Today in Comics History, June 13, 1763: Happy birthday, José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva!

Born on this day in 1763: the great Brazilian statesman José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, naturalist, mineralist, professor and poet, champion of Brazilian independence, abolitionist and the discoverer of four new minerals. Wow! i bet most of us go through our lives and don't even discover one mineral, and this guy...!


from "Stamp Tips" in Tip Top Comics v.8 #12 [#96] (United Feature, June 1944), creator uncredited and unknown
Following his death in 1838, the Bonifácio was pressed flat and turned into a stamp by Colonel Gumm.

Today in Comics History, June 13: Happy birthday, Ally Sheedy!

Prepare to swoon in teen romance, kids, because today is the birthday of Brat Pack superstar actor Ally Sheedy, one of the infamous Brat Pack group of actors and starred in The Breakfast Club, Short Circuit 1 and 2, St. Elmo's Fire, Single Drunk Female and many other TV and movie roles, including 1983's nuclear-war-just-for-the-fun-of-it extravaganza WarGames!:


from "Warped Games" in MAD #244 (January 1984), script by Larry Siegel, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
Happy birthday, Ally Sheedy! Please wish her a great day, and don't forget: be nice to mice!


Now available in long-playing record format!

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1805: Here comes the sun and I say AIEEEEEE IT'S GONNA KILL US ALL

from Manifest Destiny #42 (Image, March 2020), script by Chris Dingess, pencils and inks by Matthew Roberts, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, June 13: Happy birthday, W. B. Yeats!

You'd hardly expect comics books to spotlight writers of great literature, but as they've said somewhere or other, comics: they're not just for kids anymore! That's why we gather together on this here blog to celebrate today's birthday of William Butler Yeats, the great Irish writer of drama, poetry, fiction, and essays: At the Hawk's Well, The Land of Heart's Desire, "The Second Coming," "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven," Long-Legged Fly," "Sailing to Byzantium," "Easter 1916," and more.

No, he didn't star in superhero comics (if you ignore Marvel's The Redoubtable Yeats miniseriesl), but he did get quoted in a few, sometimes by the most unlikely of characters:



from "The Return of the Defenders Part 4: Hot Spell" in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Annual (1922 series) #2 (Marvel, 1992), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by M. C. Wyman, inks by E. R. Cruz, colors by Kevin Tinsley, letters by Michael Higgins

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1941: Oh yeah, better get in plenty of sleep for all the big celebrations tomorrow

from "Meet the Flag" in Our Flag Comics #2 (Ace, October 1941), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 13: Happy birthday, Brett Breeding!

Happy birthday to comics penciller and inker Brett Breeding (the Superman titles, Thor, Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, and much more!)! In celebration, can you find Brett at the El/Lane wedding?

from Superman: The Wedding Album one-shot (DC, December 1996), pencils by Dan Jurgens, inks by Jerry Ordway, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Bill Oakley
Click top picture to honeymoon-size
Happy birthday, Brett!

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1945: Crime is committed by hook and by crook

from "Zack Bodego, the Crusher!" in Martin Kane, Private Eye #2 (Fox, August 1950), pencils and inks by Lou Ferstadt

Today in Comics History, June 13: Happy birthday, Chris Evans!

Born on this day: actor Chris Evans (Captain America, the Human Torch, Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim, and more)!


from Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir (Simon & Schuster, January 2019), script by Peter David and Stan Lee, art by Colleen Doran
Happy birthday, Chris!

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1801: Joker/Swamp Thing #1 debuts

from Manifest Destiny #13 (Image, April 2015), script by Chris Dingess, pencils and inks by Matthew Roberts, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1954: Sgt. Schultz Goes to a Funeral

from Doomsday Clock #10 (DC, July 2019), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh

Today in Comics History, Friday the 13th (of June): Cop not doing anything terrible right now but keep your eye on him just in case

from Black Hood (2015 series) #1 (Archie/Dark Circle, April 2015), script by Duane Swierczynski, pencils and inks by Michael Gaydos, colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick, letters by Rachel Deering

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1966: It pays to be aware of your genre

from The 'Nam #5 (April 1987), script by Doug Murray, pencils by Michael Golden, inks by John Beatty, colors and letters by Phil Felix

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1996: Morrison and Millar prove you can fit over 500 words on one comics page

text pages from Aztek: The Ultimate Man #1 (DC, August 1996), text by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1991: Charles L. Hurlburt fails to remember the facts

from "Just the Facts, Maim" in Deadline USA (1991 series) #2 (Dark Horse, November 1991); script, pencils, inks, and letters by Evan Dorkin
They told him there was going to be a test! (Answer can also be found here, of all places!)

Today in Comics History, June 13, 2000: There came a time when the old gods died and it was reported in the local newspaper

from Orion #2 (DC, July 2000); script, figure pencils, and inks by Walt Simonson; background pencils by Cliff Chiang; colors by Sherilyn van Valkenburgh; letters by John Workman

Today in Comics History, June 13: Velvet Templeton continues to stalk Charles Bronson

from Velvet #12 (Image, November 2015), script by Ed Brubaker, pencils and inks by Steve Epting, colors by Elizabeth Breitweiser, letters by Chris Eliopoulos

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1943: Following a terrible mishap with spilled red ink, the tiny golf pencil is invented

cover of Sgt. Rock #372 (DC, January 1983), pencils and inks by Joe Kubert, letters by Gaspar Saladino

Today in Comics History, June 13: The hiring of the blindest bank security guard in Gotham City

from "Questions That Begin With a Queue" in Batman Adventures (2003 series) #11 (DC, April 2004), script by Dan Slott, pencils by Rick Burchett, inks by Terry Beatty, colors by Zylonol, letters by Rob Leigh