What's Bully Not Reading? 2024 #2: So, Anyway... by John Cleese

Plucked this off of my bookshelf (it's been there a couple years) and went "No. Just...no." he has ruined my previous fandom for him.


Off to the donation bin with ye!

Anyway, I have books by Michael Palin and Graham Chapman on my "to read in 2024" bookshelves. Two Pythons I'd much rather spend time with.

Today in Comics History, March 16: Kate Middleton continues daring rain heist

This Curious World (Newspaper Enterprise Association, June 15, 1936), by William Ferguson
A tip o' the cow hat to Pal Tom Heintjes at Hogan's Alley, who posted this strip on Bluesky! Thanks, Tom!

Now Playing: Fawlty Towers: Second Sitting

The late great Andrew Sachs (as Manuel) narrates action that would be visual on the TV.

I'm not a John Cleese fan (exasperated sigh) anymore, but I still like this series with its great ensemble cast.


Bully is listening to Fawlty Towers: Second Sitting (BBC, 1981), with John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Connie Booth and Andrew Sachs

Now Playing: Italian Favorites by Louis Prima

Yes, he has rhymed "roly-poly" with "ravioli."

I'm still in my kilt, which is the wrong national dress to listen to this record.


Bully is listening to Italian Favorites (Tops, 1963), by Louis Prima (and Phil Brito)

Bully and His Pals: Happy π Day!

In honor of mathematicians everywhere, I shall now cut this pie into equal portions for me, Shelly, and Marshall!

Now Playing: Don't Cry Now by Linda Ronstadt

She can break your heart with a single verse.

Bully is listening to Don't Cry Now (Asylum, 1973), by Linda Ronstadt

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛: Bed rest

Happy sleepy time, sweet dreams, and may you always have a soft paw to rest your head.

Now Playing: Pretenders by The Pretenders

Hello, radio fans! You'd better "Stop Your Sobbing," because we're listening to Pretenders here on the Mighty Bull, WBUL, 101.6 FM! (goes off for extended bathroom break while record plays)

One thing you miss from listening to this on CD or MP3: there is a lotta music on each side. Fourteen songs on this whole album, and every one a classic! So don't forget:


Chrissie even mentions Howard the Duck, trapped in a world that he never made. Cool!


from Howard the Duck (1976 series) #1 (Marvel, January 1976); co-plot and script by Steve Gerber; co-plot, pencils, and colors by Frank Brunner; inks by Steve Leialoha; letters by John Costanza
Thank you, Pretenders, for giving us the first of many albums that rock!


Bully is listening to Pretenders (Real, 1980), by The Pretenders

Today in Comics History, March 13, 1781: William Herschel gets you to bend over, chuckling all the while

"Uranus" from Tomb of Terror (1952 series) #16 (Harvey, July 1954), pencils and inks by Bob Powell (?), letters by Joe Rosen
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 2024 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, March 13, 1970: Day before invention of Gravestone White-Out™

"Rest in Pieces" from The Unexpected #119 (DC/National, June 1970), inks (and pencils?) by Murphy Anderson, letters by John Costanza
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 2024 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, March 13, 1896: This story will make you feel good all over!

from "The Forbidden Room" im Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #4 (Charlton, July 1957), script by Joe Gill (?), pencils and inks by Steve Ditko, letters by Jon D'Agostino
Sounds pretty scary and creepy, right? So why should this story make you feel good? Simple answer:


cover of Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #4; pencils and inks by Steve Ditko
Oh goodie! It was only a story!

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 2024 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, March 13, 2036: Well, that'll happen...in the future!

from Man o' Mars #1 (Fiction House, 1953), pencils and inks by Maurice Gutwirth
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 2024 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, March 12, 1914: What's he doing in that coffin? Westing.

Today in 1914, inventor and entrepeneur George Westinghouse died. But before he did, he managed to work in inventing the Westinghouse air brake, developed the AC current mode of electrical transmission, and a whole buncha other stuff, and I'm fairly certain he had something to do with the Westinghouse refrigerator of kids joke fame (see title).


from "George Westinghouse" in True Comics #50 (Parents' Magazine Press, July 1946), pencils (and inks?) by Sam Glankoff

Today in Comics History, March 12: Happy Birthday, Sy Barry!

Happy 96th birthday today to Seymour "Sy" Barry, comic book and comic-strip artist: he's worked on Strange Adventures, Mystery in Space, All Star Western, Girls Romances, Rex the Wonder Dog, Superboy and many more...but he's best known for being the artist of The Phantom comic strip for 33+ years, which includes the entire period I read it as a wee calf in the newspaper funnies!

"Behind the Mask" from The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks (2009 series) #1 (Moonstone, March 2009), text by Ed Rhoades, pencils and inks by Sy Barry
(Click picture to Skull Cave-size)
Happy birthday, Sy, and many more!


advertisement from The Phantom (1948 series) #1207 (Frew, 1998)

Today in Comics History, March 12: Happy birthday, Ken Spears!

Born on this day in 1938: writer, animator, and producer Ken Spears, co-creator of Scooby-Doo and co-founder of Ruby-Spears Productions, both with Joe Ruby. Ruby-Spears gave us Thundarr the Barbarian, Fangface, Goldie Gold and Action Jack, The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, Rubik the Amazing Cube, Mister T, Sectaurs, Centurions, Superman (1988) and more, and hired Jack Kirby to work on their productions.


from Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (Ten Speed, July 2020), script and art by Tom Scioli
Happy birthday, Ken!

Good morning, Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛!

Are you comfy enough now to go back to sleep without any more throwing up?

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛: Extreme close-up!

Bully and His Pals: Best friends, watchin' TV together

Fun with Comics: Gunny Animals

Oh boy, Funny Animals comics! Those are always innocent, harmless fun for all ages, with no serious violence or


from "Break the Bank" in Funny Animals (1954 series) #87 (Charlton, October 1954), pencils and inks by Al Fago
Whoops!

Let's turn to the next story for some kiddie fun without any violent implications, 'kay?


from "No Escape Clauses!" in Funny Animals #87, creators unidentified and unknown; originally published in Fawcett's Funny Animals #59 (Fawcett, Summer 1948)
OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD

Hmm, the next story seems to be a gun-free zone. I'm certain no one gets seriously hurt in thi...


from "No Joke" in Funny Animals #87, pencils and inks by Chad Grothkopf (?); originally published in Fawcett's Funny Animals #57 (Fawcett, Winter 1947)
OW. That pig surely had to have reconstructive face plastic surgery.

Is there no one to save us from the violence inherent in the system of comic book cartoon animals?


"Satisfied" from Funny Animals #87, creators unidentified and unknown; originally published in Fawcett's Funny Animals #54 (Fawcett, October 1947)
Oh, phew! Thanks goodness for the classics.

Today in Comics History, March 11, 1938: A Baller move against the Nazis

"They Shall Make Music" from Real Life Comics #33 (Pines, July 1946), text by Nat Schachner
(Click bottom picture to grand piano-size)
(Bully stands, salutes Adolph Baller)

Today in Comics History, March 11: Happy birthday, Ray Gill!

Born on this day in 1918: comic book writer, artist and editor Ray Gill (Mighty Mouse, Super Rabbit, Pals and Pastimes and more, and the co-creator of Airman and Terry Vance). He worked at Funnies Inc. (he was the #2 guy in hierachy there after Lloyd Jacquet), and created for Lev Gleason, Timely, Novelty, Archie, Fawcett, and more in books like Marvel Mystery Comics, Blue Bolt, 4Most, Archie Comics, Target Comics (note: not about the store), Laugh Comics, Pep Comics, etc. And his brother was comic book writer Joe Gill!

Here's a nod-and-a-wink reference to Ray in the pages of a Golden Age Human Torch story. Hey, can you guess which tough guy wrote the darn thing?


from "Hot Stamp Mob!" in All-Winners Comics #6 (Marvel/Timely, Fall 1942), script by Mickey Spillane, pencils by Harry Fisk (?), inks by Edd Ashe (?)
And in this text story I've read so you don't have to, Atomic Mouse meets Ray Gill (and Charlton editor Al Fago and his wife)!

"Bum-bum-bum-Bomb" from Funny Animals #87 (Charlton, October 1954), creator uncredited and unknown
(Click picture to gratuitous cameo-size)
Happy birthday, Ray!

Today in Comics History, March 11, 1994: Punisher daringly jets into a modern coloring technique

from "Eurohit '94" in The Punisher Annual (1988 series) #7 (Marvel, October 1994); script by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; pencils by Doug Braithwaite; inks by Al Williamson, Fred Fredericks, and Art Nichols; colors by Christie Scheele; letters by Ken Lopez

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛: She's not supposed to be on the table, but Cat Law supersedes that

Especially this week, since it's the very first time she's started showing interest in human (and bull) food, and has bit into and pulled down to the floor our food!


The other day: I offered Kitty a tiny piece of bacon out of my bacon, egg and bagel sandwich, and she vehemently turned her head away from it. Me: "It's salty! You'd like it!" But: she's never before eaten people food.

I propped the paper plate with the sammich on the arm of the couch, and then she sniffed it, then grabbed the sandwich with her teeth and pulled it off the plate onto the floor. She never does that! I didn't teach her that behavior! (I put it on a plate first.)

And then she did it again last night with barbecue chicken pizza!



Now we have to guard our delicious, savory food, or close the door when we're eating. Pretty sneaky, Kit!

(Photos by Randi!)

Stuff Bully Got: Gently used books!

I went to the Big Reuse thrift shop in Gowanus shop today! They didn't have any $2 record LPs I wanted (tho' if you're a Streisand fan, head on over), but I found some great books! The clerk charged me for the comic price rather than the paperback price so I got 'em all for $3!


Look out for these books soon in my 2024 reading project!