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, October 10: Happy birthday, Nicholas Parsons!

Born on this day in 1923: English actor and radio and TV presenter Nicholas Parsons! He hosted one of my all-time favorite BBC programmes, Just a Minute, from 1967–2019 and never missed a single show until his final year.


contest ad "Final Part of Our Super Star Cast Competition" from 2000 AD & Star Lord #88 (IPC, 28 October 1978)
Was he in a comic book? Well, sort of!


He shoulda played Dan Dare, I guess!

Happy birthday, Nicholas!

Today in Comics History, August 22: Happy birthday, Kevin O'Neill!

A very happy birthday — and we wish he were here to celebrate it with us — to Kevin O'Neill, born on this day in 1953 and passed away late last year. He's written, drawn, and colored stories in 2000 AD, Toxic, Buster, Green Lantern (the infamous back-up story that resulted in him being banned by the Comics Code Authority from ever drawing a Code-approved story every again) and more! And he's the co-creator of Nemesis the Warlock, Ro-Busters, Metalzoic, Marshal Law and,...you know where I'm going with this...one of the early twenty-first century's most important comics, his collabpration with Alan Moore on several series of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. In the pentiumtulare series Ctury, he provided portraits of Moore and himself throughgout the titular century:


"Rogues in the Gallery" from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Century: Century: 1910 (Top Shelf/Knockabout, April 2009), pencils by Kevin O'Neill

Today in Comics History, June 11: Happy birthday, Steve Moore!

Today in 1949 was born Steve Moore, the visionary British comics who taught Alan Moore how to write comics scripts, but it's his birthday and we won't hold that against him. The co-creator with Alan M. of Axel Pressbutton, S. Moore also wrote several series for 2000 AD including Dan Dare, Tharg's Future Shocks, Red Fang and his own creation, Tales of Telguuth. Sadly, despite dozens of Telguuth stories within the pages of the UK's thrillpower overloaded comic, it appears that it never once got the cover feature. Boo! For Marvel UK, Steve wrote Doctor Who, the Hulk, Captain Britain, and Nick Fury, and for Moore (A's) America's Best Comics contributed scripts for Tom Strong and Jonni Future. So closely has his comics career been connected to Alan Moore that if anybody was actually going to write Watchmen Babies: V for Vacation, it likely woulda been Steve Moore!

Here's the first couple pages of an extensive interview with Steve Moore from the pages of Warrior magazine. Please not that interviewer "Pedro Henry" is Steve Moore!

from Warrior #15 (Quality Communications, November 1983)
(Click picture to pressbutton-size)
Following Steve's early death in 2014, Rebellion/2000 AD has republished some of his classic Tales of Telguuth stories in trade paperback. I highly recommend 'em! More info here.


Happy birthday, Steve. You're much missed.

Today in Comics History, December 25, 0, Christmas: Cause does equal correlation

from "The Star" in 2000 AD prog 297 (IPC, 1 January 1983), script by J.H. Teed, pencils and inks by Massimo Belardinelli, letters by Peter Knight

Today in Comics History, December 24, 2104, Christmas Eve: It's Christmastime in the Mega-City

from "The Night of the Rad-Beast, Part 2" in 2000 AD prog 297 (IPC, 1 January 1983), script by Alan Grant and John Wagner, pencils and inks (and colors?) by Carlos Ezquerra, letters by Tom Frame
(Click picture to Dredd-size)

Today in Comics History, December 4, 1872 and 1947: They finally find the S.S. Minnow

from "The Mary Celeste: Ship of Evil" in Black Magic (1950 series) v.2 #11 (17) (Prize, October 1952), pencils and inks by Al Eadeh, letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, October 30, 1926: Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini team up again? You'd think they were married at this point.

from "Necronauts" in 2000 AD prog 1223 (Egmont UK, 3 January 2001), script by Gordon Rennie, art by Frazer Irving, letters by Tom Frame

Today in Comics History, October 15: Happy birthday, Cam Kennedy!

Born on this day: Scottish comics artist Campbell "Cam" Kennedy (2000 AD, Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, The Light and Darkness War (co-creator), Star Wars: Dark Empire and Boba Fett, Batman, The Spectre, The Punisher and more)!


from The Light and Darkness War #1 (Marvel/Epic, October 1988)
Happy birthday, Cam! I'm sure Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper wish you the same!


from 2000 AD prog 460 (IPC, 8 March 1986), pencils and inks by Cam Kennedy

Today in Comics History, September 9: Happy birthday, Colonel Sanders!

Born on September 9, 1890: Colonel Harland Sanders, chicken magnate. That's magnate, nor magnet, because I don't know how you could have a magnet for chickens.


from Cracked #188 (August 1982), script and art by John Langton

Today in Comics History, August 11: Happy birthday, Enid Blyton!

Born on this day in 1897: British children's author Enid Blyton, who wrote approximately six bajillion books, many of which have been made into comics.


covers of (left) Noddy Time #7 (Woman's Way, 21 June, 1975) (sorry, I didn't dare show you the absolutely awful cover of #1)
(right) Enid Blyton's Adventure Magazine #7 (Gutenberghus UK, March 1986), pencils and inks by Bert Hill

Today in Comics History: Happy birthday, Vince Clarke!

Born on this day: musician and composer Vince Clarke out of Erasure, Depeche Mode, The Assembly, and (one'a my favourites) Yazoo (aka Yaz in North America)!

I found the reference to Vince in the British 2000 AD below, but aside from that there aren't many appearances of him in comic books. I really need to collect more issues of the series Alison Moyet Comics & Stories.


from "Megasounds" in 2000 AD prog 298 (IPC, 8 January 1983)
Happy birthday, Vince!


"Only You" by Yaz (Blackwing Records, 1982), written by Vince Clarke

Today in Comics History, June 30, 1908: In Soviet Russia, Earth hits meteor!

from "Solar System Sizes" in Strange Adventures (1950 series) #69 (DC, June 1956), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 16: Happy birthday, Stan Laurel!

Born on this day in 1890: comedian, actor, writer and producer Stan Laurel, the skinny half of Laurel and Hardy!


from "Bobby" in Jumbo Comics #5 (Fiction House, January 1939); script, pencils, and inks by S.M. Iger

Today in Comics History, Friday the 13th (of May, 2040): "Captain's Log: A bunch of our ship fell off and nobody likes me."

from "Verdus, Part 2" in 2000 AD prog 77 (IPC, 12 August 1978), script by John Wagner as Mike Stott, pencils by José Ferrer, inks by Ian Gibson, letters by Steve Potter
How do we know it's Today in Comics History? Earlier, the story tells us it's 2040 (well, maybe), and May 13 is the only Friday the 13 in 2040! How's that for some brillinat extra-credit Bully research?

Today in Comics History, May 8: Happy birthday, Moebius!

Born on this day in 1938: French writer and artist Jean Giraud, better known to the world as Moebius, one of the greatest twentieth-century names in comics and co-creator of Blueberry and The Incal.


from The Art of Moebius (Marvel/Epic, 1989)
Does Moebius exist within the Marvel Universe? You bet your doux bippée he does — and he loves palling around with Doctor Strange!



from Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #9 (Marvel, November 1989), script by Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas, pencils and inks by Butch Guice
Reminder: do not get Moebius mixed up with Michael Morbius!


from "These Boots Were Made for Daywalkin'!" in Toyfare #88 (Wizard, October 2004), by Pat McCallum, Tom Root, Zach Oat and Justin Aclin
Now here's Morbius. By Moebius!


cover of Marvel Tales (1966 series) #253 (Marvel, September 1991), pencils by Moebius, inks by Sylvain Despretz
Special thanks and a neck-bitten No-Bull Prize to pal Rob London for bringin' this cover to my attention!
Just remember: this is not the genuine Moebius towering over Dan Dare here like some great...towering thing.


from "The Doomsday Machine, Part 7" in 2000 AD prog 85 (IPC, 7 October 1978), script Nick Landau and Roy Preston, pencils and inks by Dave Gibbons, letters by Peter Knight
Bon anniversaire, M. Moebius!


from Marvel Age #119 (Marvel, December 1992)

Today in Comics History, April 22: Happy birthday, Rondo Hatton!

Born on this day in 1894: Rondo Hatton, horror film star. Hatton developed acromegaly after WWI, distorting his face and extremities. You may remember him from The Brute Man (spoofed on MST3K), Sherlock Holmes: The Pearl of Death, The Spider Woman Strikes Back, and other films.


from The Brute Man (Universal, 1946), directed by Jean Yarbrough
His distinctive appearance has also been used in several comics, such as this disguise employed by Judge Dredd...


from "[The Face-Change Crimes]" in 2000 AD Prog 52 (IPC, 18 February 1978), script by John Howard, pencils and inks by Brian Bolland, letters by Tom Frame
...and this Drew Friedman cartoon from RAW:


from RAW (1980 series) #8 (Raw Books, September 1986), by Drew Friedman
His face was the template for "The Creep" in a Dark Horse serial.



from "Homicide: The Creep" in Dark Horse Presents (1986 series) #54 (Dark Horse, September 1991); script by John Arcudi; pemncils, inks, letters and cover by Gray Morrow
Hatton is memorialized by The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, established in 2002, honoring achievements in classic horror film, television, and literature annually.

Happy birthday, Rondo!


from The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine #2 (Comico, July 1989), pencils and inks by Dave Stevens and Mike Kaluta

Today in Comics History, January 18: Happy birthday, Oliver Hardy!

Born on this day in 1892: comedian and actor Oliver Hardy, the plump half of Laurel and Hardy!


from "Bobby" in Jumbo Comics #5 (Fiction House, January 1939); script, pencils, and inks by S.M. Iger


from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #162 (DC, February 2003); script by John Arcudi; pencils, inks, and letters by Roger Langridge; colors by James Sinclair, clor separations by Digital Chameleon

Today in Comics History, January 16: Happy birthday, André Michelin!

Bouncing into the world on this day in 1853: André Michelin, co-founder of the Michelin Tire Company and the publisher of the original Michelin Guide, which gave stars to restaurants on a scale of 1-5 for snootiness.

Sadly, André Michelin doesn't seem to appear in any comic books that I can tell. Talk about snootiness, comics industry! So I'm going to fulfill my duty for his birthday by instead populating this post with comic book appearances of Bibendum, the famous Michelin Tire Man, who actually is all he's blown up to be! Mind you, early Michelin Man was pretty much total nightmare fuel...but he got cuter.

From Your Calendar Bull: Calendars for January 2022 and the whole dang year, actually!

cover of Popular Comics #13 (Dell, February 1937), artists unknown
Happy New Year! Well, I'm a little late, but I know you've been awaiting patiently (I hope) the beginning of my posts for Calendars from Past Comics Books That Work in 2022! That means (checks my handy clockwork wind-up Perpetual Calendar copyright 1907 by Smith & Tinker, Inc.) any calendar for 1949, 1955, 1966, 1977, 1983, 1994, 2005, or 2011...the Golden Age of Comics! (And, uh, the other ones.)

All of these you can cut out from your computer (please turn the power off first) and paste them up on your wall for January 2022 (or, as mentioned above, the whole dang year) for everyday calendarin' enjoyment! Note: before you use scissors, please get the permission of a parent or guardian or the nearest otter.