Today in Comics History, May 12: Happy birthday, Charles Biro!

Born on this day in 1911: comic book writer and artist Charles Biro, who started up at the Harry Chesler Shop, Hillman Publications (where he co-created Airboy) and MLJ (Archie) Comics, but he's become best known as one of the great creatives of Lev Gleason Comics, where he worked extensively on Daredevil Comics, co-created Crime-Buster, and edited and created for the seminal Crime Does Not Pay.


"The 3 That Gave You the Big 3: Daredevil, Boy, Crime Does Not Pay" from Lev Gleason Comics cover-dated September 1946



As recounted in the always-excellent, ever-entertaining Comic Book History of Comic Books series, Biro's crime comics with co-creator Bob Wood rode the zeitgeist of the post-war superhero slump where readers demanded rougher and bloodier stories.



from Comic Book Comics #4 (Evil Twin, October 2009); script by Fred Van Lente; pencils, inks, and letters by Ryan Dunlavey
As it did so many other comics and pulp trends, the Comics Code killed off Crime Does Not Pay...and Biro's comic book career. (Bob Wood's story is even sadder, but we shan't get into that today.)


Instead, here's a lovely salute to Charles Biro by Bob Wood in better days.


"So Here's the Dope On Charles Biro" from Boy Comics #30 (Lev Gleason, October 1946), text by Bob Wood
On the other hand, here's an all-Bob Wood story that portrays a grease-tossin' villain as "Blackie" Biro!



from "The Case of the Cartoon Crimes" in Target Comics v.2 #4 (Novelty/Premium/Curtis, June 1941); script, pencils, inks, and letters by Bob Wood
JUSTICE IS SERVED. Take that, guy I work alongside every day!


Just to be fair, Bob Wood also drew himself into the story.


And artist Dick Briefer draws both of them (and himself!) into the introduction to a mystery story! Biro in green, Wood in blue, Briefer in orange. Look, footnotes almost as good as the ones in Squirrel Girl!


from "Inside Comic House" in Crime Does Not Pay #38 (Lev Gleason, March 1945), script by Dick Wood, pencils by Dick Briefer (
Just as Charles Biro dedicated this tale of Crimbuster (and his helper monkey) to us, we here at Comics Oughta Be Fun dedicate this birthday post right back atcha, big guy! (Jeepers, miss! Stop singin' doo-wa-diddy diddy-dum-diddy-do and pay more attention to your surroundings!)


from "[The Greygate Experiment]" in Boy Comics #29 (Lev Gleason, August 1946), script by Charles Biro, pencils and inks by Carl Hubbell (?)
Happy birthday, Charles Biro!


from Daredevil Comics #65 (Lev Gleason, August 1950)
Hmm, I wonder if Charles Biro appreciated this birthday salute.


Hey, whaddaya know, he did!