Today in Comics History: Happy Birthday, Ralph Dibny (Post-Crisis)!

Happy birthday to the malleable manhunter, the pliable P.I., the gumshoe actually made out of gum, Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man!


Panels from "Take My Wife — Please!" in Justice League Quarterly #6 (Spring 1992), script by Mark Waid, pencils and inks by Eduardo Barreto, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by Bob Pinaha
Even tho' this story actually took place last week.


Happy birthday, Ralph! Even tho' you have a different birthday before the Crisis. Seriously, how does that work? Anyway, see ya back here on May 26!


from "Green Lantern's Blackout!" in Detective Comics #350 (DC, April 1966), script by Gardner Fox, pencils by Carmine Infantino, letters by Gaspar Saladino

365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 80: All Darth Vader really wanted was a puppy

Panel from Star Wars (1977 Marvel series) #36 (June 1980), script by Archie Goodwin, breakdowns by Carmine Infantino, finishes by Gene Day, colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by John Costanza

365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 79: I'm beginning to sense a theme here

Panels from Star Wars: Dark Times #13 (April 2009), script by Randy Stradley, pencils and inks by Douglas Wheatley, colors by Dave McCaig, letters by Michael Heisler

365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 78: Doc Savage gets his comeuppance

Panels from Star Wars: Shadow Stalker one-shot (September 1997), script by Ryder Windham, pencils and inks by Nick Choles, colors by Cary Porter, color separations by Dave Stewart, letters by Michael Taylor

That's Pretty Grim for a Josie and the Pussycats Comic

Panel from "Spanish Gold" in Josie and the Pussycats #64 (September 1972), script by Frank Doyle, pencils by Stan Goldberg, inks by Jon D'Agostino, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida

Fun with Comics: Bugs Bunny is a joik

BRITISH COMIC BOOK PUBLISHING COMPANY: Hello, Warner Brothers? We would like to licence your Bugs Bunny character for a line of comic books over here in England.

WARNER BROS: Sure! Just remember the golden rule: Bugs only retaliates against his antagonists when they've done something horrible to him — he doesn't initiate the violence.

BRITISH COMIC BOOK PUBLISHING COMPANY: But of course!

365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 77: The Rebel Alliance invents the Romulan Warbird

Panels from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed graphic novel (August 2008); script by Haden Blackman; pencils by Brian Ching, Bong Dazo, and Wayne Nichols, colors by Michael Atiyeh, letters by Michael Heisler

365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 76: Wait, Q-Tip Guy's real name is Poof?!?

Why, yes, Yes, it is.


Panels from Star Wars: Zam Wesell one-shot (March 2002), script by Ron Marz, pencils and inks by Ted Naifeh, colors by Dave Stewart, color separations and letters by Digital Chameleon

365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 75: Introducing the rare variant Lemon Stormtrooper

Panels from "Pursuit among the Ruins!" from Pizzazz #5 (February 1978), script by Roy Thomas, layouts by Howard Chaykin, finishes by Tony DeZuniga, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Denise Wohl

Today in Comics History, March 15, 1948: World's largest Cootie toy is invented

from "I Heard Woodrow Wilson's Guns..." in Miracleman (1985 series) #5 (Eclipse, January 1986), script by Alan Moore, pencils and inks by Alan Davis, colors by Ron Courtney, letters by G. George

Today in Comics History, March 15, 44 BC: At 13th Dimension: 13 Comic Book Julius Caesars! Plus, Caesar in the Marvel Universe!

Today, it's all about Caesar! Caesar, everybody!


from Batman '66 #21 (DC digital comic, November 2013), script by Tom Peyer, pencils and inks by Derec Donovan, colors by Tony Avina
No, no, no, wrong Cesar. I've made another one of my silly mistakes. I meant Julius Caesar.


from "Julius Caesar at Yankee Stadium" in Hit Comics #30 (Quality, November 1943), pencils by Sheldon Moldoff
That's why today at 13th Dimension, my pal John celebrates the 2059th anniversary (2059? I think that's the gift of haggis) of the Death of Julius Caesar, the so-called Ides of March, with 13 Comic Book Julius Caesars! That includes the one that wore a toga. And twelve others! I helped out by clipping the panels out of comic books.

John didn't include, however, the vast history of Julius Caesar in the Marvel Universe, because it's just too darn big a story. Why, if you check his page in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Caesar chalks up an amazing one billion and three Earth-616 stories, including all those issues of Guardians where he was Rocket Raccoon's drinking buddy, his stint as a supporting cast member of Skrull Kill Krew, and the short-lived miniseries Julius Caesar: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.* But let's start with perhaps the first Marvel appearance of Caesar (if not his eponymous salad or birthing method), way back in the Golden Age of Timely Comics!


from Ideal #1 (Marvel/Timely, July 1948), creators unknown

Today in Comics History, March 15: Saul Calvino Regrets He's Unable to Lunch Today

from Detective Comics #630 (DC, June 1991), script by Peter Milligan, pencils by Jim Aparo, inks by Mike DeCarlo, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by John Costanza

365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 74: Ocean's R2

Panels from Star Wars: The Protocol Offensive one-shot (September 1997), plot by Brian Daley; script by Ryder Windham and Anthony Daniels (yes, that Anthony Daniels), painted art by Igor Kordey; letters by Sean Konot