Today in Comics History, June 23, Midsummer's Eve: Invention of protection against Kardashians

from "Witchcraft" in Witches Tales #14 (Harvey, September 1952), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1960: Invention of the birth control pill ensures sexual security for all X-Men*

You are clipping out these all text pages and putting them in the proper order in your Krakoa three-ring bnder, aren't you? When you put 'em all together, the sequence of events will astonish you!


text page from Sabretooth & the Exiles #2 (Marvel, February 2023), text by Victor LaValle/Writer
*Except Beak.

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1989: Batman movie is released; everybody has a good time; nothing bad ever happens to Warner Brothers ever again

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 23, 1971: I've read enough of these to know it'll rain and then everybody's gonna die

from "The Spectral Stones" in Ghosts (1971 series) #68 (DC, September 1978), pencils and inks by Ruben Yandoc, letters by Esphid Mahilum

Today in Comics History, June 23: Fifteen minutes could take off 15% or more on car insurance or your fine woolens

FoxTrot (Andrews McMeel Syndication, October 17, 2021), by Bill Amend
A special tip o'the fox suggested to faithful reader and frequent commenter Blam, who's provided this and a lot of other date references in comics that I'll spotlight throughout 2023 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, June 23: Happy birthday, Becky Cloonan!

Happy birthday today to comic book writer, artist, and editor Becky Cloonan (Wonder Woman, The Kitchen, Moon Knight, Conan the Barbarian, Batgirls, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and many more), co-creator of Gotham Academy, Demo, American Virgin, East Coast Rising and others, and the first female artist to draw the main Batman title at DC!

"Who's Who: DC's Young Animal" from Shade the Changing Girl #9 (DC/Young Animal, August 2017), text and art by Becky Cloonan
(Click picture to large but still young animal-size)
Becky draws Harley Quinn, Harley Quinn criticizes Becky Cloonan! It's the circle of life!


from Harley Quinn (2014 series) #0 (DC, January 2014), script by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, pencils and inks by Becky Cloonan, colors by one'a these guys, letters by John J. Hill
Happy birthday, Becky!

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1944: The real baffling mystery is how Heath's suit turned green

Oh no! Heath is a lowly yeller-bellied war deserter coward. Why, I've half a mind to stop eating his delicious toffee covered with chocolate candy bars!


from Baffling Mysteries #11 (Ace, November 1952), pencils and inks by Gene Colan, with Leroy mechanical lettering
I think it would have been funnier in that last panel above if it had been Death saying "That's what you think!" instead.

Oh no! Years later, the comrades he deserted finally catch up with him! But what's the worst they can do? Oh no...aieeeeee! He's going to have to pick up the tab for everybody because the dead don't carry American Express!


Moral of the story: don't do that there thing.

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 23: First assertion that the bird is, in fact, the word

from "Spread Your Broken Wings and Learn to Fly" in Action Comics Weekly #603 (DC, June 7, 1988), script by Martin Pasko, pencils and inks by Dan Spiegle, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by Carrie Spiegle

Today in Comics History, June 23: Sadie Hawkins invents Patent Herbal Remedies

Tomorrow is St. John's Day, so...


from "Love Charms!" in Wonder Woman (1942 series) #85 (DC/National, October 1956), script by Julius Schwartz, pencils by Morris Waldinger, inks by Tommy Nicolosi, letters by Milt Snapinn

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1593: Invention of "Are we there yet?'

from Sandman #19 (DC, September 1990), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils and inks by Charles Vess, colors by Steve Oliff, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1999: Stan Lee clearly has blackmail material on J. Jonah Jameson

from Peter Parker: Spider-Man (1999 series) #8 (Marvel, August 1999)

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1804: Kermit's ancestors murdered

from Manifest Destiny #12 (Image, December 2014), script by Chris Dingess, pencils and inks by Matthew Roberts, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, June 23: Outside, in the distance / A wildcat did growl / A rider was approaching / The wind began to howl

Last night, we reminded you that today is


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1954: Baseball artist accurately draws baseball diamond

from The Amazing Willie Mays one-shot (Eastern Color, September 1954), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1977: Well, of course they held him; he's really tiny

from Freedom Fighters (1976 series) #10 (DC, September 1977), script by Bob Rozakis, pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Jack Abel, letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1972: Doc Brown forgets to invent LoJack

from Back to the Future (2015 series) #21 (IDW, July 2017), story by John Barber and Bob Gale, script by John Barber, pencils by Marcelo Ferreira, inks by Marie Keane, colors by Jose Luis Rio, letters by Shawn Lee

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1949: The five greatest National League hitters are transformed into baseballs by The Spectre

from Jackie Robinson #1 (Fawcett, Summer 1949), script by Charles Dexter, pencils by Clem Weisbecker, inks by John Jordan

Today in Comics History, June 23: Alfred is too polite to mention Dick's mullet and baggy pants

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published May 11, 2013.



from Nightwing (1995 series) #1 (DC, September 1995), script by Dennis O'Neil, pencils by Greg Land, inks by Mike Sellers, colors by Cathi Bertrand, letters by John Costanza
What's wrong with this panel? Well, fashion sense aside: note that the poster says "May" and the dialogue says "June" — so I'm going to assume the art is an error and the script is definitive, so I'm setting this "Today in Comics History" as June 23. 'S'alright? S'alright.

On the plus side (sorry, Dick!), this sets the date of John and Mary Grayson's death as June 27. June 27th is the day after Bruce Wayne's parents' death, so that tightens the mourning period in Wayne Manor down to a convenient two days. I hope Bruce an' Dick take real good care of each others on those dates.

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1999: Vertigo publishes Magic Eight-Ball: The Comic

from The Invisibles (1999 series) #5 (DC/Vertigo, January 2000), script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Sean Phililips, inks by Jay Stephens, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, June 23: Only three more shopping days until Crime Alleymas

from Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (DC/IDW, June 2016), script by James Tynion IV, pencils and inks by Freddie Williams II, colors by Jeremy Colwell, letters by Tom Napolitano