Today in Comics History, January 22: Happy birthday, Marshall Rogers!

Born on this here very day today but not this year: Marshall Rogers, award-winning (and one of my personal favorite) comics artists, with groundbreaking work on Detective Comics, Batman: Dark Detective, Silver Surfer, Doctor Strange, Demon With a Glass Hand, the 1989 Batman comic strip, Marvel UK comics, and more; co-creator of Detectives, Inc. and Cap'n Quick & A Foozle!


from Marvel Age #97 (Marvel, February 1991), text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter, art by Ron Zalme, colors by Renee Witterstaetter
How's about spotting Marshall Rogers in...aw, you know the drill! (Caution: he's teeny-weeny!)

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)
Happy birthday, Marshall!


from DC Comics cover-dated January 1978

Today in Comics History, January 22: Happy birthday, Howard Mackie!

Born on this day: comics writer and editor Howard Mackie! Co-creator of the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider! Assistant editor to the legendary Mark Gruenwald! Editor of the New Universe! Writer for Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker: Spider-Man, and Web of Spider-Man, not to mention too many other comics series to, um...mention, like X-Factor, Mutant X, Marvel Comics Presents, Spirits of Vengeance, Gambit, a couple Venom miniseries, and yep, even more! (Oh wait, was that a mention?)


from Marvel Age #49, 86, and 97 (Marvel, April 1987, March 1990, and February 1991); text by Mike Carlin (#49), & Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#86 and 97); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Paul Becton (#49), & Gregory Wright (#86) and Renee Witterstaetter (#97)

Today in Comics History, January 22: Happy birthday, Top!

Born on this date in the DC Universe: super* villain The Top! (*Your mileage on the adjective "super" may vary.)


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda
As the story begins, our attention is drawn to suspect new arrival to Central City, Anton Previn. Don't let your adopted daughter marry her stepfather, Anton!


from "Beware the Atomic Grenade!" in The Flash (1959 series) #122 (DC, August 1961), script by John Broome, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Joe Giella
Wait, is the Top's birthday 1/22 because he debuted in issue #122?

Soon after, mild-manned police scientist Barry Allen ACAB discovers a new criminal at large in Central City. Ya might as well face it, Flash: things were okay until you came along. You're attracting a new super class of crook!


The Top tries his tremendous twirling talents and terrible trick toy tops to toxically terrorize the townspeople! Also, rob banks, but there's not much alliteration there.



Aha! I've got this story figured out. New arrival in town (and mackin' on Iris too!), new criminal in town...this could only mean one thing: a predictable Silver Age ending! JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS.


Barry apprehends the Top! Using, I dunno, super speed or somethin'. I wasn't paying attention.

Wow, he's running so fast the page edges are burning up!


So now the Flash unmasks the Top and finds out that he actually is AntOH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD STORY


Ooh, you got me this time, John Broome. You caught me out. Very sneaky. But I shall have my revenge at guessing your twist endings later this year, yes I shall! (cackles insanely) Oh, and happy birthday, Top! (returns to bwah-ha-haing)

Today in Comics History, January 22: Happy birthday, U Thant!

Born on this day in 1909: Thant, Burmese diplomat and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, from 1961 to 1971. (The "U" is an honorific.)

And when there's something weird in your neighborhood Red China, who's U (Thant) gonna call? Herbie!



from "Sahib Herbie!" in Herbie #5 (ACG, October 1954), script by Richard Hughes (as Shane O'Shea), pencils and inks by Ogden Whitney, letters by Ed Hamilton
Not a Lot of People Know This Dept.: Since 1977, U Thant has been commemorated with the (unofficial) naming of a tiny island in New York City's East River: U Thant Island. You can see it especially well if you take the 42nd Street exit off the northbound FDR Drive: it'll be immediately to your right across from the UN Building.


Thant isn't using it much anymore so I have (very unofficially) claimed it as Bully Island. In the summer I paddle out there in my little coracle, have a picnic lunch, read comic books in the sun, and fiddle with my ham radio set — you can easily see the antenna in the photo above. It runs on real ham!

Happy birthday, U Thant!

Today in Comics History, January 22, 1881: This may sound a lot, but remember the obelisk hasn’t cost us a penny*

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember!" in Real Fact Comics #11 (DC, November 1947), pencils and inks by George Roussos (?)
*A shiny cardboard-and-tin NO-BULL PRIZE to the first one to identify the origin and significance of that title!

Today in Comics History, January 22: Happy birthday, Alex Ross!

Born on this day: comic book artist and writer and painter of light Alex Ross, whose work in paints brings dramatic realism to the worlds of superheroes. Y'all remember him from such films comics as Kingdom Come, Marvels, Uncle Sam, Justice, Earth X, and all those modern-day treasury-sized DC comics. (Plus, as we say, the proverbial much more!) And lots and lots of covers, including his penchant for recreating classic covers in his trademark realistic style.



from Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross (Pantheon, October 2003), art by Alex Ross
We know what his artwork looks like! What does Alex look like, as seen in comics? Well, mostly in photos...



from Mythology


from A Distant Soil (1996 series) #25 (Image, June 1998)


from Marvel Age #130 (Marvel, November 1993)
Of course, somebody's always gotta be a goofball about it:


from "What Do Comic Book Icons Think of The Goon's First Issue?" in The Goon (2003 series) #1 (Dark Horse, June 2003); script, pencils, inks, colors, and letters by Eric Powell; additional colors by Robin Powell and Barry Gregory
Anyway, happy birthday, Alex!

Today in Comics History, January 22, 1944: Battle of Anzio; Stephen E. Ambrose totally misses the awesomest part

This is an updated version of a blog post originally published January 22, 2013.

from New Avengers (2010 series) #29 (Marvel, October 2012), script by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and inks by Mike Deodato, colors by Rain Beredo, letters by Joe Caramagna
(Click picture to Bulge-size)

Today in Comics History Future, January 22, 2061: In the future, everyone gets a free purple bathrobe

from 100th Anniversary Special: X-Men one-shot (Marvel, September 2014), script by Robin Furth, pencils and inks by Jason Masters, colors by James Campbell and Verto Gandini, letters by Cory Petit

Today in Comics History Future, January 22, 2061: The Right to Peaceful Idiotic Protest

from 100th Anniversary Special: X-Men one-shot (Marvel, September 2014), script by Robin Furth, pencils and inks by Jason Masters, colors by James Campbell and Verto Gandini, letters by Cory Petit

Today in Comics History Future, January 22, 2061: Protestors demand Scott Summers' birth certificate

from 100th Anniversary Special: X-Men one-shot (September 2014), script by Robin Furth, pencils and inks by Jason Masters, colors by James Campbell and Verto Gandini, letters by Cory Petit

Today in Comics History Future, January 22, 2061: Emma has a bottle of Ambien

from 100th Anniversary Special: X-Men one-shot (Marvel, September 2014), script by Robin Furth, pencils and inks by Jason Masters, colors by James Campbell and Verto Gandini, letters by Cory Petit