Today in Comics History, March 23: Happy birthday, Erica Henderson!

Born on this day: Eisner Award-winning comic book artist and animator Erica Henderson: co-creator of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl series and Assassin Nation, the "Like Red Stitches in Blood" series in Image! 30th Anniversary Anthology, work for Archie Comics and on Harley Quinn, not to mention dozens of goergeosu covers for all the major comic book publishers!


from letter column header in The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (December 2015 series) #6 (Marvel, May 2016), pencils and inks by Erica Henderson
Happy birthday, Erica!


variant cover of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #16; pencils by Erica Henderson, inks by Chip Zdarsky
From L-R behind the table: Joe Quinones; Chip Zdarsky; Erica Henderson; Ryan North

Today in Comics History, March 23, 1918: "It is truly an honor to be bombed by such an impressive weapon, m'sieur."

An extremely weird text story to publish less than seven years after the end of World War II: a history, and almost outright admiration, for a long-range World War I German cannon that shelled Paris and killed more than 300 people. What...what the actual heck, DC?



"The Fantastic Story of the Paris Gun" from Batman (1940 series) #71 (DC/National, June 1952), pencils and inks by Raymond Perry
I guess the fact that it was buried in a text story meant that no one was actually going to read it, but sheesh, Whitney Ellsworth.

Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, Ron Cacace!

Happy birthday today to comics writer Ron Cacace, who's managed a comic book shop, been a freelance writer at Marvel, and director of publicity and social media (as well as writer, including Jughead and Sonic the Hedgehog) at Archie Comics! He's the writer and creator, with illustrator Vincent Lovallo, of the super-fun and highly recommended by this bull Bite Size Archiecomic series!


from Bite Size Archie v.1 (Archie, May 2022), art by Vincent Lovallo
Ron occasionally sneaks into the Bite Size Archie strips. Here he is in Riverdale High's yearbook, just to the left of Duck Reggie Mantle! (And to the right, illustrator Vincent Lovallo!)


from "Group Chatastrophe": Bite Size Archie #10 (February 12, 2021), script by Ron Cacace, art by Vincent Lovallo
And you spot Ron and Vincent at the bottom of the strip that rounded out the first year of the comic!


from "Plenty to Digest": Bite Size Archie #52 (December 3, 2021), , script by Ron Cacace, art by Vincent Lovallo
Happy birthday, Ron!

Today in Comics History, March 22, 1965: UFO theories are pooh-poohed by the United States Department of Gaslighting

from "Mystery in Michigan" in UFO Flying Saucers #1 (Western/Gold Key, October 1968), script by Leo Dorfman, pencils by Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio, inks by Sal Trapani

Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, Steve Dillon!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published March 22, 2022.

Today's the birthday of Steve Dillon (born 1962), and his passing in 2016 at the age of 54 hits a little harder every year here in the Bull household, especially to my best pal John, who loves Steve's work and was born within a couple weeks of Steve in 1962. Today's also a great day to re-read some of your favorite Steve Dillon-illustrated comics: perhaps Hellblazer, Preacher, Animal Man or The Punisher or Punisher MAX, or his many stories in 2000 AD. Remember how great his work is, and how we've missed out since he's gone.

"Q&A: Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon" in Vertigo: Winter's Edge #1 (DC/Vertigo, January 1998)
(Click picture to big-as-all-outdoors-size)

Today in Comics History, March 22, 1916: J.R.R. Tolkien gets married; immediately throws wedding ring into volcano

from Tolkien: Lighting Up the Darkness (Ablaze, February 2024), script by Willy Duraffourg, art by Giancarlo Caracuzzo, colors by Flavia Caracuzzo and Joël Odone

Now Playing: Sun Records' Greatest Hits

Gettin' back to my roots by listening to Sun Records' Greatest Hits (Sun, 2009). Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Howln' Wolf and more!)

As they say: that's all right, mama!


Bully is listening to Sun Records Greatest Hits (Sun Records, 2009)
Yes, I bought it at a Cracker Barrel.

Today in Comics History, March 21: Happy birthday, Jeff Lemire!

Born on this day: comic book writer and artist Jeff Lemire (creator of Sweet Tooth, Trillium, The Nobody, and Essex County Trilogy, and writer on All-New Hawkeye, Extraordinary X-Men, Moon Knight, Old Man Logan, Superboy, Animal Man, Justice League Dark, Green Arrow, Black Hammer, Bloodshot Reborn and more)!


"On the Ledge" from DC/Vertigo comics cover-dated November 2009
Jeff's at the extreme right of this double-page spread of a Comic-Con without hardly nobody in the aisles? What's up with that?

from Faith (2016 series) #3 (Valiant, September 2016), script by Jody Houser, pencils and inks by Pere Pérez, colors by Andrew Dalhouse, letters by Dave Sharpe
(Click picture to conventio-size)
Happy happy birthday, Jeff!


from Teen Titans, Earth One v.1 (DC, January 2015)

Today in Comics History, March 21, 1918: Today's date is drowned out by the title

...so look for the red oval to point you in the right direction of the proper reference...


from "July 15, 1918" in Battlefield Action #21 (Charlton, October 1958), script by Joe Gill (?), pencils and inks by Sam Glanzman, letters by Jon D'Agostino
...and see you again here on July 15!

Today in Comics History, March 21: Happy birthday, Al Williamson!

Born on this day in 1931: Al Williamson, comics artist on the Flash Gordon and Secret Agent X-9 strips, EC's Valor, Weird Science and Weird Fantasy, Warren's Creepy and Eerie, the Star Wars comic strip and book, and the proverbial many, many more!


text page from Crime SuspenStories (1950 series) #17 (EC, June 1953)

Fun with Comics: How to Identify a Nazi Spy

It's instructive and educational!:


from "I, Nazi" in All-American Men at War #7 (DC/National, October 1953), script by Ed Herron, pencils by Irv Novick, inks by Bernard Sachs

Today in Comics History, March 20, 1886: Wow, that's one powerful and yet slow switch

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

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛: Shoelace Cat

Now Playing: Who's Greatest by The Who

Classic rock! They give these bands funny names, though. This one is by The Who...wait, it's by Who? ...why won't you tell me who did this album? Who did the album? THAT'S I'M ASKING!

Anyway, in my role of an expert on the Who, I shall relax and listen to this classic track, which of course I can tell you is named "Teenage Wasteland."

(looks at record sleeve)

OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD


Bully is listening to Who's Greatest by The Who (MCA, 1983)

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛: "Oh, catnip pickle, you're the only one who understands me."

Today in Comics History, March 20, 1949, First Day of Spring: Hey, Vernal!

from The Spirit (Register and Tribune Syndicate, March 20, 1949), script by Will Eisner and Jules Feiffer, pencils and inks by Will Eisner, letters by Abe Kanegson

Today in Comics History, March 20, 1965: The Curious Incident of the Hounds When the UFOs Landed

from "Mystery in Michigan" in UFO Flying Saucers #1 (Western/Gold Key, October 1968), script by Leo Dorfman, pencils by Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio, inks by Sal Trapani

Today in Comics History, March 20, 1994: Like ships, Frank Castle always refers to cross-channel tunnels as "her"

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

Today in Comics History, March 20, First Day of Spring: Sluggo's bustin' out all over

from Nancy (United Feature Syndicate, March 20, 1950), by Ernie Bushmiller
A special tip 'of the three rocks to Johnny Callicutt for bringing this strip to my attention. Johnny runs the absolutely essential and unofficial Nancy Comics by Ernie Bushmiller feeds on Twitter and Bluesky! Thanks, Johnny!

Today in Comics History, March 20: Happy birthday, Invisible Woman!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published March 20, 2022.

Happy birthday to Susan Storm Richards, the incredible Invisible Woman (née Girl), who couldn't even be bothered to show up at her own birthday parOH THERE YOU ARE SUE didn't see ya.


from Marvel Age #111 (Marvel, April 1992); text by Mike Lackey (#111); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme
Now, this birth date is according to the Marvel Age calendar, which is possibly uncanonical, but let's celebrate it today until we find a more definitive source that says otherwise, okay? I can't find any comics story that features her birthday, so let me know in the comments if you do!


from "A Visit with the Fantastic Four" in Fantastic Four (1961 series) #11 (Marvel, February 1963), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Happy birthday, Sue!


"The Fantastic Four Pin-Up Page" from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #10 (Marvel, January 1963), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by John Duffy

Today in Comics History, March 20: Happy birthday, Robin I (Dick Grayson, Post-Zero Hour)!

Hey Batman, what day is it?


from "A Little Nudge" in Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 one-shot (DC, May 2020), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Tom Grummett, inks by Scott Hanna, colors by Adriano Lucas, letters by Tom Napolitano
Batman, you're a bad dad, because today's the birthday of your faithful ward, Dick Grayson, aka Robin I! But: only the post-Zero Hour hero. It's November 11 in the Pre-Crisis days and October 24-ish post-Crisis. Geez, Dick, pick one birthday and settle on it!


from the impeccably researched The DC Universe Calendar
Anyway, we're gonna celebrate today.

Today in Comics History, March 19: Happy birthday, Flash!

Born on this day (in the Pre-Crisis DC Universe)...Barry Allen, the second Flash! (Post-Crisis, it's May 15, and even I can't figger out how that works.)


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letrters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, March 19: This wall's about a foot thick

from "The Peculiar Pieces of Pierre O'Neill" in DC's Legion of Bloom #1 one-shot (DC, May 2023), script by Zac Thompson, pencils and inks by Hayden Sherman, colors by Patricio Delpeche, letters by Becca Carey

Today in Comics History, March 19: Happy birthday, Bruce Willis!

Born on this day: actor Bruce Willis (Moonlighting, Die Hard, Hudson Hawk, The Fifth Element, 12 Monkeys, Unbreakable and many more)! Happy birthday, Bruno!

He gets around in comics. Here he is (with tuff guy pals Arnie and Sly) being intimidated by Lobo! Why, that's at least one and one quarter action movie heat right there in those three guys alone!


from Guy Gardner: Warrior #29 (DC, March 1995), script by Beau Smith, pencils by Phil Jimenez, inks by John Stokes and Dan Davis, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by Albert DeGuzman

Kitty Pryde's 🐈‍⬛ search for snacks is hampered by the camouflage pattern of the sheets

Whenever we put down snacks for her on the bed, Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛ swivels her head and moves around and about staring at the bed. We call it her Sherlock Scan.

Today in Comics History, March 18, 1958: Nancy springs ahead; falls back

from Nancy (United Feature Syndicate, March 18, 1958), by Ernie Bushmiller
A special tip 'of the three rocks to Johnny Callicutt for bringing this strip to my attention. Johnny runs the absolutely essential and unofficial Nancy Comics by Ernie Bushmiller feeds on Twitter and Bluesky! Thanks, Johnny!

Bully and His Pals on St. Patrick's Day: The Wearin' of the Grin

A very happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you from all of us!


We held a dress reheasral yesterday but Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛ kept facin' the wrong way.