Today in Comics History, Thanksgiving: Happy Thanksgiving from our asylum to yours

It's Thanksgiving Day in Arkham Asylum! Mostly, everybody's thankful that Batman didn't come around to beat them up again.



from "Happy Thanksquinning" in Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red #5 (DC, January 2024), story by Sam Humphries, art by Stephen Burne, lettering by Troy Peteri

Today in Comics History, October 31: Harley Quinn invents scratch 'n' sniff comic books

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published October 31, 2014.


from Batman: Arkham City digital comic #4 (DC, September 2011), story by Paul Dini, script by Derek Fridolfs, pencils and inks by Roger Robinson, colors by Randy Mayer, letters by Travis Landham
...and then, she did it!

The American edition features a cannabis leaf on the cover and smells like marijuana...so I'm told! Not because I'm international, but because I'm seven.


from Harley Quinn Annual (2014 series) #1 (DC, December 2014), pencils and inks by Amanda Conner, colors by Paul Mounts
And the international edition smells like fresh-cut grass and has a Christmas tree on the cover. Uhm, why doesn't it smell like a Christmas tree, then?


Anyway, it's Halloween, and feet shall be smelt today.

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, August 11: Happy birthday, Jim Lee!

Born on this day: Jim Lee, prolific comic book writer and artist (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Superman, Superman Unchained, Batman, All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder, Justice League, WildC.A.T.s, Alpha Flight, The Punisher War Journal, Fantastic Four, The Intimates, Deathblow, Divine Right, and about one bajillion covers, among (whew!) many others. He co-created Gen¹³, Omega Red, Hush, Mr. Majestic, Stormwatch, WildC.A.T.s, and Gambit, although we won't hold that last one against you, Jim. He's also a founding member of Image Comics and WildStorm Productions, and is now Chief Creative Officer and Publisher of DC Comics. Whew, Jim! Take a vacation and give yourself some "you" time!


cover of Marvel Age #104 (Marvel, September 1991), pencils and inks by Jim Lee

Today in Comics History, August 4: Happy birthday, Charlie Adlard!

Born on this day: British comic book artist Charlie Adlard, who's drawn Judge Dredd, The X-Files, Astronauts in Trouble, Mars Attacks, Batman: Gotham Knights, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, and a little book you may love called The Walking Dead (tho' not me, that thing's too scary!).

Charlie has apparently not appeared in any comic books, but here he is name-checked (and called off of bench to draw some a Harley Quinn "football" (we over here call it soccer just to bug the rest of the world) page!


from Harley Quinn (2014 series) #0 (DC, January 2014), script by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, pencils and inks by Charlie Adlard, colors by one'a these guys, letters by John J. Hill
Happy birthday, Charlie!

Today in Comics History, June 23: Happy birthday, Becky Cloonan!

Happy birthday today to comic book writer, artist, and editor Becky Cloonan (Wonder Woman, The Kitchen, Moon Knight, Conan the Barbarian, Batgirls, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and many more), co-creator of Gotham Academy, Demo, American Virgin, East Coast Rising and others, and the first female artist to draw the main Batman title at DC!

"Who's Who: DC's Young Animal" from Shade the Changing Girl #9 (DC/Young Animal, August 2017), text and art by Becky Cloonan
(Click picture to large but still young animal-size)
Becky draws Harley Quinn, Harley Quinn criticizes Becky Cloonan! It's the circle of life!


from Harley Quinn (2014 series) #0 (DC, January 2014), script by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, pencils and inks by Becky Cloonan, colors by one'a these guys, letters by John J. Hill
Happy birthday, Becky!

Today in Comics History, May 23: Happy birthday, Chad Hardin!

Happy birthday to comics artist Chad Hardin, creator of Death Watch and artist on Harley Quinn, The Traveler, Warlord, Countdown to Mystery, The Spirit, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and more! Here, Harley gives a meta-critique of his art. Verdict: he is acceptable to the quintessential Ms. Q.!


from Harley Quinn (2014 series) #0 (DC, January 2014), script by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, pencils and inks by Chad hardin, colors by possibly one'a these guys, letters by John J. Hill
Happy birthday, Chad!

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: What's a nice girl like you doing in a dive like this?

from Joker's Asylum II: Harley Quinn #1 one-shot (DC, August 2010), script by James Patrick, pencils and inks by Joe Quinones, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, February 14, Valentine's Day: Batman is unusually jovial for a holiday

from Joker's Asylum II: Harley Quinn #1 one-shot (DC, August 2010), script by James Patrick, pencils and inks by Joe Quinones, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, January 11: Happy birthday, Sam Kieth!

Born on this day: comics artist and writer Sam Kieth (remember: I before E after Sam K)! Sam's the creator of The Maxx and Zero Girl and artist on many, many books including Batman: Secrets, Batman: Through the Looking Glass, Sandman, Lobo: Highway to Hell, Marvel Comics Presents, Wolverine/Hulk, Scratch, and much more!

I couldn't find a comics appearance of him (there's one in Dark Horse: Mavericks, but I don't have it!), so here's a page where he's he's meta-represented:


from Harley Quinn (2014 series) #0 (DC, January 2014), script by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, pencils and inks by Sam Kieth, colors by one'a these guys, letters by John J. Hill
Happy bierthday, Sam!

Today in Comics History, December 26: Even Joker isn't crazy enough to allow unsafe driving habits

from "Harley Loves Joker" in Harley Quinn (2016 series) #17 (DC, June 2017), script by Paul Dini and Jimmy Palmiotti, pencils by Bret Blevins, inks by Jay Bone, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by Dave Sharpe

Today in Comics History, December 26: I love a good Boxing Day Mystery

from "The Morning After" in Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red (digital 2020 series) #17 (DC, December 23, 2020), script by Liz Erickson, art by Tom Derenick, letters by Josh Reed

Today in Comics History, December 25, Christmas: The Harley and the Ivy

Yes, I know DC has already used that title, but it's too good to not use for this post.


from "A Change of Heart" in 'Tis the Season to Be Freezin' #1 one-shot (DC, February 2022), script by Tara Roberts, pencils and inks by Eric Battle, colors by Eva de la Cruz, letters by Ferran Delgado
Then they made out for the whole twelve days of Christmas.

Look, you finish your stories your way; let me finish mine.

Today in Comics History, December 24, Christmas Eve: Deck the Halls with Boughs and Harley

from Batman: The Adventures Continue #8 (DC, March 2021), script by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, pencils and inks by Ty Templeton, colors by Monica Kubina, letters by AndWorld Design
SWEATER

Today in Comics History, December 23: Michael Caine woulda just up and shot her

from "A Change of Heart" in 'Tis the Season to Be Freezin' #1 one-shot (DC, February 2022), script by Tara Roberts, pencils and inks by Eric Battle, colors by Eva de la Cruz, letters by Ferran Delgado

Today in Comics History, November 16: Happy birthday, Darwyn Cooke!

Born on this day in 1962: multiple award-winning (13 Eisners, 8 Harveys, 5 Joe Shuster Awards) comics scripter and artist Darwyn Cooke, who defined so much of great comics during the 2000s: DC: The New Frontier, Catwoman, Catwoman: Selina's Big Score, Wolverine/Doop, The Spirit, The Twilight Children, Batman: Ego, Richard Stark's Parker, Solo #5, Spider-Man's Tangled Web #21 and more, plus so many great covers for DC and other publishers.

He passed away in 2016 at the age of 63. Wow, that's way too soon.


from Solo #5 (DC, August 2005)

Election Day: Well, she can't be worse than Eric Adams*

(top) regular cover of Harley Quinn (2016 series) #28 (DC, November 2017), pencils and inks by Amanda Conner, colors by Paul Mounts;
(bottom) variant cover of Harley Quinn #28; pencils and inks by Frank Cho, colors by Sabine Rich
*How I loathe him.

Today in Halloween Comics History, October 31: Harley is a witch, or something that rhymes with it

variant cover of Harley Quinn (2016 series) #30 (December 2017), pencils and inks by Frank Cho, colors by Sabine Rich
(She's kitsch!)

Today in Comics History, September 22, 2015: ...bet she won't survive the experience

from "Red Ink" in Harley Quinn Black + White + Red TPB (DC, August 2021); script by Patrick Schumacker; pencils, inks, and color by Eleonora Carlini; letters by Tom Napolitano

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 15: For once, Harley's the sane one

from Batman (2016 series) #96 (DC, October 2020), script by James Tynion IV, pencils and inks by Jorge Jiménez, colors by Tomeu Morey, letters by Clayton Cowles