming, Annaliese.
Well, long story short, Kate and her little Nazi cell plan to blow up the local American military HQ, but Annaliese secretly leaks the info to Jack. Plan thwarted!!
But turning in friends and family is
not enough, I'm afraid!
The moral?
No love for Nazis!!
From Young Romance #4 (1948), as reprinted in Young Romance: The Best Of Simon And Kirby's Romance Comics (Vol 1) (2012)
For some reason that art seems different from what I'm used to seeing from Kirby.
ReplyDeleteYou can probably attribute that to a) Joe Simon inks, and b) it was 1948...his style hadn't yet evolved to its "modern" self.
ReplyDeleteAh, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis story actually has surprising moral and emotional depth. It shows how difficult repentance can be, especially when the moral error is the source of identity and belonging. And it shows that some of the consequences of previous choices can remain even after you change your thinking. I'm impressed with what Simon, Kirby, and Oleck were able to do in this medium in 1948.
ReplyDeleteAnd I just looked at the dialogue in the last few panels again. That is genuinely good stuff.
ReplyDelete