Today in Comics History, February 21: Happy birthday, Léo Delibes!

Born on this day in 1836: opera and ballet composer Léo Delibes, who is not a figure you'd ordinarily expect to find in a comic book. His works include the ballets Coppélia and Sylvia and the opera Lakmé, which includes the well-known "Flower Duet." But suppose you know nothing (nothing!) of the opera Lakmé, and you're invited tonight to a Léo Delibes birthday party celebration and you're expected to make small talk with the great composer. You can't go to WIkipedia to bone up, because his evil-arch rival, Anti-Delibes, has spent all day sabotaging the entries on his work so that they now include Elmer Fudd and the 1819 Peach Revolt. Turn instead to a comic book, which we all know from experience, never lies!


"Famous Operas: Lakmé" in Classics Illustrated #65 (Gilberton, November 1949)
There! Now you're all set to converse with Léo Delibes. Just throw in a few references to how much you enjoyed his ballet Snoopy, Come Home, and you're in like Flynn!