Today in Comics History, August 31: Happy birthday, Rick Parker!

Born on this day: comics writer, artist, and letterer Rick Parker! You may remember him from such distinctive lettering in various Spider-Man series, G.I. Joe, Hulk, Fantastic Four, and more! (Note: Early Marvel Age calendars gave his birthday as 8/27, but Wikipedia, ComicVine and Comics.com — and a later Marvel Age calendar entry — all mark his birthday as 8/31, hence all the weird dates going on in the below panels.)


from Marvel Age #32, 56, 92 and 104 (Marvel, November 1985, November 1987, September 1990, and September 1991); text by Jim Salicrup (#32), Mike Carlin (#56) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#92 and 104); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Andy Yanchus (#32), Paul Becton (#56) and Renee Witterstaetter (#104)







from (top) Marvel/Star Comics cover-dated October 1988;
"Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated January 1984
You may be most familiar with Rick's work creating the humor strip "The Bossmen," which ran in Marvel Age for several years and which poked an awful lot of fun (sometimes pretty savagely) at Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco.





"The Bossmen" from Marvel Age #115-116 and 118-119 (Marvel, 1992), by Rick Parker





"The Bossmen" from Marvel Age #121-124 (Marvel, 1993), by Rick Parker
That's actually okay, Tom: nobody actually needed Bob Harras at all.


"The Bossmen" from Marvel Age #126 (Marvel, July 1993)
Of course, Rick would also poke fun at himself:


"The Bossmen" from Marvel Age #127 (Marvel, August 1993)
"The Bossmen" evolved into "The Bull's Eye," (hey!), asingle-panel gag strip every month on Marvel's Bullpen Bulletins page. Again, they're still mostly pointed at DeFalco!





"The Bull's Eye" from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics dated January 1993, September 1993, December 1993, and May 1994
He drew several of the creator caricatures What If...? #34 (including himself!), and other humorous strips featuring the Marvel Bullpen.



from (top) What If...? (1976 series) #34 (Marvel, August 1992);
(bottom) "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated August 1992
Also on his resumé: Marvel's surprisingly strong-selling Beavis and Butt-Head comic book! And Tom DeFalco's reaction to it!





(top) cover of Beavis and Butt-Head #10 (Marvel, December 1994); pencils, inks, and letters by Rick Parker
(others) from Marvel Age #134 (Marvel, March 1994
Rick reflects on the many comics heroes he's gotten to letter:

from Marvel Age #38 (Marvel, May 1986), by Rick Parker
(Click picture to Parker-size)
With all that in mind, can you find Rick Parker in the Marvel Bullpen of 1992? (Keep in mind he drew the ferschluggin' thing!)

from Marvel Age #120 (Marvel, January 1993), art by Rick Parker
(Click top picture to Bullpen-size)
Rick's graduated from Marvel onto many projects: GNs for Papercutz, fine art and mainstream periodical cartoons. But don't forget it all started at Marvel Comics, lettering word balloons, illustrating two stupid teenage kids, drawing a bombastic Editor-in-Chief, and giving bear hugs. (That better be consensual, Parker!)


from Marvel Age #12 (Marvel, March 1984)
Rick Parker, we salute you and wish you a habby birthday! Now, stop writing fan letters to yourself and go to bed!