I Love Ya But You're Strange - The Time a Guy Used the Powers of a Grumpy Orange Cat to Seduce a Beguiling Neighbor Lady

CBR

By Brian Cronin

Published Aug 9, 2014

Every installment of I Love Ya But You’re Strange I spotlight strange but ultimately endearing comic stories. Here is the archive of all the installments of this feature. Feel free to e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com if you have a suggestion for a future installment! Today's story is presented to you by Jacque Nodell of Sequential Crush.

Hey y'all! Jacque here. If you are familiar with my blog, Sequential Crush, you know that I specialize in all things romance comics from the 1960s and '70s -- sometimes serious, sometimes a little bit on the kooky side. Today's story is definitely one of the stranger romances. Join me as we take a look at how a plaid pants wearin' guy used his grumpy orange cat to seduce his beguiling neighbor in "The Green-Eyed Monster" from Falling in Love #130 (March 1972). Credits for art here are a little murky, but I definitely see Tony DeZuniga (of Jonah Hex fame) in many panels. A colleague suggested John Calnan may have had a hand in this one as well. Anyway, on to the strangeness!

Linda Bronson is a young woman moving into a new apartment building. While receiving her keys from her landlord, a young man (with a cat) catches her eye. The landlord tells Linda that the tenant's name is Kent Morse, and the "four-legged fur piece," Kent's main squeeze, Arabella.

Linda is determined to snuggle up to Kent, and won't let a little something like rain, or an aristocratic furball get in her way. The first time they meet officially is ummm, less than romantic to say the least.

The two exchange some harsh words about their unfortunate introduction.

Hey watch it, Linda! I know plenty of fantastic men with cats!

Though lightly vexed, Linda is determined not to let the soppy run-in ruin a potential future together.

A girl looks for love, and instead, gets mauled by an attack cat! So where is the romance in this story you ask? Wait for it... wait for it...

Before Kent can stop her, Arabella has shredded Linda's scarf. And dang was it groovy! But Linda quickly forgives Kent for the little demon's transgressions, and is appreciative Arabella has solved their communication problem. Linda then asks Kent if he wants to celebrate, and the two have a romantic lunch in the park (naturally, Arabella tags along -- because who doesn't bring their cat on a picnic?) and an amazing evening follows.

And so, after only "three weeks and six minutes," Kent and Linda are wildly in love. Kent proposes and the two have a "private" moment (which sounds a bit like a veiled reference to sex, and quite interesting because any mention of it during this time period in the romance stories is rather uncharacteristic). Kent then decides to interrupt the mood and make a confession.