Today in Comics History, March 3: Happy birthday, Jean Harlow!

Born today in 1911, actor Jean Harlow, the "Blonde Bombshell," one of cinema's most important early portayers of sexy seductress roles. Despite her short career, she appeared in a lot of movies during those days when studios would turn around a picture a week, like The Saturday Night Kid, Hell's Angels, Goldie, Dinner at Eight, Red Dust, Dinner at Eight, Reckless, and even Iron Man (the original one; pay attention, son — but wouldn't she have made a great Pepper Potts?). Taken from the world way too soon — she died of uremia (kidney failure) at age 26 — she also didn't get a lot of appearances in comic books, but here's some I've found that spotlight the sparkling, laughing vamp.

Here's Jean...sadly pushed all the way over on the right edge. Next to Jugheads's feet. That's no proper fate for the Queen of the Bombshells!


cover of Life with Archie #94 (Archie, February 1970), artist unknown
Jean's a red-carpet event (between the two word balloons) in this comic book reprint of the "Olly of the Movies" comic strip.


from "Olly of the Movies" in Famous Funnies #6 (Eastern Color, January 1935); script, pencils, and inks by Julian Ollendorff
The Grand Comicbook Database suggests that the blonde in this panel is Jean...but it's from a 1947 comic, a full ten years after Jean's death. It might be a mistaken identification here, or I'd like to posit that in this universe, Black Cat got Jean to the hospital early enough to be diagnosed and saved. See, that's what the multiverse is for. (Let me know in the comments if you think you know who that's supposed to be!)


from Black Cat #6 (Harvey, June 1947), script by Blanche Carlin (?) or Beverly Suser (?), pencils and inks by Lee Elias, letters by Ben Oda
But there's no mistaking her and Hal Roach, her director on early silent shorts, in this special Krazy Kat ink and painted piece by creator George Herriman — now that's a cartoon tribute! With his American Indian Cupids, Herriman appears to be "shipping" Jean and Hal. Is this the first comics example of "shipping?" Oh, wait, Tijuana Bibles. Which I'm not 'lowed to look at. Never mind.

painting from Krazy & Ignatz 1941-1942: A Ragout of Raspberries (Fantagraphics, December 2007), by George Herriman
(Click picture to Coconino-size)
Happy birthday and peace to you, Jean Harlow.