Today in Comics History, June 7, 1916: Lord Kitchener cleverly escapes being in WWI

from Tolkien: Lighting Up the Darkness (Ablaze, February 2024), script by Willy Duraffourg, art by Giancarlo Caracuzzo, colors by Flavia Caracuzzo and Joël Odone
(Actually, he died on June 5, but for the sake of this feature, this newspaper is thoughtlessly two days behind.)

Today in Comics History, June 6, 1970: NASA astronaut mistakes tree for moon

from "Who Is Murdering Our Astronauts?" in UFO Flying Saucers #3 (Western/Gold Key, November 1972), pencils and inks by Luis Dominguez

Today in Comics History, June 6, 1966: Happy birthday, Walt Graves! Hope you survive the...oh.

from "Waking Walter" in Quick Stops #2 (Dark Horse, December 2022), script by Kevin Smith, pencils by Phil Hester, inks by Ande Parks, letters by Andrew Thomas

Today in Comics History, June 6, 1944: A cartoon beagle honors the veterans of WWII more sincerely than the current President of the United States

Peanuts (June 6, 1993; United Feature Syndicate), by Charles Schulz

Today in Comics History, June 4, 1916: J.R.R. Tolkien arrives for his guest appearance on Blackadder Goes Forth

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

Today in Comics History, June 3, 1951: Umpire calls foul when batters begin hitting custard pies

from Thrilling True Stories of the Baseball Giants one-shot (Fawcett, 1952), script by Charles Dexter

Today in Comics History, June 2, 1979: The Circle of Life is completed

from The Far Side (1994, Universal Press Syndicate), by Gary Larson

Today in Comics History: June 2, 1951: Willie Mays inherits K'un-Lun's mighty power of the Iron Fist

from Thrilling True Stories of the Baseball Giants one-shot (Fawcett, 1952), script by Charles Dexter

Now Playing: The Nylon Curtain by Billy Joel

Since he hasn't put out new music in decades lots of people tend to think of Billy as a very static musician circa Piano Man, forgetting how ever changing his style got during the '80s. This record's an excellent example.


Bully is listening to The Nylon Curtain by Billy Joel (Columbia/Family Productions, 1983)
I especially love this album for Billy's experimental forays into different styles: the heartland rock of "Allentown," the synth pop of "Pressure," and what I think is a lively Beatles pastiche in "Laura."

Sending him good wishes and better health on the road ahead. We love ya, Billy!

Now Playing for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, Day 1: All You Can Eat by k.d. lang

Pretty much my favorite lang lp (altho' Ingénue is right up there, too)!


Bully is listening to All You Can Eat by k.d. lang (Warner Bros., 1995; reissued on vinyl 2021)
A fair warning: because I have several of her records, you will see her more than once here this month!

The Adventures of Bully: Pride (In the Name of Love)

It's June! Time to change my "May" sweater to something a little more appropriate!





Happy Pride Month!

Today in Comics History, June 1, 1951: Manhattan's Polo Grounds* Is Packed Full of Fresh Salmon

from Thrilling True Stories of the Baseball Giants one-shot (Fawcett, 1952), script by Charles Dexter
*My original title, "Giants Stadium is Packed Full of Fresh Salmon," was clear and easier to understand, but I am nothing if not historically accurate.**

**Unless that was an away game, but that's about as much research as I'm inclined to do for a dumb joke.

The 1975 2025 Mighty Marvel Calendar: June Commune

It's June, True Bull-lievers, and here;'s the Fab Fantastic Four to celebrate their new movie comin' out this month starring that idol o' millions, H.E.R.B.I.E. the Ro...wait, I've made another one of my silly mistakes. I've just been alerted that the FF movie comes out in July, and on July 25th yet, so we've got almost two months still to wait for it. Looks like I'm gonna be still camping outside this movie theater in my little bull pup tent for another few weeks! (Hope I brought enough marshmallows.)

So cool your heels by pounding a big-ass nail into your wall (no need to check with your landlord...I'm sure he loves the Fantastic Four as well!) and hang up this month's spread from the 1975 Mighty Marvel Calendar, featuring our Kooky Quartet (hmm, it seems like that would be a description of another team, but it's not ringin' a bell). This 1975 calendar works for 2025, didja know that? Well, you do now, thanks to the super-science of Dr. Reed "Big Brain" Richards!

"June is the Fantastic Four (or Is It Five?)" from Mighty Marvel Calendar for 1975 (Marvel/Simon & Schuster, 1974), pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Joe Sinnott
(Click picture to major motion picture-size)
Yes indeed, during this period of time our favorite super den mother Sue Richards had been replaced on the team by Inhuman Medusa, she of the prehensile hair and Marvel's ill-advised recent "these guys are just as good as the X-Men, honest" Inhumans push. I do regret to inform you that Medusa will not be in the upcoming mnotion picture, because don't forget that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Medusa looks like this:


Please note that I did not desaturate the color of that screenshot of Miz Amaquelin-Boltagon: the TV series really looked exactly that dull. Whew! And speaking of limited color, you might want to save some space on that wall by posting the limited-hued Marvel UK version of this month's calendar. Or. put 'em both up! Look, I'm not the boss of you. I can't make all your decisions.

from The Mighty World of Marvel (1972 series) #121 (Marvel UK, 25 January 1975)
(Click picture to The Thing Is Big Ben-size)

The June 1975 2025 Calendar for Another Menacing Year: Another bride / Another June / Another wedding / Wrecked by a goon

It's June! June, when a young man's flights of fancy lightly turn to thoughts of...how Dennis can possibly screw up this wedding ceremony. Possibly the bride's gown will be set on fire, perhaps the minister will be stricken by itching powder, maybe a frog will jump into the cake. That's the beauty of June: we just don't know.

Anyway, celebrate the uncertainty of June with this calendar that came out in 1975 but works perfectly today! Cut it out and pin it up on the wall all month to remind you to stay single!

"June" from Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine Series #134 (Hallden/Fawcett, October 1974), artist uncredited and unknown
(Click picture to matrimony-size)
Sayyyy, for what reason would Dennis and Margaret both be in the wedding party? They aren't related (for which Margaret thanks her lucky stars). All I can figger is that possibly their teacher is getting married and chose this pair of tots to walk up the aisle, in which case, mazel tov and lotsa luck.