Today in Comics History, July 2: Happy birthday, Joe Hallen!

...hope you survive the experience!


from Marvel Age #103 (Marvel, August 1991); text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter; pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Renee Witterstaetter
...Oh.



from "The Death of Joe Hallen: Part One of Five: Bring It On Home to Me" in The 'Nam #54 (Marvel, March 1991), cover pencils and inks by Andy Kubert, script by Chuck Dixon, breakdowns by Wayne Vansant, finishes by Tony DeZuniga, colors and letters by Phil Felix
(Read more about Joe Hallen here.)

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1937: It's years since you've been there / Now you've disappeared somewhere / Like outer space / You've found some better place

from Ripley's Believe It or Not! (2002 series) #1 (Dark Horse, May 2002), script by Haden Blackman, pencils by Cary Nord, inks by Mark Lipka, letters by Steve Dutro

Today in Comics History, July 2: Happy birthday, Hermann Hesse!

Born on this day long long ago (1877), in a galaxy far far away Germany: writer, artist, philosopher, and poet Howard Hesseman Hermann Hesse! He created Steppenwolf!


"Steppenwolf" from Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985 series) #22 (DC, December 1986); pencils by Jack Kirby; inks by Terry Austin; colors by Anthony Tollin, Len Wein, Tatjana Wood, and/or Tom Ziuko
Wait, I've made another one of my silly mistakes. That's by Jack Kirby who is pretty cool too but whose birthday doesn't come for another couple months. No, this is the guy who wrote the work that Kirby named his character after:



from "Steppenwolf" in The Graphic Canon Vol. 3: From "Heart of Darkness" to Hemingway to "Infinite Jest" (Seven Stories Press, July 2013); adaptation, pencils, inks, and letters by John Pierard

Today in Comics History, July 2: The Pork Knight Returns

from "Out of the Frying Pan...Into the Fire" in Action Comics Weekly #612 (DC, August 9, 1988), script by Martin Pasko, pencils and inks by Dan Spiegle, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by Carrie Spiegle

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1950: Can you dig it?

from "Terror in the Swamp!" in Vault of Horror #15 (EC, October 1950); script, pencils, and inks by Al Feldstein; letters by Jim Wroten
Join me here in one week for this panel yet again!

Today in Comics History, July 2: Happy birthday, Chris Noel!

Born on this day: actress, entertainer, and Vietnam veterans' advocate Chris Noel, who appeared many times in shows for US troops stationed in Vietnam and hosted the Armed Forces Radio show A Date With Chris, a popular radio program for the military. Read more about her on Wikipedia and on Vetsville.us.


Chris appears in this Christmas story of The 'Nam:



from The 'Nam #23 (Marvel, October 1988), script by Doug Murray, pencils by Wayne Vansant, inks by Frank Springer, colors by Mark Chiarello, letters by Phil Felix
A letter writer to the mag is not impressed with Chris Noel; the editor attempts to set him straight.


letter column from The 'Nam #27 (Marvel, February 1989)
Happy birthday, Chris!


cover of The 'Nam #23; pencils and inks by Pepe Moreno

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1881: Lovable lasagna-eating cat is assassinated

from Picture Stories from American History #4 (EC, Summer 1947), script by Jerry Coleman, pencils and inks by Allen Simon

Today in Comics History Not-Too-Distant Future, July 2, 2025: DC promises us cool comics...in, uh, three years or so

from Doomsday Clock #12 (DC/Black label, February 2020), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh
You know me, DC. I watch calendars. I'll be here waiting.

Countdown to Yet Another Crisis

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1983: This is either the beginning of the "Physical" video or a late night Cinemax movie

from Hot Valley Days and Cocaine Nights #2 (Antarctic, January 2021), script by Matthew Spradlin, pencils and inks by Farid Karami, colors by Andrew Crossley

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1947: Well, that'll happen

from The Invisibles (1997 series) #4 (DC/Vertigo, May 1997), script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Phil Jimenez, inks by John Stokes, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Todd Klein


from The Invisibles (1997 series) #18 (DC/Vertigo, September 1998), script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Ivan Reis, inks by Mark Pennington, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1937: Amelia Earhart successfully circumnavigates the Universal Studios logo

from "Amelia Earhart" in It Really Happened #5 (Pines, October 1946), pencils and inks by Leo Morey

Today in Comics History, June 29-July 19: And that's why the Beetle never lets anyone else balance his checkbook

from Lethal Foes of Spider-Man #2 (Marvel, October 1993), script by Danny Fingeroth, pencils by Scott McDaniel, inks by Brad Vancata and Frank Turner, colors by Dave Sampson, letters by Diana Albers

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1978: Criminal boss pounds table, spills water, seals his inevitable doom

from Spider-Woman (1978 series) #7 (Marvel, October 1978), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Steve Leialoha and Al Gordon, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1978: Stark International develops up-to-the-minute computers that run on punchcards

from Spider-Woman (1978 series) #7 (Marvel, October 1978), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Steve Leialoha and Al Gordon, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, July 2, 1978: Dr. Strange, Spider-Woman, and Santa Claus visit the zoo

from Spider-Woman (1978 series) #7 (Marvel, October 1978), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Steve Leialoha and Al Gordon, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Rick Parker