Today in Comics History, August 6: Happy birthday, J. Jonah Jameson!

Hey! Did you know that according to the Marvel Age calendar, it's J. Jonah Jameson's birthday?


from Marvel Age #104 (Marvel, September 1991); text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Renee Witterstaetter
It might be non-canonical, but until a date appears confirmed in an actual comic, we're celebrating today by sending him photos of Spider-Man!

Happy birthday, Jonah!

Today in Comics History, August 6: Happy birthday, Alfred, Lord Tennyson!

Born on this day in 1809: English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson! (You may know him better as Batman's butler.) Now, Tennyson has never starred in a comic book stories (aside from Bette Kane periodically saying "Tennyson anyone?"), but he's been adapted into comics more than once!

from New Adventure Comics #12 (DC/Nicholson Publishing Co., January 1937), illustrated by Henry Kiefer
(Click picture to half-a-league-size)

Today in Comics History, August 6: Happy birthday, Andy Warhol!

Born on this date in 1928: pop artist, film director, and cultural touchstone Andy Warhol, whose last name sounds like a 1990s Image supervillain but isn't. But he did appear in comic books!


from Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (Ten Speed, July 2020), script and art by Tom Scioli

Today in Comics History, August 6: Second-person-voiced comic panel totally has my resumé all wrong

from "You — Detective" in Gang Busters #48 (DC, October 1955), pencils and inks by Bill Ely

Today in Comics History, August 6: Happy birthday, Ed Hannigan!

Born on this day: prolific comics artist, writer, and editor Ed Hannigan (Batman, Spectacular Spider-Man, Defenders, Green Arrow, Catwoman and more, co-creator of Cloak and Dagger and creator of Skull & Bones)!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1978, 1979 and 1980 (Marvel, 1977-1979)
He was also the artist on "Shaman," the first arc of of 1989's new Batman series, Legends of the Dark Knight!


from Direct Currents #21 (DC, September 1989)
Happy birthday, Ed!


from FOOM #19 (Marvel, September 1977)

Today in Comics History, August 6, 1919: Bela Lugosi vows vengeance after vampire hunters drop a country-sized Soviet icon on him

from Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula (Humanoids, September 2021), script and artby Koren Shadmi

Today in Comics History, August 6: Happy birthday, Henry Iba!

Born on this day in 1904: college basketball coach Henry Iba, Basketball Hall of Famer, coach to the gold medal-winning 1964 and 1968 basketball team, and Breakfast of Champions advocate!


Wheaties advertisement from DC Comics dated February 1946 and January 1949
Happy birthday, Hank!

Today in Comics History, August 6, 1945: So what d'you s'pose a story titled "The Sound of the Atom Splitting" by Grant Morrison is gonna be about...oh.

from The Invisibles (1997 series) #7 (DC/Vertigo, August 1997), script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Phil Jimenez, inks by John Stokes, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Todd Klein
(respectful silence)

Bully Eats Food: Crab Rangoon

Today in Comics History, August 5: Happy birthday, Steve Mitchell!

Put your hands or hoofs together to give birthday appleause for Steve Mitchell, production manager, illustrator and comic book inker (Batman/Detective Comics, Static, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Green Lantern, more)!


from DC Comics cover-dated September 1978

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛: Blep

Today in Comics History, August 5: Happy birthday, Ambroise Thomas!

Happy birthday, Ambroise Thomas, born on this day in 1811, composer of the opera Mignon (all about steak) and Hamlet (all about ham). He was the first of today's popular "Meat Opera" composers and for that is rightfully hailed as "Father of Beef."


"Mignon" from Classics Illustrated #89 (Gilberton, November 1951), creators uncredited unknown
There! Now you know the story of the opera Mignon, and knowing is half the battle, if the battle is knowing the meat-titled opera of Ambroise Thomas. Next week: Hamlet, a little pig you just can't keep down on the farm.

Today in Comics History, August 5, 1884: Scary giant bronze lady kaiju begins her reign of terror over New York City

"Light of Liberty: A True Story" in Real Life Comics #2 (Pines, December 1941), text by Charles S. Strong
(Click picture to New Colossus-size)

Today in Comics History, August 5, 1945: "Remember: it's for peaceful purposes only."

from "The Atomic Bomb" in Real Life Comics #29 (Pines, March 1946), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, August 5, 2014: Sexy Robin Hood refuses to let his maid in on the caper

from The Wicked + The Divine #20 (Image, June 2016), script by Kieron Gillen, pencils and inks by Jamie McKelvie, colors by Matt Wilson, flattens by Dee Cunniffe, letters by Clayton Cowles

Today in Comics History, August 5, 2026: Geez, those things must have Energizer batteries

from "There Will Come Soft Rains..." in Weird Fantasy (1951 series) #17 (EC, January 1953), script by Al Feldstein from a story by Ray Bradbury, pencils and inks by Wally Wood, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten

Today in Comics History, August 5: Or it might have been a British guy committing a crime on May 8

What's this? (in my William Dozier voice) Batman baffled by birthdate backhandedness?


from "The Zodiac Master!" in Detective Comics #323 (DC, January 1964), script by Dave Wood, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Charles Paris
It's only a few months until Batman's "New Look" takes over (and not a moment too soon, I might say).


"What possible crime could a bull commit?!?"

'
Well, chalk up another one solved in "Batman's Wild Guesses Casebook."

Today in Comics History, August 5, 1912 : Just when you were tired of those Dracula diary panels, here's Cap

from "The Spawn of the Witch Queen" in Captain America Comics #20 (Marvel/Timely, November 1942), pencils and inks by Al Avison (?)
Now that classic Cap villain Mr. Weird Puss is so huge in the Marvel mythos, it's fun to see where he got his start. (Actually, I'm wondering if this guy inspired Roy Thomas to create Baron Blood.)


AKA "That time Cap and Bucky were squzzed to death by a giant snek":


This can't be the end!

Well, yeah, it kinda is.

(Until August 12.)

Today in Comics History, August 5, 2099: Duke Stratosphere apparently marries cartoon bombshell Lydia Dietz!

from "Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Duke Stratosphere but were Afraid to Ask" in 2099 Unlimited #5 (Marvel/2099, July 1994); script by John Moore; pencils, inks, colors, and letters by Kyle Baker
Come back on November 10 for the punchline! Yeah, I know that's a long way away.

Today in Comics History, August 4: Happy birthday, Alan Martin!

Happy birthday today to Alan Martin, comics writer and co-creator along with Jamie Hewlett of Tank Girl! Together with Philip Bond, they founded the fanzine Atomtan, which eventually evolved into Deadline, which featured the debut of the aforementioned Tank Girl! (Whew!)


from Tank Girl: A Brief History of Tank Girl FCBD 2018 one-shot (Titan, May 2018); script by Alan Martin; pencils and inks by Jonathan Edwards, letters by Brett Parson

Today in Comics History, August 4, 1964: Spy Hunter needs to get this truck filled with Captain Atoms from Texarkana to Atlanta in 28 hours

from Spy Hunter & Paper Boy #2 (DC, June 2021), script by Larry Hama, art by Mac Rey, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, August 4, 1941: He is the very model of a wartime Major General

from "Fighting General! Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., U.S. Army" in Real Life Comics #29 (Pines, March 1946), pencils and inks by Charles M. Quinlan

Today in Comics History, August 4: Happy birthday, Mike Gold!

Born on this day: comics writer, editor and publisher (co-founder of First Comics!), PR person and activist Mike Gold, here giving advice to Abel on how to spike awareness of the House of Secrets:



from "Is Anyone Listening?" in House of Mystery (1951 series) #255 (DC, November, 1977), script by Jack C. Harris, pencils by Ric Estrada, inks by Wayne Howard

Today in Comics History, August 4, 1911: Incels and comicsgaters immediately write a million hate rants

from "Harriet Quimby" in Wonder Woman (1942 series) #46 (DC, March 1951), script by Julius Schwartz, pencils and inks by Frank Harry

Today in Comics History, August 4: Happy birthday, Martin Pasko!

Born on this day in 1954: Martin Pasko: comic book (Superman/Action Comics/Superman Family, Justice League of America, Doctor Fate, Wonder Woman, Kobra, Swamp Thing, E-Man, Star Trek, Roger Rabbit, more), and TV writer/story editor (Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Superman: The Animated Series, Thundarr the Barbarian, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Fantasy Island, The Twilight Zone, Max Headroom, Roseanne and many more)!


from DC Comics cover-dated December 1977
Happy birthday, Marty!


from 1st Issue Special #9 [Doctor Fate] (DC, December 1975)

Today in Comics History, August 4, 1988: Bucky Barnes totally misses the new Fall season of Must-See-TV

from Captain America (2005 series) #11 (Marvel, November 2005), script by Ed Brubaker, pencils and inks by Steve Epting, additional inks by Mike Perkins, colors by Frank D'Armata, letters by Randolph Gentile

Today in Comics History, August 4: U-boat commander continues to solve every problem by shooting it in the face

from "The Survivor" in Weird War Tales (1997 series) #1 (DC/Vertigo, June 1997), script by Simon Revelstroke, pencils and inks by Richard Corben, colors by Ted McKeever, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, August 4: Happy birthday, Louis Armstrong!

Born on this day in 1901: iconic American trumpeter, singer, and actor Louis Armstrong! "Satchmo", or "Pops," to his pals!

(PS: the birth date and year on this panel are wrong.)


from Dime Comics #24 (Bell Features, December 1945), text and art by Gerald Lazare

Today in Comcs History, August 4, 1941: Captain America battles his most lethal enemy: Lorem Ipsum

from The Adventures of Captain America #2 (Marvel, November 1991), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Kevin Maguire, inks by Terry Austin, colors by Paul Mounts, letters by Richard Starkings
(Click picture to legs akimbo-size)

Today in Comics History, August 4, 2026: Good to know that even after the apocalypse four years from now, our Alexas still work

from "There Will Come Soft Rains..." in Weird Fantasy (1951 series) #17 (EC, January 1953), script by Al Feldstein from a story by Ray Bradbury, pencils and inks by Wally Wood, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten

Today in Comics History, August 3: We're not in Kansas anymore

from Young Justice (2011 series) #8 (DC, August 2011), script by Greg Weisman and Kevin Hopps, pencils by Dan Davis, colors by Zac Atkinson, letters by Dezi Sienty