Today in Comics History, April 1, April Fools' Day: Jimmydickery

from "Superman's Enemy!" in Jimmy Olsen #35 (DC/National, March 1959), script by Otto Binder, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Ray Burnley

Today in Comics History, April 1, April Fool's Day: No foolin'...Jimmy's a jerk

from "Superman's Enemy!" in Superman's Pal Enemy Jimmy Olsen (1954 series) #35 (DC, March 1959), script by Otto Binder, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Ray Burnley

Today in Comics History, January 30: Jimmy Olsen wishes he could go back to his limited series because that was so much more fun

from Action Comics #1007 (DC, March 2019), script by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and inks by Steve Epting, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Josh Reed

Today in Comics History, August 28: Happy birthday, Jack Kirby!

This is a combined, expanded and updated version of posts originally published August 28, 2009 (multiple posts), August 28, 2010, August 28, 2012, August 28, 2017, and more.

Born on this day in 1914, America's only comic book creator, Jack Kirby!


from Mighty Marvel Calendars 1976-1980 (Marvel, 1975-1979)
Today is his 105th birthday! Happy Birthday, Jack!


from Marvel Age #32, 56, 104, and 116 (Marvel, November 1985, November 1987, September 1991, and September 1992); text by Jim Salicrup (#32), Mike Carlin (#56) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#104); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Andy Yanchus (#32), Paul Becton (#56) and Renee Witterstaetter (#104)

Today in Comics History, The Day Before Father's Day (June 10): Jimmy Olsen discovers the terrifying future fate of his beautiful, beautiful red hair

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published June 10, 2014.


from "The Mystery of Convict 313!" in Jimmy Olsen #75 (DC/National, March 1964), script by Leo Dorfman, pencils and inks by John Forte

Today in Comics History, May 8: Happy birthday, Don Rickles, ya hockey puck!

When my pal Ron Hogan points something out to me, you'd better believe I pay attention!


So: born on this day in 1926: actor, stand-up and insult comedian Don Rickles! Also: comic book star!


cover of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #139 (DC, July 1971), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta, redrawn Superman and Jimmy heads by Murphy Anderson, Rickles caricature by unknown, letters by Gaspar Saladino
It may or may not also be the birthday of Don's "look-alike" or "alter ego," created by Jack Kirby: Goody Rickels, walking disaster area!

Kirby never defines exactly WHAT Goody is to Jack: clone, impersonator, long-lost brother? (They do spell their last names differently.)





from Jimmy Olsen #139 (September 1971), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta, letters by John Costanza
Will the real Don Rickles please stand up? He first appears in #141 (#140 was a reprint).

Please note, at the top, the single greatest advertising line in the history of comics.


cover of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #141 (DC, September 1971), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Neal Adams
Golly, Morgan Edge and his employees seem to love the Don Rickles! They musta caught his act in whatever the Earth-1 equivalent of Vegas is.




from Jimmy Olsen #141; script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta, redrawn Superman and Jimmy heads by Murphy Anderson, letters by John Constanza
When Don meets Goody, that's when the misunderstandings begin and the feathers start flyin'! Even without an appearance by Cluck Kent, the Amazing Super-Chicken.

Before your Crisises and you Final Nights and your Dark Metals, kids, this is what we had for entertainment. And we loved it!




Ha! It's funny because Don Rickles goes crazy! This'll lead to a long-running storyline, I'm sure! (Note: Don or Goody never appeared again in DC Comics.)


But Don did appear in comics, because, hey, you can't keep a good, insulting man down! Here he is as a super-hero stopping a bank robber, with fellow comics/heroes Henny Youngman, Johnny Carson, and Rodney Dangerfield.


from National Lampoon Presents the Very Large Book of Comical Funnies (National Lampoon, 1975), art by Frank Spinger
Back when kids actually knew who the comedians of the '60s were, MAD went whole hog in on Rickles and his contemporaries (Danny Thomas, Richard Pryor, Woody Allen, and Bob Hope)!


from "Botch Casually and the Somedunce Kid" in MAD #136 (July 1970), script by Arnie Kogen, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
And somebody workin' on The Simpsons seems to be under the influence of Rickles. in two consecutive issues!


from "The Homer Show" in Simpsons Comics #42 (Bongo, April 1999), script by Chuck Dixon, pencils by Phil Ortiz, inks by Tim Bavington, colors by Nathan Kane, letters by Jeannine Crowell Black


from "Journey to the Cellar of the Kwik-E-Mart" in Simpsons Comics #43 (Bongo, June 1999), script by Robert Graff and Jesse Leon McCann, pencils by Julius Preite III and Erick Tran, inks by Tim Bavington, colors by Nathan Kane, letters by Jeannine Crowell Black
So, happy birthday, Don Rickles, ya meatball! Naw, I'm just kiddin'. I like you! Next to the dog-faced boy! Ha!

Happy birthday to you too, Goody. May you come back soon in, I dunno...let's say...Suicide Squad.


from "If Everyone Talked Like Don Rickles" in MAD #131 (Bongo, December 1969), script by Earle Doud, pencils and inks by Angelo Torres

Today in Comics History, April 1: Cruel April Fool's prank pulled on Steve Lombard? I'm...going to allow it.

from "If I'm Here...What Am I Doing Over There?" in Action Comics #472 (DC, June 1977), script by Bill Kunkel, pencils by John Calnan, inks by Tex Blaisdell

Face It Tiger February, Day 15: "Excuse me, but are those...Romita Jeans?"

from Superman: The Man of Steel #7 (DC, January 1992), script by Louise Simonson, layouts by Jon Bogdanove, finishes by Dennis Janke, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Albert De Guzman

Today in Comics History, March 21, 1942: Super Soldier wins WWII and hey, wait a minute, why isn't that guy named Jimmy Jones or Rick Olsen?

from Super Soldier #1 (DC/Amalgam Comics, April 1996), co-plot and script by Mark Waid, co-lot, pencils, inks, and letters by Dave Gibbons; colors by Angus McKie

Fun with Comics: AW GEEZ PERRY, NO

from "Tests of a Warrior!" in Action Comics #200 (DC/National, January 1955), pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye

365 Days of Defiance, Day 39: The Dem-O-Krahtz of Krypton

Panels from "The Dynamic Duo of Kandor!" in Jimmy Olsen #69 (June 1963), script by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein

A Month of... Board Games! Day 8: Jimmy Olsen's Blue (Game Token)

A game that allows you to play as Jimmy Olsen? Versus Superman and Silver Age Brainiac and the well-before-his-time plump businessman version of Lex Luthor? Sign me up! Even though it's just a glorified version of Parcheesi. Well, for that, I can only say...Sorry!

"Super Track" from Superman Giant Game Book (World Distributors Manchester, 1967)
(Click picture to Turtle Boy-size)
Here's the instructions for "Super Track"...yeah, like you didn't already know how to play Parcheesi. (Hint: no cheese is involved.)


Sorry, this annual had the cardboard insert with the punch-out playing pieces missing, so you'll just have to use the ones from the similar Batman game, or make your own, or steal some from another game. Probably Parcheesi.

8,600.

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 26: J. Jonah Jameson Is Having the BEST WEEK EVER

Panels from Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe one-shot (July 1989), script and pencils by Fred Hembeck, inks by Vince Colletta, colors by Steve Mellor, letters by Janice Chiang

Teniversary Countdown #10: You finally made always make a monkey out of me

Panel from "Jungle Jimmy Olsen" in Jimmy Olsen #10 (February 1956), script by Otto Binder, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Ray Burnley

Today in Comics History, February 19, 1968: Superman arrests the single Englishman in Metropolis

from "The Menace of Superman's Fan Mail!" in Jimmy Olsen #110 (April 1968), script by Otto Binder, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by John Giunta (?)
It's like he didn't even consider that some Canadians might wanna kill him, huh?

Today in Comics History, February 18, 1968: Superman remembers the white-hot withering glare of a disdainful Lana Lang

from "The Menace of Superman's Fan Mail!" in Jimmy Olsen #110 (DC, April 1968), script by Otto Binder, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by John Giunta (?)

365 Days of KirbyTech, Day 26: Virman Vundabar's Murder Machine

Yesterday we said "hello" to The Murder Machine! (Hi, Murder Machine!) It's a name so nice Jack used it twice! You've seen the Psycho-Man's Murder Machine, now meet Doctor Virman Vundabar's Murder Machine!


cover of Mister Miracle #5 (DC, November 1971), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks and letters by Mike Royer
Holy cow. That's one murdery machine.

365 Days of KirbyTech, Day 17: The Mountain of Judgment

Say, what is this Mountain of Judgment, anyway?


Panels from Jimmy Olsen #134 (December 1970), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta, most Superman and Jimmy Olsen faces re-pencilled and inked by Al Plastino, letters by John Costanza
Oh...okay, well, that's helpful, Guy who looks like Ben Grimm as Blackbeard. Thank you so very much.

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 348: There's no place like gnome

House ad for The Superman Family #182 (March-April 1977); printed in The Superman Family #181 (January 1977)
Ad art: pencils and inks by Neal Adams (Superman), pencils and inks by Kurt Schaffenburger (Lois, Jimmy, Supergirl); designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino
...otherwise known as the month Superman Family became a Dollar Comic: 80 pages of brand-new, no-reprint stories!


Left: Cover of The Superman Family #181, pencils by Ernie Chan, inks by Vince Colletta
Right: Cover of The Superman Family #182, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Neal Adams
...also known as the month Superman and Supergirl accidentally killed Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen by flying them into outer space.

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 343: Lois Lane, please put me in your planner

House ad for Countdown (2007-2008); printed in Batman #664 (May 2007)
Ad art: pencils and inks by Phil Noto