Today in Comics History, May 6, 1937: "So, what would you say if I told you that your mother made a phony bomb threat just to get a free ride on a blimp?"

Somebody asked me, "Hey Bully, are you gonna do a Today in Comics History about that big blimp from the 1930s?" And I said, "I already did a post about Orson Welles!"


Okay, okay! Today in Comics History, May 6: Born on this date: Tom Raymond, the Golden Age Human Torch's sidekick Toro!

Oh, and a big balloon blew up.


from The Torch #1 (Marvel, November 2009), co-plot by Alex Ross, co-plot and script by Mike Carey, pencils and inks by Patrick Berkenkotter, colors by Carlos Lopez, letters by Todd Klein
It's the Hindenburg! Yes, a tragic moment in aeronautics for the humanity, but on the other hand, it was a Nazi airship.


from "News Snapshots - Past and Present" in It Really Happened #10 (Pines, August 1947), creators uncredited and unknown



Let's get all the boring true stories about the Hindenburg out of the way so we can get to cooler comics which may have Batman in them.



from (top) "Scoops...Pictures to Remember!" in Real Fact Comics #2 (DC, May 1946), pencils and inks by George Roussos;
(bottom) "The Newsreel Cameramen" in Real Fact Comics #7 (DC, March 1947), script by Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinger, and/or Bernard Breslauer; pencils and inks by Win Mortimer
Whoops, I missed this one for yesterday. Just pretend there's a tag on this that says Today in Comics History, May 5.


from Doc Savage (1988 series) #19 (DC, May 1990), script by Mike W. Barr, pencils by Rod Whigham, inks by Steve Montano, colors by Anthony Tollin, letters by Bill Oakley
And that panel leads to this page.

And we never saw Doc Savage, ever again.


Today in Comics History, May 6, 1937: Led Zeppelin's first LP is released:
from Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book #2 (Marvel, January 1992), script and pencils by Evan Dorkin, inks by Stephen DeStefano, colors by Robbie Busch, letters by Kurt Hathaway
I like to call this one "Batman Is Present at the Great Disasters of the Past!" OH THE BATMANITY! And now for the debut of a little feature we like to call Batman Is Present at the Great Disasters of the Past! The concept is simple and straightforward: Batman is present at...well, you get the picture.

Tonight: Batman Is Present at the Hindenburg Disaster!


from Detective Comics #519 (DC, October 1982), plot by Gerry Conway, script by Paul Kupperberg, pencils by Don Newton, inks by John Calnan, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by Ben Oda
I'm fibbin' a li'l bit there, because that was not the Hinderburg, but it blowed up reeeeeal good, didn't it?

Also in this historic issue: Dick Grayson's unbearably adorable snowsuit! Bruce won't let him go out to play in the snow until he's all wrapped up in it!


Say, haven't you ever wondered: what is the only thing that Batman can do?


Also not the Hindenburg: this all-wood dirigible that somehow Golden Age Green Lantern couldn't save.


from "For America and Democracy!" in All-Star Comics #4 (DC/All-American, March 1941), script by Gardner Fox, pencils and inks by Martin Nodell
So if we know anything at all, we know this: the Hindenburg was destroyed by aliens from Uranus.

Or maybe, judging from that sound effect, by John Carter of Mars.




from "Night Flight" in Weird War Tales (1971 series( #60 (2/78), script by Steve Englehart, pencils & inks by Ric Estrada, cover by Joe Kubert
DON'T RIDE BLIMPS!