Today in Comics History, August 14: Happy birthday, Jimmy Palmiotti!

Born on this date: Jimmy Palmiotti, screenwriter/comic book writer/artist (Daredevil, Harley Quinn, Power Girl, Jonah Hex, All-Star Western, The Pro, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, Rage, and even more), co-creator of Painkiller Jane, and co-founder of Event Comics & Marvel Knights!



from (top) New West #1 (Black Bull, March 2005);
(bottom) Marvel Age #112 (Marvel, May 1992)

Today in Comics History, March 4, 1928: Happy birthday, Victoria Hellstrom!

Hope you survive the exp...oh.


from Ghost Rider (1973 series) #1 (Marvel, September 1973), script by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Tom Sutton, inks by Syd Shores, colors by George Roussos, letters by John Costanza

More Cow/Bull Month, Day 10: Ghost Rider begins to regret eating all those cheeseburgers

Panel from The Champions #11 (February 1977), script by Bill Mantlo, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Bob Layton, colors by Don Warfield, letters by Bruce Patterson

Same Story, Different Cover: Raven hair and ruby lips / Sparks fly from her finger tips

Left: Marvel Spotlight v.1 #11 (August 1973), pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Mike Esposito
Right: The Original Ghost Rider #7 (January 1993), pencils by Jeff Johnson, inks by Dan Panosian

(Click picture to black-magic-woman-size)

Same Story, Different Cover: Wait, that's a show about a talking car. How about Pale Rider?...oh, no, that's a Clint Eastwood movie.

L: Ghost Rider #6 (October 1967), pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Vince Colletta
R: Night Rider #6 (August 1975), pencils and inks by Gil Kane
(Click any picture to Wild-Wild-West-size)

I call "no way" on that stunt, Johnny Storm

So here's a story from pretty darn early in the Human Torch's career where he absorbs the entire power of a nuclear bomb:



Panels from Strange Tales #112 (September 1963), plot by Stan Lee, script by Jerry Siegel [as Joe Carter], pencils and inks by Dick Ayers, letters by Sam Rosen

Yeah, I'm not buying that he was able to do that—I call shenanigans! especially since this ultimate deadly atomic blast was a plot by none other than that most dangerous and nefarious Marvel supervillain...you're gonna guess Doctor Doom or the Red Skull or Magneto, right? One of the powerhouse baddies. Nope. T'was The Eel.




Yep! The guy with the oil-slathered costume and the 4,000 double-AA batteries built into his gloves. So he can shock you, and help provide you with a a lovely light vinaigrette salad. He didn't even give Daredevil much of a workout. And that was in his yellow costume days.



Panels from Daredevil v.1 #6 (February 1965), script by by Stan Lee, pencils and inks by Wally Wood, letters by Sam Rosen

So, you know, a villain of this calibre is going to be a pretty dangerous villain up against somebody like, say, Ghost Rider, right?


Panels from Ghost Rider v.1 #21 (December 1976), script by Gerry Conway, breakdowns by Gil Kane, finishes by Sam Grainger, colors by Jim Shooter (!) and Roger Slifer

Oh. Thus died the Eel. The guy who once almost nuked the planet. He probably ought to have listed that first on his resumé, then.

Whoops! There It Is!

"There's no way Aquaman would behave like that! What a mistake!" you and I and the guy down at your Ye Olde Locale Comice Booke Shoppe have declared at one point or another, unless, of course, like most people, you've never even read Aquaman. ("He can talk to fish, right?") But to contradict the immortal words of Colin Hay, that isn't a mistake...it's what we in the comics fandom field call characterization. In the style of a good-old fashioned Smallville Elementary spelling bee (which Lex always won), I shall now use that word in a sentence: "Hank Pym is a wife-beating psychopath. That's not a mistake, that's characterization." In short, comics are perfect, flawless, and infallible, much like the Pope, who is, after all, a canonical character of the Marvel Universe.


Panel from What If? v1 #28 (August 1981), script by Michael Fleisher, pencils and inks by Tom Sutton, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by Vic Carey

But still...just between you and me and the lamppost (that one way just south of where Mr. Tumnus lives), I'm gonna let you in on a little secret: sometimes comics make mistakes. (It's true!) This includes that time when Peter Parker was called both Peter Palmer and Super-Man, when the Hulk was Don Blake, and when Emma Frost couldn't tell toast from a Pop Tart. Don't tell anybody at Marvel or DC, but I've found a few more of comics' face-palmingest moments. Sometimes it's something as simple as a spelling error. But hey, we've all made those, huh? You can live with a little typo, right?


Panels from Legion of Monsters v2 #2 (January 2012), script by Dennis Hopeless, pencils and inks by Juan Doe, colors by Wil Quintana, letters by Dave Lanphear

Hey, that vampire stole Deadman's costume! But even though you shouldn't spit in the wind, tug on Superman's cape, or pull the leotard off the dead Boston Brand, that's not the mistake. Read the final panel carefully: what in context should read "battery part" instead says...



With all due respect, Mister Dave Lanphear...tee hee!

Of course, as the popular bumper sticker inspired by Forrest Gump says: "Typos happen." But they usually don't happen in a comic book created to help kids read:


Panel from Spidey Super Stories #40 (May 1979), script by Michael Siporin, pencils by Win Mortimer, inks by Mike Esposito

Or, maybe this spelling is correct and this is actually the French Spider-Man: L'Homme Étonnant D'Arachnide! Il fait tout ce qu'une araignée ne! Anyway, good job at not being credited, anonymous letterer of Spidey Super Stories #40...we salute you!

Sometimes the misteak misstake error can be chalked up to what Cool Hand Luke called, in between mouthfuls of hard-boiled eggs, "a failure to communicate." In an industry with many creators (and yet so few credited as such), it might be a misunderstanding or oversight between the scripter and the penciller or the colorist, like this example where dialogue says it's two-thirty and yet the clock reads...well, I really can't tell what time it's supposed to be, with those identically-sized clock hands in impossible places.


Panels from Green Lantern v3 #80 (November 1996), script by Ron Marz, pencils by J.H. Williams, inks by Mick Gray, colors by Pamela Rambo, letters by Chris Eliopoulos

It's not 1:12 (what would be the hour hand is too far past the one), and it's not 2:08 (the "hour" hand is past the two). Gosh, this one's a tough call, because I like the work of both Ron Marz and J.H. Williams and I don't wanna place blame at anybody's feet. I could do what usually is done in comics (blame the editor), but instead I'm going to attempt an in-universe explanation to earn the DC version of a No-Prize (a Bob Rozakis Answer Man Award?) Here we go: The correct explanation is that Kyle Rayner can't tell time.

And from what I can tell in this comic, Kyle Rayner can't tell colors either. Kinda a handicap when you're fighting guys with different colored rings, I would think. Maybe that's why they each have subtlely distinct logos, for Green Lanterns who are chroma-impaired. Say, how do you think G'nort and Dex-Starr get around those limitations?



Panels from JLA Classified #14 (January 2006), script by Warren Ellis, pencils and inks by Butch Guice, colors by David Baron, letters by Phil Balsman

Here's another case of the editor not noticing a contradiction between the script and the art, from James Robinson's Justice League of America. Not pointing any hooves coughcoughrexoglecougheddieberganzacoughsneeze. But what's that? It's from the second-to-last ish of Justice League of America before the Flashpoint reboot into the New 52? Justice League of America volume two, 2006 series? The issue before they just all give up and disband the Justice League? (Which seems to be the way they end JLA series these days anymore.) That one?

Oh, 'nuff said then!



Panels from Justice League of America #59 (September 2011), script by James Robinson, pencils by Daniel Sampere, inks by Wayne Faucher, colors by Andrew Dalhouse, letters by Rob Leigh

Oh, well, I guess as long as Eclipso has ended all life in the universe and taken up his throne of skulls just like the Darkseid/Thanos wanna-be he is, then it's no wonder the JLA busted up. "Dudes...we're dead. We can rest now." "That's treasonous talk, mister!"

Sure, Eclipso destroyed everything (hopefully including the 1992 Eclipso: The Darkness Within annuals). No lights. No planes. No motorcars. Not even any stars...



Yup, that's right. There ain't a single star in the sky. There's millions of 'em.



You can hardly blame Eclipso...he's too busy chillin' in his big chair, watching his widescreen TV made of skulls, so he hasn't noticed. Shame that he destroyed all the universe's nachos, though.

Sometimes a blooper in a comic book is attributable to nothing more than good-old fashioned Murphy's Law-abiding technology. Here's a case where an entire set of pages (a signature within the comic) got the wrong colors printed. First, on a correct page: here's the way '70s Marvel hero stuntman is supposed to look, in a red and white costume...


Panels from The Human Fly #19 (March 1979), script by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Lee Elias, inks by Ricardo Villamonte, colors by Elaine Heinl, letters by Diana Albers

And here's the way he shows up on the error pages...in a green costume. Wow, he's not only a great stuntman, he's a quick-change artist as well!



Red dots turn into blue and yellow; red and white into blue and white...look, I don't understand it aside from the color register was is printed. Now's a good time to get out that coloring chart from Marvel Age in the 80s and follow along with its four-color glory! Me, I like to pretend that halfway through the comic book the Human Fly got changed into a Kree and was transported to do battle on a Kree cowboy outpost. And then Kree Farrah Fawcett types up a report for Kree Charlie! Lookit those pages fly! There must be less gravity on the Hala-Deadwood planet.



She's also typing that it's the end of the series, which, you gotta admit, is a great ending for a Marvel comic series in the 1970s. "I'm telling you, Shooter, it'll be great! Everybody turns into a Kree soldier at the end of the final ish! The kids'll love it!" "Whatever. You wanna write this new Micronauts thing, Bill?" Of course, another mistake is that the letters page is telling us about the next issue. Also, for some reason, the letter page is covered with flies. It was a risky but bold move of Marvel to print all their comics in 1979 on past-expiration-date lunch meat, huh?



Here's one last one...see if you can help me figure this one out. Madame Hydra tells Whirlwind he's late. The appointment was at eight o'clock. Whirlwind arrived at 7:45. So he's not late. In fact, he thinks he's 45 instead of 15 minutes early because he thought the appointment was at 8:30.

WHAT THE SAM SCRATCH IS THE POINT OF THIS SCENE?!?!?


Panels from Iron Man v.2 #3 (January 1997), script and co-plot by Scott Lobdell; co-plot by Jim Lee; pencils by Whilce Portacio; inks by Scott Williams, JD, Tom McWeeney, and Trevor Scott; colors by Joe Chiodo, Martin Jimenez, and Wildstorm FX; letters by Richard Starkings, Comicraft, Dave Lanphear, and Albert Deschesne

What's the point? Perhaps the point is don't put seventy-three people working on one comic book. Perhaps the point is Scott Lobdell. Maybe the point is Heroes Reborn. But me, I'm gonna go for the easy guess and tell you that the point is...it was the nineties.

That about wraps it up for our little tiptoe through the lutips of weird and wacky bloopers and blunders in comic books from Marvel and DC, although there's always more. (I've got a whole folder full of 'em.) And at least, as I said at the beginning, you can count on a few universal constant truths that are always part of a character. For example, Aquaman talks to fish; we all know it, and that's that.


Panel from Aquaman v.7 #1 (November 2011), script by Geoff Johns, pencils by Ivan Reis, inks by Joe Prado, colors by Rod Reis, letters by Nick J. Napolitano

Oh for crying out loud.

Evel Knievel Week, Day 3: Who knows what Evel lurks in the hearts of men?

So, who's the greatest and most popular star-spangled hero whose exploits fab artist Cliff Chiang has illustrated? No, no, not that woman of wonder with her satin tights, not this week in this feature. After all, it's Evel Knievel week! Ever wonder why those toys I've been featuring this week were so popular? Who tried to jump over sharks before the Fonz? And what the heck was up with that "swagger stick"? Cliff Chiang explains it all for you in these panels from The Big Book of the '70s!







Panels from "The Decade of Evel" in The Big Book of the '70s (May 2000), script by Jonathan Ridgeway, art by Cliff Chiang


Wednesday Bonus! Even the mysterious and macabre Ghost Rider was not immune to the cult of Evel!


Panel from Marvel Spotlight #7 (December 1972), script by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte, letters by Herb Cooper

Ghost Rider's bony, bony feet don't fail him now

Hello there Mid-Day pals 'n' gals! (Which is not to say gals can't be pals.) Usually in this noontime spot we'd have another thrilling installment of Mid-Day Matinee—this week, all week: Atlas/Seaboard Week! But I forgot the first rule of blogging the Mid-Day Matinee: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stuffedbull)! I've been leading your through the World o' Atlas with so many scans that my prep time, like Batman's has skyrocketed!

So, for the rest of the week (all week), let's do a temporary switcharoo: Atlas/Seaboard Week entries will move to the evening, so look for one later tonight!

In the meantime, to keep you giggling through your lunch hour (please do not choke on your tuna sammich, though), here's

The Time That Ghost Rider Ran Away!

Panels from Marvel Spotlight #11 (August 1973), script by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Tom Sutton, inks by Syd Shores, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by John Costanza

So remember: when your freakin' head is on fire because you sold your soul to Satan and you need to get away from Satan's minions...just run away, okay? Take a clue from Ghost Rider! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! He's escaping as covertly as a flaming skulled guy in motorcycle leathers can escape.

Same Story, Different Cover: Lord Almighty, I feel my temperature rising

L: Marvel Spotlight #36 (June 1973), art by Herb Trimpe, Frank Giacoia, and Mike Esposito
R: The Original Ghost Rider #74 (December 1992), art by Mark Pacella and Brad Vancata

(Click picture to Nicolas Cage's ego-size)

Same Story, Different Cover: Oh wait, we forgot Ophiuchus

L: Ghost Rider #7 (August 1974), art by John Romita, Sr.
R: The Original Ghost Rider #15 (September 1993), art by Matt Banning and Walter A. McDaniel

(Click picture to pyrocephalisize)

365 Days with Hank McCoy, Day 238

Panels from Ghost Rider v.2 #26 (June 1992), script by Howard Mackie, pencils by Ron Wagner, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Gregory Wright, letters by Janice Chiang

365 Days with Ben Grimm, Day 358

Panel from Marvel Two-in-One #8 (March 1975), script by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito, colors by George Roussos, letters by Charlotte Jetter

What the Sam Scratch is goin' on here? It's one of the great Marvel Universe Christmas stories, and it's pretty much just what it looks like. And yes, that's Ghost Rider. For the full story, why not check in on Chris(tmas) Sims at the Invincible Super-Blog as he takes you through the glory and the wonder that is Marvel Team-Up #8? As Chris says "I've always had the feeling that the story of the birth of Christ would be better if it had a super-powered orange rock monster and a flame-headed demon from the depths of Hell itself, but now I know for sure. And it is."

And so say all of us.