Today in Comics History, August 12, 2010: Why don't you kiss her instead of talking her to death?

from "Solar Rise, Part One: Saboteur" in Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (2010 series) #7 (Dark Horse, July 2011); script by Jim Shooter; pencils, inks, and colors by Agustin Alessio, letters by Nate Piekos

Today in Comics History, August 12, 1970: Nothing supernatural about this one, folks; he just burned down the house

from "Came the Spectre Shrouded in Seaweed" in Ghosts (1971 series) #89 (DC, June 1980), script by Mimai Kin, pencils and inks by Tenny Henson
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, August 12, 1903: Not only is The League of Extraordinary Presidential Assassins prone to bickering, but they have terrible security protocol about their tallboy chairs

from House of Secrets (1996 series) #9 (DC/Vertigo, June 1997), script by Steven T. Seagle, layours by Christian Højgaard, finishes by Teddy Kristiansen, colors by Bjarne Hansen, color separations by Heroic Age, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, August 12, 2010: But that trick never works

from "Solar Rise, Part One: Saboteur" in Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (2010 series) #5 (Dark Horse, February 2011); script by Jim Shooter; pencils, inks, and colors by Agustin Alessio, letters by Nate Piekos

Today in Comics History, August 12, 1944: Trooper advances through mans

from "Tough 'Ombres...Battle Story of the 90th Infantry Division!" in Our Army at War (1952 series) #73 (DC/National, August 1958), creators unidentified and unknown

Today in Comics History, August 11: Happy birthday, Giselle Rodriguez!

Happy birthday today to Giselle Rodriguez, whos's so cool she doesn't even have to face the camera!


from Tephlon Funk! graphic novel (Dark Horse, November 2022), written by Stephane Metayer, illustrated by David Tako and Bicolas Safe

Today in Comics History, August 11, 1870 and 1911: Ripley's Believe It or Not! presents...a coincidence. Nothin' more.

from "Death Comes Riding" in Ripley's Believe It Or Not! #11 (Western/Gold Key, November 1968), pencils and inks by Luis Dominguez

Today in Comics History, August 11: Happy birthday, Jim Lee!

Born on this day: Jim Lee, prolific comic book writer and artist (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Superman, Superman Unchained, Batman, All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder, Justice League, WildC.A.T.s, Alpha Flight, The Punisher War Journal, Fantastic Four, The Intimates, Deathblow, Divine Right, and about one bajillion covers, among (whew!) many others. He co-created Gen¹³, Omega Red, Hush, Mr. Majestic, Stormwatch, WildC.A.T.s, and Gambit, although we won't hold that last one against you, Jim. He's also a founding member of Image Comics and WildStorm Productions, and is now Chief Creative Officer and Publisher of DC Comics. Whew, Jim! Take a vacation and give yourself some "you" time!


cover of Marvel Age #104 (Marvel, September 1991), pencils and inks by Jim Lee

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

Today in Comics History, August 11: Happy birthday, Lyle Stuart!

Born on this day in 1922: author and publisher Lyle Stuart, founder of (natch) Lyle Stuart, Inc., which published classics like The Sensuous Woman and Naked Came the Stranger, not to mention Crucifix in a Deathhand by Charles Bukowski. he also published The Anarchist Cookbook (huh!) and The Turner Diaries (ick!). Most relevant to our interests, he was the business manager of EC Comics line (he was a good friend of publisher Bill Gaines). Here is is freakin' out over what Bill's doin' with the company money (understandably so)!

"The Board of Educational Comics" EC subsciption advertisement by Will Elder
(Click picture to adult-education-size)
Stuart was also notable for a running feud with gossip columnist Walter Winchell, whom he exposed as a hypocritical adultere and a racist, and it ended with Lyle's arrest over a parody of A Visit from St. Nocholas printed in the first issue of Panic. All that about Santa Claus! Let's let Mark 'n' Sergio explain it all for you:


from The CBLDF Presents: Liberty Comics (Image, July 2008); co-script by Mark Evanier; co-script, pencils, and inks by Sergio Aragonés; colors by Tom Luth; letters by Stan Sakai

Today in Comics History, August 11, 1980: "I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love."

from "Dig the Plant, Man!" in Secrets of Haunted House #43 (DC, December 1981), plot and pencils by Rodin Rodriguez, script by Robin Snyder, inks by Andy Mushynsky, colors by Jerry Serpe, letters by Pierre Bernard Jr.
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, August 10, 1947: Dodgers pass the buck to Roy Campanella

from Larry Doby, Baseball Hero one-shot (Fawcett, 1950), script by Charles Dexter

Today in Comics History, August 10, 1911 and 1912: At least he had that bitchin "My Aunt is Almost Dead" party

Hey, Paul LeCourt! Why you so happy, my French dude? Ah, the old grey mare is dead.


from "Death Comes Riding" in Ripley's Believe It Or Not! #11 (Western/Gold Key, November 1968), pencils and inks by Luis Dominguez
Certainly no way this could turn against you exactly a year later, right, Paul?


Oh.

Today in Comics History, August 10, 20XX: Happy birthday, Peter Parker*!

*...Peter Parker of Earth-18157, that is...the separate and substantially simpler reality created for IDW's publication of the Marvel Action series of all-age comics. Golly, if only Marvel had a company that published comic books, huh?


from Marvel Action: Chillers #2 (Marvel/IDW, October 2020), script by Jeremy Whitley, pencils and inks by Gretel Lusky, colors by Nahuel Ruiz, letters by Valeria Lopez
But do we have a canon birthday for "our" PP, our Friendly Earth-616 Spider-Man? Well, not exactly. But I wouldn't miss checking this space on August 26. You have been warned! There will be a test (in my Milk and Cheese voice)!

Today in Comics History, August 9, 1910: White man announces plan to do something; everybody expected to drop what they're doing to help

"Pioneers of Science: Roald Amundsen, Discoverer of the South Pole" from Classics Illustrated #76 (Gilberton, October 1950), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, August 9: Happy birthday, Alyce Gordon!

Born on this day: Marvel secretary during the '80s Alyce Gordon!


from Marvel Age #56 and 32 (Marvel, November 1987 and November 1985; text by Mike Carlin (#56) and Jim Salicrup (#32); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Paul Becton (#56) and Andy Yanchus (#32)
Happy birthday, Alyce!

Today in Comics History, August 8, 1951: Free — Free / A Trip to Mars / For 900 / Empty Jars / Burma-Shave

Facing a blank page in this month's issue of Weird Fantasy, EC co-editors Bill Gaines (in the brown suit) and Al Feldstein (blue) concoct the ultimate special bonus: a gag advertisement offering a free trip to Mars!


from "The Ad!" in Weird Fantasy (1951 series) #14 (EC, July 1952); co-plot by Bill Gaines; co-plot, script, pencils and inks by Joe Orlando; colors by Marie Severin; letters by Jim Wroten
How'd that work out for ya, guys?

Today in Comics History, August 6, 1959: So this is the guy who thought he was going to get married to Miley Cyrus?!?

from "The Banshee Bride of Ballybrooke" in Ghosts (1971 series) #94 (DC, November 1980), script by Mimai Kin, pencils and inks by Win Mortimer, colors by Jerry Serpe, letters by Shelly Leferman
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!