Today in Comics History, April 8, 1959: Colorist forgets what a quarter to midnight looks like

from newuniversal: 1959 #1 (Marvel/New Universe, September 2008), script by Kieron Gillen, pencils and inks by Greg Scott and Kody Chamberlain, colors by Val Staples, letters by Ed Dukeshire

Today in Comics History, April 8, 1959: Lester has a drink at the Dennis Franz-lookalike bar

from newuniversal: 1959 #1 (Marvel/New Universe, September 2008), script by Kieron Gillen, pencils and inks by Greg Scott and Kody Chamberlain, colors by Val Staples, letters by Ed Dukeshire

365 Days of Defiance, Day 98: While you were watching American Idol, this guy spent a mythical age defending your Asgardian rights

Take it from one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe: filibustering is a perfectly cromulent way to fight the power! You go, Volstagg!



Panels from The Mighty Thor (2016 series) #16 (April 2017), script by Jason Aaron, pencils and inks by Russell Dauterman, colors by Matthew Wilson, letters by Joe Sabino

365 Days of Defiance, Day 97: I'd buy this on a t-shirt

Panel from America #1 (May 2017), script by Gabby Rivera, pencils by Joe Quinones, inks by Joe Rivera and Paolo Riovera, inks by Josè Villarrubia, letters by Travis Lanham

365 Days of Defiance, Day 96: You can tell it's an evil universe because Diana's costume is black, shiny, and skintight

So, here's Diana, Princess of the Amazons, searching for a powerful ally on an Earth where Evil Superman and Criminal Batman have taken over the world! (Ooooooh!)


Panels from Superman/Batman #14 (January 2005), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Jesus Merino, colors by Laura Martin, letters by Richard Starkings
She needs a powerful to battle Sinister Superman and Bad Batman. So who does she pick? Green Lantern? Aquaman? Scribby? Captain Morgan?


Nope. Uncle Sam. To be fair to Diana, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and all the rest have been killed, so she couldn't go for them. But Diana: Detective Chimp!

Today in Comics History, April 6, 1988: The New Universe: The World Inside That Window, If You're a Peeping Tom

from Psi-Force #24 (Marvel/New Universe, October 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Nelson Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, April 5, 1988: Mysterious phone call more important than Bugs Bunny, so I call no way

from Psi-Force #25 (Marvel/New Universe, November 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Graham Nolan, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker

365 Days of Defiance, Day 95: This sort of scene better be in the movie

Panels from The Legend of Wonder Woman (2015 digital series) #19 (March 2016); script and pencils by Renae De Liz; inks, colors, and letters by Ray Dillon]

Today in Comics History, April 4, 1959 and 1988: Debut, Max Lord of Earth-555

Curiously, April 4 is a quiet day on Earth-616, in the Marvel Universe. On a peaceful day like today, the X-Men play softball, Peter Parker goes out for a lovely picnic with his best girl (Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, Debra Whitman, Felicia Hardy, Cindy Moon, or any assortment or one or another), and Jarvis continues his spring cleaning.

But April 4 is not a quiet day in the New Universe of Earth-148611, just down the road and outside your window (oh no! someone has stolen your window!) You see, everyone's been caught in The Draft, which is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. And Windy has stormy eyes that flash at the sound of lies! It's her paranormal power ever since the White Event.



from (top) The Draft one-shot (Marvel/New Universe, July 1988), script by Mark Gruenwald and Fabian Nicieza; pencils by Herb Trimpe; inks by Kyle Baker, Mike Gustovich, Klaus Janson, Lee Weeks, and Keith Williams; colors by Michael Higgins; letters by Jim Novak
and (bottom) Psi-Force #23 (Marvel/New Universe, September 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Graham Nolan, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Nelson Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker
Not to mention that The Pitt (a big hole in the ground where Pittsburgh used to be) is slowly settling into sludge, making it even more difficult to fill with rich delicious My-T-Fine chocolate pudding:


tText page diagram from Justice #24 (Marvel/New Universe, October 1988)
Meanwhile (meaning 29 years previously), in the newer newuniverse (Earth-555, where is where they make all the fictional phone calls to), young Tony Stark is having the best day ever!



from newuniversal #1 (Marvel/New Universe, September 2008), script by Kieron Gillen, pencils and inks by Greg Scott and Kody Chamberlain, colors by Val Staples, letters by Ed Dukeshire
Oh wait. I did that wrong. Worst day ever. Worst day.

(whistles "Iron Man" theme as I walk away)

365 Days of Defiance, Day 94: When Captain America wields his mighty pencil

Hey good people! I'm trying to catch up on this feature, so in the meantime, would it hurt you to do some work on it? No, it would not.

So get out your pen or pencils or crayon or El Marko and help Cap and Bucky fight the Nazi menace! Can you help Captain America save Bucky? Can you help Captain America find the spies in this picture? Can you believe you're actually drawing on your copy of a Golden Age Timely comic? Stimpy, you fool! You've ruined its priceless value!


Panels from "Sentinels of Liberty Secret Club News" in Captain America Comics #6 (Marvel/Timely, September 1941)

Today in Comics History, April 3, 1876: There was too much fighting on the dance floor

Yesterday, Marty McFly and Doc Emmett Brown took off willy-nilly for April 2, 1876. Why, whatever could have gone so horribly wrong to send them to that period of time? What possibly?




from Back to the Future: Citizen Brown #5 (IDW, September 2016), script by Eric Burnham, pencils by Alan Robinson, inks by Alan Robinson and Jaime Castro, colors by Maria Santaolalla, letters by Shawn Lee
Better fix that, guys. Forward into the past!

365 Days of Defiance, Day 93: I think I've got something in my eye...I've just been chopping onions, stop asking me.

Panels from Justice League of America #184 (November 1980), script by Gerry Conway, breakdowns by George Pérez, finishes by Frank McLaughlin, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by Ben Oda

365 Days of Defiance, Day 92: One! Two! Three! Four! What are we fighting for!

Oh no! The Fantastic Four have been captured! And Stan 'n' Jack take maybe a little too much pleasure in imagining their terrible fates!


Panels from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #16 (July 1963), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Are they gonna give up? Heck no!


And they do it like this:

Today in Comics History: Wild West Nick Fury is really in a rush somewhere

from Back to the Future: Citizen Brown #5 (IDW, September 2016), script by Eric Burnham, pencils by Alan Robinson, inks by Alan Robinson and Jaime Castro, colors by Maria Santaolalla, letters by Shawn Lee
Say, where are Marty and the Doc (They're Marty and the Doc! Yes, Marty and the Doc! That one's a doc / The other's Michael J. Foc...s.)? We'll find out tomorrow! (Or, if you have a time machine, right now.)