Bully Says: Comics Oughta Be Fun!

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Today in Comics History, June 14: Happy birthday, Paul Kupperberg!

Born on this day: comics writer and editor, book author, co-creator of Arion, Dorothy Spinner, Ch'p and more: Paul Kupperberg! His comics credits include Arion, Lord of Atlantis, Checkmate, The Superman Family, DC Comics Presents, the Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, Green Lantern, 2000 AD, Life with Archie, and dozens more, plus superhero, SF, and general prose fiction and non-fiction and comic strips!

Clean air in West Virginia? Must not've been a coal mining town.

Clean air in West Virginia? Must not've been a coal mining town.

from Showcase #95 (DC, October 1977)

Here's Paul and writer Jack C. Harris hunting down Gregory the Gargoyle in the House of Mystery!

When nobody's around, Gilbert lies on the top of his gargoylehouse and dreams he's the famous Word War I Enemy Ace.

When nobody's around, Gilbert lies on the top of his gargoylehouse and dreams he's the famous Word War I Enemy Ace.

I don't know why, but I just have the feeling that Gregory would talk in the voice of Gilbert Godfried.

Decent work from Walt Disney? No, that's MARVEL that gets bought out!

from "Gregory the Gargoyle" in House of Mystery #254 (DC, September 1977), script by Jack C. Harris, pencils by Ric Estrada, inks by Jack Abel, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Paul, didja get good seats ringside at the Superman vs. Muhammad Ali boxing match for the fate of the Earth?

cover of All-New Collectors' Edition #C-56 (DC, March 1978), layout by Joe Kubert, pencils by Neal Adams, inks by Neal Adams (?) and/or Cory Adams (?), logo design by John Workman
(Click top picture to GOAT-size)
Here's Paul Kupperberg (bottom middle, with John Byrne) ignoring Robotman stepping out into Christmas!

What do you get a Robotman for Christmas when he's already got Brasso brass polish?

What do you get a Robotman for Christmas when he's already got Brasso brass polish?

from "The Secret Origin of the Doom Patrol" in Secret Origins Annual #1 (DC, August 1987), script by Paul Kupperberg, pencils and inks by John Byrne, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by Albert DeGuzman
And guess who, while he was editing the Flash book, validated the wedding license of Wally West and Linda Park?

'Valid until death do you part or another Crisis, whichever comes first.'

'Valid until death do you part or another Crisis, whichever comes first.'

from Flash (1987 series) #142 (DC, October 1988), script by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn, pencils by Pop Mhan, inks by Chris Ivy, colors by Tom McCraw, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Happy birthday, Paul!

3 comments:

Patrick Gaffney said...: The Time: 1987
The Place: Chicago Comic Con (when it was still at a hotel and not convention center, and before Wizard bought it- heck, before Wizard existed!)

It was the last day of the convention. This broke 16 year had a three day pass and was still hanging out, getting books signed and having fun. I was at the DC table talking to Paul Kupperberg, and people were walking up to him with literal stacks of DOOM PATROL #1 by him and Steve Lightle. I made a comment that I was going to be the only person in Chicago without an autographed copy. He told me to go buy one and he would sign it. I told him I was out of funds at this point of the show. The man reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed me a buck and told me to go buy the thing.; 6/14/2022 4:26 PM
Bully said...: @Patrick: Aw man, now that is a great story! I've heard similar: that he's one of the nicest people in comics! Thank you for sharing!; 6/14/2022 4:47 PM
Patrick Gaffney said...: Fun little follow-up. A year or two ago he was selling a JSA novel he wrote 20 years ago on his website. You ordered it through PayPal. I sent an extra buck for the book and note with the story above. He said he was happy to know he wasn't always a-hole.

And now we needed to have a talk about interest.; 6/14/2022 11:01 PM