Today in Comics History, August 11: Happy birthday, John Wise!

Born on this day in 1808: pioneering balloonist (man, all the greatest job titles have gone defunct) John Wise, who developed innovations in the balloononautic field and was the first to build and demonstrate a balloon that would collapse into a parachute if ruptured, allowing its passengers to safely land, as seen here in this here early DC Comic!


from "AiRecords" in Adventure Comics #40 (DC/Detective Comics, July 1939), by Terry Gilkison
Wise bad-assededly wrapped up his career when he disappeared over Lake Michigan; he and his balloon were never found. At the age of 71.

Happy birthday, John Wise, and thank for contributing to The Golden Age of Ballooning!


from Monty Python ""The Golden Age of Ballooning" (BBC, 31 October 1974), written by Michael Palin