Today in Comics History, New Year's Eve, December 31, 2020: I saw this film about some people who lived in a dome / In a beautiful field next to a river of foam

Old Man Kent wishes you a Happy New Year! He also wishes those dang kids would get off his dome.


from "Deadly New Year-- 2021!" in Superman (1939 series) #368 (DC, February 1982), script by Bob Rozakis, pencils by Alex Saviuk, inks by Frank Chiaramonte, colors by Tom Ziuko, letters by John Costanza
How will it all end? Find out...in sixty seconds!

Today in Comics History Future, December 25, 2020, Christmas: The Shallow Grave Christmas Special!

from "The Year Santa Signed On" in 2000 AD Prog 868 (Fleetway, 1 January 1994), script by Mark Millar, art by by Ron Smith and Gina Hart, letters by Ellie DeVille

What Bully Got for Halloween: A g-g-ghost!

We got a new pal: a stuffed Halloween ghost we bought on deep deep post-Halloween discount from Target because he was missing on of the flags that spelled out "Boo".

We just named him "Bo." Bo the Ghost.


You can see I need a good washing as I too am supposed to be white. It's kind of embarrassing here.

Bully Eats Food Drinks Beverages: A delicious Starbucks Frappuccino

I am having a bottled Starbucks Frappuccino! Yummmmm.


Seriously, I'm like addicted to these guys.

Bully Eats Food: Breakfast sammich

John made me an egg sammich and chocolate milk!


No, I did NOT put Tabasco in the chocolate milk.

The Adventures of Bully: Please Mister Postman

H'lo folks! I am working on my stamp collection tonight!

Today in Comics History, July 21, 2020: This, uncannily enough, is exactly 2020 looks like, except it needs more masks

cover of 2020 Visions #1 (DC/Vertigo, May 1997), photo collage by John Eder

Her Majesty

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she doesn't have a lot to say


Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she changes from day to day


I want to tell her that I love her a lot
But I gotta get a bellyful of wine


Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Someday I'm going to make her mine, oh yeah
Someday I'm going to make her mine

The End.

Page from FF (2013 series) #14 (January 2014), story by Matt Fraction and Lee Allred, script by Lee Allred, pencils and inks by Michael Allred, colors by Laura Allred, letters by Clayton Cowles
But I don't want to say goodbye.

I am seven years old (which is still a very good age to be) and my blog is fifteen years old. How did that happen? I really don't know. But now it's time to pick up the toys and the tinsel and wipe off the greasepaint and sweep up the cookie crumbs and say, yes, this is the end of Comics Oughta Be Fun.

You've probably almost certainly noticed I've been perpetually inconsistent with this blog over the past four years (long gone are the glory days of 2012-2013 where I published over 1,200 posts per year). I've found it harder and harder to concentrate on writing pity pieces of precise practicality and playfulness, especially since 2016, and I've gotten further and further behind and have had to play catch-up in marathon sessions that never have captured the drive and — let's say it — fun that I felt I was bringing you at the best of times.

And I've been battling with the systems of blogging as well. Last month I discovered any new images I posted would no longer show up. I bypassed it manually for this post, but losing that process really stranded me out here without the tools I use and need. Probably the telling point was when I've tried to convert of transfer the blog over to my own domain rather than Blogger, but I was just baffled at every turn. I used to be a smart little bull, but the tech has caught up with me, and now I'm a Bull of Very Little Brain.

I'm sorry I won't finish 365 Days of Power and Responsibility, especially during these times. I'm really sorry I never finished the back half of A Wodehouse a Week, a non-comics project I have been really proud to do (half of). I'm sorry I never finished a year of KirbyTech, but emotional crashes kept even the Ultimate Nullifier from cheering me up then.


But hey! Let's not be sad here. I'm still around. I still love comics. And comics still are fun. And I love them as I love you and everyone who read this cow-town puppetblog and contributed help, comments, suggestions, and love. You are the folks who deserve a standing ovation, so give one to yourself! I'm applauding along with ya!

Whatever else, this is a happy ending. So in the words of the great Chrissie Hynde, stop your sobbing, and remember this:

EVERYTHING Oughta Be Fun.

And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make

HOW MANY TIMES TO I HAFTA TELL YA?!?

STAY HOME AND STAY INSIDE!


Panel from "The Cannibal!" in Out of the Shadows #13 (Pines, May 1954), script by Carl Wessler,
inks by Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio (?), letters by Herb Field

Today One Thousand Years in the Future in Comics, April 1, 2993: That one never goes out of style

from Legion of Super-Heroes (1989 series) #41 (DC, March 1993), script by Tom Bierbaum and Mary Bierbaum, pencils by Chris Sprouse, inks by Karl Story, colors by Tom McCraw, letters by John Workman

The 1992 2020 Marvel Age Calendar: In April I will just stay set / And smoke a Winston cigarette

Alas! Instead of the usual monthly 1992 calendar that we can use again in this shelter-at-home era of 2020, Marvel Age #112 instead provided us with this kinda-silly house ad:


Granted, this issue does give us the bovine excellence of Mark Texeira's TexCow:


But that doesn't solve the problem of needing an April 1992 calendar you can use to count of the many, many days we're all stayin' indoors. Tell ya what: here's the Winston Cigarettes Page-a-Day calendar for April 1992.


So smoke 'em if you got 'em tear off the pages every day to keep track of the rich, delicious taste and cool menthol that only aa Winston can give you each day you don't go out without gloves and a mask and unless you really need to, okay? Remember: it tastes good like a calendar should!

PS: Don't smoke, kids. I'm dead now. Don't smoke.

PPS: I'm not dead.

Also not dead: The X-Men's Kitty Pryde, because the very first time she tried smoking...


Panel from Uncanny X-Men #186 (August 1985), script by Chris Claremont, breakdowns by John Romita, Jr., finishes by Dan Green, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Tom Orzechowski
...and Ms. Pryde never smoked ever again.


Panels from Generation Next #2 (April 1995), script by Scott Lobdell, pencils by Chris Bachalo, inks by Mark Buckingham, colors by Steve Buccellato, letters by Richard Starkings
OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD KITTY

Today in Comics History, March 31: Ben Grimm Goes to DashCon

Hey hey hey Baxter Building Boosters! What day is it?

Today the Human Torch plays a April Fool's joke on the Thing, in one of the finest Ben Grimm stories put down on paper! (Seriously, you need to get it. It's in Marvel Fanfare #15, and I don't know why it hasn't been reprinted twenty times. Ask for it by name!


from Marvel Fanfare #15 (Marvel, July 1984); script, pencils, inks, and colors by Barry Windsor-Smith; letters by Jim Novak
But wait, Bully! (you're saying) Why are you posting this a day too early? Have you made a mistake? (you ask). Well, no (I say). I'm not the one who made a mistake.


In any case, get a good night's sleep, and have a peaceful and serene April Fool's Day tomorrow. Don't do anything too extreme: I don't think our hearts can stand it this year.

Today in Comics History, March 30, 1981: Big Blue meets...well, don't look directly at it.

from Doomsday Clock #10 (DC, July 2019), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh

Today in Comics History, March 27, 1941: Filming of that Kate Bush video does not go smoothly

from James Bond: Origin #2 (Dynamite, October 2018); script by Jeff Parker; pencils, inks, and colors by Bob Q; letters by Simon Bowland

Today in Comics History, March 26, 1941: Sgt. Pepper takes James Bond to a pretty lousy petting zoo

from James Bond: Origin #2 (Dynamite, October 2018); script by Jeff Parker; pencils, inks, and colors by Bob Q; letters by Simon Bowland

Today in Comics History, March 23: I fall to pieces without you

from Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (May 1985), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Tony Tollin, letters by John Costanza
Aw, that's just a comic book gimmick. I'm sure he's okay.


cover of Heroes in Crisis #6 (April 2019), art by Ryan Sook
Whoops.

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 80: This is clearly a mirror universe because the burglar is running past Spidey from left to right instead of from right to left as in the original comic book*

Panels from "Marvel Legacy Primer: The Amazing Spider-Man" in Amazing Spider-Man #789 (December 2017), script by Robbie Thompson, pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by John Dell, colors by Dan Brown, letters by Joe Caramagna
*Where's my No-Prize, Stan?!?

Today in Comics History, March 19, 1952: Wow, Bogart looks different than I remember

from Doomsday Clock #10 (DC, July 2019), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 79: Wow, Ditko's style really changed in just three months!

Panel from Amazing Fantasy (1995 series) #18 (March 1996), script by Kurt Busiek, painted art by Paul Lee. letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, March 19, 1941: Yet another chance for me to use that "In the Navy" music video!

Page from Captain America & the Invaders: Bahamas Triangle one-shot (Marvel, September 2019), script by Roy Thomas,
pencils and inks by Jerry Ordway, colors by Jay David Ramos, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, March 18, 1941: Oh pointy shield, oh pointy pointy

from Captain America & the Invaders: Bahamas Triangle one-shot (Marvel, September 2019), script by Roy Thomas, pencils and inks by Jerry Ordway, colors by Jay David Ramos, letters by Joe Caramagna

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 78: Wrong universe, Kara!

Panel from Adventures of Supergirl #3 (August 2016), script by Sterling Gates, pencils by Emanuela Lupacchino, inks by Ray McCarthy, colors by Brian Miller and Kristy Miller, letters by Saida Temofonte

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 77: A drive-in movie theater plays the MCU films way too loudly

Panels from 2099 Alpha #1 one-shot (January 2020), script by Nick Spencer, pencils and inks by Viktor Bogdanović, colors by Marte Gracia, letters byJoe Caramagna

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 76: Brian an' Meggan, sittin' on a tree / Discussin' responsibility

Panel from Excalibur #53 (August 1992), script by Scott Lobdell, pencils by James Fry, inks by Chris Ivy, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Michael Heisler

Today in Comics History, March 16, 2016: They lost on Double Jeopardy

Hey, remember back on February 3, where the Vision Twins were accused of shaking down their classmates for their lunch money, Pokémon cards, and this week's cool new Marvel Comic book releases? Naw, me either. But they were j'accused, and it looked a little bit like this:


cover of The Vision (2016 series) #4 (Marvel April 2016); pencils, inks, and colors by Mike Del Mundo
Well, whatever you can say about that scene (like, Vin Vision is much taller than three apples), you can say this: it definitely happened on February 3.

Or...did it?


cover of The Vision (2016 series) #4, second printing (MARVEL, May 2016); pencils, inks, and colors by Mike Del Mundo
What? Marvel changed the cover just because this book got reprinted six months later? Hmmm, on the positive side, that absolutely does help to identify the second printing from the first in the best way aside from putting the words "Second Printing" on the cover. But it does point out the deficiency in our Earth-616 school districts where the new pair of kids have to face a kangaroo court every month. Although, kangaroo court? That sounds like fun! "Your honor, I'd like to pocket this motion."

Anyway, at least we've heard the last of that.

...

But please do come back again on July 12, next year!

Today in Comics History, March 15: The Avengers screw up their own history, continuity, and comic book sales

from Avengers: Timeslide one-shot (Marvel, February 1996), created by soooooooooooooo many guys

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 75: And that's how Peter Parker missed his own uncle's funeral

Panels from "Behind the Mask" in Giant-Size Spider-Man (2014 series) #1 one-shot (July 2014), script by Joe Caramagna, pencils and inks by Giancarlo Caracuzzo, colors by Sotocolor, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, March 15: This fellow's wise enough to play the fool

'Tis the Ides of March! And if we could go outside and celebrate, that might mean something. But one hero who's in the Caesar-stabbin' mood is that Mercutio with a Mouth, Deadpool! He covers all the classical holidays!


from Deadpool (2016 series) #21 (Marvel, December 2016), script by Ian Doescher, pencils and inks by Bruno Oliveira, colors by Nick Filardi, letters by Joe Sabino
So what does Deadpool do on the fifteenth?


Well, at least he has his priorities straight.

Today in Comics History, March 14: Harley Quinn switches from puddin' to Jell-O

cover of Heroes in Crisis #8 (June 2019), art by Ryan Sook

Today in Comics History, March 14: And in another three or four more issues Bendis might actually finish this scene

Born Adopted on this day: Naomi McDuffie aka Powerhouse!


from Naomi #1 (March 2019); script by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker; pencils, inks, and colors by Jamal Campbell; letters by Josh Reed


from Naomi #2 (April 2019); script by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker; pencils, inks, and colors by Jamal Campbell; letters by Josh Reed