Today in Comics History, June 26: Happy birthday, Jerry Bails!

Born on this day in 1933: Jerry Bails, the father of comics fandom and creator of the influential (if not the first) comics fanzine, Alter Ego, as well as developing and writing for many other fandom publications and founding fan organizations, awards, and events!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, June 15: Happy birthday, Neal Adams!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published June 15, 2022.

Born on this day in 1941: the recently passed (April 28, 2022) and still unsurpassed comics artist Neal Adams (Batman, The Spectre, X-Men, Strange Adventures, The Avengers, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, National Lampoon, the award-winning Green Lantern/Green Arrow among many others). He's the co-creator of Ra's al Ghul, Man-Bat, Hellgrammite, Green Lantern John Stewart, Ms. Mystic, and more!


from (L) Mighty Marvel Memory Calendar 1977 (Marvel, 1976)
(right) 1975 Mighty Marvel Convention Program Book (1975), photograph by Michele Wiofman

Today in Comics History, May 20: Happy birthday, Gardner Fox!

Born today in 1911: prolific and important writer Gardner Fox!, co-creator of The Atom, Doctor Fate, the Golden Age Flash, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, the JLA, Zatanna, and Snapper Carr (well, nobody's perfect).


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, May 9: Happy birthday, William Moulton Marston!

Born today in 1893: William Moulton Marston aka Charles Moulton, psychologist, polyamorist, developer of the modern lie detector. Oh yeah, he co-created a hero you may have heard of called Wonder Woman.


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, November 23: Happy birthday, Sol Harrison!

Born on this day in 1917: Sol Harrison, longtime art director, production manager and colorist at DC Comics.


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, October 8: Happy birthday, Kirk Alyn!

Born on this day in 1910: Kirk Alyn, the first actor to portray Superman in live action in two serials! He was Blackhawk in another movie serial!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, September 21: Happy birthday, M.C. Gaines!

Born on this day in 1894: Max Ginzberg, later known (especially to us comic book fans) as M.C. Gaines, the man comic books call "Dad!"


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, August 27: Happy birthday, Ilya Salkind!

Born on this day: film and movie producer Ilya Salkind, co-producer of the first three Christopher Reeve Superman movies and Supergirl, and the 1973 Three/Four Musketeers films!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)
Happy birthday, Ilya! And thanks for not being involved with The Quest for Peace!



from (top) DC Comics cover-dated August 1978;
(bottom)All-New Collectors' Edition #C-62 [Superman: the Movie] (DC, March 1979)

Today in Comics History, July 1: Happy birthday, Adolf Kabatek!

Born on this day in 1931: Adolf Kabatek, founder of Ehapa, the publisher who brought DC, Disney, Asterix, and Lucky Luke comics to Germany! He also wrote stories for the Uncle Scrooge comics!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)
Happy birthday, Adolf! (I've never said that combination of words before.)

Today in Comics History, June 18: Happy birthday, Bud Collyer!

Born on this day in 1908: Bud Collyer, the voice of radio's Superman (and on the 1966 Filmation animated series)!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)
As befits every great celebrity, he got drawn into MAD by Mort Drucker, first as "Bud Cholera," host of Beat the Clock...


from "The 'Violence Trend' on TV" in MAD #58 (October 1960); script by Sy Reit, Dave Berg, Frank Jacobs, and Larry Siegel; pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
...and even as precisely himself!


from "The Minute That TV Show is Over" in MAD #85 (March 1964), script by Stan Hart, pencils by Mort Drucker
Happy birthday, Bud!

Today in Comics History, June 9: Happy birthday, George Pérez!

Oh boy, this is a hard one to get through.

Born on this day in 1954: the late, great comic book writer and penciller George Pérez (accent on the first E!), who passed away so very recently (May 6, 2022). George has drawn...well, let's just say every comic book character at Marvel and DC. Sometimes even all on the same cover. And: one of the nicest people in the business! Oh boy, do I miss him.


from FOOM #8 (Marvel, December 1974)

Today in Comics History, June 5: Happy birthday, Wayne Boring!

We raise our hands and hearts in salute today to one of the great Superman artists, the incorrectly named Wayne Boring, born on this day in 1905! He's the artist who helped define the look of Superman and his surroundings and evolved an iconic look loved even today. As one of the ghost artists under the Joe Shuster name in the early days, Boring would eventually make this feature his own. Starting in 1943, alongside inker Stan Kaye, Boring's artwork on Superman was established as the major house style for the character well into the '60s.


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)
Much-loved elements of the Superman mythos sprang from Boring as well: he's the co-creator of the Fortress Of Solitude, Lori Lemaris, Bizarro World. Plus, he drew the origin of the Earth-2 ("his!") Superman in Roy Thomas's Secret Origins #1, as well as a handful of other 1980s DC superhero comics before his death in 1987.




from "The Secret Origin of the Golden-Age Superman" in Secret Origins (1986 series) #1 (DC, April 1986), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Jerry Ordway, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by David Cody Weiss
Happy birthday, Wayne Boring!


from Superman #8 (DC, January 1941), pencils and inks by Wayne Boring

Today in Comics History, June 2: Happy birthday, Alexander Salkind!

Born on this day in 1921: Alexander Salkind!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)
Salkind was a movie producer (The Three (and Four) Musketeers) and presenter (with son Ilya) of the movie that began modern superhero films: 1978's Superman: The Movie.


"Superman Movie Report" from DC Comics cover-dated August 1978
He also presented the sequels Superman II, Superman III, and Supergirl, plus 1985's Santa Claus: The Movie, all of which have been turned into comic books!


covers of (l-r) All-New Collectors' Edition #C-52 (DC, March 1980),
Supergirl Movie Special #1 one-shot (DC, February 1985), pencils by José Luis García-López, inks by Dick Giordano, and
Marvel Super Special #39 [Santa Claus: The Movie] (Marvel, 1985), painted art by Tom Palmer
Happy birthday to you, Alexander Salkind!

Today in Comics History, May 24: Happy birthday, Carmine Infantino!

Born today in 1925: legendary comics artist, editor, and publisher Carmine Infantino, who co-created Batgirl, The Flash (Barry Allen and Wally West), Black Canary, Animal Man, Bat Lash, Phantom Stranger, Deadman, and more! He's drawn pretty much everybody in books like Detective Comics and Batman, Star Wars, Adventure Comics, The Avengers, Mystery in Space, Spider-Woman, The Brave and the Bold, Iron Man, Green Lantern, Nova, Phantom Stranger, Daredevil, and so much more!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, May 13: Happy birthday, Marv Wolfman!

Let's all wheel out a big-ass birthday cake for Marv Wolfman, award-winning comic book writer, co-creator of Deathstroke, Blade, Nova, Bullseye, Terrax, Black Cat, Lilith, Big Wheel, Karla Sofen, Modred the Mystic, Debra Whitman, Hannibal King, Copperhead, Corruptor, the Brothers Grimm (inhale)...


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1979 and 1980 (Marvel, 1978 and 1979)

Today in Comics History, April 25: Happy birthday, Mort Weisinger!

Born on this day in 1915: Mort Weisinger, co-creator of Aquaman, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick, and the original Vigilante; long-time editor of National/DC's Superman line; and story editor of the Adventures of Superman TV show!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, April 1: Happy birthday, Sheldon Mayer!

Born this day in 1917: Sheldon Mayer, writer, editor, artist, and one of the greatest comic book creators of the 20th century. He's one of my favorite-ever comic book masters.


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, March 24: Happy birthday, Joe Barbera!

Born on this day in 1911: animator, director, producer, and artist Joseph Barbera, who, with partner Bill Hanna, founded one of the most productive animation studios of the 20th century: Hanna-Barbera!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, February 20: Happy birthday, Carroll Rheinstrom!

Born on this date in 1904, Carroll Rheinstrom, the first distributor of DC Comics overseas.


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)
Happy birthday, Carroll!

Today in Comics History, February 17: Happy birthday, Curt Swan!

Born on this day in 1922: Curt Swan, one of DC's greatest and most important artists, renowned for his work on the Superman family of comics...and much, much more.


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)