Today in Comics History, February 24: Happy birthday, Abe Vigoda!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published February 24, 2022.

Born on this day in 1921, so it's the 102nd birthday of Abe Vigoda, who gets to be in this blog feature not only because I like him, but also because he's appeared in comic books! More specifically, here's his Barney Miller character Fish, in an issue of Iron Fist:


from Iron Fist (1975 series) #8 (Marvel, October 1976), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Dan Adkins, colors by Bonnie Wilford, letters by Joe Rosen
So, who d'you think that artist "Byrne" is that Fish is talking about? MAKE A GUESS.

Today in Comics History, November 11: Happy birthday, Dave Cockrum!

Born on this day in 1943: one of the truly great comics artists, Dave Cockrum! Co-creator of the All New, All-Different X-Men and many of their supporting characters: Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, Thunderbird, Black Tom, Lilandra...


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979 (Marvel, 1975-1978)

Today in Comics History, September 27: Happy birthday, Jim Shooter!

Born on this day: America's tallest comic book editor/creator/writer/publisher and even artist, Jim Shooter!



from (top, L-R) Mighty Marvel Calendar 1978 and 1979 (Marvel, 1977-1978); Marvel Age #57 (Marvel, December 1987); text by Mike Carlin, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors Paul Becton;(bottom) Marvel Age #33 (Marvel, December 1985); text by Jim Salicrup, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Adam Philips

Today in Comics History, August 21, 19XX: Everybody was kung-fu killing / It was just a little bit thrilling

from Iron Fist (1975 series) #10 (Marvel, December 1976), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Dan Adkins, colors by Bonnie Wilford, letters by Gaspar Saladino

Today in Comics History, July 6: Happy birthday, John Byrne!

Born on this day: prolific comic book writer and artist John Byrne! X-Men, FF, Superman, Spidey, Captain America, Namor, Hulk, Batman, Hulk, She-Hulk, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, What If?...you name it, he's probably worked on it!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1979 and 1980 (Marvel, 1978-1979), Marvel Age #31 (Marvel, October 1985) and #91 (Marvel, August 1991)

Today in Comics History, July 6: Say, John Byrne...what day does the Calgary Stampede start?

...could it be on July 3?:



from Iron Fist (1975 series) #8 (Marvel, October 1976), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Dan Adkins, colors by Bonnie Wilford, letters by Joe Rosen
Well, maybe, but that was in 1976. In 1979 it's today!



from [Uncanny] X-Men (1963 series) #121 (Marvel, May 1979), co-plot and script by Chris Claremont, co-plot and pencils by John Byrne, inks by Terry Austin, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by John Costanza
Now, John Byrne, you surely didn't pick July 6 because it's your birthday, didja?

Today in Comics History, July 3: John Byrne can't resist putting himself and the Calgary Stampede into a panel

from Iron Fist (1975 series) #8 (Marvel, October 1976), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Dan Adkins, colors by Bonnie Wilford, letters by Joe Rosen

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)

The 2010 2021 Marvel Calendar for June: Jumpin' Judo Jive

Iron Fist is kickin' his way into June with this handy-to-use (even for 6/2021) Marvel 2010 Calendar! Don't give yourself a hernia, Danny!

"June" from Marvel Calendar 2010 (Marvel, 2009), art by Marko Djurdjevic
(Click picture to K'un-Lun-size)
I got one of those free after a random trip to the comic shop that year. You can't ever go wrong with Marko Djurdjevic art. I wish I'd kept mine now!

Today in Comics History April 29, 1976: Iron Fist is seen off by sentient Brillo Pad

from Iron Fist (1975 series) #6 (Marvel, August 1976), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Frank Chiaramonte, letters by Karen Mantlo

Today in Comics History, November 1: After Luke Cage is put in a coma by the election news, Danny Rand reads him the sports page in a revival attempt

from Secret War #1 (Marvel, April 2004), script by Brian Michael Bendis, painted art by Gabriele Dell'Otto, letters by Cory Petit

365 Days of KirbyTech, Day 97: Nightshade's Hulk Head-Hurter*

You might underestimate the supervillain Nightshade because she wears a black leather bikini, but she's actually, as the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe tells us, "an extraordinary genius, and extensively self-taught in genetics, biochemistry, cybernetics, robotics and physics. She also obtained a doctoral degree from an undisclosed university while in prison." Hmm, just call her Doctor Nightshade.


Panels from Marvel Team-Up Annual #3 (1980); script by Roger Stern; pencils by Herb Trimpe; inks by Mike Esposito, Al Milgrom, Bruce Patterson, Dave Humphrys, and Joe Rubinstein, colors by John Costanza, letters by Ken Klaczak

Separated at Byrne-th Month, Week 2: A Treemendous Fight

Welcome back, my friends, to the fun that never ends...until April 26, at least. It's Week Two of the increasingly exciting Separated at Byrne-th Month!, celebrating, ceremonializing, and contemplating the many cover tributes, salutes, and parodies of that ol' Canucklehead himself, John Byrne! This week: in the midst of his sprawling saga returning Danny Rand to the Marvel Universe (without which we'd not have this, so we owe Byrne a debt of thanks for that), Mister Johnny B sneakily snuck in a homage to the iron one's second issue in Namor's twenty-second issue. (Holy Harvey Dent!) Sure, maybe it ain't easy being green, but clobber that photosynthetic parasite, Danny and Nammy! If giant man-eating plant monsters who won't...heh heh heh...won't leaf you alone are your kinda thing, then check this out!:

L: Iron Fist #2 (December 1975), art by Gil Kane and John Romita
R: Namor #22 (January 1992), art by John Byrne
(Click picture to Audrey II-size)

Comic ads oughta be fun!

Remember when even the Marvel ad department had a sense of humor?

Marvel Comics house ad for Power Man and Iron Fist, ad drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz
Printed in Marvel Comics dated July 1984 (this was in Secret Wars #3)