Today in Comics History, February 18, 1916: Are you sure this isn't actually a story about that beagle who was the famous World War I flying ace?

"The Ace of Aces" in Aces High (1955 series) #2 (EC, May 1955), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, February 18: Bruce figures he'll probably get more bucks just pawning the thing in Istanbul anyway

from Batman: Killing Time #3 (DC, July 2022), script by Tom King, pencils and inks by David Marquez, colors by Alejandro Sánchez, letters by Clayton Cowles

Today in Comics History, February 17: "Who's Got a Worse Father?" Competition enters its second week

from Young Justice: Targets #5 (DC, January 2023), script by Greg Weisman, pencils and inks by Christopher Jones, colors by Jason Wright, letters by Wes Abbott

Today in Comics History, February 15: Batman surveys produce

from Batman: The Audio Adventures (2022 series) #1 (DC, November 2022), script by Dennis McNicholas, pencils by Anthony Marques, inks by J. Bone, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Ferran Delgado

Today in Comics History, February 15: I'd eat the rich, but I don't like kale

from "King Kale" in Leading Comics #2 (DC/World's Best, Spring 1942); script, pencils, inks, and letters by Henry Boltinoff

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Hoo boy, is Beast Boy ever in trouble

from "The Dead Can Dance" in Young Monsters in Love #1 one-shot (DC, April 2018), script by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing, pencils & inks by Javier Fernandez, colors by Trish Mulvihill, letters by Carlos M. Mangual

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Love: The only winning move is not to play

"Valentine's Day Puzzle" from Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact v.19 #12 [#358] (George A. Pflaum, February 13, 1964), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Happy Blphfsvxl Plf

from Sugar & Spike #63 (DC, February 1966); script, pencils, and inks by Sheldon Mayer
The story itself rivals Ocean's 11 in complexity and involves the wee tots lugging a giant box of candy back and forth to keep it hidden...




But it all turns out to be a front for their ultimate plan: to unseat Hallmark and American Greetings from the crowned royalty of Valentine's Day cards. Pretty smart, Sugar!

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Even goths need love

cover of Scare Tactics #5 (April 1997), pencils by Anthony Williams, inks by Andy Lanning, colors by Andy Walton, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, February 14, 1929, Valentine's Day: Brother what a night it really was / Brother what a fight it really was / Glory be!

from "Al Capone" in Sensational Police Cases #2 (Avon, March 1954), pencils and inks by Louis Ravielli

Today in Comics History, February 14, 1929, Valentine's Day: Say, didja notice who's missing from that all those comic book stories about Al Capone and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre?

That's right: it's the Forrest Gump of Comic Books: Wolverine.




from Savage Wolverine #20 (Marvel, August 2014), script by Frank Tieri, pencils and inks by Felix Ruiz, colors by Dan Brown, letters by Cory Petit

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Duck, out of luck, runs amok, thinks Gladstone Gander is an obnoxious #@%&*

from "[My Lucky Valentine]" in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #150 (v.13 #6) (Dell, March 1953); script, pencils, inks and letters by Carl Barks; colors by Western Publishing Production Shop
(*Jerk.)

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: If you sit in my lap today, a kiss a rose is the price you'll pay

"...Watcha Want for Valentine's Day!" from The Ren & Stimpy Show #17 (Marvel, April 1994), script by Dan Slott, pencils and inks by Mike Kazaleh, colors by Chia-Chi Wang, letters by Brad K. Joyce

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Patsy Walker is sweet on an insane dog-man

from "[Valentine's Day]" in Miss America v.1 #5 (Marvel/Timely/Miss America, February 1945), pencils by Ken Bald, inks by Dan Barry
Any comment, Buzz Baxter?


from Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD (1989 series) #35 (Marvel, May 1992), script by Scott Lobdell, pencils by M. C. Wyman, inks by Don Hudson and Fred Fredericks, colors by Kevin Tinsley, letters by Phil Felix

Today in Comics History, February 14, 1779: Oh no. Anyway...

"Wonderworld Stamp Clumb" from Wonderworld Comics #27 (Fox, July 1941), creators unknown

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: You stink, Hawkman

from "Galentine's Day" in Mysteries of Love in Space #1 one-shot (DC, March 2019), script by Cecil Castellucci, pencils and inks by Elena Casagrande, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Steve Wands

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: There's an O. Henry story in here somewhere

from Marge's Little Lulu (1948 series) #32 (Dell, February 1951), script by John Stanley, pencils and inks by Irving Tripp

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Here's a cute Valentine's Day bunny text story for my online pal Pink Bunny!

Keep in mind that including text pages reduced the cost of mailing a comic book by 0.33 cents!


"The Valentine's Day Surprise" from Walter Lantz Andy Panda #33 (Dell, February 1956), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: What's a nice girl like you doing in a dive like this?

from Joker's Asylum II: Harley Quinn #1 one-shot (DC, August 2010), script by James Patrick, pencils and inks by Joe Quinones, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Oh man, they're gonna have Superboy come in and make her over, aren't they?*

from "The Man Who Changed" in Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #27 (Marvel/Atlas, October 1955), pencils by Jay Scott Pike, inks by J. Scott Pike (?) or Christopher Rule (?), letters by Joe Letterese (?)
Then, Jane gives a down-on-his-luck bum, quite possibly a disheveled David Banner, thirty bucks. Jane's hotter waitress cohort is appalled. I mean, you coulda bought 300 copies of Journey into Mystery #27 with that!


Turns out the hobo was in fact Jesus. Well, close, he was St. Valentine (patron saint of beekeepers, by the way, which is why his day is so sweet). And he's gorgeous and he made Jane beautiful.


Say, what the Sam Scratch was the moral of this story again?

(*To make sense of that reference, see here: Today in Comics History, February 10: Well, she's no Lori Lemaris...)

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Okay, fanboys, let's learn some history about this heart-shucking holiday

Yes, this will be on the test later.



"How Valentine's Day Began" from World's Finest Comics #57 (DC, March 1952), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: That boy ain't right

from "February Follies" in Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine Series #151 [Dennis the Menace Yearbook] (Hallden/Fawcett, April 1976), creators unidentified and unknown

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: The Joker only wishes he'd thought of it first

from "A Gotham City One Special Report" in Batman: The Audio Adventures Special #1 one-shot (DC, December 2021), script by Dennis McNicholas, layouts by Leonardo Romero, finishes by Rich Ellis, colors by Mike Spicer, letters by Deron Bennett

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: And this was why kids didn't find Mickey Mouse of the 1950s exciting...he became a domestic bachelor father.

Remember when Mickey Mouse used to leap over chasms, chase villains down in airplanes, and defend beleagured ranchers out west with his six-guns?...yeah, me either.



"The Valentine Mystery" in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #150 (v.13 #6) (Dell, March 1953); creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Damien Wayne has had it up to here with all this mushy stuff

from Batman: Li'l Gotham #3 (DC, August 2013); script, pencils, inks, and colors by Dustin Nguyen; script by Derek Fridolfs, letters by Saida Temofonte

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Batman is unusually jovial for a holiday

from Joker's Asylum II: Harley Quinn #1 one-shot (DC, August 2010), script by James Patrick, pencils and inks by Joe Quinones, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: From all of us to all of you, Happy Valentine's Day!

Me an' Shelly the Little Otter Puppet an' my kid sister Marshall the Tiny Stuffed Cow wish you a Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you got plenty of cards and flowers and treats! Mostly treats!

Today in Comics History, February 14: It's Valentine's Day!...

...and there's still time to pick up a bunch of flowers at the corner gas station for your sweetie!


from Marvel Age #26, 50, and 87 (Marvel, May 1985, May 1987, and April 1990); text by Jim Salicrup (#26), Mike Carlin (#50), and Chris Eliopolous and Barry Dutter (#87); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Gregory Wright (#87)
Happy Valentine's Day!

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Good God, no, we beg you, don't do that

from "Hostess Tips" in Love Diary (1958 series) #36 (Charlton, January 1965), script by Joe Gill (?), pencils by Bill Fraccio, inks by Tony Tallarico

Today in Comics History, February 13: Happy birthday, Kim Novak!

Born on this day: film and telvision actor Kim Novak (Picnic, The Man with the Golden Arm, Pal Joey, Vertigo, Bell, Book and Candle, Strangers When We Meet, Of Human Bondage, and lots more!)

And now, Kim Novak as drawn by Wally Wood. Please do not drool on my blog.


from "Scenes We Never Got To See" in MAD #42 (November 1958), script by Albert Meglin, pencils and inks by Wally Wood

Today in Comics History, February 13: Happy birthday, Chuck Yeager!

Born on this day in 1923: Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, Air Force officer, flying ace, and the fiorst man to fly faster than the speed of sound, except for some versions of Superman.

Chuck Yeager meets a young fan (who's gonna be a flier someday!) in a bar:



from DC: The New Frontier #1 (DC, March 2004); script, pencils, and inks by Darwyn Cooke; colors by Dave Stewart; letters by Jared K. Fletcher
Chuck Yeager meets another flier in another bar:


from "Idiot Box" in Airboy #29 (Eclipse, September 1987), script by Chuck Dixon, pencils by Graham Nolan, inks by Mark Nelson, colors by Olyoptics, letters by John Clark
From this we can conclude that Chuck Yeager liked to spend his time faster than the speed of sound, in bars, and in comic books.

Saluting you on your birthday, Chuck Yea...oh, he's already gone away at Mach 1.05.

Today in Comics History, February 12: Happy birthday, Anna Pavlova!

Today we celebrate the birth (in 1881) of the heroine known to the criminal world as Super-Ballerina, the dexterous crimefighter Anna Pavlova! PS: I was lying about the crimefighting. And if you're as dessert-minded as yours little stuffed truly is, you'll also know that she's the inspiration for the delicious creamy meringue and fruit dessert named after her, the Anna Pavlova! Mmm, them's good eatin'.


As usual for this birthday feature, here's everything you need to know about Anna Pavlova from a comic book!


"The Ballerina's Last Dance" from Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1965 series) #11 (Western/Gold Key, November 1968), pencils and inks by Joe Certa