| The Heart of Juliet Jones | |
| Creator: | Elliot Caplin |
| Illustrator: | Stan Drake (1953-1989) Frank Bolle (1989-2000) |
| Status: | Concluded; Daily & Sunday |
| Syndicate: | King Features Syndicate |
| Genre: | Soap opera |
| First: | March 9, 1953 |
| Last: | January 1, 2000 |
The Heart of Juliet Jones is an American comic strip series created by Elliott Caplin and drawn by Stan Drake, beginning on March 9, 1953.[1] [2] The strip was distributed by King Features Syndicate.
The strip was a soap opera, following the prototype set by Mary Worth but elevated by Drake's exceptional artwork. The strip's first storylines were based on a treatment by writer Margaret Mitchell. The figure drawing was characterized by Drake's pioneering use of naturalistic movement and expression, a style he achieved partly through the use of Polaroid photographic reference.[3]
Drake's last strip was published May 20, 1989; it was continued by Frank Bolle through the January 1, 2000 strip, which ended the series with an unresolved cliffhanger.[4]
Much of the dramatic tension was realized through the interaction of two dissimilar sisters. Brunette Juliet Jones, the older, was modest, sensible and successful. Buxom blonde Eve Jones was flirty, flighty, and in and out of trouble. Their elderly father Howard, a decent but dull man easily swayed by both of his daughters, also played a leading role. Initially, Eve was more villainous, and tried to steal Juliet's boyfriend (who was also her teacher). However, as the strip progressed, Eve became less selfish and established a good relationship with Juliet.
A full reprinting in book form of Drake's work on the strip was begun by Classic Comics Press in late 2008.[5]
Drake received the National Cartoonists Society's Story Comic Strip Award in 1968, 1970 and 1972.