Today in Comics History, August 17: Happy birthday, Rachel Pollack!

Towards the middle of 1992, as Grant Morrison began to wind down their groundbreaking run on Doom Patrol, a curious set of missives began to appear on its letters page:



from letter columns in Doom Patrol (1987 series) #57 and 60 (DC, July and October 1992)

Today in Comics History, August 17: Happy birthday, Jonathan Franzen!

Born on this day: award-winning novelist and essayist Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections, Freedom, Crossroads, and more. He's also written essays published in The Best American Comics Criticism and The Complete Peanuts!


from The Complete Peanuts v.4: 1957-1958 (Fantagraphics, September 2005
So a very happy birthday to ya, Jonathan!


"Jonathan Franzen Says No" in Baking with Kafka (D+Q, October 2017), by Tom Gauld

Today in Comics History, August 15, 2010: A police report not involving touching fentanyl? That is unusual!

from "Fallout" in Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom/Magnus, Robot Fighter FCBD 2010 one-shot (Dark Horse, May 2010), script by Jim Shooter, pencils and inks by Dennis Calero, colors by Dennis Calero, letters by Blambot

Today in Comics History, August 15, 1899: "...Also, anti-Semitism."

from "The Automobile Industry" in True Comics #65 (Parents Magazine Press, October 1947), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, August 15, 1968: This is the nicest posting to the 'Nam I've ever seen

from "The Village War" in Semper Fi #2 (Marvel, January 1989), script by Michael P. Palladino, pencils by Andy Kubert, inks by John Severin, colors by Steve Mellor

Today in Comics History, August 15, 1958: Sam Beckett buys cheap beer with his new fake ID

from Quantum Leap #4 (Innovation, April 1992), script by Steven Dorfman, illustrated by Mark Jones and Andy Price, colors by Scott Rockwell, letters by Vickie Williams

Today in Comics History, August 15: Happy birthday, Kingpin!

Born on this day: the bouncing baby boy (23 pounds 8 ounces) who would grow up to become the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk! How old is he? Well, until somebody cuts him in half and counts the rings, he's not telling.


from Marvel Age #104 (Marvel, September 1991), text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Renee Witterstaetter
There's no actual canon source within a comics story to assign this date, but the Marvel Age Calendar assigns this date, so until there's a scene in Daredevil where Fisk is blowing out candles, let's celebrate today with lots of cake! Happy birthday, big guy!

13,500.

Today in Comics History, August 15, 1933: Map company outsources to abstract artist

from "The Blizzard, Chapter Six: Lighting the Fire" in Image! 30th Anniversary Anthology #6 (Image, October 2022); script by Geoff Johns; pencils, inks, and colors by Andrea Mutti, letters by Rob Leigh

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1945: Small voice from the East: "I don't like it very much!"

from Real Life Comics #29 (Pines, March 1946), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1942: "Dear Elliott. How are you? I am fine."

house ad from True Aviation Comics Digest #1 (Parents' Magazine Press, 1942)

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1949: Oh no!

from Top 10: the Forty-Niners (DC/America's Best Comics, October 2005), script by Alan Moore, pencils and inks by Gene Ha, colors by Art Lyon, letters by Todd Klein
OH NO!!!


Oh! Whew.

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1945: "Better place" not available in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Central and South America, or American South

from DC: Mech #1 (DC, September 2022), script by Kenny Porter, pencils and inks by Baldemar Rivas, colors by Mike Spicer, letters by Tom Napolitano

Today in Comics History, August 14: Happy birthday, Jimmy Palmiotti!

Born on this date: Jimmy Palmiotti, screenwriter/comic book writer/artist (Daredevil, Harley Quinn, Power Girl, Jonah Hex, All-Star Western, The Pro, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, Rage, and even more), co-creator of Painkiller Jane, and co-founder of Event Comics & Marvel Knights!



from (top) New West #1 (Black Bull, March 2005);
(bottom) Marvel Age #112 (Marvel, May 1992)

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1756: Blue Man Group conquers upstate New York

from "The Story of the French and Indian War" in Comic Cavalcade #10 (DC/Gainlee Publishing, Spring 1945), script by M. C. Gaines and W. W. D. Sones, pencils and inks by Allen Simon

Today in Comics History, August 14: Happy birthday, Cardew Robinson!

Born on this day in 1917: British music hall comedian and movie/TV actor Cardew Robinson! And yes, he had his own comic strip in the UK's Radio Fun (after all, that's why he gets a birthday post)!


"The Cad of St. Fanny's" in Radio Fun #1039 (Amalgamated UK, 6 September 1958), creators uncredited and unknown
Happy birthday, Cardew!

Today in Comics History, August 14, 2010: And I bring you 🎵 ENERGY 🎵

from "Fallout" in Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom/Magnus, Robot Fighter FCBD 2010 one-shot (Dark Horse, May 2010), script by Jim Shooter, pencils and inks by Dennis Calero, colors by Dennis Calero, letters by Blambot

Today in Comics History, August 13, 2010, 11:14 PM: And that's how Jim Shooter makes a superhero

And then what happens?


The New Yorker cartoon, by Sydney Harris
Well whaddaya know.


from "Solar Rise, Part Four: Self-Made Man" and in Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (2010 series) #8 (Dark Horse, September 2011); script by Jim Shooter; pencils, inks, and colors by Agustin Alessio; letters by Nate Piekos

Today in Comics History, August 13, 2010, 11:10 PM: Nothing can possiblie go worng

from "Solar Rise, Part One: Saboteur" and "Part Two: Scared to Death" in Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (2010 series) #5-6 (Dark Horse, February-March 2011); script by Jim Shooter; pencils, inks, and colors by Agustin Alessio; letters by Nate Piekos

Today in Comics History, August 13, 2010, 11:09 PM: Dr. Solar and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Night

It begins here! And, because it's comic books, never, ever ends.


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 13, 1521: Comic book gets tired of being a comic book

from "The Stories of the Aztecs and the Incas" in Sensation Comics #37 (DC/J.R. Publishing, January 1945), script by W. W. D. Sones and M. C. Gaines, pencils and inks by Allen Simon