Today in Comics History, March 21: Happy birthday, Al Williamson!

Born on this day in 1931: Al Williamson, comics artist on the Flash Gordon and Secret Agent X-9 strips, EC's Valor, Weird Science and Weird Fantasy, Warren's Creepy and Eerie, the Star Wars comic strip and book, and the proverbial many, many more!


text page from Crime SuspenStories (1950 series) #17 (EC, June 1953)

TODAY IN COMICS HISTORY, OCTOBER 9: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRIAN BLESSED!!!

BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1936, BELOVED ACTOR BRIAN BLESSED!!!


FROM FLASH GORDON (2014 SERIES) #6 (DYNAMITE, OCTOBER 2014), SCRIPT BY JEFF PARKER, PENCILS AND INKS BY EVAN "DOC" SHANER, COLORS BY JORDIE BELLAIRE, LETTERS BY SIMON BOWLAND
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN!!! HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!!

365 Days of Defiance, Day 85: Just a man with a man's courage

Panels from King: Flash Gordon #3 (April 2015), script by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, pencils by Lee Ferguson, inks by Lee Ferguson and Marc Deering, colors by Omi Remalante, letters by Simon Bowland

Today in Comics History, January 1: New Year's Day is celebrated in Benny Hillville

from "Resolutions" in Flash Gordon Holiday Special 2014 one-shot (Dynamite, December 2014), script by Stuart Wellington, pencils and inks by Lara Margarida, colors by Luigi Anderson, letters by Simon Bowland

Today in Comics History, December 31, 11:00 PM, New Year's Eve: As always, Brooklyn closes after dark on New Year's Eve

from "Resolutions" in Flash Gordon Holiday Special one-shot (Dynamite, December 2014), script by Stuart Wellington, pencils and inks by Lara Margarida, colors by Luigi Anderson, letters by Simon Bowland

Freddie Mercury will save every one of us

I'm off social media until San Diego Comic-Con is over, so in the meantime, please enjoy, from the pages of Britain's Eagle Annual, rock sensation Freddie Mercury!


"Personalities with a Plus!" from Eagle Annual 1983 [#25] (1983)



Tomorrow: Gary Numan! And s'more surprises.

Saturday Morning Cartoon: Flash!

Queen's "Flash Gordon" set to a mash-up of scenes from the Filmation animated series Flash Gordon and the artwork of Flash creator Alex Raymond, remixed and mashed by YouTube user assurbanipalsegundo. He'll save every one of us!

Arroooo from You: Mike P. presents Flash Gordon

Ladies and gentlebulls, may I present...the single finest theme song to a comic book movie, ever:



Sing it along with me! Flash! Arroooo! Savior of the universe! Flash! Arroooo! He'll save every one of us!

What's that...that's not the way the song goes, you're saying? Well, who the heck do you think you are...Freddy Mercury?!? If I'm takin' some liberties with the lyrics of the single finest theme song to a comic book movie, ever, then it's just because Flash Gordon oughta have fought werewolves, don't you think? I can picture him zooming around on his jet pack, quoting quirky quips at cutie-pie Dale Arden and trading laser beam blasts with the evil minions of wicked Ming the Merciless...and fighting werewolves! Werewolves...in spaaaaaaaaaaace! Can't you just imagine it?

But lucky you! You don't have to imagine it, because ace blogger Bill P. at The Meerkat Entertainment Group (along with Flash artist Jim Keefe) pits Flash and his fabulous pal King Barin (or is that Baron King? Actually, isn't he a president, too?) against the "End of the Space Werewolves!" And wouldn't you know it, there's a real humdinger of an arroooo in the final panel of the comic strip. Check it out here!

Whoo! That was some arroooo wasn't it, kids? Scared the pants right off me! Okay, okay, I wasn't wearing any pants to begin with. (Also scary: the Mark Trail-style word balloons that look like the wolf is talking in the final panel.)

While you're there, give yourself a treat and spend some time exploring, Flash-style, Mike's big, bold, beautiful, bright, blog. Don't miss the "Comic Strip Commentary" feature (my fave!), fun looks at the daily adventure strips The Phantom, Flash Gordon, and The Amazing Spider-Man. Great comics...an attractive blog...and arroooo? I'm so there!

For services to arroooo above and beyond, Mike, we hereby award you this Brian Blessed Bull-Prize, twice as big, boistrous, boastful and bearded as your leading brand of Bull-Prizes! In the words of Brian Blessed himself: "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! I'M BRIAN BLESSED! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

So, Mike's got a Bull-Prize. Jealous? Don't be green, be keen, by sending me in your own arroooo? Just email me a panel or panels featuring the sound effect arroooo (or a similar sound effect) scanned from any comic book we haven't covered here yet. Make sure you tell me what comic book it comes from, and email your scans to this address:

Or, like Mike, you can post it on your own blog and send me a link so I can link back and properly credit you for your arroooo!

Just remember, folks: arroooo! And if you can't arroooo...well, here's the next best thing: