Hey, it's the you-only-can-celebrate-it-every-four years birthday of Superman! Who is a little red cheaty-pants on the outside, because he also gets presents on Clark Kent's birthday, June 18. Wanna read more about Supes's most disatrious birthday party? No, not the one where Jimmy Olsen turned into a giant turtle and ate the cake, but Superman Annual #11's "For the Man Who Has Everything," in a blog post right here on this very blog that I wrote twelve years ago. How it that possible? I've only seven! Which is a very good age to be.
Panels from Superman Annual (1960 series) #11 (September 1985); script by Alan Moore; pencils, inks, and letters by Dave Gibbons; colors by Tom Ziuko
Superman's birthday is so popular
(I shall now pause for you to shout "HOW POPULAR IS IT?!?")
...Superman's birthday is so popular that even Harley Quinn dreams about it.
Panel from Harley Quinn Valentine's Day Special one-shot (April 2015), script by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, pencils and inks by Aaron Campbell, colors by Hi-Fi, letters by John J. Hill
Whoa, HQ! Better not let Poison Ivy catch you dreamin' about Superman! And for that matter, being Robin to Batman. Although I suspect she'd enjoy the little green shorts.
Anyway, Happy Birthday, Superman! To another 82 years and beyond!
Panels from Super Soldier #1 (Amalgam/DC, April 1996); co-plot and script
by Mark Waid; co-plot, pencils, inks, and letters by Dave Gibbons, colors by Angus McKie
Panels from "Charlotte's Web" in Spider-Island: I Love New York City one-shot (November 2011), script by Joe Caramagna, pencils and inks by Max Fiumara, colors by Fabio D'Auria, letters by Clayton Cowles
Ah, February 29. Where 365 Days of Power and Responsibility becomes 366. Let's...let's not worry about that until December 31, okay?
Hey, today is Sadie Hawkins Day! By tradition, a day when women ask men out for dates, dining, dancing, and a little bit o' dis 'n' dat, instead of the other way round. Seriously, these days you can do this any time, kind ladies, and I hope you do. (Waiting by my telephone.)
Sadie Hawkins Day was created and popularized by extraordinary cartoonist and terrible personAl Capp in the classic comic strip Li'l Abner.
L'il Abner, (November 14, 1935), by Al Capp
Now, don't get her mixed up with Sophie B. Hawkins, who really wishes she was your lover, but there's no need to swear, Ms. Hawkins. Me, I'm hopin' to be chased and kissed by Jane Wiedlin today!
There's several references in comics about girls who got all fired up about catching themselves a boy. Really, that's pretty much every month in Archie Comics.
Panels from "The Big Chase" in Pep #411 (March 1987), script by George Gladir, pencils by Stan Goldberg, inks by Rudy Lapick, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida
Ha ha! It's funny because Moose is gonna put Archie in the hospital! Mind you, this is the final issue of Pep, a comic book published since 1940, so it's entirely possible Moose killed Archie here. The world will never know.
But now let's look in on the wacky life of Young Animal's keen teen Shade the Changing Girl, who's simply MAD(ness vest) about the boy!
Panel from Shade the Changing Girl #6 (May 2017), script by Cecil Castellucci, pencils and inks by Marley Zarcone, colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick, letters by Saida Temofonte
Run, Wes, run!
In short: Sadie Hawkins Day, won't you? Play us off, Sophie B. Hawkins!
What did I say about the potty language, Ms. Hawkins!!!
Page from Edge of Spider-Verse #4 (December 2014), script by Clay McLeod Chapman, pencils and inks by Elia Bonetti, colors by Veronica Gandini, letters by Clayton Cowles
Panel from Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (2015 series) #1 (August 2015), script by Dan Slott, pencils by Adam Kubert, inks by John Dell, colors by Justin Ponsor, letters by Joe Caramagna
Panels from Damage Control (May 1989 series) #3 (July 1989), script by Dwayne McDuffie, pencils by Ernie Colon, inks by Bob Wiacek, colors by George Roussos, letters by Rick Parker
Panels from "Death Mask" in The Batman Chronicles #1 (July [Summer] 1995), script by Doug Moench, pencils by Brian Apthorp, inks by Terry Austin, colors by David Hornung, letters by Todd Klein
The Batman Chronicles is a great anthology-type series featuring different characters from Batman's friends and foes in each story. And of course ya gotta love the first text page from Batman Chronicles #1:
