Today in Comics History, June 8, 2004: Mighty Venus threatens to block out the Sun!

This Curious World (NEA Service, March 21, 1936), by Willam Ferguson
A special fun thank you to Tom Heintjes of Hogan's Alley for posting this panel online!

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1950: Phil Rizzuto is distracted by the Crisis on Infinite Earths

from Phil Rizzuto: Baseball Hero one-shot (Fawcett, 1951), script by Charles Dexter

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1952: Wait a minute, judging from the first sentence, shouldn't this be 1953?

After getting all psyched up for the Diary of Horror from yesterday, are you prepared for today's super shock twist? I bet you're not!


from Diary of Horror #1 (Avon, December 1952), writer unknown, pencils and inks by Alvin Hollingsworth
Tune in tomorrow? Eh, why not. I haven't got anything else better to do.

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1944: F-Day

Hey, how's that US soldier doin', the grunt who swore every day would get better after D-Day? Let's check in on his now-easy life since yesterday!


from "Every Day Is D-Day!" in All-American Men at War (1952 series) #74 (DC/National, October 1959), script by Hank Chapman, pencils and inks by Jack Abel
Aw, I bet the poor guy gets a day off tomorrow.

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 8: Happy birthday, Ian Boothby!

Born on this day: Ian Boothby, comics writer, nominated for multiple Shuster, Harvey, and Eisner Awards (and winner of an Eisner)! He was the lead writer for Simpsons Comics (more issues written than any other scripter) and Futurama Comics at Bongo Comics, as well as writing for MAD and several children's TV series and specials. can you spot him in the Big Bongo Line-Up of Superstars below? Oh, wait...yes you can — I've already circled him in red.


from "The Bongo Beat" in Bongo Comics cover-dated September 2013
Happy birthday, Ian!

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1973: Maybe Bruce let Robin become a little too liberal

from Superman: Space Age #2 (DC, November 2022), script by Mark Russell, pencils and inks by Mike Allred (credited as Michael Allred, colors by Laura Allred, letters by Dave Sharpe

Today in Comics History, June 8: Happy birthday, Van Lingle Mungo!

Born on this day: Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants All-Star pitcher Van Lingle Mungo! Born in 1911, he would be really old today! What am I saying...they considered him old way back then!


from "[Old Timers]" in King Comics #119 (David McKay, March 1946), pencils and inks by Jack Burnley
Happy birthday, Rip Van Lingle Mungo!

Today in Comics History, June 9: Happy birthday, Bob Bolling!

Born today in 1928 (and still with us!), comic book writer and artist Bob Bolling, creator, writer and artist of the acclaimed Little Archie, and, for Marvel/Star Comics, Wally the Wizard! He also created Doctor Doom! Mad Doctor Doom, that is...Little Archie's bad scientist nemesis!


from Marvel Age #30 (Marvel, September 1985); text by Jim Salicrup, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Andy Yanchus
Ol' Mad Doc premiered in an issue dated Fall 1962. Marvel's Dr. Victor von Doom premiered in a comic dated July 1962. Great minds: thinkin' alike!


Although they're not as well-known or -remembered as the Carl Barks Duck stories, I'd argue that Bolling created a series of tales as high-adventure and as innovative as the Uncle Scrooge stories themselves! If you think you know Archie, you've never read Little Archie!


(reprint?) in Archie Giant Series Magazine #549 [Little Archie] (Archie, August 1985), pencils and inks by Bob Bolling
We wish you a very happy birthday, Mr. Bolling, and many more!


from Little Archie in Animal Land #1 (Archie, 1957); pencils, inks, and letters by Bob Bolling

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1984: Naked man holds swaddled baby

from Doomsday Clock #12 (DC, February 2020), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh

Today in Comics History, June 8: Happy birthday, C. C. Beck!

Born on this day in 1910: C. C. Beck, co-creator and artist of Captain Marvel (you kids know him today as Shazam!) and many of the foundational supporting characters of the Marvel Family like Mister Mind, Doctor Sivana, Black Adam (hmmm, haven't heard much about him lately), Ibac, and the Sensational Character Find of 1947, Mr. Tawky Tawny, America's only tiger!!


from Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (Ten Speed, July 2020), script and art by Tom Scioli

Today in Comics History, June 8: The Three Stooges Blow Up the Planet, more like

from The Three Stooges Meet Hercules one-shot (Dell, August 1962), pencils and inks by Sparky Moore

Today in Comics History, June 8: Happy birthday, Michael Higgins!

Let's all gather around a cake for Michael Higgins today and celebrate the birthday of the Marvel Comics writer, inker, colorist, letterer, and editor on series like Marvel Comics Presents, Conan the Barbarian, Excalibur, Daredevil, The Punisher, and lots more!


from Marvel Age #30, 54, and 90 (Marvel, September 1985, September 1987, and July 1990); text by Jim Salicrup (#30), Mike Carlin (#54) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#90); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Andy Yanchus (#30), Paul Becton (#54) and Renee Witterstaetter (#90)

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1954: Twenty-five years later, Columbo cracks the case in ninety minutes

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, June 8: Go tell Aunt Grey Goose

from Iron Man #599 (June 2018), script by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and inks by Stefano Caselli, colors by Marte Gracia, letters by Clayton Cowles

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1954: More delays on the filming of the Hellblazer movie

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, June 8, 1954: Neither does the writer

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, June 8, 1927: Criminal sentence expands to fill remaining space in panel

from "The Baby-Face Killer" in Crime Must Pay the Penalty #33/1 (Ace, February 1948), pencils and inks by Ann Brewster

Today in Comics History, June 8, 1954: #RestoreTheJacquesCut

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, June 8: Happy birthday, Rita Smolinski!

Born on this day: Rita Smolinski, from Marvel's PR department in the '90s!


from Marvel Age #102 (Marvel, July 1991); text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter; pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Renee Witterstaetter
You should check out Rita's (sadly defunct) blog Comic Book Ads, which covers — well, exactly that! Lots of great ads, entries, and fun to be found there.

Happy birthday, Rita!

Today in Comics History, June 8: Spotlight on...Dirty Rags!

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