Today in Comics History, February 13: Happy birthday, Kim Novak!

Born on this day: film and telvision actor Kim Novak (Picnic, The Man with the Golden Arm, Pal Joey, Vertigo, Bell, Book and Candle, Strangers When We Meet, Of Human Bondage, and lots more!)

And now, Kim Novak as drawn by Wally Wood. Please do not drool on my blog.


from "Scenes We Never Got To See" in MAD #42 (November 1958), script by Albert Meglin, pencils and inks by Wally Wood

Today in Comics History, February 13: Happy birthday, Chuck Yeager!

Born on this day in 1923: Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, Air Force officer, flying ace, and the fiorst man to fly faster than the speed of sound, except for some versions of Superman.

Chuck Yeager meets a young fan (who's gonna be a flier someday!) in a bar:



from DC: The New Frontier #1 (DC, March 2004); script, pencils, and inks by Darwyn Cooke; colors by Dave Stewart; letters by Jared K. Fletcher
Chuck Yeager meets another flier in another bar:


from "Idiot Box" in Airboy #29 (Eclipse, September 1987), script by Chuck Dixon, pencils by Graham Nolan, inks by Mark Nelson, colors by Olyoptics, letters by John Clark
From this we can conclude that Chuck Yeager liked to spend his time faster than the speed of sound, in bars, and in comic books.

Saluting you on your birthday, Chuck Yea...oh, he's already gone away at Mach 1.05.

Today in Comics History, February 13: At this point you can probably just guess the stamps were poisoned or a knife pops out of the envelope or something like that

from "Poetic Justice!" in Haunt of Fear #12 (DC, March 1952), co-plot by Bill Gaines, co-plot and script by Al Feldstein, pencils and inks by Graham Ingels, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
This is the story that's "gently borrowed from" (and which I made plenty of alt-text jokes about) in Atlas's Adventures into Terror #31. Tune it tomorrow to see the shocking conclusion of this EC version! Arroooo! Wasn't that scary, kids? Even Count Bully was scared, and he doesn't scare easy, let me tell you.

Today in Comics History, February 13: Love Finds Patsy Walker

from "[Valentine's Day]" in Miss America Magazine v.1 #5 (Marvel/Timely, February 1945), pencils by Ken Bald, inks by Dan Barry

Today in Comics History, February 13: Happy birthday, Danny Crespi!

Born on this day in 1926: Danny Crespi: letterer, artist, and Marvel's Art/Production Supervisor in the '70s and '80s. A much beloved figure of the Marvel Bullpen, Danny was homaged several times in the comics!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1977, 1978, and 1979; and
Marvel Age #26 (Marvel, May 1985), text by Jim Salicrup, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme


from What If...? (1977 series) #34 (Marvel, August 1982), text by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, February 13, 1932: Jazz Age terrorized by the Swirly-Knee Gang

from "The St. Valentine's Day Plasterer!" in 'Mazing Man #10 (DC, October 1986), script by Bob Rozakis as Denton Fixx, pencils and inks by Fred Hembeck, colors by Nansi Hoolahan, letters by Bob Lappan

Today in Comics History, February 13: She leaves it to him, baby

from "Dear Valentine!" in Adventures into Terror #31 (Marvel/Atlas, May 1954), pencils and inks by Al Hartley
Wondering what I was talking about in the alt-text? Check it out here, baby! And tune in tomorrow for the blood-pumping conclusion to this story!

Today in Comics History, February 13, 1970: We have a sudden realization that his last name actually wasn't "the Duck"

from Howard the Duck (1979 magazine series) #6 (Marvel, July 1980), script by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Michael Golden, inks by Bill McLeod, letters by Jim Novak

Today in Comics History, February 13, 1864: Crocodile Rocks [Mrs. Crawford to Sleep]

from "The Crocodile Strikes!" in Captain America Comics #19 (Marvel/Timely, October 1942), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Al Avison, inks by Syd Shores and George Klein
What th' Sam Scratch is goin on here? For more info and crocobackground, why not check out this post from 2011? It wouldn't kill ya to look! Well, probably.

Today in Comics History, February 13, 1928: The invention of using a newspaper as a coaster

from Cyberella #2 (DC/Helix, October 1996), script by Howard Chaykin, pencils and inks by Don Cameron, colors by Nathan Eyring, letters by Ken Bruzenak