Today in Comics History, February 5: Happy birthday, William S. Burroughs!

Born on this day in 1914: Beat writer and artist William S. Burroughs (Junkie, Queer, Naked Lunch (I can think of two things wrong with that title), The London Trilogy, The Red Night Trilogy and more), who, along with Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and others, built the tropes, literature, and ideas of the Beat Generation. Without which we wouldn't have had the Beatles. Reminder to myself: must double check this possible fact in my research.

Perhaps most notably, The Beat Generation battled Generation X! I mean literally! Burroughs is the rectangular-spectacled chap in the fourth and sixth panel. Guess his agent didn't deal with Marvel as well as Ginsberg's and Keruoac's!


from "Generation X vs. The Beat Generation" in Generation X Underground #1 one-shot (Marvel, May 1998), by Jim Mahfood

Today in Comics History, June 3: Happy Birthday, Allen Ginsberg!

Born on this date in 1925: Beat poet, essayist, and philosopher Allen Ginsberg (Howl, Kaddish, Cosmopolitan Greetings, The Fall of America and more)! He was (and still is) considered, along with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, one of the greatest voices of his generation, and one of the writers who put the renowned and vital City Lights Bookstore at the forefront of fifties' history when they published Howl and defended against obscenity.

You all are, I presume, familiar with getting together a list of famous people born on this day and then go researching their comic book appearances, but becomes suprised and disappointed that there are no appearances in comics of Larry McMurtry or Boots "Yakety Sax" Randolph. But then along comes Allen Ginsberg with a surprisingly large number of comic book guest-starring appearances, even if you don't count Marvel's 1968 Dr. Strange/Allen Ginsberg Team-Up #1-6!


from Meet the Beats (Water Row Press, 1985 series), by Robert Crumb

The 1978 2017 2023 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: June Jitsu*

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published June 1, 2017.

Remember, you can actually use this 1978 calendar for this year, which is (walks over to fridge, checks my calendar) 2023! Had he survived, Peter Parker would have wanted it that way!

"June is Jam-Packed with Jeopardy" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (1977); pencils by John Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott, colors by George bell
(Click picture to enteroctopus-size)
The month's mightily marvelous mural summarizes Amazing Spider-Man #56, featuring Doctor Octopus...


Cover and panel from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #56 (January 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils and cover inks by John Romita Sr., interior inks by Mike Esposito, letters by Sam Rosen
...and ASM #57, co-starring Ka-Zar! Why, that's practically two issues of Marvel Team-Up right there!


Cover and panels from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #57 (February 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils by John Romita Sr. (cover and interior) and Don Heck (additional interior pencils), inks by John Romita Sr. (cover) and Mike Esposito (interior), letters by Artie Simek (cover) and Sam Rosen (interior)
Wow, halfway through the year and we haven't even gotten to eight-armed Spidey or Gwen-Tossin' or oh wait maybe I shoulda put a SPOILER WARNING in there somewhere. Geez though, at this rate we'll never get to the Clone Saga by the end of 2017!

*Oh, and since my post title probably reminded you of her: here's the one, the only, soon to be starring in Spider-Man: Homecoming: June Jitsui!


"Spider-Man Meets June Jitsui" from Marvel Comics cover-dated December 1979 (this one's from ROM #1), pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Joe Rubinstein, letters by Jim Novak
Next month: July! oh man SPOILER WARNING

Today in Comics History, April 1: There's a non-boring delight in every bite

The exciting conclusion of the Hostess ad that began last night! But I hope you didn't postpone eating your delicious Hostess cupcakes until today. Go out and buy some more, because you get a big delight in every bite! Iron Man told me that, and he is generally correct.


from "A Dull Pain" Hostess ad in Gold Key comics cover-dated June 1977, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Frank Giacoia

Today in Comics History, March 31: Tony Stark has had it with Studio 54

A seldom-seen Marvel Hostess ad — because it appeared not in Marvel Comics, but in Gold Key/Whitman books!


from "A Dull Pain" Hostess ad in Gold Key comics cover-dated June 1977, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Frank Giacoia
The rest tomorrow!