Young Romance #168

Young Romance #168 (On Sale: August 18, 1970) has a cover by, well, good question. Some say Nick Cardy, but that is ridiculous, others say Bill Draut, but I don't think so. Look at those high-water, semi-bell bottoms on the guy; this looks like Artie Saaf to me, but that it a total guess on my part. But Cardy it certainly is not and Draut it looks nothing like as well. Regardless of who drew it, it is not a very good cover and showcases a new, uglier than before, logo and the new DC Romance heart in the corner. Ugh.

We begin with "Love Me, Love Me Not," an eight-page story by Jack Miller and Don Heck. Heck was still transitioning from Marvel to DC for a two-year stint. While Heck was transitioning in, Miller was being squeezed out and would be gone from comics within a year. I remember Miller fondly as the editor who brought us Deadman and as the writer who took over Deadman after creator Arnold Drake was pushed off the strip.

Next is "Dates 'n' Mates" a one-page filler by Barbara Friedlander and Liz Berube. Liz did a lot of one-pagers for DC during this period. She had a unique style, very Art Nouveau. 

That is followed by "A Smile for Someone," and eight-page reprint from Heart Throbs #68. that might be drawn by Bill Draut and inked by Bernard Sachs, or not. As the attribution of most romance comics is pretty much a guess, I can't be sure of this one.

Our next one-page filler is an untitled Hang-Ups text article by Henry Boltinoff and Lee Elias.

We end with "The Stolen Face of Love, Part Two," a ten-page story continuing from the previous issue, written by Robert Kanigher, penciled by either Win Mortimer or Ric Estrada and inked by Vinnie Colletta.

Edited by Joe Orlando.