Saturday, September 17, 2016

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 261: Big Head Jonah and the Mutants


Splash page from Spider-Man and X-Factor: Shadowgames #3 (July 1994), script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Pat Broderick, inks by Sam de la Rosa, colors by Tom Smith, letters by Joe Rosen

Friday, September 16, 2016

Today in Comics History, September 16, 2035: Apparently you can freefall at 88 miles per hour


from Back to the Future (2015 series) #9 (IDW, June 2016), story by John Barber and Bob Gale, script by John Barber, pencils by Marcello Ferreira and Athila Fabbio, inks by Marcello Ferreira, Athila Fabbio, and Toni Doya, colors by Diego Rodriguez and Jose Luis Rio, letters by Shawn Lee

(Dale Swanson kindly did the math for me here.)

Also, this:


from Back to the Future (IDW 2015 series) #10 (July 2016), story by John Barber and Bob Gale, script by John Barber, pencils by Marcello Ferreira and Athila Fabbio, inks by Marcello Ferreira, Athila Fabbio, and Toni Doya, colors by Jose Luis Rio and Diego Rodriguez, letters by Shawn Lee

Keep in mind these events are printed in two consecutive but different comic books. Three or four more issues and we'll get the whole story about September 16, 2035!!

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 260: Spider-Man: Threat and Menace!




Panels from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #70 (March 1969), plot and layouts by John Romita, Sr.; script by Stan Lee; finishes by Jim Mooney; letters by Sam Rosen

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Today in Comics History, September 15: Vince Colletta erases Supergirl's narrow margin of comfort


from Supergirl (1972 series) #1 (DC, November 1972), script by Cary Bates, pencils by Art Saaf, inks by Vince Colletta, letters by Ben Oda

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 259: Does whatever a porkchop can


Panels from "What Goes Up Must Come Down!" in What The—?! #22 (October 1992); script by Barry Dutter; pencils, inks, and letters by John Costanza; colors by Vladimir Fiks

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 258: Maybe it would help if you published newspapers with more than just a headline


Panels from Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #225 (June 1995); script by Tom DeFalco; breakdowns by Sal Buscema; finishes by Bill Sienkiewicz; colors by John Kalisz; letters by Clem Robins, Bill Oakley, Susan Crespi, and Jonathan Babcock

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 257: Hangry Like the Wolf


Panels from Spider-Man Fairy Tales #1 (July 2007); script by C.B. Cebulski and David Sexton; art by Ricardo Tercio

Monday, September 12, 2016

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 256: Today in Comics History, September 12, 1981

One of the greatest Amazing Spider-Man Annuals ever published is 1981's #15. It might even possibly be considered the greatest, and I'm saying that even as a huge fan of ASMA #1, with its full-page Ditko fight-sequences, one for each member of the Sinister Six. Nor (nor!) do I say this simply because it's written by the great Denny "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley" O'Neil. Or even that the wonderful art is done by pre-Crisis Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. Yea unto you, as Stan Lee woulda toldja, it is not e'en because, as the cover clearly shows us, it's a story about the Spectacular Spider-Man battling the Pernicious Punisher while the Dastardly Doctor Octopus drinks his Sinister Starbucks.


cover of Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964 series) #15 (Marvel, 1981), pencils by Frank Miller, inks by Klaus Janson

It's not even because it takes place Today in Comics History, thirty-five years to the day:


No, it's because (as you may have guessed from the subject of this post), it's the single greatest story about J. Jonah Jameson choosing what will run on the Daily Bugle's front page.


from Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964 series) #15 (1981), script by Denny O'Neil, breakdowns by Frank Miller, finishes by Klaus Janson, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Jim Novak

Luckily for Peter Parker, Spider-Man's Press Agent, an even more newsworthy story comes in: that Peter Parker shoots photographs using such ultra-highspeed film he can capture the gaseous track a bullet makes through the atmosphere! Kodak stocks are about to go through the roof. They'll never go out of business!


But that's knocked off the front page only shortly later by the kissably soft lips of The Punisher! (see The Kissably Soft Lips of the Punisher #16, August 1979: "Kill me Baby, One More Time!")


Well, things can't get much worse than that in New York City...oh.


But, thanks to a little Spider-Mannin', all's well that ends well, and Jameson finally gets to use that photograph of him taken by his dentist, Doctor Frederick von Doom (no relation), D.D.S.


So, back to the drawing board for the final edition, I guess. That's our Jonah!


(sadtrombone.mp3)

Sunday, September 11, 2016

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 255: And although this is a fight I can lose, the accused is an innocent man

And then there as the time that crazy old man Clint Eastwood delivered a subpoena to J. Jonah Jameson...or is that an injunction? I never get those two straight.


Panels from She-Hulk (2004 series) #4 (August 2004), script by Dan Slott, pencils by Juan Bobillo, inks by Marcelo Sosa, colors by Chris Chuckry, letters by Dave Sharpe

Thus begins the most exciting episode ever of The Paper Chase in Night Court for Law and Order starring Matlock, Harvey Birdman, Ally McBeal and Perry Mason's L.A. Law!


It's always good to hire an attorney who's read up on his Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe:


Of course, like this one, 90% of super-hero-related court cases are wrapped up with a settlement instead of a verdict. Remember when Frank Castle did 80 hours of community service for blowing away the Gamboni Family?


And it all ends, like all comic book stories do, with the main characters in chicken suits.


Bonus Fun Fact! Matt Murdock does not appear in this story!