Showing posts with label February 19. Show all posts
Showing posts with label February 19. Show all posts

Saturday, February 19, 2022

Today in Comics History, February 19: Happy birthday, Lee Marvin!

Born Punched his way into the world today in 1924: actor, tough guy, and the Webster's Dictionary definition of "cool" (complete with a photo of him): Lee Marvin. His acting credits include The Killers, The Professionals, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Paint Your Wagon...


...The Dirty Dozen, Point Blank, The Big Red One, Cat Ballou, and even Gorilla at Large, the only motion picture to ever be awarded seventy-three Oscars. And yes, he was in comic books, because with that many iconic roles in classic movies, you just know he'd be featured in a MAD magazine parody or two, right?




from "The Amateurs" in MAD #112 (July 1967), script by Larry Siegel, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker

You ain't nobody 'til you've been drawn by Mort Drucker, says the Second Law of Comic Books as drawn up by some cute an' lovable li'l stuffed comics blogger, and Lee Marvin fulfills that notoriety by being drawn not once by Drucker, not twice, but a whole heckuva lotta times. Here's another one, if you can even stand it:


from "The Virginiaham" in MAD #99 (December 1965), script by Lou Silverstone, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker

But let's momentarily give Mort Drucker's drawing hand a rest (ice bags are in the freezer, Mort!) and check out another great master of comics: Darwyn Cooke!


cover of Catwoman: Selina's Big Score (DC, September 2002), art by Darwyn Cooke

Selina's Big Score is a fantastic Catwoman graphic novel in which Cooke "casts" some movie greats at his characters. To the left of Selina's up there is Lee Marvin as Stark, and on the right Chow Yun-fat as Jeff. (Others include Burgess Meredith, himself not a stranger to acting alongside Catwoman, and the delectable and dangerous Pam Grier.)

Let's look at lots of panels not only because Lee Marvin is fun to look at, but because ooh la la, Darwyn Cooke's art is sublime.





from Catwoman: Selina's Big Score, art and letters by Darwyn Cooke, colors by Matt Hollingsworth

More Mort Drucker artwork of Lee Marvin? Sure, why not?


from "The Academy Awards Show We'd Like to See" in MAD #132 (January 1970), script by Larry Siegel, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker

But did Lee Marvin ever has his own comic book?, you ask me. How can you say someone is great who's never had his own comic book? Ahem. Lee Marvin was great.


cover of The Dirty Dozen one-shot (Dell, October 1967), painted cover (movie poster art) by Frank McCarthy

When I think of motion pictures that are ripe for the Dell Movie Classic treatment, I gotta admit that The Dirty Dozen did not pop foremost into my mind. And yet...





from The Dirty Dozen; pencils and inks by Jack Sparling, letters by Charlotte Jetter

The Dirty Dozen! A classic of modern cinema. Which of course means...





from "Dirtier by the Dozen" in MAD #116 (January 1968), script by Lou Silverstone, pencils and inks by guess who...Mort Drucker!

Happy birthday to Lee Marvin! I'm yelling that to him from fifty feet away. He probably wouldn't punch me, but I'm hedging my bets.


from Catwoman: Selina's Big Score

Today in Comics History, February 19: Happy birthday, Joe Caponsacco!

Born on this day in 1967: Joe Caponsacco, comic book colorist and paste-up artist (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, X-Men 2099, The Real Heroes, Darkhold: Pages from the Book of Sins, more)!


from Marvel Age #110 (Marvel, March 1992), text by Mike Lackey, art by Darren Auck

Joe can have (as a birthday treat) a game of hiding from you. Can you find him among(st) his comardes at the Marvel Comics Group, hidden in the mazes of the Bullpen?



from Marvel Age #120 (Marvel, January 1993), art by Rick Parker
(Click top picture to Bullpen-size)

Happy birthday, Joe!


from Marvel Age #112 (Marvel, May 1992)

Today in Comics History, February 19: Happy Batday, Birthman!

This is a combined, expanded and updated version of posts originally published February 19, 2012 and February 19, 2013.

On this bright and clear February 19 afternoon...what nefarious plot d'you think Alfred and Commissioner Gordon are up to?


from "Surprise! Surprise!" in Batman Family #11 (DC, May 1977), script by Bob Rozakis, pencils by Carl Potts, inks by Frank McLaughlin, colors by Bob LeRose

Why, on this day, (mumble mumble) years ago, Bruce Wayne was born! In other words, it's BATMAN'S BIRTHDAY! Why else do you think that Gordon and Alfred made that extended trip to Party City? Bruce loves Star Wars party supplies!






Today in Comics History, February 19, 1942: Shame


from All-Star Squadron #30 (DC, February 1984), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Mike Machlan and Richard Howell, inks by Sam de la Rosa and Mike Machlan, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by David Cody Weiss

Wikipedia:
Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by United States president Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. This order authorized...clearing the way for the incarceration of nearly all 120,000 Japanese Americans during the war. Two-thirds of them were U.S. citizens, born and raised in the United States.

Friday, February 19, 2021

Today in Comics History, February 19, 1936: Joe Don Baker movie sequel takes a strange turn


from "General 'Billy' Mitchell" in Real Life Comics #2 (Pines, December 1941), pencils and inks by Maurice Gutwirth, letters by Ed Hamilton

Today in Comics History, February 19: Denny Colt and Commissioner Dolan go out to play in the snow



from "The Unseen Clue!" in Gang Busters #54 (DC, October 1956), pencils and inks by Howard Purcell

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Today in Comics Real History, February 19, 1945: They battled up Iwo Jima hill / Two hundred and fifty men / But only twenty-seven lived / To walk back down again

The comics you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the comics industry view of today's society, these panels are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.




from "Scoops... Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #5 (DC/National, November 1946), pencils and inks by George Roussos




Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Today in Comics History, February 19: Secret Squirrel and associate crack the Case of the Zodiac Killer


from "Pity Poor Pisces..." in Sweethearts (1954 series) #116 (Charlton, May 1971), pencils by Art Cappello, inks by Charles Nicholas, with Keuffel & Esser Leroy lettering

Today in Comics History, February 19, 1968: Superman arrests the single Englishman in Metropolis


from "The Menace of Superman's Fan Mail!" in Jimmy Olsen #110 (April 1968), script by Otto Binder, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by John Giunta (?)

It's like he didn't even consider that some Canadians might wanna kill him, huh?

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Today in Comics History, February 19: How Edie Got Her Groove Back




from X-Statix #10 (Marvel, June 2003), script by Peter Milligan, pencils and inks by Philip Bond, colors by Laura Allred, letters by Nate Piekos

You go, girl! I mean, U-Go Girl!