There Is No Hope in Crime Alley 2024: Hand over those three rocks, lady

Long-time readers of this blog will know that pretty much everytime June 26 rolls around, I commemorate the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne by showing off panels of that iconic origin of Batman, because it's been portrayed in comic books two or three times.


from "The Batman Wars Against the Dirigible of Doom" in Detective Comics (1937 series) #33 (DC, November 1939), script by Bill Finger, figure pencils and inks by Bob Kane, background pencils and letters by Sheldon Moldoff
However, this year let's mix it up a little bit and show a happier ending to that trip through Crime Alley:


Nancy (United Feature Syndicate, October 10, 1953), by Ernie Bushmiller
I'm pretty sure Sluggo still got shot, but still...

Today in Comics History, June 26, 1903: Massive debt undertaken to decorate aft end of ship

from "Most Dangerous Passage" in True Comics #65 (Parents' Magazine Press, October 1947), creators uncredited and unknown

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley 2023: Today in Comics History, June 26, 10:48 PM, One Hundred Million BC

Tonight, June 26, is when the shooting death of Bruce Wayne's parents, Martha and...um, John Wayne, right?...occurred. Every year for the past several I've been devoting the entire day to hourly examinations of different comics depicting that moment. (See here!) Except this year, because I've been a very busy little stuffed bull. But I can't let the night go by without mentioning it just this once, and what better way to show you than with the most bizarre version of Batman's origin story from, over the past year. May I present...the origin of...Bat-Saur!


from The Jurassic League #1 (DC, July 2022), script by Juan Gedeon and Daniel Warren Johnson, pencils and inks by Juan Gedeon, colors by Mike Spicer, letters by Ferran Delgado
The bitter memory of this is what spurs on Bat-Saur's raving reptile rampage of revenge when the killer Jokerzard taunts him!


from The Jurassic League #6 (DC, December 2022), script by Juan Gedeon and Daniel Warren Johnson, pencils and inks by Juan Gedeon, colors by Mike Spicer, letters by Ferran Delgado
Just remember: dinosaurs evolved into birds. And that's why Batman's sidekick is named Robin.

Today in Comics History, June 26: Happy birthday, Terry Tidwell!

Born on this day: Terry Tidwell, founder of Miracle Studios, animator, scupltor, and comic book writer and illustrator (The Twilight Avenger and The Uncanny Man-Frog (co-creator), Savage Sword of Conan, The Doomsday Squad, The Foozle, and more)!

Terry was one of the artists featured in Marvel Age's long-running "New Talent Department":




"New Talent Department" from Marvel Age #46 (Marvel, January 1981), text by Sholly Fisch, art by Terry Tidwell

Today in Comics History, June 26: Happy birthday, Warren Kremer!

Born on this day in 1921: comics writer and artist Warren Kremer, co-creator of Richie Rich, and creator of Hot Stuff the Little Devil and Stumbo the Giant! Sadly, uncredited within the Harvey Comics, of which he's drawn hundreds and hundreds of.


from Marvel Age #54 (L) (Marvel, September 1987) and #90 (R) (Marvel, July 1990), text by Mike Carlin (#54) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#90); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Paul Becton (#54) and Renee Witterstaetter (#90)
At Star Comics, Marvel's 1980s imprint for kids comics, Warren co-created Royal Roy, Top Dog, and Planet Terry!


from Marvel/Star Comics cover-dated December 1987
Happy birthday, Warren!

Today in Comics History, June 26, 1959: A goddess on a mountain top / Was burning like a silver flame

from "The Night Visitors" in UFO Flying Saucers #4 (Western/Gold Key, November 1974), pencils and inks by Frank Bolle
This panel was spotted in the night sky 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 26, 1971: They weren't no fortunate sons

from "Defeat Comics" in National Lampoon Magazine v.1 #17 (National Lampoon, August 1971), script by Michael O'Donoghue and George W. S. Trow, pencils and inks by Frank Springer (?) as Crag W. Granite
Sooooo...how'd that work out for ya, boys?

Today in Comics History, June 26: I made you wait a whole day for the payoff...

...of this! Aint I a stinker?


from [tutle continued] "...The Next Day's Headlines" in MAD #41 (September 1958), pencils and inks by Wally Wood
Aw man, poor Kelly Freas!

Today in Comics History, June 26: Happy birthday, Jerry Bails!

Born on this day in 1933: Jerry Bails, the father of comics fandom and creator of the influential (if not the first) comics fanzine, Alter Ego, as well as developing and writing for many other fandom publications and founding fan organizations, awards, and events!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, June 26, 1918: If you go down to the woods today you're sure of a big surprise

from "Devil Dogs" in The World Around Us #11 [The Illustrated Story of the Marines] (Gilberton, July 1959), pencils by H. J. Kihl (?)

Today in Comics History, June 26, 1541: Beans attacked

from "Pizarro, Conqueror of Peru" in Real Life Comics v.3 #1/7 (Pines, September 1942), script by Richard Hughes, pencils and inks by Henry Kiefer
No it is not the fourth, you silly conquistadors, it's the twenty-sitrh! please pay attention.

Today in Comics History, June 26, 1974: Knock knock, it's Jacques Zacque

from Curse Words #4 (Image, April 2017), script by Charles Soule, art by Ryan Browne, colors by Michael Garland and Ryan Brown with Michael Parkinson, letters by Chris Crank

Today in Comics History, June 26, 2019: Iron sign maker swears that the work order was spelled "Ravemcroft"

from Amazing Spider-Man (2018 series) #24/825 (Marvel, August 2019), script by Nick Spencer, pencils by Ryan Ottley, inks by Cliff Rathburn and Mark Morales, colors by Nathan Fairbairn, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, June 26, 1954: J'onn J'onzz lands on Earth

from "It Came Without a Face" in Riot #2 (Marvel/Atlas, June 1954), pencils and inks by Joe Maneely

Today in Comics History, June 26: On That Fateful Night...

The Mark of Zorro (20th Century Fox, 1940), starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Basil Rathbone, directed by Rouben Mamoulian

Today in Comics History, June 26: Cleveland Brown will never get invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace again

from Gotham Central #3 (DC, March 2003), script by Ed Brubaker, pencils and inks by Michael Lark, colors by Noelle Giddings, separations by Zylonol, letters by Willie Schubert

Today in Comics History, June 26, 1284: Poet Robert Browning demands his name be taken off Neil Gaiman adaptation

from The Children's Crusade #1 (DC/Vertigo, December 1993), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils by Chris Bachalo, inks by Mike Barreiro, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by John Costanza