Today in Comics History, January 20, 1893: You're traveling through another dimension

🎶 Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo 🎶...why, it's none other than 1963's favorite Friday Night Fear factory, The Twilight Zone! Yes, I shall watch it, and read the chilling comic book, but I will do so from behind the couch, much as i will later this year in November when that popular television premiere that influences a thousand fascinating science-fiction stories is aired for the very first time...The Kennedy Assassination.


cover of The Twilight Zone (1962 series) #4 (Western/Gold Key, August 1963), artist uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, January 20: Happy birthday, Buzz Aldrin!

Born on this day in 1930: Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin, second man on the moon and first to punch a guy in the face for suggesting he wasn't! Yes, he's somewhere in the picture below: he's inside that lunar module. How awesome was Buzz Aldrin? So awesome that even Jack Kirby could not portray him.


from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #98 (Marvel, May 1970), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Joe Sinnott, letters by Artie Simek

Today in Comics History, January 20: Happy birthday, David Lynch!

Of course I couldn't find any actual appearance in comic books of today's birthday boy and director David Lynch (Eraserhead, Dune, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Wild at Heart, Mulholland Drive, many more). But i did find this: a Harvey Generic Celebrity equivalent: David Lynchpin!!




from Little Dracula #3 (Harvey, May 1992), script by Michael Gallagher, pencils by Dave Manak, inks and letters by Jorge Pacheco, colors by InColor
This comic, with its monsters and minature Dracula, is not weird enough to be a David Lynch story, but happy birthday anyway, David!

Today in Comics History, January 20: Happy birthday, George Burns!

Born on this day in 1896: Comedian, actor, and star of vaudeville, radio, television and movies: George Burns! He was God, you know. But did you know he assisted Doc Savage on one of his most dangerous cases? Actually, it was actually wife Gracie who saved the day when she flew up in her rocket-assisted flying suit to deliver the bomb that blew up John Sunlight's Deadly Dirgible. Now you know...the rest of the story!


cover of Doc Savage Comics v.2 #2/14 (Street and Smith, April 1943), artist unknown
Hey, can you spot George Burns in the crowd at this comedy club among a deluge of great comedians (and a few bad ones)? Remember: you ain't nobody 'til Mort Drucker draws you!

"New Twists on Old Jokes" in MAD #314 (October 1992); script by Dennis Snee, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
(Click top picture to Louis Anderson-size)
Ya did? So fast? Well, pfui on you! Try your peepers on this one: find George Burns on this cover!



from MAD #39 (May 1958), painting by C. C. Beall Jr.
Happy 126th birthday, George! Now say goodnight, Gracie.


from "Do the Copyright Thing" in Simpsons Comics #90 (Bongo, January 2004), script by Ian Boothby, pencils by John Costanza, inks by Phyllis Novin, colors by Art Villanueva, letters by Karen Bates

Today in Comics History, January 20: Happy birthday, Keith Pollard!

Happy birthday to the amazing Keith Pollard, penciller on so many Marvel titles that were hitting the stands in the early 1980s just as I began my fandom and collecting days. In my head, so many Marvel characters have definitive portrayals by Pollard (Thor, Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four)! In my book, his artwork is always a clean, crisp, action-packed treat.

And, Marvel Calendars love him too!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1977-1979
What?...more calendars celebrating Keith Pollard's birthday? Yes!


from Marvel Age #49 and 86 (Marvel, April 1987 and March 1990), text by Mike Carlin (#49) & Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#86), pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Paul Becton (#49) & Gregory Wright (#86)
Happy birthday, Keith!

Today in Comics History, January 20: Happy birthday, Phil Seuling!

Without this man there probably wouldn't be a comic book industry today (certainly not at the scale we have), so as you're reading your Wednesday pick-ups, raise a comic book or two and give a birthday wish to Phil Seuling, father of the Direct Market and your local comic book shop! And, uh, also all those problems with Diamond Distributors, but that's one's not really his fault.


from Comic Book Comics #6 (Evil Twin, November 2011); script by Fred Van Lente; pencils, inks, and letters by Ryan Dunlavey
Hey, didja know that the sheriff in this story (the first appearance of El Diablo) was a caricature of Phil Seuling?


from "The Devil Has Two Faces!" in All-Star Western (1970 series) #2 (DC, October 1970), script by Robert Kanigher, pencils and inks by Gray Morrow, letters by Ray Holloway (?)
Happy birthday, Phil!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, January 20: Happy birthday, Tom Baker!

Born on this day: actor and writer, and he probably should be given a knighthood (unless he was offered one and declined): Tom Baker! Yes, he appeared in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Dungeons & Dragons, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), Little Britain, and Monarch of the Glen, but have you considered...Doctor Who?


Baker played The Fourth Doctor in those heady days before that character had made his way into his double digits (1974 to 1981), and he's many people's first Doctor (including mine and lots of Americans who first saw the show in the 1970s on PBS). Take a poll of anybody's favo(u)rite Doctors and regardless of what year you've asked, Tom Baker is likely to show up at or very near the top. We love him just that much.

He's even made his ways into other universes! Say, can you find Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor in this crowd of British celebrities, characters, and disgraded Pythons we pay no heed to anymore? I'm sure you can!



from Simpsons Comics #87 (Bongo, October 2003), script by Ian Boothby, pencils by James Lloyd, inks by Steve Steere Jr., colors by Nathan Kane, letters by Karen Bates
Yes, Tom Baker. He's everywhere! If you look for him, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that Tom Baker is all around.

Except this guy. That's not our Tom Baker.


from "Human Target!" in Detective Comics #201 (Dc, November 1953), script by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Charles Paris
Happy birthday and many more, Tom Baker!

Today in Comics History, January 20: Happy birthday, DeForest Kelley!

Born on this day in 1920: actor DeForest Kelley, who has actually been on screen in many roles (a lot of Westerns, and Night of the Lepus, anyone?) but who will be forever remembered by me as my favorite Star Trek character, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy.

Today in Comics History, January 20, 1763: James Boswell regrets he's unable to do anything involving his penis today

from "Excerpts from Boswell's London Journal 1762-1763" in Weirdo #3 (Last Gasp, Fall 1981), by Robert Crumb

Today in Comics History, January 20, 1999: Letter is faxed*

from Radio: An Illustrated Guide one-shot (WBEZ Alliance, 1999), co-script by Ira Glass; co-script, pencils, inks, and letters by Jessica Abel
*No, seriously. That's exactly what this is.

Today in Comics History, January 20: Sentenced to death just for wearing a green suit

from "The Killing Punch" in Martin Kane: Private Eye #4/1 (Fox, June 1950), pencils and inks by Wally Wood

Today in Comics History, January 20, 1918: Death, standing just off camera, laughs sardonically and checks Maxwell's hourglass

from The Stretcher Bearers (Naval Institute Press/Dead Reckoning, April 2022), co-script and art by Reid Beaman, co-script and letters by Ryan Beaman

Today in Comics History, January 20, 997: Same story, different date

Hey, remember "The Thread?" It's baaaaaaack! Again!



text story "The Thread" in Journey into Unknown Worlds (1950 series) #13 (Marvel/Atlas, October 1952), author uncredited (Stan Lee?)
But surely that's all of this thing we need to feature in this blog, you might ask? Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Today in Comics History, January 20, 1943: The only good Nazi is a dead Nazi

from The Vain #2 (Oni, November 2020), script by Eliot Rahal, pencils and inks by Emily Pearson, colors by Fred C. Stressing, color assists by Macy Kahn, letters by Crank!
(Click top picture to blitzkrieg-size)

Today in Comics History, January 20, 2001: Luthor is inaugurated; insolent puppies crash party

from Superman: The Man of Steel #110 (DC, March 2001), script by Mark Schultz, pencils by Doug Mahnke, inks by Tom Nguyen, colors by Wildstorm FX, letters by Ken Lopez

Today in Comics History, January 20, 1947: Happy birthday, Flash Thompson! Hope you survive the experience!

from Spider-Man: Life Story #2 (Marvel, June 2019), script by Chip Zdarsky, pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Drew Hennessy, colors by Frank D'Armata, letters by Travis Lanham
It might just be the persective, but that is one big-ass tombstone. Well, it befits the man, the legend that is...Flash Thompson.

Today in Comics History, January 20, 2009: Obama is inaugurated; supervillain crashes party

from "Spidey Meets the President!" in Amazing Spider-Man #583 (Marvel, March 2009), script by Zeb Wells, pencils and inks by Todd Nauck, colors by Frank D'Armata, letters by Jared K. Fletcher

Today in Comics History, January 20, 1977: Carter is inaugurated; Fantastic Four crash party

from Marvel Two-in-One #27 (Marvel, March 1977), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Pablo Marcos, colors by Len Wein, letters by John Costanza

Today in Comics History, January 20, 1988: Spitfire definitely isn't getting her security deposit back

from "The Sublet" in Psi-Force #20 (Marvel/New Universe, June 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Chris Ivy, colors by Greg Wright, letters by Ken Lopez

Today in Comics History, January 20, 1961: JFK is inaugurated; superheroes crash party

from Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #4 (DC, January 2013), script by Len Wein, pencils and inks by Jae Lee, colors by June Chung, letters by John Workman