from "Star-Light" in Action Comics (1938 series) #5 (DC, October 1938), pencils and inks by Sheldon Moldoff
Here's an actually even earlier appearance, altho' it's not in a comic story but rather one of those text pages nobody reads:
from More Fun Comics #25 (DC/Nicholson, October 1937), text by Mary Partrick, pencils and inks by Creig Flessel
While this content is not original to comic books (it was first published as a strip), here's probably the first appearance of Bing Crosby in a comic. Did you collect it? Put it in Mylar!
from "Olly of the Movies" in Famous Funnies #24 (Eastern Color, June 1936); script, pencils, and inks by Julian Ollendorff
To be fair, most of Der Bingle's comic book appearances have been in non-fiction featurettes or short stories about his life and career...
cover of Calling All Boys #13 (Parents' Magazine Press, September 1947), artist uncredited and unknown
...like this cameo appearance in a Glenn Miller bio story from '47...
from "The Fighting Band-Leader" in Real Fact Comics #9 (DC, July 1947); script byJack Schiff; Mort Weisinger, and/or Bernie Breslauer; pencils and inks by Fred Ray
...or this "hey, that's pretty good art" spotlight from '48.
from Juke Box Comics #3 (Eastern Color, July 1948); script, art, and letters by Phil Berube
In just a little while, as Bing's stardom grew, so did the number of pages purely devoted to his life. Just like Superman!
from "Bing Crosby: Going My Way?" in Real Life Comics #37 (Pines, January 1947), pencils and inks by Sam Cooper, cover artist uncredited and unknown
Even the official comic of the Roman Catholic Church liked him! (Good thing he wasn't divorced.)
from "Minstrel of the Mike" in Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact v.4 #14/60 (George A. Pflaum, March 1949), pencils and inks by Lloyd Ostendorf
At least one comic did worry about the Crosbys' marriage! As Golden Age Jerry Seinfeld was often heard to opine, "What's the Deal with the Crosbys?" (The deal? Volume, volume, volume!)
from "What's with the Crosbys?" in Famous Stars #2 (Ziff-Davis, 1950); script, art, letters by Bill Everett. Yes, Namor's creator!
Here's a spot cartoon of Bing...
from "Professor Punk" in Triumph Comics #27 (Bell, August 1945), by Harry Brunt
...and a movie review — remember when comic books used to review films? (Me either, but I agree that Road to Utopia is just dandy.)
from True Comics #49 (Parent's Magazine, May 1946)
But I know what you came looking for here. Did Bing Crosby ever meet famous comic book heroes? WELL OF COURSE HE DID, JUNIOR.
from "Evil Star Over Hollywood" in All-Star Comics #44 (DC/National, December 1948), script by John Broome, pencils by Irwin Hasen, inks by Bob Oksner
Naturally, he frequently appeared in comics alongside movie partner Bob Hope:
from "Superkatt" in Giggle Comics #46 (ACG, October 1947), pencils and inks by Dan Gordon
Here's one of those you've probably seen, from pretty near the dawn of the Marvel Age: Bing and Bob drawn by Jack Kirby! I do kinda wish we'd see them doing their patty-cake punch-out routine on the Mole Man.
from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #9 (Marvel, December 1962), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Another Kirby Crosby and Hope, this time in a WWII Newsboy Legion story! Also: Carmen Miranda, Clark Gable, and Hedy Lamarr! (I don't know who the redhead is; do you?)
from "Prevue of Peril" in Star Spangled Comics #12 (DC, September 1942), co-script and inks by Joe Simon, co-script and pencils by Jack Kirby, letters by Howard Ferguson
Bing meets the Howling Commandos (Bob Hope was in the previous panel) and Sgt. Fury!
from Sgt. Fury #24 (Marvel, November 1965), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Frank Giacoia, letters by Sam Rosen
America's favorite rattus rattus inherits a dog who can impersonate Crosby!
from "[Orson the Wonder Dog]" in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #97 (Dell, October 1948); script, pencils, and inks by Bill Wright, colors by Western Publishing Production Shop
And our ever-livin' blue-eyed Bashful Benjy Grimm could enjoy a Bing 'n' Bob film if only everybody would stop clobberin'!
from Marvel Two-in-One Annual (1976 series) #1 (Marvel, September 1976), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Sam Grainger, colors by Phil Rachelson, letters by John Costanza (credited)
Longing for a Bing Crosby/Bob Hope Road picture in comic books? Well, What If...™ King Conan was Bing Conan?!? Huh? What then, hmm?
from "What If King Conan Were Bing Conan on the Road to Hyboria" in What If...? (1977 series) #34 (Marvel, August 1982), script and pencils by Eliot R. Brown, inks by Joe Sinnott, letters by Michael Higgins (?)
But ya know what? Bob Hope never had Bing Crosby guest-star in his comic book. Probably he knew that once Crosby started to sing, we'd all get up and head out for popcorn.
cover of The Adventures of Bob Hope #33 (DC, June 1955), pencils and inks by Owen Fitzgerald
Hey, Jimmy Olsen, you shouldn'a be smoking! Oh wait, that's just Bing again.
from "Water-Skis Whipping" in Black Cat #7 (Harvey, August 1947), script by Blanche Carlin and/or Beverly Suser (?), pencils and inks by Lee Elias
But Bing's longest features were in those comics adapting his movies. While we never got a comic book version of Going My Way or Road to Morocco, here's a weird photo-fumetti-style adaptation of a '39 Universal film!
from "East Side of Heaven" in Movie Comics #3 (DC, June 1939), airbrushed and colorized photos by Jack Adler and Emery Gondor
DC did Bing better in adapting Frank Capra's fun but mostly forgotten race-course romance film Riding Highin their short-lived FEATURE FILMS series. (Curiously enough, issue #4 adapted Bob Hope's Fancy Pants!)
house ad from DC comics cover-dated May 1950
This version was fully drawn father than reproduced from photos, and Jack Sparling has captured a good likeness of Bing in his artwork.
from "Riding High" in Feature Films Magazine #2 (DC/National, May 1950), pencils and inks by Jack Sparling
Play us off with one of my favorite of your songs, Bing!
"Ain't Got a Dime to My Name" by Bing Crosby (Decca, 1942), written by James Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. From the film Road to Morocco (Paramount Pictures, 1942), screenplay by Frank Butler and Don Hartman, directed by David Butler
And a very happy birthday to ya! (Don't worry, I didn't invite Hope.)
Also, buy Bing Crosby Paints where you work or bank!
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