Today in Comics History, March 31: Happy birthday, Richard Chamberlain!

Born today: actor Richard Chamberlain (Dr. Kildare, Shōgun, The Thorn Birds, The Bourne Identity, The Three Musketeers, The Swarm and more)! Chamberlain has also performed classical stage roles and worked in m)! Seen here in the middle of a triptych of heartthrobs (with Elvis Presley and Tony Curtis)!


from "Midnight Cinderella!" in Girls' Love Stories #109 (DC/Arleigh, February 1965), script by Robert Kanigher, pencils and inks by Bob Oksner



Chamberlain was the star of the TV medical drama Dr. Kildare, which spun off into a Dell Four Color issue and then a series of nine issues!


cover of Four Color #1337 [Dr. Kildare] (Dell, April 1962)
Since they never made The Thorn Birds Comics and Stories or Shōgun Team-Up comics, here's some more Chamberlainin' action from Dr. Kildare!




from Four Color #1337; pencils and inks by Doug Wildey
Of course, a popular TV show like this can only lead to being immortalized by Mort Drucker:


from "Dr. Kiljoy" in MAD #74 (October 1962), script by Lou Silverstone, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
Happy Birthday, Richard!


from Krypton Chronicles #3 (DC, November 1981), script by E. Nelson Bridwell, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Frank Chiaramonte, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by Ben Oda