While everyone may know about Archie and the gang, they were hardly the only comics that dealt with typical rom-com style hi-jinx. These mostly forgotten comic books from the 1940s and 1950s are a really interesting glimpse into American culture at the time. As you might expect, the lead female characters are regularly subservient to men and are mostly cookie-cooker representations of women of the era.
But they’re still pretty fun to look at! Take a step back in time with these 10 mid-century comics aimed at girls.
1. Vicky
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Vicky was about a spoiled, rich girl who likes to get her way and to hang out with her stuck-up sister, Helen.
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Vickie and her friend Gertie also like to trick overeager boys into kissing each other.
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2. Ginger: America’s Typical Teenage Girl
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Ginger was the typical American teenage girl. She also had a creepy nerd named Ickky constantly on her tail.
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3. Tessie the Typist
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The legendary Stan Lee actually wrote a few of these stories. The storylines were pretty typical, with Tessie finding herself in all kinds of comedic situations.
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4. Sherry the Showgirl
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Stan Lee had a hand in this comic as well.
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5. Teena
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Teena was based on a comic strip about a boy-crazy teenage girl.
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6. Wendy Parker
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Pretty standard fare, but the title character does unleash a great insult at the end here…
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7. Lucy: The Real Gone Gal
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Lucy was your typical 1950s teenager who just loved hijinx! Gee whiz!
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8. Junie
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A typical teenage love comic. In this one, all the boys in town are after the title character.
9. Hedy of Hollywood
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Hedy was a Hollywood starlet constantly battling a rival for attention and fanfare.
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10. Cindy
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Cindy has a rival, Sandy, and the two constantly do battle. This one is a little odd though, because the confrontations get strangely violent…hmmmmmm.
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Photo Credit: flashbak
Then again, there’s no accounting for the tastes of an era.
h/t: flashbak