Today in Comics History, July 25: Happy birthday, Alfred Letourneur!

Happy birthday to champion bicyclist Alfred Letourneur, born this day in 1907! He broke the bike speed record in 1941 at nearly 109 miles per hour! He would have gone faster, but the baseball cards stuck into his spokes slowed him down a little.


advertisement for Bendix Aviation Corp., from Quality Comics cover-dated August 1944
His nickname was "le diable rouge," which I believe means "the blimp with makeup on." Seems needlessly cruel, but you know how kids are.


advertisement for Schwinn Bicycles from Harvey Comics cover-dated May 1950
Happy birthday, Al, you bikin' fool!