365 Days of Defiance, Day 49: I still think of you when we dance / Although we can't jitterbug as we did then

To paraphrase Ms. Ciccone: who's that girl? Naw, she's not just another 1971 background character: you know her today as a vital part of Marvel comics and the MCU! Who is she? Go ahead, guess!


Panels from the Ka-Zar story "The Battle of New Britannia!" in Astonishing Tales (1970 series) #8 (October 1971), script by Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Tom Sutton, letters by Artie Simek
Here's a hint: her name is Barbara!






Want another hint? Okay: She was married to one of the premier heroes of the Marvel Universe, and she's also a superhero herself?






Give up yet? Okay, her last name is Morse. Barbara Morse. You may know her instead, though, as Bobbi Morse, the mellifluous Mockingbird!, here in only her third appearance! It'll be a few issues before she gains a last name and some time before she becomes Agent 19 and then the Huntress and then Mockingbird, but now she's a Marvel Legend! Even though she spent several years kidnapped by Skrulls and yeah I'm gonna forget about that story.


Cover of Hawkeye (1983 series) #3 (November 1983), pencils by Mark Gruenwald, inks by Bob Layton
So remember; punch Nazis! Just like Barbara!

365 Days of Defiance, Day 48: Lovely Legion Lass Laurel Licks Loathsome Lizardy Lords

Panels from Legion of Super-Heroes (1989 "Five Years Later" series) #34 (October 1992), Plot and breakdowns by Keith Giffen;, dialogue and story assist by Tom Bierbaum and Mary Bierbaum, pencils and story assist by Jason Pearson, inks by Karl Story, colors by Tom McCraw, letters by John Workman

Today in Comics History, February 16, 1988: Death of comic book writer elicits concern...for comic book

from Psi-Force #20 (Marvel/New Universe, June 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker
To be fair to the script, it's referring to the 1988 fictional death within the New Universe of Mark Gruenwald when Star Brand blew up a Pittsburgh comic book convention, not Gruenward's real-world passing in 1996. Within the pages of the New U, John Byrne and Howard Mackie got exploded too.

I like to think that within the New U, their ashes were mixed into the printers' ink that made Captain America. And DC put John Byrne's ashes in the ink for Superman. In other words, the world outside your window.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 47: Your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards

Panels from Seven Soldiers: [The Manhattan] Guardian #2 (July 2005), script by Grant Morrison, pencils and inks by Cameron Stewart, colors by Moose Baumann, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, February 16, 1989: The Daily Bugle suddenly appears in the New Universe for no reason

house ad in Marvel/New Universe comics cover dated June 1989, pencils and inks by Tom Morgan
Here's the ad art in full color from the cover of the first issue of The War, the New Universe's pretty-much-a-swan-song:


cover of The War #1 (Marvel/New Universe, August 1989), pencils and inks by Tom Morgan

Bully Eats Food: They're always after me Lucky Charms

Oh boy! I have a HUGE box of Lucky Charms from General Mills cereal and it is branded with DC's Green Lantern character!

Today in Comics History, February 15, 1988: Hopes that the Russians love their children too are sadly dashed

from Psi-Force #20 (Marvel/New Universe, June 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker

365 Days of Defiance, Day 46: Break on through to the other side

Panels from Black Panther (1977 series) #12 (November 1978), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Mike Royer, colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by Mike Royer

365 Days of Defiance, Day 45 and Today in Comics History, February 14: "Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave."

Although his exact birthday isn't known, it's generally considered that today is the birth date of statesman, abolitionist, author and leading figure in the African American history Frederick Douglass. What else do we know about Douglass? What, say, does the leader of the United States know about him?

"Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice." — The President of the United States, marking the start of African-American History Month 2017

Let's learn a little bit more about him, shall we? (And check the hovertext on each image for — not jokes, not today — more quotes from Douglass.)






from "Frederick Douglass" in Classics Illustrated #169 [[Negro Americans: The Early Years] (Gilberton, Spring 1969), pencils and inks by Norman Nodel
There. You now know worlds more about Frederick Douglass than the President of the United States. And about a lot of other stuff, too, I bet. You can learn lots more if you follow up by reading Douglass's own works and a solid biography of the man. Remember: "Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave."

Today in Comics History, February 14: Fat, black vulture, white head hung low, chewin' dead meat by the side of the road

Petey's got a hot date, Petey's got a hot date...



Panels from A Year of Marvels #2 (Marvel, February 2016), script by Ryan North, layouts by Mast, pencils and inks by Danilo Beyrouth, colors by Cris Peter, letters by Travis Lanham
I predict this will not go well.



HA HA CISSY IRONWOOD WILL HATE HIM NOW


Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy yer date with the Vulture, Pete!

Today in Comics History, February 14: Meet the still-beating kawaii hearts that Starfire adorably ripped out of the chests of her cute enemies

from Teen Titans Go! (digital 2014 series) #16 (DC, February 2015); script by Amy Wolfram; pencils, inks, and colors by Lea Hernandez; letters by Wes Abbott

Today in Comics History, February 14: On this day we can conclude, Morgan Freeman loves you, dude

"Easy Reader's Valentine" from Spidey Super Stories #8 (May 1975), script by Jean Thomas, pencils by Win Mortimer

Today in Comics History, February 14, 1974: Ben Grimm is in big trouble with Alicia for forgetting Valentine's Day

from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #160 (July 1975), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Chic Stone, colors by Janice Cohen, letters by Ray Holloway

365 Days of Defiance, Day 44: Mad mad boy grips the microphone wit' a fistful of steel

When we last left ex-con protagonist (if not hero) Steeljack, he was being drowned by villain the Conquistador. But can you keep a Robert Mitchum impersonator down? Well, you know what they say...


Panels from Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Wildstorm/Homage 1996 series) #20 (January 2000); script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Brent Anderson, inks by Will Blyberg, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by John Roshell and Wes Abbott
...Mitchum is so effective you can skip a day OR pound a villain into the ground! Mind you, the deodorant brand of the same name tended to focus more upon the skipping a day option rather than the latter.

Today in Comics History, February 13, 1970: We have a sudden realization that his last name actually wasn't "the Duck"

from Howard the Duck (1979 magazine series) #6 (Marvel, July 1980), script by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Michael Golden, inks by Bill McLeod, letters by Jim Novak

Today in Comics History, February 12, 1992: Jeanne Constantine Still Won't Do Her Dirty Dishes

from Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority #2 (WildStorm, September 2000), script by Mark Millar, pencils by John McCrea, inks by James Hodgkins, colors by Ian Hannin, letters by Bill O'Neil

365 Days of Defiance, Day 43: Steel Fightin' Man

At the end of a long story arc (made even longer by creator health-related delays in its publishing schedule), we catch up with Astro City ex-con and Robert Mitchum-lookalike Steeljack when he finally faces off against El Conquistador, the quite-mad hero-turned-supervillain behind a plot to kill supers.


Panels from Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Wildstorm/Homage 1996 series) #20 (January 2000); script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Brent Anderson, inks by Will Blyberg, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by John Roshell and Wes Abbott
He's badly outpowered. Will he give up? Heck no.


But will he succeed? Um, possibly not.



This ain't the end, of course! Tune in tomorrow!

Today in Comics History, February 12, 1947: Fans line up overnight for the Playstation '47

from Girl in Dior graphic novel (NBM, April 2015); script, pencils and inks by Annie Goetzinger, translation by Joe Johnson, letters by Ortho