Buck's Bag

Originally appearing in For Lovers Only comics issue 87 in 1976.

Buck Mason is a specialist in teen-age problems; he will be writing for this publication. He has had a wide range of experience with young people and welcomes the chance to help you with any problems you might have. Just write him a letter stating your situation clearly and briefly, and be sure to include all essential facts. Names will be withheld in all cases, and there cannot be any personal replies.

Dear Buck:

My girlfriend Cindy has a boyfriend named John. They date a lot, and sometimes I go out to lunch with them. Well, one day John told me that he liked me very much. I asked Cindy if there was anything wrong between them, and she said no. Then John started asking me out on dates, and after a while, I went with him. Cindy knew, but she didn't get mad.

They haven't broken up because I see them talking in the school gym every day, but John is still asking me out on dates. So what I want to know is, should I still accept dates from him, or should I say no so I don't hurt my girlfriend?

Signed,

Help Needed Badly

Dear Help:

Since your girlfriend knows that you date her boyfriend but doesn't mind, I'd say you can keep dating him as long as he keeps asking you. Your girlfriend may feel that neither she nor John is ready to be tied down to just one person, and so they're letting each other remain free to date someone else if the opportunity should arise. I believe that this is a good policy to follow when you're young because it allows one to discover desirable characteristics in one's date that can be looked for later when the question of marriage comes up. One can meet a variety of people with various personality traits, and from there, can decide which traits are most desirable in a mate. So as long as your girlfriend doesn't mind, go ahead and date him.

Yours truly,

Buck

Dear Buck:

I have a problem that's driving me crazy. I'm very hurt, and you could also say that I'm very jealous. I have a sister who is sixteen years old, and the way she acts with my boyfriend Ted (who is the same age as I am, twelve) really bothers me. When he calls, he always ends up talking to her more than to me. I feel that they are attracted to each other, even though they say this is not true. It's making my life a miserable wrack. What can I do?

Signed, Troubled

Dear Troubled:

Tell your sister how you feel, and if she has any maturity at all, she'll realize that she should leave you and your boyfriend to yourselves. If she doesn't cooperate, though, ask your mother to help straighten things out. If all else fails, your last resort is to try to answer the phone first when your boyfriend calls, and don't let your sister talk to him no matter what reason she gives.

Yours truly,

Buck

Dear Buck:

I'm a girl, thirteen years old, and I have a tremendous problem. I don't have a boyfriend. When I was younger, a boy liked me, but we moved away. Even if we hadn't moved, I don't think anything would have come of it. When we went on vacation this year, one boy was interested in me, but at home and in school, the boys didn't pay any attention to me.

I'm not ugly. I'm of medium weight and height, and I have brown eyes and brown hair that goes down to my shoulders. I also wear glasses, but I look pretty good in them. Please see if you can give me some advice; I really need all the help I can get.

Signed,

Desperate

Dear Desperate:

There's no need to feel desperate because you don't have a boyfriend at age thirteen. Though you may protest and tell me I'm wrong when I say this, it's true. You have plenty of time to find a boyfriend, and believe me, dates, when you're older, will be much more exciting than they could be now. You'll be able to go to many more places because, for one reason, you won't have to bother your parents with transportation.

You seem to have a friendly personality, and you say you look O.K., so the blame for you not having a boyfriend may lie with the boys themselves. At thirteen, they may not be ready for girls yet, so I think you'll have to be patient with them.

Yours truly,

Buck

Have a Teen-age problem?

Write a letter to:

Buck Mason

c/o Charlton Comics

Charlton Building

Derby, Ct. 06418