Today in Comics History, July 15: Happy birthday, Jack Abel!

Born on this day in 1927: comic book penciller/inker Jack Abel (occasionally aka Garry Michaels)! Inker extraordinaire on books like Tales of Suspense, Daredevil, Tomb of Dracula, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Master of Kung Fu, Superman, Teen Titans, The Flash, Our Army at War, Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery, Grimm's Ghost Stories, The Twilight Zone, Ghost Manor, Ghostly Haunts, Haunted, Midnight Tales, IronJaw, Morlock 2001 and lots more! Also: co-creator of the DC Western heroine Cinnamon!


from Marvel Comics Memory Album Calendar 1977 (Marvel, 1976); and Marvel Age #31, 55, 91, and 103 (Marvel, October 1985, October 1987, August 1990, and August 1991); text by Jim Salicrup (#31), Mike Carlin (#55) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#91 and 103); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Andy Yanchus (#31), Paul Becton (#54) and Renee Witterstaetter (#91 and 103)



He was also the first artist to ink Wolverine (Herb Trimpe penciled) and Blade (Gene Colan).




(top and middle) header and final panels of Incredible Hulk #180 and splash page of Incredible Hulk #181 (Marvel, October-November 1974), script by Len Wein, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Jack Abel, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Artie Simek
(bottom) from Tomb of Dracula (1972 series) #10 (Marvel, July 1973), script by Marvin Wolfman, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Jack Abel (misspelled in credits), colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by Denise Wohl

Assorted silliness with Jack:


1. FOOM #7 (Marvel, September 1974)
2. Marvel Comics cover-dated January 1984
3. Marvel/New Universe Comics cover-dated August 1987
4. Marvel Age #112 (Marvel, May 1992)
Like Ross Andru and Mike Esposito on DC's Sea Devils, Jack also got to draw himself into the briny action. Me, I get enough briny action trying to open a can of tuna for my pal Shelly the Little Otter Puppet.




from "Challenge of the Fish Champions!" in Sea Devils #14 (DC, November 1963), script by Ed Herron, pencils and inks by Jack Abel
And here he is (lower right corner) offering an editorial decision on a silly story by Roger Stern and Terry Austin! (He wasn't even the magazine's real editor!)


"Hulk-Hare" from Marvel Super Heroes #103 (Marvel, November 1981), script by Roger Stern, pencils and inks by Terry Austin, colors by Don Warfield (?), letters by Tom Orzechowski
Yep, Jack even was at the Superman/Muhammad Ali prizefight! After all his work for Supes, would the Man of Steel have dared to not invite him?

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)
And here Jack is somewhere in the Marvel Bullpen! Spot him and you win — the change to wish him a very happy birthday!

from Marvel Age #120 (Marvel, January 1993), art by Rick Parker
(Click top picture to Bullpen-size)
Happy birthday, Jack!


from 1975 Mighty Marvel Convention Program Book (Marvel, 1975), photo by Michele Wolfman