Today in Comics History, January 17, 2010: Comics Oughta Be Retro!

from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest #2 (Top Shelf/Knockabout, August 2018), script by Alan Moore, pencils and inks by Kevin O'Neill, colors by Benedict Dimagmaliw, letters by Todd Klein
(Click top picture to Hero of the Beach™-size)

Today in Comics History, January 17: Happy birthday, Muhammad Ali!

Born on this day in 1942: professional boxer, heavyweight champion of the world, and the G.O.A.T. (and that's not "goat" as in the Charlie Brown sense): Muhammad Ali!

Ali's been in so many comic books it'd be a lonnnnnnng post to show them all (not that that ever stops me), but in this case, let's look in on a wonderful moment from one of the greatest comics of all time, a little thing called All-New Collector's Edition #C-56, but which you 'n' I know better as the gigantisized Superman vs. Muhammad Ali!


from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-56 (DC, March 1978), story by Denny O'Neil, script and pencils by Neal Adams, inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Cory Adams, letters by Gaspar Saladino
That's not really doing justice to this image or giving you the full grandeur of it. Picture that image as a double-page spread of a treasury edition, twenty inches wide! Wow!

And, as long as we're here, let's revisit a popular feature on this blog where I show you a spread of the boxing match between the Man of Steel and the Greatest of All Time. Now tell me...can you find...Muhammad Ali?

cover of All-New Collectors' Edition #C-56 (DC, March 1978), layout by Joe Kubert, pencils by Neal Adams, inks by Neal Adams (?) and/or Cory Adams (?), logo design by John Workman
(Click top picture to GOAT-size)
Say, Superman, did you ever learn your lesson from Ali?


from Action Comics #904 (DC, October 2011), script by Paul Cornell, pencils and inks by Axel Giménez, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh
Happy birthday, Champ.

Today in Comics History, January 17, 1945: The Day the Rocketeer fought a Japanese Octopus Submarine*

from "Dear Betty" in Rocketeer Adventures (2011 series) #1 (IDW, May 2011), script by Kurt Busiek, pencils and inks by Mike Kaluta, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Chris Mowry
*But for him, it was a Wednesday.

Today in Comics History, January 17: Happy birthday, David Lloyd George!

Born on this day in 1863: David Lloyd George, British statesman and 53rd (if I've counted correctly) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Also, not much of an action star, which is why the only comic book cameo I can find for him is an uncredited appearance, shown from the back! Nice square haircut, David!


from The Invaders (1975 series) #8 (Marvel, September 1976), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Frank Robbins, inks by Frank Springer, colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by John Costanza
Happy birthday, Notorious D.L.G.!

Today in Comics History, January 17: Happy birthday, Anne Brontë!

Born on this day in 1820: Anne Brontë, the Brontë sister who wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, novels which are not Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights and therefore she doesn't get as much attention as her two spotlight-hoarding sisters. Poor Anne never even got a Classics Illustrated! Let's rectify that with some appearances of Anne in comic books, shall we? Except...they're all with her sisters. Oh well!




from "The Child of Time" in Doctor Who Magazine #439 (Panini, October 2011), script by Jonathan Morris, pencils by Martin Geraghty, inks by David A. Roach, colors by James Offredi, letters by Roger Langridge
So happy birthday, Anne, and tell those sisters of yours to back off, bees! It's your day for once!



"Dude Watchin' with the Brontës" and "Actor, Currer, and Ellis Bell" in Hark! A Vagrant (Drawn + Quarterly, September 2011), by Kate Beaton

Today in Comics History, January 17: Happy birthday, Betty White!

Born on this day 100 years ago: actress, comedian, and activist Betty White (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, Hot in Cleveland, Password, Match Game, Tattletales and much more)! Sadly, Betty didn't stick around quite long enough for us to fête her in person, but we all know the good angels get to read my blog and I hope somebody passes this wishes onto her!

Also sadly: Betty White never had her own comic book. What's up with that, Dell? Why'd that not happen, Charlton? You dropped the ball, Aspen! IU honestly can't believe it, what will all the guest appearances of Bea Arthur in Deadpool. But Betty did make occasional appearances in MAD — sometimes savage pokes at her, sometimes good-humored, but here's a few of the more fun ones.




from "Messy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" in MAD #148 (January 1972), script by Dick DeBartolo and Kedzie North, pencils and inks by Angelo Torres


from "TV Theme Songs" in MAD #266 (October 1986), script by Frank Jacobs, pencils and inks by Sam Viviano


from "The Mad Nasty File, Volume V" in MAD #302 (April 1991), script by Tom Koch, pencils and inks by Gerry Gersten
The best way to celebrate Betty's birthday, however, is to find a local rescue or animal shelter in your area and make a donation in Betty White's name. Join me, won't you?


Happy birthday, Betty. And thank you for being a friend!

Today in Comics History Future, January 17, 2610: Bring it on aliens, we've had worse this week

from "The Rulers of Earth" in Astonishing #30 (Marvel/Atlas, February 1954), pencils and inks by Joe Sinnott

Today in Comics History, January 17, 2056: Happy Birthday, Dr. Elizabeth Heimann! Enjoy your ice cream cake!

from Eternal #2 (Marvel, February 2015), script by William Harms, pencils and inks by Stefano Simeone, colors by Adam Metcalfe, letters by Jim Campbell

Today in Comics History Future, January 17, 3828: Iceman gets a job pushing robots into deep space

from "00:00:03:00" in Time Warp one-shot (May 2013), script by Ray Fawkes, pencils and inks by Andy MacDonald, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Sal Cipriano

Today in Comics History, January 17, 2014: It's discovered that aliens don't use email

Text page from Justice Leagues: JL? #1 (March 2001), script by Tom Peyer, pencils by Ethan van Sciver, inks by Ray Kryssing and Matt Martin, colors by John Kalisz, color separations by Digital Chameleon