Monday, January 01, 2024

1968 2024 Calendars for January and the Whole Menacing Year Ahead

Hey, it's 2024!


from Cable (2008 series) #2 (Marvel, June 2008), script by Duane Swierczynski, painted art by Ariel Olivetti, letters by Joe Caramagna

And not a moment too soon, if'n ya ask me. But how do you think we can make sure it is, Albert Einstein, Jimmy Olsen, Adam Strange, and, convniently flyin' past in the purple skies, Deadman?


from DC Challenge #6 (DC, April 1986), script by Elliot S! Maggin, pencils by Dan Jurgens, inks by Larry Mahlstedt, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by John Costanza





That's why you need a calendar! Many fine blockheads in this would couldn't get along without a calendar.


Peanuts (United Feature Syndicate, February 13, 1978), by Charles M. Schulz

Why, if you don't have a calendar...I don't even wanna venture a guess about what might happen to ya!


from "Book 2: This Vicious Cabaret; Chapter 11: Valerie" in V for Vendetta #6 (DC, Holiday 1988); script by Alan Moore; pencils and inks by David Lloyd; colors by David Lloyd, Siobhan Dodds, and Steve Whitaker; letters by Jenny O'Connor and Elitta Fell

Back when I was researching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindoor stories for my appearance on Rob Kelly's TreasuryCast podcast last year, i came across this nifty Rudy (and Grover Groundhog!) Pin-Up Calendar (warning: sexy deer alert) that you can cut out and hang up on your wall!

from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-42 (DC, February 1976), pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson
(Click picture to Santa's bowl-full-of-jelly-size)

Now, some of the cleverer of you out there (not me, I am a Bull of Very Little Brain) might right now be exclaiming


And for once, the usual answer isn't


We can answer the question of what that Rudoplh/Grover calendar is missing by asking the musical question: why is Archie Andrews at home on a Saturday night? The answer: both Betty and Veronica said "no." In other words,...no dates!

Funny this is, unlike other years, it's been an uphill battle for me to find comic book calendars that work in 2024. The problem is is that we're now in a Leap Year, where calendars don't repeat very often and we have to have ten months and change of election news (ugh). In fact, the only years comic books were published whose calendar mirror 2024 are 1940, 1968, and 1996. And there just were not a lot of calendars being published in comics during those three years, and at least one of 'em was in a comic I don't have access to. (So if you have a copy of Tippy Teen #18 (right) from Tower in March 1968, send me a photo or scan of the 1968 calendar therein and you'll receive a genuine No-Bull Prize and my eternal gratitude!)

But never fear, there's (some) calendars here! You can now boldly enter 2024 by printing out this 1968 Harvey Comics Calendar and spent the whole year long gazing at your favorite cartoon characters like Casper and Little Lotta and Herman and Katnip and Sad Sack. Go ahead, you know you want to!

"Harvey Calendar 1968" from Little Dot (1953 series) #117 (Harvey, June 1968)
(Click picture to Stumbo the Giant-size)

But Bully, (you're no doubt saying this very minute) aren't you going to privide us with a new calendar each month to savor and enjoy? And that's a very good question that I can answer with a menace. Dennis...the Menace!



"January 1968" from Dennis the Menace Giant #51 [Dennis the Menace Christmas Special] (Hallden/Fawcett, Winter 1967), creators unidentified and unknown

So there ya go! Stay tuned in all this year, for the Dennis calendar on the only comics bloig that irritates Mr. Wilson every month!


"January 1968" from Dennis the Menace Giant #49 [Dennis the Menace All Year 'Round] (Hallden/Fawcett, Fall 1967), creators unidentified and unknown

(And oh yeah, there was a 1968 full-page calendar in Dennis the Menace Giant #49, but somebody cut that out of my issue. Let me know if you;'ve got that one, too, folks!)

Happy Menacing New Year!

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