Today in Comics History, September 8: Happy birthday, Peter Sellers!

Born on this day in 1925: actor and comedian Peter Sellers, who appeared (several times more than once!) in many films over a thirty year career, notably as bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the Pink Panther movie series.


from Film Fun #2095 (Amalgamated UK, 12 March 1960)



His Inspector Clouseau character led to opening animated credits, Saturday morning cartoons, and comic books: Pink Panther...


cover of The Pink Panther #25 (Western/Gold Key, March 1975), creators unknown
...and later, his own spinoff title The Inspector, both published by Gold Key.




from The Inspector #13 (January 1977), creators unknown
Naturally, his image was fodder for caricaturization in the pages of MAD and its imitators:





from (1-2) "007" in MAD #94 (April 1965), script by Frank Jacobs, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker;
(3) "Honey Waste" in MAD #103 (June 1966), script by Tom Koch, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker;
(4) "How To Make TV News Even More Entertaining" in Crazy #15 (Marvel, January 1976), script by Paul Lamont, art by Bob Smith
Like friend and collaborator Harry Secombe (also born on this day!), Sellers was a founding performer on the BBC radio comedy The Goon Show, in which he voiced many characters, such as Henry Crun, Hercule Grytpype-Thynne, Major Denis Bloodnok...





from The Goon Cartoons (Michael Joseph, 1982), by Pete Smith
...and self-narrating wonder boy Bluebottle! (Please applaud.)


A very funny but often tragic man, Peter Sellers is an enigma wrapped inside a thousand voices and personalities. I love his work very much.


from The New Mutants (1983 series) #23 (January 1985), script by Chris Claremont, pencils and inks by Bill Sienkiewicz, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Tom Orzechowski
Happy birthday, Peter!