First Love Illustrated #15
"Side-Street Love" in First Love Illustrated #15 (1951) delivers a gripping, melancholic tale of temptation and consequence, spotlighting Sally’s reckless affair with Buck, the night watchman at her department store. With stark, expressive art by Bob Powell, the story unfolds in shadowed store aisles and quiet alleyways, capturing the fleeting thrill and crushing cost of a secret romance. The cover by Al Avison perfectly mirrors the story’s mood—tense, intimate, and charged with quiet dread.
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Bored Sally is engaged to Frank but begins an affair with department store night watchman Buck, who gives her gifts he “bought” with his “employee discount” (Buck actually stole the merchandise). Sally spends time with Buck in the closed store at night, hoping he’ll propose marriage. Unfortunately, they’re caught by the police. Buck tries to blame Sally but they’re both sent to prison. Sally regrets her “cheap, sordid, side-street love!!” and that she lost Frank, a decent man.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).