Today in Comics History, July 9, 1917: Steve Rogers got 99 birthdays but a myth ain't one

Last week was Captain America's canonical birthday: July 4, a date which absolutely makes symbolic sense.

But here's evidence for breaking out the red-white-and-blue streamers and Fudgy the Whale ice cream cake today:


teaser page from Captain America: The Great Gold Steal novel (Bantam, July 1968)
A follow up to the previous year's Bantam paperback original novel The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker, The Great Gold Steal is a lot of fun, pitting Cap against dastardly deeds in downtown Detroit New York, and I kinda pictured Steranko's Cap as the protagonist throughout it all. I highly recommend hunting down a copy if you're interested in that sort of thing, and who among us wouldn't be? Nazis, that's who. The Red Skull will not care for this book.


Still, try to avoid wincing when you see the dedication page. I'm pretty sure that Ted White had his heart in the right place (putting Kirby first is a sign of that), but I'd recommend taking the pen of your choice — I'm partial to the Bic Banana myself —


"Bic Banana" TV advertisement (1973), starring Charles Melson Reilly as Big Banana
...cross out "Stan Lee" and write "Joe Simon." There. As would later be heard in Marvel Comics: Justice is served.


Stan does provide a cheery and enthusiastic introduction, which you can absolutely hear in his voice. I'm just sorry that Captain America is no longer described as being "The Dazzling Human Dynamo" or having a "Glory-Studded Name." Also, as this is not a Choose Your Own Adventure book, we do not "fight side by side with the living legend of World War II." This has been another installment of "Fact-Checking Stan Lee." There will be another one in a wee bit, and yes, this will be on the test.


Here's another mention of Steve's birthday, and honestly, I'm pretty sure it is invalidated by 75 years of comics, not to mention that it doesn't say word one on his indoctrination into Hydra at a very young age*. (*Subplot liable to change due to Cosmic Cube activity.)


Fun fact: This book has jaunty referential footnotes from Stan Lee, just like the comics! You tell 'em, Steve-Stan!


"Then came Pearl Harbor, and war." says the book.


from "According to the Book" in Battle Stories #5 (Fawcett, September 1952), pencils by Carl Pfeufer (?), inks by Edd Ashe (?)
("Then...Korea!" is a registered trademark of Mike Sterling and ProgressiveRuin.com.)

Stan's not always on the ball, however, judging from this Maxwell Smartesque "missed it by that much" footnote:


I DEMAND A NO-PRIZE, STAN

Still: happy birthday, Steve! Happy, happy, happy fake birthday.

A Month of... Pancakes! Day 9: The Biggest Pancake in the World™

Panels from Itty Bitty Hellboy #3 (October 2013); script by Art Baltazar and Franco; pencils, inks, colors, and letters by Art Baltazar
In a comics-based flip o' the pancake to Hellboy's love of pamcakes (as shown daily in our annoying header), here's a charming all-ages tale of Itty Bitty Hellboy and his Itty Bitty Pancakes! (Hey, shouldn't that be Heckboy?) The pamcakes are then cooked by Itty Bitty Liz Sherman! They're all so cute! But hey, what if you want a bigger pamcake? Well, just itty bitty head on over to Itty Bitty Baba Yaga!


In the words of Morgan Spurlock: SUPER-SIZE IT!


Hey, kid from yesterday who claimed you made the world's biggest pancake? This is the world's biggest pancake. Boo-yah!


You too, Uncle Buck.

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 191: Bless me Robbie, for I have sinned

Panels from "Embedded: Behind Enemy Lines" in World War Hulk: Front Line #5 (December 2007), script by Paul Jenkins, pencils and inks by Ramon Bachs, colors by Matt Milla, letters by Dave Sharpe

A Month of... Pancakes! Day 8: From the Mixed-Up Cookbook of the Junior JSA

Panels from Justice Society of America (2007 series...you know, the one where a bunch of people got murdered by Nazis in the first issue) #9 (November 2007); script by Geoff Johns, pencils by Dale Eaglesham, inks by Ruy Jose, colors by Jeromy Cox and Hi-Fi, letters by Rob Leigh
Oh no, kid...that's not the biggest pancake in the world. I'll show you the biggest pancake in the world tomorrow.

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 190: Marvel brought Aaron Sorkin in specially to direct this sequence

Panels from Superior Carnage #3 (November 2013), script by Kevin Shinick, pencils and inks by Stephen Segovia, colors by Dennis Chrisostomo, letters by Joe Caramagna

A Month of... Pancakes! Day 7: Doctor Doom is part of your complete breakfast

Panels from "Ladies Who Brunch" in Marvel: Now What?! one-shot (December 2013); script by Sara Benincasa and John DeVore, pencils and inks by Tana Del Rio, colors by Andrew Dalhouse, letters by Clayton Cowles
Ah yes, a nice little calming tale that features no more excitement than the She-Hulk eating pancakes. That's quyite a relief from the oh-so-usual comic book that pits hero against villain and turns into a big punchfest. Thank you, Marvel, for giving us this change-of-pace story with a gentle, quiet look at superheroes and


OH FOR PETE'S SAKE DOCTOR DOOM

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 189: Not until you've paid your tab, Mr. Jameson

Panels from Ms. Marvel (1977 series) #3 (March 1977), plot by Gerry Conway, script by Chris Claremont, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott, colors by Don Warfield, letters by John Costanza
And that deli JJJ was so steamed at was...


Yes, that's my very own Bully's Deli, from snacks to full meals 24/7 on Broadway in Manhattan! tell 'em the Little Stuffed bull sent you!

A Month of... Pancakes! Day 6: At making pancakes, Uncle Wiggily is nearly as fast as Superman

Panels from an untitled two-page story in Four Color #221 [Uncle Wiggily] (March 1949); script by Roger Garis, pencils and inks by Francis Kirn

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 188: Ladies and Gentlemen...This is Tom Jones, the Spectacular Spider-Man

Panels from Dark Reign: Sinister Spider-Man #4 (November 2009); script by Brian Reed; pencils by Chris Bachalo; inks by Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Jon Sibal, Mark Irwin,and Walden Wong; colors by Chris Bachalo, Andres Mossa, and Antonio Fabela; letters by Jared K. Fletcher

76 of a Kind: Your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth

76 of a Kind for 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015

A Month of... Pancakes! Day 5: And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations, they're quite aware of pancakes

From absolutely my favorite issue of Generation X — Number 27, the single most important #27 in the history of comics! Inside the shiny (in the Kaylee Frye manner) pages of this pitch-perfect comic, Jubilee (yeah, she's my favorite X-Men, wanna make somethin' of it?) defies and defeats Bastion while she's locked up in a KirbyTech-type mind-sifter. hey, even James T. Kirk didn't do as well strapped into one o' those! Why, if there hadn't already been official licensed Star Trek/X-Men comic books, I'd think this oughta be a "logical" crossover! (tee hee)


Panels from Generation X #27 (May 1997), script by Scott Lobdell, pencils by Chris Bachalo with Pop Mhan, inks by Al Vey with Scott Hanna, colors by Marie Javins and Dr. Martin, letters by Richard Starkings
And important, now more than ever:


Also in this classic ish: from the typewriter, pencil and pen of one of my favorite creators, Jim Mahfood —: Jubilee makes pancakes! You were wondering how I was going to make this about pancakes, weren't you?


"Cookin' with Jubilee" from Generation X #27 (May 1997); script, pencils, inks, and letters by Jim Mahfood
I love Jim Mahfood! He's the guy who put the food in mahfood!

And this isn't even the only pancake recipe you'll get in this here delicious Month of Pancakes. What, another recipe from the pages of a comic book? What is this mythical miracle comic, Betty Crocker Team-Up? Stay tuned, True Bullievers, and keep watching the syrup!

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 187: Jonah, Like Thunder

Panels from Spider-Man Team-Up #7 (June 1997), script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Tom Smith, letters by Dave Lanphear

Today in Comics History, July 4: Baby, you're a firework

Wow! Kate Kane and gal pal Maggie Sawyer sure are havin' a fun Fourth of July back in the 1940s! Why, they're spending it at Coney Island whatever the equivalent of Gotham's Coney Island is and having a dee-lightful day!


from DC Comics: Bombshells (digital series) #8 (DC, September 2015); script by Marguerite Bennett; pencils, inks, and colors by Marguerite Sauvage; letters by Wes Abbott
Neat-o! That all looks like some good time old-fashioned Fourth o' July fun. Why, what could be even more fun that that!


...

Gol-ly.

Well, Happy Independence Day, everybody!

Today in Comics History, July 4, 1996: Alan Moore visits the US Capitol

from The Dreaming #6 (DC/Vertigo, November 1996); script by Peter Hogan; pencils and inks (and letters?) by Steve Parkhouse; colors by Daniel Vozzo

Today in Comics History, July 4: Popeye's cousin continues to serve out his 25-30 for bunco fraud

So. I am not going to reprint the cover of Chesler/Dynamic's 1937 Star Comics #5 (go ahead, look it up yourself; don't say I didn't warn you), but here's a gag strip about the Fourth of July. Wow, who knew there were men's right activists doing cartoons back then. Still: hardened criminals cutting out paper dolls: always good for a larf!


"Belly Laughs" from Star Comics #5 (Chesler/Dynamic, July 1937), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, July 4, 1776: Battlestar willfully ignores at least four of the US amendments

from Captain America (1968 series) #347 (Marvel, November 1988), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Kieron Dwyer, inks by Al Milgrom, colors by Greg Wright, letters by John Morelli

A Month of... Pancakes! Day 4: Celebrate Independence Day by enjoying the traditional July 4th meal!

Panels from Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #34 (May 2009); script by Paul Tobin, pencils by Matteo Lolli, inks by Christian Vecchia, colors by Sotocolor, letters by Dave Sharpe

Today in Comics History, July 4, 1776: Daredevil's trademark stupid sense of humor is formed

from Daredevil (1964 series) #135 (Marvel, July 1976), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Jim Mooney, colors by Michele Wolfman, letters by Joe Rosen

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 186: This is totally the wrong day to attack Captain America, Jonah

Panel from Avenging Spider-Man #3 (March 2012), script by Zeb Wells, pencils and inks by Joe Madureira, colors by Ferran Daniel, letters by Joe Caramagna

A Month of... Pancakes! Day 3: Might as well get this one out of the way early

I am not allowed to read this comic book. But hey: pancakes! Plus...so0me other stuff, I guess.



Panels from Empowered v.1 (March 2007); script, pencils, and letters by Adam Warren

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 185: Ripping Yarns

Panels from Marvel Team-Up (1997 series) #1 (September 1997), script by Tom Peyer, pencils by Pat Olliffe, inks by Al Williamson, colors by Tom Smith, letters by Bill Oakley