Today in Comics History, December 17, 1903: Compared to other realities, our Wright Brothers totally suck

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published December 17, 2014.

Today in American History (not just comics, altho' they overlap, as you shall see): one of the most important technological steps forward in humanity as the Wright Brothers finally realized our dream of flying. (Insert your own lost luggage joke here.)


from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #1 (DC, March 1946), pencils and inks by George Roussos
Because the name of the comic book is Real Facts, i assure you that is fact, brother, just exactly as it happened, maybe minus Lex Luthor there underneath the yellow hat. Exciting, huh?

Today in Comics History, December 17, 1762: In the eighteenth century this pretty much was sex

from "Excerpts from Boswell's London Journal 1762-1763" in Weirdo #3 (Last Gasp, Fall 1981), by Robert Crumb

Today in Comics History, December 17, 1942: Eisenhower appealed to through time

from "American Eagle" in True Comics #11 (Parents' Magazine Press, April 1942), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, December 17: Happy birthday, Andy Mushynsky!

Born on this day: comics inker Andy Mushynsky (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Barbie, The Defenders, Power Man and Iron Fist, The Pirates of Dark Water, and more)!


from Marvel Age #36 (Marvel, March 1986), text by Jim Salicrup, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Adam Philips
Happy birthday, Andy!

Today in Comics History, December 17, 1976: The Batman gets into fungible trading cards

from Batman #285 (DC, March 1977), script by David Vern, pencils by Romeo Tanghal, inks by Frank Springer

Today in Comics History, December 17: Geez, Pete, just buy a MetroCard, it's only $2.75

from "Bridge and Tunnel" in Amazing Spider-Man Family #3 (Marvel, February 2009), script by Stuart Moore, pencils by Val Semeiks, inks by Mark Irwin, colors by Andres Mossa, letters by Dave Sharpe

Today in Comics History, December 17, 1945(?): Future Man vows to travel back in time and scan a better fiche of this story

from a low-res microfiche of "[Future Man]" in Moon Girl (1947 series) #2 (EC, Winter 1947), script by Dorothy Woolfolk, pencils and inks by Sheldon Moldoff

Today in Comics History, December 17: This day keeps popping up in the adult Schroeder's therapy sessions

Hey, remember yesterday? Beethoven's Birthday? Now that's something that Schroeder out of Peanuts would never forget, right? Well, in 1957...


Lucy, of course, is utterly sympathetic:


Yep, you can always count on Lucille van Pelt for subtlety and restraint. ... NOT!


If you've ever wondered what Lucy does every year on June 1...now you know!


Ah, Schroeder. The world was never made for one as beautiful as you.


Peanuts (United Feature Syndicate, December 17-21, 1957), by Charles Schulz

Today in Comics History, December 17, 2003: Space station is named after Clark Griswold

from Letter 44 #23 (Oni, February 2016), script by Charles Soule, pencils and inks by Alberto Jiménez Alburquerque, colors by Dan Jackson, letters by Crank!

Today in Comics History., December 17, 1916: Rasputin dies infamously, giving Len Wein the inspiration for another ethnic character name

from "The Principle," in Time Warp (2013 series) #1 one-shot (DC/Vertigo, May 2013); script by Dan Abnett; pencils, inks, and colors by I. N. J. Culbard, letters by Jared K. Fletcher

Today in Comics History, December 17: Hawkeye invests heavily in the wrong media format again*

from Hawkguy Hawkeye (2012 series) #6 (February 2013), script by Matt Fraction, pencils and inks by David Aja, colors by Matt Hollingsworth, letters by Chris Eliopoulos
*Well, I'm not gonna make fun of him. Because so did I. Anybody wanna buy some used laserdiscs?