Today in Comics History, October 2: Happy birthday, Sting!

Born on this day: Singer, songwriter and actor Gordon Sumner, better known to the world as Sting!

Please note: he is a bee in name only.


from Tales of the Teen Titans (1984 series) #50 (DC, February 1985), co-plot and script by Marv Wolfman, co-plot and pencils by George Pérez, inks by Mike DeCarlo and Dick Giordano, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by John Costanza



Sting headlined his own comic book series from 1941-1953 in Quality's best-selling...oh wait, I've made another one of my silly mistakes.


cover of Police Comics #103 (Quality, January 1953), pencils by Reed Crandall, inks by Chuck Cuidera
In the line of increasingly unusual places you would find Sting in a comic book: here, working at the Stingfield Nuclear Plant. D'oh!


from "Tree's Company" in Simpsons Comics #79 (Bongo, February 2003), script by Ian Boothby, pencils by John Costanza, inks by Howard Shum, colors by Art Villanueva, letters by Karen BatesX
But did you know he appeared in an issue of Witchblade? No. No, you did not. You were too busy lookin' at that red rubber minidress.



from Witchblade (1995 series) #5 (Image, May 1996); script by David Wohl and Christina Z; pencils by Michael Turner; inks by D-Tron, Jose Guillen, and Viet Truong; colors by Jonathan D. Smith; letters by Dennis Heisler
Of course y'all remember Sting from his Academy Award-winning role as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the classic, never-to-be-remade science fiction movie epic Dune?

...right?


cover of Dune #3 (Marvel, June 1985), art by Bill Sienkiewicz
Remember: Sting is a bee IN NAME ONLY.



from Marvel Comics Super Special #36 [Dune] (Marvel, 1984), script by Ralph Macchio, pencils and inks by Bill Sienkiewicz, colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Joe Rosen
But he will kill you!



Sting perhaps is best known in the comic book world for inspiring the look (and, who knows with all that tantric business, possibly lifestyle) of DC's finest bastard, John Constantine!


from The Saga of Swamp Thing (1982 series) #37 (June 1985), script by Alan Moore, pencils by Rick Veitch, inks by John Totleben, colors by Tatjana Wood, letters by John Costanza
That's why every Wednesday afternoon, you'll find Sting hangin' around your local comic store, demanding this week's issue of Hellblazer. (Don't nobody tell him, please!)





Sting loves his fictional counterpart so much he wrote the intro for one of the Hellblazer books! In it, he reveals that John Constantine has him "wrapped around his finger" and that "every little thing he does is magic," but he wishes that Alan Moore would not "stand so close to me."


cover of John Constantine: Hellblazer: 30th Anniversary TPB (DC/Vertigo, January 2019), art by Tim Bradstreet
Despite being portrayed by Bill Sienkiewicz and Michael Turner, just remember: you're nobody in the comics business until Mort Drucker draws you.


from "Rock Video Produced By Pressure Groups" in MAD #254 (April 1985), script by Frank Jacobs, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
Happy birthday, Sting! I'm MAD about you.