Today in Comics History, May 6: Happy birthday, David Michelinie!

Born on this day: David Michelinie, comics scripter of Iron Man, The Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Action Comics, House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Aquaman, Star Wars, Marvel Team-Up, and others; co-creator of Venom, Carnage, Scott and Cassie Lang, Jim Rhodes, Taskmaster, Star Raiders, Madame Xanadu, and many more!


from Marvel Age #29, 53, 89, and 101 (Marvel, August 1985, August 1987, June 1990, and June 1991); text by Jim Salicrup (#29), Mike Carlin (#53) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#89 and 101); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Paul Becton (#53) and Renee Witterstaetter (#89 and 101)
He arrived at Marvel in a cloud of dust and a hearty "heigh-ho, Silver!" Oh, excuse me, I've made another one of my silly mistakes. That was actually Bob Layton who did that.


from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated November 1978, text by Jim Shooter
Page 7 of iron Man #116 provides a mind-shattering surprise? Well, let's check out page 7 of that comic and find out what the Sam Scratch is just so fantastic, amazing, incredible and uncanny!


from Iron Man (1958 series) #116 (Marvel, November 1978), co-plot and script by David Michelinie, co-plot and inks by Bob Layton, pencils by John Romita Jr., colors by George Roussos, letters by Annette Kawecki
Oh, I guess the big surprise is that when you hit him, Iron Man goes BLANG BLANG BLANG.

Wait, didn't Shooter say page 7 of the script? That's different: that would be around the final panels of the story.


Oooh, that is surprising! Okay, Bullpen Bulletins, I'll give ya this one.

But say! How do you pronounce "Michelinie?" Me, I'm been pronouncing it "Throatwarbler Mangrove," but I might have it wrong.


letter column from Amazing Spider-Man (1962 series) #338 (Marvel, September 1990)
So there ya go. Don't pickle her knee, or his or even your cat's: pick my knee.

Can you find Michelinie among the guests at Superman's wedding?

from Superman: The Wedding Album one-shot (DC, December 1996), pencils by Dan Jurgens, inks by Jerry Ordway, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Bill Oakley
Click top picture to honeymoon-size
Here's a trickier one: find David (and other DC chiller creators) in the House of Mystery! (If you can't, don't fret it: it's a mystery!)

from "Do You Dare Enter The House of Mystery?" in House of Mystery (1951 series) #226 (DC, August 1974), script by Paul Levitz, pencils and inks by Sergio Aragonés
(Click top picture to ogre-size)
Finally, just in case that comic book writing career never becomes lucrative, Dave also runs a automobile tire business. They're having a hard month finance-wise, but if they can just deliver this van of radials without incident or accident...D'OH!


from Marvel Team-Up (1972 series) #121 (Marvel, September 1982), script by J. M. DeMatteis, pencils by Kerry Gammill, inks by Mike Esposito, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Joe Rosen
A very happy birthday to you, David Michelinie, from me an' Mrs. Arbogast!


from DC Comics cover-dated August 1977