Today in Comics History, August 2: Happy birthday, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi!

Even tho' he was born today in 1834, just who does Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi think he is? Whym, he's a French painter and sculptor. Ooh la la! No, wait, not that kinda artiste. This la dude is only the man responsible for designing La Liberté éclairant le monde (1886), better know to yahoos like you an' me (well, you, anyway) as The Statue of Frickin' Liberty. Trivia factoid: her metal structure was built by Gustave Eiffel! Yes, the Tower guy.

For an appearance by F.A.B. in the comics, we have to look at the most educational, factual, true-to-life comic book publisher on the face of the Earth: Archie Comics.




from "Miss Liberty's Torch" and "Liberty Haven" in Life with Archie (1958 series) #255 (Archie (natch!), July 1986), script by George Gladir, pencils by Stan Goldberg, inks by Mike Esposito, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida
But just what else did F.A.B. build that we know and love? Why, the Archie/Betty romance, of course!


cover of Life with Archie #255; pencils by Dan DeCarlo
Bon anniversaire, M. Bartholdi! May your copper never tarnish!