Today in Comics History, June 18: Happy birthday, Dean Mullaney!

Born on this day: comics editor, publisher, and champion of creators' rights (and multiple Eisner winner!) Dean Mullaney, co-founder of Eclipse Publications and editor of The Library of American Comics at IDW.


from Total Eclipse #5 (Eclipse, April 1989)
Also a great letter-writer!


letter column from Marvel Team-Up #45 (Marvel, May 1976)

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1989: Add STP Octane Booster to stop your calendar from knocking

from Realworlds: Batman one-shot (DC, May 2000), script by Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski, pencils by Marshall Rogers, inks by John Cebollero, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Bob Lappan

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1940: Spite Marriage

Crooks are trying to pull a blackmail scheme on Commissioner Dolan by claiming he was married three years ago to one of their in-pocket molls! I know, I know...same thing happened to me when they said I had been married to Keira Knightley since I was 4.


from "June 18, 1940" in The Spirit (Register and Tribune Syndicate, January 31, 1943), script by Joe Millard (?), pencils by Lou Fine, inks by Alex Kotzky, letters by Martin DeMuth
I don't usually comment on the coloring, but I really like how the background gets hotter as Dolan stews here:


All's well that ends well. Say, can you testify where you were on June 18, 1940? Me, I was broadcasting on the BBC to German-occupied France, rallying the French Resistance to me in London. Oh wait, that was General Charles de Gaulle. I'm always makin' that mistake.

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1965: That's right, read some cheerful news to the coma patient

from House of Secrets (1996 series) #12 (DC/Vertigo, September 1997), script by Steven T. Seagle, pencils and inks by Guy Davis, colors by Kevin Somers, color separations by Heroic Age, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, June 18, 3002: Pampers 3000™ really keep David dry

from "The Mercenary!" in Weird War Tales (1971 series) #61 (DC, March 1978), script by Robert Kanigher, pencils and inks by Alex Niño, colors by Jerry Serpe
This post was suggested by faithful reader and frequent commenter Blam, who's provided a lot of date references in comics that I'll spotlight throughout 2023 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, June 18, 2000: Lovely cows killed; Johnny Cash is blamed

from Section Zero (2019 series) #1 (Image/Shadowline, April 2019), script and inks by Karl Kesel, pencils by Tom Grummett, colors by Benedict Dimagmaliw, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1881: I warned you you'd have to see these pages again...

...back on June 10, and here they are again!



"The Fight That Failed" from Jumbo Comics #105 (Fiction House, November 1947), text by Henry Wysham Lanier
See you again with this chilling story on July 29!

Today in Comics History, June 18: Happy birthday, Bud Collyer!

Born on this day in 1908: Bud Collyer, the voice of radio's Superman (and on the 1966 Filmation animated series)!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)
As befits every great celebrity, he got drawn into MAD by Mort Drucker, first as "Bud Cholera," host of Beat the Clock...


from "The 'Violence Trend' on TV" in MAD #58 (October 1960); script by Sy Reit, Dave Berg, Frank Jacobs, and Larry Siegel; pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
...and even as precisely himself!


from "The Minute That TV Show is Over" in MAD #85 (March 1964), script by Stan Hart, pencils by Mort Drucker
Happy birthday, Bud!

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1981: Here comes the bridegoon

Doonesbury (Universal Press Syndicate, June 1, 1981) by Garry Trudeau

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1918: Thanks, Dad

from "Ghost of a Yank!" in Sgt. Rock (1977 series) #324 (DC, January 1979), script by Robert Kanigher, pencils and inks by Frank Redondo, colors by Tatjana Wood, letters by Esphid Mahilum

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1792: Maybe Marie Antoinette should give up on the before-bedtime toasted cheese

from Deadpool Annual (2019 series) #1 (2019), script by Dana Schwartz, pencils by Reilly Brown, inks by Nelson DeCastro with Craig Yeung, colors by Matt Herms, letters by Joe Sabino

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1804: Opening line of a Ladybird Book

from Manifest Destiny #7 (Image, June 2014), script by Chris Dingess, pencils and inks by Matthew Roberts, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1993: The Appeal of the Conservative Party

from (top) "V for Vendetta: Book One, Chapter Ten: Venom" in Warrior #11 (Quality Communications, July 1983), script by Alan Moore, pencils and inks by David Lloyd, letters by Jenny O'Connor;
(bottom) V for Vendetta #3 (DC, November 1988); colors by David Lloyd, Siobhan Dodds, and Steve Whitaker

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 170 and Today in Comics History, June 18, 1974: JJJ rant exiled to bottom cover of front page

from Marvel Treasury Edition #1 [The Spectacular Spider-Man] (Marvel, September 1974); script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Marie Severin
(Click picture to tabloid-size)

Today in Comics History, June 18, 1933: The Empire State Building is temporarily moved south of Chambers Street

from Doc Savage (1975 black-and-white series) #5 (Marvel, July 1976), script by Doug Moench, pencils and inks by Tony DeZuniga, letters by Irving Watanabe

Today in Comics History, June 18: Wonder Woman tries new Bouncin' and Behavin' Pert; loses her powers

from Wonder Woman (1942 series) #176 (DC, May 1968), script by Robert Kanigher, pencils by Ric Estrada, inks by Mike Esposito
It's the one day of the year when Wonder Woman loses her Wonder Powers!

Or...is it? Tune in tomorrow for a contradictory view!


Pert Shampoo 1980 ad

Today in Comics History, June 18: Clark Kent's Fake Birthday

from World's Finest Comics #235 (January 1976), script by Bob Haney, pencils by Dick Dillin, inks by John Calnan
Wait a minute...today is Clark Kent's birthday? Not true, Super-fans...as you can find out in my blog entry back on February 29! (Offer invalid if you are Lex Luthor.)