Today in Comics History, July 20: Superboy drops the f-bomb

from Young Justice (2011 series) #5 (DC, August 2011), script by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani, pencils and inks by Christopher Jones, colors by Zac Atkinson, letters by Carlos M. Mangual

Today in Comics History, July 20: Wally West has the attention span of a mayfly

from Young Justice (2011 series) #5 (DC, August 2011), script by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani, pencils and inks by Christopher Jones, colors by Zac Atkinson, letters by Carlos M. Mangual

Today in Comics History, July 20: Happy birthday, Dick Giordano!

Born on this day in 1932: comics penciller/inker and editor Dick Giordano! He's drawn Sarge Steel, Strange Suspense Stories (his artwork there stolen and reappropriated by Roy Lichenstein), Action Comics (Atom, Human Target, Green Arrow), Batman, The Brave and the Bold, Love Romances, Modesty Blaise, Elongated Man in The Flash and Detective Comics, Doctor Strange, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Lois Lane (Rose and Thorn), and much more, including inking such prestigious books as Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, Wonder Woman, Thor, Atari Force, John Byrne's Man of Steel, Neil gaiman's Sandman, Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Bloodshot, and Crisis on Infinite Earths! And the proverbial multitude of others! And his own instructional book Draw Comics with Dick Giordano! (Amazon ad) He co-founded Continuity Associates with Neal Adams! He co-created Leslie Thompkins and Talia al Ghul! What hasn't this guy done?



house ads from DC Comics cover-dated December 1970 (top) and November 1971 (bottom)

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1966: Happy birthday, Jade and Obsidian!

If you follow the Super DC Calendar 1976 which lists birthdays for most of the DCU's heroes, villains, and supporting cast, you note that, very imporobabky, no two characters' birthdays fall on the same day, with the exception of Superman and Captain Marvel (which fall on February 29, the most unlikely day)!

However, here's a post-'76 aversion. Born today in 1966: two heroes on the same day! At least, in the Post-Crisis but pre-Rebirth DCU: they're twins Jenny-Lynn Hayden and Todd Rice: Jade and Obsidian! As the children of the original Green Lantern Alan Scott, however, it's probable they no longer exist in the Post-Rebirth (2016+) age, as Alan has been retconned to be a a gay man. Still, whatever retcon, you can never keep a good character down: even Supergirl came back!


from Infinity Inc. (1984 series) #5 (DC, August 1984), text by Roy Thomas (?)
So remember: you have to buy two presents today, and you can't even get them the same present: one has to be green; the other one has to be black. May I suggest color-coded cardigans?


from Infinity Inc. (1984 series) #6 (DC, September 1984), text by Roy Thomas (?)
Happy birthday, you two wacky, possibly non-existent, certain weren't born in 1966 anyway kids!

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1950: The man's too strong

from The 'Nam #45 (Marvel, June 1990), script by Doug Murray, breakdowns by Wayne Vansant, finishes by Tony DeZuñiga, colors and letters by Phil Felix

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1763: Boswell would much rather be out wenching

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

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1948: Hats Splat Flat Bat

from Batman: Hollywood Knight #1 (April 2001), script by Bob Layton, pencils and inks by Dick Giordano (happy birthday, Dick!), colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Sean Konot

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1969: First Man on the Moon!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published July 20, 2010.

On this date in 1969, we set our sights upon a strange and distant world and stepped forth into the future as we explored a land previously unreachable! Yes, today in 1969, Woodstock began! Wait, no, that's not right.


from Woodstock one-shot (Marvel, 1994), plot by Mort Todd; script by Charles Schneider; pencils, inks, and colors by Gene Fama, letters by Vicki William
Today's the day that the teddy bears had their picnic...on the moon! (oon oon oon oon) Around the world every nation was held in rapturous awe as Apollo 11 set down upon the lunar surface, then immediately opened a Starbucks.


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, July 20, 1976: Jenette Kahn and pals celebrate Summer Super Bowl win

from "The Deadly Treasure of Mars" in The Superman Family #182 (DC, March 1977), script by Jack C. Harris, pencils by Mike Vosburg, inks by Al Milgrom

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1969: Abandoned ski lodge hastily converted into superhero headquarters

from Marvel: The Lost Generation #6 (Marvel, September 2000), co-plot and script by Roger Stern, co-plot and pencils by John Byrne, inks by Al Milgrom, colors by Matt Hicks, letters by Jack Morelli

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1963: Blue Widow sues studio over her film being released direct-to-streaming

from Extinction Seed #1 (GG Studios, October 2011), script by Davide Aicardi, pencils by Livia Pastore, colors by Alessia Novcera, letters by Studio Blue

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1962: Squirrel Girl finally finds a way to write off her purchase of that Back to the Future DVD on her taxes

Squirrel Girl has disappeared! Her friend Nancy Whitehead (who is a redhead) is looking for her. And since she's not the Unfindable Squirrel Girl, there's an obvious clue right in front of Nancy's nose:


from The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (December 2015 series) #2 (Marvel, January 2016), script by Ryan North, pencils and inks by Erica Henderson, color by Rico Renzi, letters by Clayton Cowles
Meanwhile Thenwhile, back on July 20, 1962, Squirrel Girl is hiding a secret message to the future! (uture uture uture)


Well, that was easy!

Not quite as easy: Nancy finding a way to go back in ti...oh, here's Dictor Doom and his patented Time Platform™. Well, that also was easy!


Panels from The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (December 2015 series) #3 (February 2016), script by Ryan North, pencils and inks by Erica Henderson, color by Rico Renzi, letters by Travis Lanham
You can pick up the story again on July 28th! Bring your nuts.

Today in Comics History, July 20, 1502: The Borgias discover that laughter really is the best medicine

from Catwoman (2011 series) #39 (DC, April 2015), script by Genevieve Valentine, pencils and inks by Garry Brown, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Travis Lanham

Today in Comics History, July 20, 2002: Dr. William Williford Willis is reluctant to reveal his middle name

from Solitary #1 (Devil's Due, November 2014), script by C.W. Cooke, pencils and inks by Nando Souzamotta, colors by Greg + Fake, letters by J.D. Arnold

Today in Comics History, July 26, 1943 (or possibly any date through the 29th): Moving from Bedrock to Manhattan proves profitable for financier

from the story "Oil Found" in Hit Comics #30 (Quality, November 1943), pencils and inks by Al Bryant
That visually unclear date could be anything between July 20-29, but I don't have a tag named "Around This Point in Comics History." It's probably July 26, which was a Monday in 1943.