Today in Comics History, February 26: Happy birthday, Johnny Cash!

cover of Daredevil (1964 series) #284 (Marvel, September 1990), pencils by Lee Weeks, inks by Al Williamson
Why, he's Johnny Cash, born on this day in 1932! Yes, Johnny Cash, the great American singer, songwriter, actor, and comic book star!


cover of Hello, I'm Johnny Cash one-shot (Revell, 1976), pencils and inks by Al Hartley
Johnny was the star of this Spire Christian Comics autobiographical comic focusing on his life, career, and spirituality, focusing on his descent into drinking, drugs, and behavior Jesus would tsk his tongue over, until he is saved by his belief in Christ and, oh yeah, stopping with the boozing, pills, and womanizing. Well, I coulda told ya that, Johnny; you didn't have to bother Jesus about it. Despite its moral messages, though, it'a actually a fun comic, and doesn't back off from showing some of Johnny's badass moments.




from Hello, I'm Johnny Cash one-shot (Revell, 1976); script by Billy Zeoli; pencils, inks, and letters by Al Hartley
Not a lot of people know that (copyright ©1966 Michael Caine) Johnny starred in a comic as an old-timey Western star back in the 1950s!




from "His Lasso and the Law!" in Apache Trail #3 (Farrell, February 1958), pencils by Charles Sultan
Naw, I tell a little fib (copyright ©2021 Bully). This is actually the adventures of Johnny Lash, reprinted from Crack Western which is Whack Western #75 from Quality Comics in 1951, but the hero has been re-named Cash (maybe because of rights issues) and the story is re-lettered in this reprint! The narration and dialogue is rewritten as well.




from "Hangnoose Sunrise!" in Crack Western #75 (Quality, November 1951), pencils by Charles Sultan
But can't ya picture the real Johnny Cash actually having these adventures? i can, because I have a vivid, action-packed cinematic imagination that often stars Johnny Cash.



from Apache Trail #3
These been a few very good Cash comics biographies over the past few years. I especially like this one:


from Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Abrams, 2009), script and art by Reinhold Kleist
So, we wish you a happy birthday, Johnny Cash! You're no longer here, but your music — and your legend — is still with us! Thanks, Man in Black!


from Gumby (2006 series) #2 (Wildcard, November 2006), pencils and inks by Rick Geary, colors by Steve Oliff