Today in Comics History, June 23, Midsummer's Eve: Invention of protection against Kardashians

from "Witchcraft" in Witches Tales #14 (Harvey, September 1952), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1960: Invention of the birth control pill ensures sexual security for all X-Men*

You are clipping out these all text pages and putting them in the proper order in your Krakoa three-ring bnder, aren't you? When you put 'em all together, the sequence of events will astonish you!


text page from Sabretooth & the Exiles #2 (Marvel, February 2023), text by Victor LaValle/Writer
*Except Beak.

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1989: Batman movie is released; everybody has a good time; nothing bad ever happens to Warner Brothers ever again

from Realworlds: Batman one-shot (DC, May 2000), script by Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski, pencils by Marshall Rogers, inks by John Cebollero, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Bob Lappan

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1971: I've read enough of these to know it'll rain and then everybody's gonna die

from "The Spectral Stones" in Ghosts (1971 series) #68 (DC, September 1978), pencils and inks by Ruben Yandoc, letters by Esphid Mahilum

Today in Comics History, June 23: Fifteen minutes could take off 15% or more on car insurance or your fine woolens

FoxTrot (Andrews McMeel Syndication, October 17, 2021), by Bill Amend
A special tip o'the fox suggested to faithful reader and frequent commenter Blam, who's provided this and a lot of other date references in comics that I'll spotlight throughout 2023 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, June 23: Happy birthday, Becky Cloonan!

Happy birthday today to comic book writer, artist, and editor Becky Cloonan (Wonder Woman, The Kitchen, Moon Knight, Conan the Barbarian, Batgirls, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and many more), co-creator of Gotham Academy, Demo, American Virgin, East Coast Rising and others, and the first female artist to draw the main Batman title at DC!

"Who's Who: DC's Young Animal" from Shade the Changing Girl #9 (DC/Young Animal, August 2017), text and art by Becky Cloonan
(Click picture to large but still young animal-size)
Becky draws Harley Quinn, Harley Quinn criticizes Becky Cloonan! It's the circle of life!


from Harley Quinn (2014 series) #0 (DC, January 2014), script by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, pencils and inks by Becky Cloonan, colors by one'a these guys, letters by John J. Hill
Happy birthday, Becky!

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1944: The real baffling mystery is how Heath's suit turned green

Oh no! Heath is a lowly yeller-bellied war deserter coward. Why, I've half a mind to stop eating his delicious toffee covered with chocolate candy bars!


from Baffling Mysteries #11 (Ace, November 1952), pencils and inks by Gene Colan, with Leroy mechanical lettering
I think it would have been funnier in that last panel above if it had been Death saying "That's what you think!" instead.

Oh no! Years later, the comrades he deserted finally catch up with him! But what's the worst they can do? Oh no...aieeeeee! He's going to have to pick up the tab for everybody because the dead don't carry American Express!


Moral of the story: don't do that there thing.

This post was suggested by faithful reader and frequent commenter Blam, who's provided a lot of date references in comics that I'll spotlight throughout 2023 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, June 20: Kory gets more dressed than she ever has in her entire life

cover of The New Teen Titans (1984 series) #12 (DC, September 1985), pencils by Paris Cullins, inks by Romeo Tanghal, colors by Anthony Tollin, letters by Gaspar Saladino

Today in Comics History, June 20, 1898: The South giggles, because they've already invented seersucker

from Picture Stories from American History #4 (EC, Summer 1947), script by Jerry Coleman, pencils and inks by Allen Simon

Today in Comics History, Summer Solstice Eve, June 20: Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah / Two is twice as nice as one

Very early on the morning of Solstice Eve (today!), Nubia, only Princess of the Amazons of Themyscira, sneaks out to whisper into "Hera's Ear" (an ancient Amazonian Temple) a secret wish.


from Diana and Nubia: Princesses of the Amazons (DC, January 2023), script by Shannon Hale and Dean hale, pencils and inks by Victoria Ling, colors by Lynette Wong, letters by Becca Carey

Today in Comics History, June 19: Happy birthday, Zoe Saldaña!

Born on this day: movie star, model, and voice artist Zoe Saldaña of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Terminal, The Losers, Death at a Funeral, The Book of Life, Maya and the Three, From Scratch and many more...but we nerds know her best from the Avatar series, the 2009 Star Trek reboots, and the Guardians of the Galaxy movies! And from appearing on (or at least inspiring) comic book covers!


covers from (1) Gamora #1 (Marvel, February 2017), pencils and inks by J. Scott Campbell, colors by Peter Steigerwald;
(2) All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel, July 2017), art by Natali Sanders;
(3) Guardians of the Galaxy (2013 series) #4 (Marvel, August 2013), pencils and inks by Sara Pichelli, colors by Justin Ponsor;
(4) Guardians of the Galaxy Annual (2015 series) #1 (Marvel, 2015 series), pencils and inks by Frank Cho, colors by Jason Keith;
(5) Thanos (2019 series) #6 (Marvel, November 2019), painted art by Jeff Dekal;
(6) All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel, July 2017), painted art by John Tyler Christopher


covers from (1) Star Trek (2011 series) #30 (IDW, February 2014);
(2) Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #2 (IDW, February 2013), pencils and inks by David Messina, colors by Claudia Scarletgothica;
(3) Star Trek: Boldly Go #9 (IDW, June 2017), painted art by Arianna Florean;
(4) Star Trek (2011 series) #56 (IDW, April 2016), painted art by John Watson;
(5) Star Trek: Boldly Go #4 (IDW, January 2017), painted art by Tony Shasteen;
(6) Star Trek (2011 series) #28 (IDW, December 2013), pencils and inks by Erfan Fajar, colors by Ifansyah Noor and Stellar Labs
Happy birthday, Zoe! Say, I have noticed that in your biggest hit films, you're a beautiful woman who falls in love with an alien. Now, have you considered in your next movie playing a beautiful woman who falls in love with a little stuffed bull? It'd be a box-office smash! In Bullsylvania.

No, I can't believe MAD never did a spoof of Kelvinverse Trek either.

Today in Comics History, June 19: Happy birthday, Thomas Fuller!

Born (or hey, at least baptized) on this day in 1608: Thomas Fuller, churchman and historian, author of Worthies of England, and probably the first professional writer, but not of Superboy, who quotes him:


from "Brotherly Hate!" in Superboy (1949 series) #172 (DC/National, March 1971), script by E. Nelson Bridwell, pencils and inks by George Tuska, letters by Joe Letterese
Happy birthday, Thomas Fuller, and even if you can't actually appear in a comic book, feel honored that you've been name-dropped by the one and only Kid Kal-El, teenage teen of the thirtieth century, who is obviously reading ahead of his class level! Geez, Clark, stop showin' off. Read some Hardy Boys once in a while.

Also, he lived in the seventeenth century, ya gigantic superdweeb.

Today in Comics History, June 19: Happy birthday, Charlie Drake!

Hallo, my darlings! Born in 1925, today's the birthday of British comedian, writer, actor, sing-songer, and painter Charlie Drake from The Worker, Drake's Progress, Charlie Drake In..., and (naturally) The Charlie Drake Show, a 1968 Montreux Festival winner, and twenty UK pop singles!


from Radio Fun #1039 (Amalgamated UK, 06 September 1958), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 19: Happy birthday, Blaise Pascal!

Born today in 1623, lets all raise a toast to the mathemetician with the most, Blaise Pascal, inventor of the Pascaline (an early calculator you could not spell "BOOBS" on), master of probability theory, creator of The Treatise on the Arithmetical Triangle (a convenient tabular presentation for binomial coefficients which he called the arithmetical triangle, but is now called Pascal's triangle. Thanks, Wikipedia!) and designer of Pascal's Wager, which ended with him owing forty large to the Vegas mob.

Also, he died pretty uniquely.


from "The Apple" in S.H.I.E.L.D.* (2011 series) #∞ (Marvel, June 2011); script by Jonathan Hickman; pencils, inks, and colors by Gabriel Hernández Walta; letters by Todd Klein
Happy birthday, M. Pascal! Sorry about all the formalin.

*Sinking Head In Essentially Liquid Death

Today in Comics History, June 19: Roger C. Carmel startled

from "The Lair of Lady Frankenstein" in Secrets of Haunted House #35 (DC, April 1981), script by Bob Rozakis with Jack C. Harris as "collaborator", pencils and inks by Dan Spiegle, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by John Costanza
Wait, what happened on July 9 that I've censored out using the handy blur tool (not to be confused with Blur, performing the hit single "Song 2")? Well, I dunno...guess you just have to stay tuned until July 9!

This post was suggested by faithful reader and frequent commenter Blam, who's provided a lot of date references in comics that I'll spotlight throughout 2023 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, June 19, 1944: Novelty oversized helmet disorients GI Joe

from Ghosts (1971 series) #85 (DC, February 1980), script by David Allikas, pencils and inks by Vic Catan
This post was suggested by faithful reader and frequent commenter Blam, who's provided a lot of date references in comics that I'll spotlight throughout 2023 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, June 19: Happy Birthday, Mick Anglo!

Born on this day in 1916: comic book writer, artist, letterer and editor Mick Anglo (nee the appropriate Michael Anglo), creator of Marvelman (or, as Eclipse Comics and Marvel itself would latrer call him, Miracleman), founer of Gower Art Studios and Anglo Features, joke ghost writer for British comedian Tommy Cooper — a true renaissance man who made "Kimota!" the household word it is today in the Moran home.


from Marvel Comics cover-dated February 2012
Happy birthday, Mick!

Today in Comics History, June 18: Happy birthday, Dean Mullaney!

Born on this day: comics editor, publisher, and champion of creators' rights (and multiple Eisner winner!) Dean Mullaney, co-founder of Eclipse Publications and editor of The Library of American Comics at IDW.


from Total Eclipse #5 (Eclipse, April 1989)
Also a great letter-writer!


letter column from Marvel Team-Up #45 (Marvel, May 1976)

Today in Comics History, June 18: Happy birthday, George Mikan!

Born on this day in 1924: pro b-baller George Mikan, aka "Mr. Basketball," (Chicago American Gears and Minneapolis Lakers) the man who gave kids with glasses a hope they could play in the NBA someday!



from "The Story of George Mikan" in Treasure Chest of Fact and Fun v.17 #9/315 (Pflaum, January 4, 1962), script by Bob Weber
You could also spot him in comic books as a spokesman for Keds sneakers...




Keds sneakers ads from (top) Archie Comics cover-dated July 1955;
(middle) Archie comics cover-dated July 1957;
Harvey Comics cover-dateddated May 1957
...and for Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions™!



from (top) DC Comics cover-dated February 1952;
(bottom) Dell Comics cover-dated February 1953
Happy birthday, Mr. Basketball! Let me polish your glasses for you there.

(runs away with the magic basketball glasses)

Today in Comics History, Father's Day: Bully's Father's Day Gift Suggestion #619: A restraining order against the old fascist next door

from "The June Swoon" in Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine Series #151 (Hallden/Fawcett, April 1976), creators unidentified and unknown

Today in Comics History, Father's Day: Bully's Father's Day Gift Suggestion #264: Window blinds, apparently

from Batman: The Long Halloween #9 (DC, August 1997), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils and inks by Tim Sale, colors Gregory Wright Letters Richard Starkings
What do you think of that gift, Comissioner Gordon?


Say, Batman, who're you getting your dad for...oh, wait. I'm sorry. So very sorry.

Today in Comics History, Father's Day: Bully's Father's Day Gift Suggestion #101: A copy of the 1974 Harry Chapin album Verities & Balderdash*

This guy, right?:


from "A Cry for Help!" in World of Fantasy #2 (Marvel/Atlas, July 1956), pencils and inks by Kurt Schaffenberger, letters by Joe Letterese
Pausing only momentarily to turn into the Clock King, Professor Mason begins construction on his army of killer robots.


The Doctor Noonian Soong Story!


Happy ending! Hey look, a June Calendar you can use!


Ten minutes later, Dad died of a heart attack. (Of joy, so, okay.)

*Because it has "Cat's in the Cradle" on it, see?

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1989: Add STP Octane Booster to stop your calendar from knocking

from Realworlds: Batman one-shot (DC, May 2000), script by Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski, pencils by Marshall Rogers, inks by John Cebollero, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Bob Lappan

Today in Comics History, Father's Day: Bully's Father's Day Gift Suggestion #73: Really, anything at all, Clark, ya load

Guess who forgot it was Father's Day! Golly, that computer-like brain of yours is great for categorizing super-criminals and which girls on the Legion of Super-Heroes you'd like to see in their underwear, Kid Kal...not so good for remembering dates.


from "Father's Day on Planet Krypton!" Adventure Comics #313 (DC/National, October 1963), script by Leo Dorfman and Mort Weisinger, pencils and inks by George Papp, letters by Joe Letterese
It's a story cleverly called "Father's Day on Planet Krypton!" because it's about...Father's Day on Planet Krypton. Not Earth, so you can shove it, Pa Kent.

Today in Comics History, Father's Day: Bully's Father's Day Gift Suggestion #58: A plea to get off my back, geez, you don't understand me at all, you're not even my real father

from "Father's Day" in Aquaman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 one-shot (DC, October 2021), script by Geoff Johns, pencils by Paul Pelletier, inks by Norm Rapmund, colors by Hi-Fi, letters by Josh Reed

Today in Comics History, Father's Day: Bully's Father's Day Gift Suggestion #32: A Face

from 52 #7 (Dc, June 21, 2006); script by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid; breakdowns by Keith Giffen; pencils and inks by Ken Lashley; colors by Alex Sinclair and Draxhall Jump Studios, letters by Travis Lanham

Today in Comics History, Father's Day: Bully's Father's Day Gift Suggestion #16

Why not give Dae the gift he's been longing for...a subscription to a defunct magazine!


house ad from Fawcett Comics, 1951

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1940: Spite Marriage

Crooks are trying to pull a blackmail scheme on Commissioner Dolan by claiming he was married three years ago to one of their in-pocket molls! I know, I know...same thing happened to me when they said I had been married to Keira Knightley since I was 4.


from "June 18, 1940" in The Spirit (Register and Tribune Syndicate, January 31, 1943), script by Joe Millard (?), pencils by Lou Fine, inks by Alex Kotzky, letters by Martin DeMuth
I don't usually comment on the coloring, but I really like how the background gets hotter as Dolan stews here:


All's well that ends well. Say, can you testify where you were on June 18, 1940? Me, I was broadcasting on the BBC to German-occupied France, rallying the French Resistance to me in London. Oh wait, that was General Charles de Gaulle. I'm always makin' that mistake.

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1965: That's right, read some cheerful news to the coma patient

from House of Secrets (1996 series) #12 (DC/Vertigo, September 1997), script by Steven T. Seagle, pencils and inks by Guy Davis, colors by Kevin Somers, color separations by Heroic Age, letters by Todd Klein