Today in Comics History: Batgirl has a hunch

Panel from the Batgirl story "Tall, Dark, Handsome — and Missing!" in Detective Comics #384 (February 1969), script by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Murphy Anderson

Today in Comics History: Mayans smack that smart-ass smirk off Mr. Peabody's face

Panels from Mr. Peabody and Sherman #1 (November 2013), script by Sholly Fisch; pencils, inks, and colors by Jorge Monlongo; letters by Tom B. Long
Hey, wasn't it supposed to be December 21?

Today in Comics History: Remember Pearl Harbor...in space!

Splash panel from What If...? (1977 series) #14 (April 1979), plot by Gary Friedrich, script by Don Glut, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Pablo Marcos, colors by "D. R. Martin" (a pen-name for various artists), letters by Tom Orzechowski
Welcome to Pearl Harbor...in SPACE! ACE ACE ace ace ace ace Wait, how did we get to this wacky alternative world, where we're outer space superpowers in the year 1941!?? Well, just remember that it's an issue of What If...?, that joint by the Watcher in which he tells you that a tiny change in action or attitude by a Marvel character during a known event in Marvel Universe history can change the future dramatically, fracturing reality and creating a spin-off from Earth-616...in this case, Earth-7918, where Nick Fury fought World War II in Outer Space!

So what famous Marvel moment was changed to come up with this wacky world? Did Spider-Man forget to pick up his lunch from Aunt May the day he got bitten by the radioactive spider? Did Bruce Banner develop the cobalt bomb instead of the gamma bomb? Did Mr. Fantastic actually name himself "Dr. Fantabulous?" Nope: t'was ever thus: Marvel superstar Leonardo DaVinci built some stuff, as seen in the turning point of Amazing Renaissance Adventures #18!


So yeah. That happened.

Today in Comics History: Batgirl's crazy for a sharp-dressed man

Panel from the Batgirl story "Tall, Dark, Handsome — and Missing!" in Detective Comics #384 (February 1969), script by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Murphy Anderson

Today in Comics History: I'm just talkin' 'bout Shaft

Panel from Shaft #1 (December 2014), script and letters by David F. Walker, pencils and inks by Bilquis Evely, colors by Daniela Miwa

Today in Comics History: It is proven that courting couples are just rock-stupid insane

Panel from "Wedding Forecast!" in Wonder Woman #182 (May-June 1969), writer and artist unknown

Archie's Generic Celebrities Month, Day 30: Not Actually Veronica Lodge

Hey, we're at the end of Archie's Generic Celebrities Month! What do you think about that, Reggie Mantle?


Panel from "Teen Paparazzi" in Archie & Friends #116 (April 2008), script by George Gladir, pencils by Fernando Ruiz, inks by Jon D'Agostino, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Jon D'Agostino
Actually, Reggie, no, because to qualify as a Generic Celebrity in Riverdale, you have to have a soundalike name to the original. For example, what happens to Veronica Lodge when her name is misspelled on her driver's license!:


Panels from "A Fishy License" in Betty and Veronica (1987 Series) #106 (December 1996), script by Hal Smith, pencils and inks by Dan DeCarlo, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida
So pretty much the rest of the story is taken up with the wacky hijinks of Betty chauffeuring Veronica around town and then Ronnie takes her driver's license test again and gets a new license and then here we go:


There you go, folks: Archie's Generic Celebrities Month. i hope you has as good a time as we did with Jangelina Olie, Wuce Brillis, and Cenedibt Bumbercatch. And what about you, Cheryl Blossom?

Archie's Generic Celebrities Month, Day 29: Not Actually Pussy Riot

Panels from the Josie and the Pussycats story "Music for the Masses, Part 2, Chapter 4" (whew!) in Betty and Veronica Comics Digest Magazine #177 (October 2007), no credits given, but here's my guesses: script by Dan Parent, pencils by Rex W. Lindsey, inks by Rich Koslowski, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida

Archie's Generic Celebrities Month, Day 28: Not Actually the Smashing Pumpkins

Panel from "Faith, Hope, and Cheryl!" in Cheryl Blossom Special #2 (1995), script and pencils by Bill Golliher, inks by Rudy Lapick, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida

Archie's Generic Celebrities Month, Day 27: Not Actually Martha Stewart

It's Thanksgiving! And what better obsessive-compulsive holiday could there be to roll out the Archie's Generic Version of übercraftsperson Martha Stewart! I bet this one's been to prison, too. Say, remember the last time a Martha expy appeared in this feature? Why, sure you do, all the way back on November 17!:


Panels from "Cheryl in the Morning" in Cheryl Blossom (1997 series) #5 (September 1997), script and pencils by Dan Parent, inks by Jon D'Agostino, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida
Well, she's back! Sorta.


Panels from the Cheryl Blossom story "How Crafty!" in B&V Friends Double Digest Magazine #223 (May 2012), script and pencils by Dan Parent, inks by Rudy Lapick, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida
I'm not certain who I'd vote for in a showdown between Martha Stewart and Cheryl Blossom OH WHO AM I KIDDING IT'S CHERYL ALL THE WAY


Hah! It's funny because we loathe her!

Archie's Generic Celebrities Month, Day 26: Not Actually the Real Sonic the Hedgehog, Even Though Archie Comics Could Totally Guest-Star Him If They Wanted To

Panels from "Pet Department" in Betty & Veronica Double Digest #216 (November 2013), script by George Gladir, pencils by Jeff Schultz, inks by Al Milgrom, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida

HARRY HEDGEHOG

PLEDGES THAT

HE WILL KILL YOU

Credit where credit is due dept: That series of increasingly-zoomed panels at the bottom is inspired by and dedicated to American Favorite Comics Blogger Since 1969, Mike Sterling, who calls it the "freak out". Catch him talking about that very technique over at Progressive Ruin today!

Archie's Generic Celebrities Month, Day 25: Not Actually the Incredible Hulk

Dilton Doiley: student; scientist; nerd: searching for a way to tap into the acceptance of his teenage peers. Then: an accidental overdose of grape radiation alters his body chemistry! Now when Dilton Doiley grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs! The creature is driven by rage and wanted for a pantsing he didn't commit. Dilton Doiley is believed to be a nerd, and he must let the world think that he is a nerd, until he can find a way to control the Incredible Bulk that dwells within him!



Panels from "Return of the Bulk!" in Archie & Friends #63 (January 2003), script by Mike Pellowski (?), pencils and inks by Rex Lindsey (?)
Of course, by the time Hollywood got hold of the Incredible Bulk story, they just had to meddle with it and change a few things about the character, which just enraged the fanboy populace.


Panel from "Body Image" in Betty and Veronica Double Digest #204 (October 2012), script by George Gladir, pencils by Jeff Shultz, inks by Henry Scarpelli, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida

Today in Comics History: Happy Be Bitchy to Your Mother Day

Panel from "Wedding Forecast!" in Wonder Woman #182 (May-June 1969), writer and artist unknown

Archie's Generic Celebrities Month, Day 24: Not Actually Archie

Panels from "The Big Mystery!" in Archie and Friends Double Digest #26 (May 2013), script by George Gladir, pencils by Henry Scarpelli, inks by Jon D'Agostino

Archie's Generic Celebrities Month, Day 23: Not Actually Any of These Companies Which Probably Have Pretty Good Copyright Lawyers

Panel from "Spellbound" in World of Archie Double Digest #36 (March 2014), script by George Gladir, pencils by Tim Kennedy, inks by Ken Selig, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida





Panel from "Mystery of the Ages" in B&V Friends Double Digest #229 (November 2012), script by Mike Pellowski, pencils by Jeff Shultz, inks by Al Milgrom, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida





Archie Sunday comic (original date unknown), reprinted in Betty and Veronica Double Digest #201 (July 2012), script by Craig Boldman, pencils and inks by Henry Scarpelli





Panel from "My Dad...the Supermodel!" in Betty & Veronica Double Digest #204 (October 2012), script and pencils by Dan Parent, inks by Jim Amash, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida





Panel from a Betty and Veronica story that I forgot to label my scans with the name





Panel from "Online & Out of Line" in Betty and Veronica Spectacular #45 (January 2001), script and pencils by Dan Parent, inks by Jon D'Agostino, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida





Panels from "Online & Out of Line" in Betty and Veronica Spectacular #45 (January 2001), script and pencils by Dan Parent, inks by Jon D'Agostino, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida





Panel from "The Great All-American Pembrooke-Riverdale Food Eating Contest! Munchie Mania! Part 1" in Archie at Riverdale High #97 (June 1984), script by Rich Margopoulos, pencils by Stan Goldberg





Panel from the Josie and the Pussycats story "A Singular Idea" in Tales from Riverdale Digest #26 (March 2008), script by Bill Golliher, pencils by Rex Lindsey, inks by Rich Koslowski, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida

So remember, shop at all these famous generic Riverdale businesses! Don't forget to bring your MustardCard or your American Excess!