True Life Secrets: Short Story

I don't know if it was intentional but these two separate covers for True Life Secrets tells a story of wanton betrayal, jealousy and revenge. Neither book contains a story with a scene resembling the cover action. The first is a pretty iconic cover, having been used on a few books and as examples of the genre.

True Life Secrets #23 (November-December 1954) is a recycled cover, initially published in My Desire Intimate Confessions #4 (April 1950).  The second cover, with the angry gent wanting to know just what the lady did to get the pricey necklace is from True Life Secrets #25 (March 1955). So while the story presented by the covers is coincidental it is pretty neat to have turned out that way.

If I saw issue #25 on the rack back in the 1950s I would have picked it up based on my memory of cover #23. I would have been disappointed but cover disconnect was the way the comic book  game was played back then. The budget, deadlines, disposable nature of comic books back then and people not giving a darn about the craft contributed to the practice. Covers were uncomplicated sales gimmicks and rarely represented the contents.

The art for the issue #23 is credited to Leon Winink and Ray Osrin. The second book is uncredited.