Today in Comics History, July 30: Happy Birthday, Kate Bush!

Born on this day and currently having the best year ever: singer/songwriter/musician/producer Kate Bush, who's created ten albums that have changed my life. I didn't discover her this year, but at the same time I didn't become a fan until she put out a greatest hits album (1986's The Whole Story), so I missed the beginning of Kate Bush-mania. I'm glad for every moment and song listening that I'm a fan!

But can you find Kate inside comic books? Well, you have to look carefully.


from Doctor Strange (1974 series) #63 (Marvel, February 1984); script, pencils, and inks by Carl Potts; colors by Bob Sharen; letters by Jim Novak (credited)
There she is! But still, that's only Kate Bush on a poster. Do you think we can find a picture in comics with her in it?

Today in Comics History, July 30, 2008: The Daily Bugle's budget for Post-It Notes goes up by 800%

from Amazing Spider-Man: Extra! #1 (Marvel, September 2008)

Today in Comics History, July 30, 189X: This woulda never happened to Popeye

Say, weren't we here yesterday?


from Marvel Classics Comics #9 [Dracula] (1976), script by Naunerle Farr, pencils (and inks?) by Nestor Redondo
So...see you here in two days for more biting commentary on the high seas!

Today in Comics History, July 30, 1801: Aw c'mon, all they did was eat the last pieces of pizza

from Manifest Destiny #15 (Image, June 2015), script by Chris Dingess, pencils and inks by Matthew Roberts, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, July 29, 1988: Hey kids, comics!

from "Madman" in Star Brand #16 (Marvel/NewUniverse, November 1988), script by Gregory Wright, pencils by Kieron Dwyer, inks by Jackson Guice, colors by Gregory Wright, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, July 29, 189X: I'd go with that feeling, Captain

Remember back on July 24? The adventure continues to kill everyone.


from Marvel Classics Comics #9 [Dracula] (Marvel, 1976), script by Naunerle Farr, pencils (and inks?) by Nestor Redondo
And it's not over yet, as those blurred panels and tomorrow's post will show you!

Today in Comics History, July 29, 1881: I bring you this unreadable text story again to see if you can comprehend it this time

No, things haven't gotten any clearer since June 18, so...



"The Fight That Failed" from Jumbo Comics #105 (Fiction House, November 1947), text by Henry Wysham Lanier
Dare you return on August 18? Why not?

Today in Comics History, July 29, 1966: What he actually meant was that he was higher than Jesus

from The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story (Dark Horse, November 2013); written by Vivek J. Tiwary; pencils, inks, and colors by Andrew C. Robinson; letters by Steve Dutro


from The Beatles in Comics! (NBM, November 2018); script by Richard Di Martino; translation by Joe Johnson; pencils, inks, and colors by d'Akita; letters by Ortho

Today in Comics History, July 29, 1945: The next two panels in this comic are of August 5 and August 9 and show the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, so I won't be bringing you those. Enjoy this panel of three guys sitting around.

from General Douglas MacArthur one-shot (Fox, 1951), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, July 29: Happy birthday, Gail Simone!

Happy birthday today to Gail Simone, prodigious scripter of comics and television, with her work in such a wide variety of titles as Wonder Woman, The Simpsons comics, Action Comics, Deadpool, Secret Six, Red Sonja, Rose and Thorn, Domino, Birds of Prey, Batgirl, The All-New Atom and others. She's the co-creator of the comic book series Agent X, Clean Room, Welcome to Tranquility, and Leaving Megalopolis, and has written for TV on such series as Justice League Unlimited, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and more!


"DC Nation" #77, from DC COmics cover-dated November 2008
Can you spot Gail in her natural habitat: Twitter a comic book convention?:

from Faith (2016 series) #3 (Valiant, September 2016), script by Jody Houser, pencils and inks by Pere Pérez, colors by Andrew Dalhouse, letters by Dave Sharpe
(Click top picture to ReedPop-size)
Happy birthday, Gail!

Today in Comics History; July 29: Happy birthday, Dave Stevens!

Born on this day in 1955, Dave Stevens, comics writer and artist and animation and movie storyboarder. We know him best as the creator and author/artist of The Rocketeer, and he's also done work on Jonny Quest, Airboy, and Bettie Page Comics (natch!)!



from Amazing Heroes #37 (Fantagraphics, December 15, 1983)

Today in Comics History, July 29, 1965: And now my life has changed in oh so many ways

from Marvel Comics Super Special #4 [The Beatles] (1978), script by Dave Kraft, additional dialogue by Don McGregor, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Klaus Janson and Joe Rubinstein, colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by Tom Orzechowski

Today in Comics History, July 29, 1741: Another white man claims he discovered something

from "Vitus Bering: Pioneer of the Northern Seas" in Real Life Comics #7 (Pines, September 1942), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, July 29: Just another regular ordinary evil day in the New York Subway

from Dark Reign: Sinister Spider-Man #2 (September 2009), script by Brian Reed, pencils and inks by Rob DiSalvo, colors by Antonio Fabela, letters by Jared K. Fletcher

From my bedroom to yours, good night!

Today in Comics History, July 28, 1763: Against all evidence in previous panels, Boswell disagrees with debauchery

from "Excerpts from Boswell's London Journal 1762-1763" in Weirdo #3 (Last Gasp, Fall 1981), by Robert Crumb

Bully Eats Food: Milkshake!

To make up for all the woes and stresses of the world, I got myself a milkshake.

Today in Comics History, July 28, 1779: Americans fool British by wearing green

from "Battle for Bagaduce" in Semper Fi #8 (Marvel, July 1989), script by Michael P. Palladino, pencils and inks by Sam Glanzman, colors by Phil Felix, letters by Pete Ciccone

Today in Comics History, July 28, 1987: I for one blame the KKK

from Flaming Carrot Comics (1988 series) #26 (Dark Horse, June 1991); script by Bob Burden; pencils and inks by Bob Burden, Rod Whigham, Pat St Amopur, Joe Pruett, and Marsha Jensen, letters by Roxanne Starr

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛ had a bad night

Kitty Pryde has repaid the hugs and pets and soothing talk during the thunderstorm at 3 am by throwing up all over the house and fouling my bedroom slippers.


But awwwww I can't stay mad at that face.

Yes, I know I need to vacuum.

Today in Comics History, July 27: Happy birthday, Jesse Marsh!

Born on this day in 1907: Jesse Marsh, comics artist (Tarzan, Korak, Gene Autry Comics, John Carter of Mars, Four Color) and animator (Make Mine Music and Pluto cartoons for Disney). Dark Horse has published several volumes that reprint Marsh's Tarzan work, which I highly recommend (even tho' only the first two volumes have Marsh art on the covers). His work on these is absolutely beautiful.


covers of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan: The Jesse Marsh Years #1-2 (Dark Horse, February-June 2009), art by Jesse Marsh
Happy birthday, Jesse Marsh!

Today in Comics History, July 27: Happy birthday, Ernie Chan!

A very happy birthday to artist Ernie Chan (sometimes credited as Ernie Chua), born on this day in 1940! Ernie has drawn a large number of comics including Conan the Barbarian, Savage Sword of Conan, Batman, Detective Comics, Claw the Unconquered (his co-creation with David Michelinie), House of Mystery, House of Secrets, The Unexpected, Weird War Tales, and many more!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1979 and 1980 (Marvel, 1978-1979)

Today in Comics History, July 27, 1967: I got seven women on my mind

from "Photos in the Attic" in Semper Fi #6 (Marvel, May 1989), script by Michael P. Palladino, pencils by Andy Kubert, inks by John Severin, colors by Phil Felix
(Context for the alt-text:)


cover of The Superhero Women (Simon & Schuster/Fireside, 1977), art by John Romita, Sr.

Today in Comics History, July 27: Happy birthday, Dan Carr!

Born on this day: Marvel employee Dan Carr! I'm not certain who he was or what he did (his only credit I can find is one issue of typesetting), but if you know, tell me in the comments! Until then, it shouldn't be too hard to find him in the Marvel Bullpen based on that description, right?

from Marvel Age #120 (Marvel, January 1993), art by Rick Parker
(Click top picture to Bullpen-size)
I betcha that this one-shot police hostage negotiator character was named after him!



from Spider-Man Unlimited (1993 series) #8 (Marvel, February 1995); script by Tom Lyle; breakdowns by Ron Lim; finishes by Tom Palmer, Al Milgrom, Scott Hanna, and Harry Candelario; colors by John Kalisz; letters by Joe Rosen
Well, wherever you are in Marvel history: happy birthday, Dan!

Today in Comics History, July 27: Kingpin and Lex Luthor go to the theater

from "The Death of a Romantic" in Heartthrobs (1999 series) #3 (DCVertigo, March 1999), script by Peter Milligan, pencils and inks by Eduardo Risso, colors by Grant Goleash, letters by Clem Robins

Today in Comics History, July 27, 1972: National Department of Kirby is established

from Kirby: Genesis: Silver Star #1 (Dynamite, November 2011), co-plot by Alex Ross and Jai Nitz, script by Jai Nitz, pencils by Johnny Desjardins, colors by Vinicius Andrade, letters by Simon Bowland

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛ is almost asleep

Today in Comics History, July 26, 1779: Marines arrive really early on Omaha Beach, just to be sure

from "Sea Assault" in Semper Fi #6 (Marvel, May 1989), script by Michael P. Palladino, pencils and inks by Sam Glanzman, colors by Harry Eisenstein, letters by Kurt Hathaway

Today in Comics History, July 26, 1941: I suppose he said "I shall return" or some such cliché like that

from General Douglas MacArthur one-shot (Fox, 1951), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, July 26, 1909: Tales of the Perfectly Explainable Coincidences

"True Tales of the Unexpected" from Tales of the Unexpected #96 (DC, August 1966), creator uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, July 26, 1976: Reed Richards can read newspapers and tell the date

from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #176 (Marvel, November 1976), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Joe Sinnott, colors by Michele Wolfman, letters by Joe Rosen

Today in Comics History, July 26: Happy birthday, Harry Candelario!

Happy happy birthday to born-on-this-day Harry Candelario, Marvel Comics production photostat operator in the '90s and comic book inker (New Mutants, X-Force, Excalibur, Cable, The Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine and more)!


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

Today in Comics History, July 26, 1968: That man is outstanding in his field

from "The Village War" in Semper Fi #2 (Marvel, January 1989), script by Michael P. Palladino, pencils by Andy Kubert, inks by John Severin, colors by Steve Mellor

Today in Comics History, July 26: Happy birthday, Penguin!

Born on this day, according to the 1976 Super DC Calendar: Oswald Cobblepot, that delightful little man we call The Penguin!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda
Happy birthday, Pengy!



from Batman Sunday comic strip (February 17, 1946), script by Alvin Schwartz, pencils by Jack Burnley