Today in Comics History, March 25: Happy birthday, Howard Cosell!

Born on this day in 1918: Howard Cosell, the 1970s' most unprevaricating, multiloquent, and periphrastic sportscaster!



from "The Return of Dr. Octopus" in Spidey Super Stories #11 (Marvel, August 1975), script by Jean Thomas, pencils by Win Mortimer. inks by Mike Esposito and Tony Mortellaro, letters by Ray Holloway

Today in Comics History, March 25: Happy birthday, Elton John!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published March 25, 2022.

Born on this date, already wearing a sparkly pair of sunglasses and chunky heels: Elton John, the world's only Rock Star!


cover of Look-In #37/1973 (ITV, 8 September 1973), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, September 21: Happy birthday, Larry Hagman!

Born on this day in 1931: actor (and director and producer) Larry Hagman! You know him from a whole lotta film and TV shows, and especially from that time he had his house saved by Iron Man:


from Iron Man (1968 series) #222 (Marvel, September 1987), co-plot and script by David Michelinie, co-plot and finishes by Bob Layton, breakdowns by M. D. Bright, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Janice Chiang
This scene was slightly adapted into 2013's Iron Man 3 movie, and the only reason it didn't co-star Larry Hagman was that Robert Downey felt Hagman would be too awesome for the film. And also, Hagman died in 2012.

Today in Comics History, April 12: Happy birthday, David Letterman!

Born on this day, ladies and gentlemen, David Letterman! And here's our Top Ten List from the home office in Cow City, Arizona!


from Marvel Age #56 (Marvel, November 1987), text by Mike Carlin, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme
Actually, I just have a buncha comics panels and not a Top Ten List. Sorry.


from Bloom County by Berke Breathed

Fun with Comics: Hey Iron Man, what's your favorite feminist organization?

Today in Comics History, March 1: Happy birthday, Tom Orzechowski!

Born on this date: letterer extraordinaire Tom Orzechowski, who we all fell in love with over his elegantly precise lettering in Uncanny X-Men (and many more)!


from Marvel Age #27, 51, 87, 99, and 111 (Marvel, June 1985, June 1987, April 1990, April 1991, and April 1992); text by Jim Salicrup (#27), Mike Carlin (#51), Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#87 and 99), and Mike Lackey (#111); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by George Roussos (#27), Paul Becton (#51), Gregory Wright (#87), and Renee Witterstaetter (#99)

Today in Comics History, February 28, 1989: Rhodey regrets putting his delicious Eggo™ waffle down on Tony's corpse

cover of Iron Man (1968 series) #243 (Marvel, June 1989), pencils and inks by Bob Layton

Today in Comics History, February 9: Happy birthday, Jo Duffy!

Born on this day: comics editor and writer Jo Duffy, scripter on Power Man & Iron Fist, the '80s Marvel Star Wars, Fallen Angels, Crystar, Marvel Comics Presents, Marvel Fanfare, Catwoman, Glory, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and much more!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1979 (Marvel, 1978)


from Marvel Age #26, 50, 87, and 98 (Marvel, May 1985, May 1987, April 1990, and January 1991); text by Jim Salicrup (#26), Mike Carlin (#50), and Chris Eliopolous and Barry Dutter (#87 and 98); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Gregory Wright (#87) and Marie Javins (#98)
By the way, that last calendar panel is misleading (aka wrong). Duffy didn't write Akira, she did the English adaptation of the original work by Katsuhiro Otomo with translation by Yoko Umezawa.

Today in Comics History, February 3, 1972: Whaddaya know, for once, a newspaper actually really does look like that!

from Iron Man (1968 series) #46 (Marvel, May 1972), script by Gary Friedrich, pencils by George Tuska, inks by John Verpoorten, letters by Sam Rosen
This panel was brought to my attention by the @MarvelADay Twitter account, which features great illustrated synopses of classic Marvel Comics ever day! I highly recommend you oughta ollow them on Twitter (because there's still some great Tweeters out there!) Thanks, MAD!

Today in Comics History, December 31, 2019, 11:59 PM, New Year's Eve: Gear yourself up for the New Year

from Tony Stark: Iron Man #19/619 (Marvel, February 2020), script by Dan Slott and Christos Gage, pencils and inks by Francesco Manna, colors by Edgar Delgado, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, December 31, 2019, New Year's Eve: Tony Stark immediately destroys France

from Tony Stark: Iron Man #19/619 (Marvel, February 2020), script by Dan Slott and Christos Gage, pencils and inks by Francesco Manna, colors by Edgar Delgado, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, December 16, 1991: Mistakes were made

from Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Prelude #1 (Marvel, March 2018), script by Will Corono Pilgrim, art by Tigh Walker, color by Chris O'Halloran, letters by Travis Lanham
Sure, mistakes were made, and they also made the front page!


from Captain America: Civil War (Marvel Studios, 2016)

Today in Comics History, December 4: Happy birthday, Jeff Bridges!

Born on this day: Academy Award-winning actor and producer Jeff Bridges! Gee, he looks familiar...oh, that's right! We saw him in Iron Man as Obadiah Stane, kickin' off the MCU! Here he is (right):


photo variant cover of Invincible Iron Man (2008 series) #1 (Marvel, July 2008)

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 7: Happy birthday, James "Rhodey" Rhodes!

It's Rhodey's birthday and Elektra is all broken up about his death and HOLY COW THAT'S TONY STARK


from Invincible Iron Man #599 (June 2018), script by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and inks by Stefano Caselli, colors by Marte Gracia, letters by Clayton Cowles

Today in Comics History, August 14: Happy birthday, Steve Martin!

Born on this day: comedian, actor, producer, writer, musician, art collector, cat juggler, and the guy who made me laugh in the 1970s and '80s more than anybody: Steve Martin!


from iron Man (1968 series) #138 (Marvel, September 1980), co-plot and script by David Michelinie, co-plot and breakdowns by Bob Layton, finishes by Tom Palmer, colors by Ed Hannigan, letters by John Costanza

The Marvel Age Calendar for 1994 2022: Awesome Armored August

Hey, check it out: it's


And yes, it's time for another* Marvel Age Calendar in eye-shattering black-and-white!

"Classic Clash #8: Iron Man vs. Hulk" from Marvel Age #140 (Marvel, September 1994),
pencils by Darren Auck, inks by Mort [Todd?]
(Click picture to right hook-size)
*And by another, I mean final, at least for the rest of the year! Marvel Age #140 was the final issue of the series (alas, we hardly knew ye, entertaining corporation hype mag for which we paid), so there are no more 1994 calendars from this series. So cut this one out (be sure to use scissors on a printout, not on your computer monitor) and color it in for the final time! Lots of green, red, and yellow crayons are useful here!

But be sure to tune in in 2023 for more Marvel Age Calendar madness...wait, there's no year that they published a calendar in Marvel Age that coincides with 2023. Let's see...2024...looking at my perpetual calendar...wow, leap years only do come along ever four years...okay, 2025? ...nope. ...okay, join us back here in 2026 for more Marvel Age Calendar fun! i don't know how old you'll be, but I'll be seven.

(Of course, lots of other calendars will coninue monthly! You can depend on old young Bully for that!)

Today in Comics History, July 21, 1992: Rest in peace, Tony Stark

from Marvel Age #116 (Marvel, September 1992)

Today in Comics History, June 15: Happy birthday, Courteney Cox!

So no one told you life was gonna be this way
You're in a Civil War
And Rhodey's D-O-A
It's like you're still a prisoner of war
And if you remember your past
You killed a guy in issue 124


from Iron Man (1998 series) #13 (February 1999); script by Kurt Busiek; pencils by Sean Chen and Patrick Zircher; inks by Lary Stucker, Eric Cannon, and Bud LaRosa; colors by Steve Oliff; letters by Wes Abbott
Well, she'll be there for you
'Coz she's Courteney Cox
If you're Iron Man
And you've got metal socks
She'll be there for you
Guest-starring in Iron Man 2


In the next panel, the Human Fly flies into Rumiko's mouth.

Today in Comics History, June 12: Happy birthday, Len Wein!

Born on this day in 1948: comic book editor and writer Len Wein, who co-created Swamp Thing, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Brother Voodoo, Amanda Waller, Lucius Fox, Clayface III, and many, many more classic characters and comics!


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


from FOOM #8 (Marvel, December 1974)