Happy Birthday, Colleen Coover!

"It is a truth universally acknowledged," wrote somebody famous named Jane who wasn't Jane Wiedlin, "that all the best people have birthdays in July." It's true! Starting on July First with Missy Elliott, Alan Ruck, Debbie Harry, Leslie Caron, and a way cool guy some of you may be familiar with, all the way up to July Thirty-First with J. K. Rowling, Ted Cassidy, and Dean Cain...with Kate Bush, Phil Proctor, Beatrix Potter, Gracie Allen, Mick Jagger, Arthur Treacher, Raymond Chandler, Diana Rigg, Patrick Stewart, Marty Feldman, Mitch Miller, we will not let you go (let him go!) Mitch Miller! We will not let you go (let me go) will not let you go (let me go) will not let you go...oh, wait a minute.

My point, and I do have one, is that the hippest cats and the top bananas all have their birthdays in July. And smack-dab in the middle of the month is one of the coolest of 'em all: my pal Colleen Coover is celebrating her birthday today! Hooray! Hooray! (throws confetti up in the air, fires up a light stick to wave around, attempts to get Small Favors off the top shelf without success).

In addition to creating some of the most fun and beautiful stories in the Marvel Universe recently (the Marvel Girl backups in X-Men: First Class, the origin of Throg in Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, and the wonderful debut of the Hydraettes in Fantastic Four: Giant-Size Adventures) and Banana Sunday, the Most Fun Comic of 2005, Colleen has also been extraordinarily kind to yours little stuffed truly, and sent me a wonderful birthday present of my own. HOLY COW LOOK IT'S ME!:


Click image to bubble-size

In the words of one of the greatest detectives of all time one of the greatest detectives of all time, wowzers! I've been lucky enough to have some extremely talented creators draw me, and Colleen's wonderful portrait of a young bull at his leisure is a delightful addition to my collection. Thanks, Colleen!

I do not have anything half as exciting to give Colleen for her birthday except my best wishes and some fluffy good wishes for many happy returns! Drop on by her blog and wish her the same, wontcha?

Happy birthday, Colleen! You have been very good and kind to me, and I thank you so much! Even if I had not gotten to know you, I'd still be a big little stuffed fan of your wonderful work. Thanks for all the fun!