Today in Comics History, October 31, Halloween: Invitation to a Real Murder

from Realworlds: Justice League of America #1 one-shot (DC, July 2000), script by J. M. DeMatteis, painted art by Glenn Barr, letters by Bob Lappan

Today in Crisis History, July 12, 1985: Thank Zod it's Friday

Goooooood morning! How'd you sleep? Did you sleep well considering the multiverse will soon be dead, dead, dead? Deader than Deadman, the deadest man of them all? Deader than Jason Todd? (Whoops, metaphor not valid after 2005.) Well, I hope you did! Sit down and have a sunny glass of fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice (never from concentrate!) while I fill you in on the schedule for our busy day of July 12: Today in Crisis History!


from "The Comprehensive Calendar to Crisis on Infinite Earths" in Amazing Heroes #91 (Fantagraphics, March 15, 1986), by Andy Mangels

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, May 31: Happy birthday, Bert Christman!

Born on this day in 1915: Bert Christman, comic book writer and illustrator as well as WWII naval aviator. Christman was writer and artist on the popular newspaper strip Scorchy Smith, of which many adventures were reprinted in Easter Color's Famous Funnies comic book, plus work on the Three Aces feature in Action Comics, Funny Picture Stories, and Adventure Comics. That last one's pretty important, because t'was in the pages of Adventure that Bert created, along with Gardner Fox, Wesley Dodds — the Golden Sandman. Yes, the Sandman Mystery Theatre version. Here's his first appearance!


from "[The Tarantula Strikes]" in Adventure Comics #40 (DC, July 1939), script by Gardner Fox as Larry Dean, pencils and inks by Bert Christman; shown here in a recolored reprint from Justice League of America #94 (DC/National, November 1971)

Today in Comics History, August 13, 19XX: Green Arrow sees if he can win the teddy bear

from Justice League of America (1960 series) #4 (DC, April 1961), script by Gardner Fox, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Bernard Sachs, letters by Gaspar Saladino
How do we know it took place on August 13? Well, maybe not exactly, but at least sometime during the previous week!



from Green Arrow (2001 series) #19 (January 2003), script by Brad Meltzer, pencils by Phil Hester, inks by Ande Parks, colors by James Sinclair, letters by Sean Konot

Today in Comics History, July 9: Happy birthday, Atom!

Born today: Earth 1's Ray Palmer, The Atom! At least Pre-Crisis, according to the Super DC Calendar '76!


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

Today in Comics History, June 12: Happy birthday, Len Wein!

Born on this day in 1948: comic book editor and writer Len Wein, who co-created Swamp Thing, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Brother Voodoo, Amanda Waller, Lucius Fox, Clayface III, and many, many more classic characters and comics!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1976, 1977, and 1978 (Marvel, 1975-1977)


from FOOM #8 (Marvel, December 1974)

Today in Comics History, April 22: Happy birthday, Steve Englehart!

Born on this day: Steve Englehart, comics writer and co-creator of Shang-Chi, Nomad, Star-Lord, Mantis, Night Man, Coyote, The Avengers/Defenders War, and writer of a zillion comic book stories for both DC and Marvel!


from Marvel Age #28 and 52 (Marvel, July 1985 and July 1987); text by Jim Salicrup (#28) and Mike Carlin (#52); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by George Roussos (#28) and Paul Becton (#52)
His work on Detective Comics, Justice League of America, Avengers and West Coast Avengers, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern Corps, Doctor Strange, and Vision and the Scarlet Witch are rightfully hailed as classics. Chances are one of your favorite stories or arcs is by Englehart!


from FOOM #6 (Marvel, June 1974)
Steve talks The Defenders!


from FOOM #19 (Marvel, September 1977)
Steve's no stranger to hangin' out on Earth-616 or on Earth-1, either. Or both! One of the most famous Rutland Halloween stories is an unofficial Marvel/DC crossover!


from Amazing Adventures #16 (Marvel, January 1973), script by Steve Englehart, pencils by Marie Severin and Bob Brown, inks by Frank McLaughlin, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Charlotte Jetter
Here in part 1, Steve (in the orange tank top, with fellow creators Gerry Conway and Len and Glynis Wein) pick up a hitchhiking Beast! His junker car gets stolen by Juggernaut!



The Gang™ crosses paths later that night with...the Justice League!



from Justice League of America (1960 series) #103 (DC, December 1972), script by Len Wein, pencils by Dick Dillin, inks by Dick Giordano, letters by Ben Oda
...and then with Thor and Loki, everybody conveniently missing each other by a few minutes! (Maybe Colletta erased them meeting!)





from Thor #207 (Marvel, January 1973), script by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema and Marie Severin, inks by Vince Colletta and Marie Severin, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Denise Wohl
Steve Engelhart Explains the Ultraverse to You™:


from The Strangers #7 (Malibu, December 1993), script by Steve Englehart, pencils by Rick Hoberg
Englehart (as "Jonathan Harkness") found his ideas on Fantastic Four were often overwritten by editorial (see his website for some fascinating background) but he still hung around to wrap it all up.


from Fantastic Four #333 (Marvel, November 1989), script by Steve Englehart as Jonathan Harkness, pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Romeo Tanghal, colors by George Roussos, letters by Bill Oakley
Happy birthday, Steve Englehart, one of our favorite creators!

Today in Comics History, January 10: Happy birthday, Snapper Carr!

Born on this day which shall forever be cursed: Lucas "Snapper" Carr, sidekick/mascot/squeeze toy to the original Justice League of America!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, December 1975)
Yes, the teen who didn't have anything better to do with his fingers than snap them encountered the original JLA in their first published case. Later chronicles revealed an earlier origin to the Justice League than this one, so you may be relieved to discover Snapper wasn't with them from Day One.


from Brave and the Bold #28 (DC, February 1960), script by Gardner Fox, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Bernard Sachs, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Remember that episode of Futurama where the Earth is taken over by alien brain slugs and everyone is placed under their mental command except for Fry, who is too stupid to be affected? Why do I bring that episode up? No real reason.


Through his power of super-snapping, Snapper summons the Flash, a hero who is only slowed down by Snapper's shenanigans.


♫ That's the way they became the Snapper Bunch! ♫


Anyway, HBD, Snapper! You load.

Today in Comics History, January 7: Happy birthday, Phantom Lady!

Born on this day, according to the DC Super Calendar 1976: Sandra Knight, the effervescent but sometimes hard-to-see Golden Age crimefighter known as Phantom Lady! (Not to be confused with Phantom Girl, who is more than 1,000 years younger.) She was created by the Eisner & Iger Studio and drawn by Arthur Peddy, who had a deft hand with a glamor girl character (he also drew Marvel/Atlas's "Jann of the Jungle").


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

Today in Comics History, May 20, 1775: The JLA claims North Carolina through the cunning use of flags

North Carolina variant cover of Justice League of America (2013 series) #1 (DC, April 2013), pencils and inks by David Finch
Déjà vu?

365 Days of Defiance, Day 197: We'll let blood build a bridge over mountains draped in stars

I'm a sucker for stories of defiance that feature heroes struggling against impossible feats of strength or will. Like giant Spectre holding two Earths apart and keeping them from merging.


Panels from Justice League of America (1960 series) #46 (August 1966), script by Gardner Fox, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Sid Greene, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Of course, a crisis on Earths One and Two is best served by a team-up, like this giant hero joining forces with a tiny hero! (No, not me, I'm sorry.) Suddenly, it's Atom Ant! i mean, the Atom. Altho' why don't those new DC/Hanna-Barbera team up Ray Palmer with his Formicidae Earth-=HB equivalent? Because reasons, I assume.


Panels from Justice League of America (1960 series) #47 (September 1966), script by Gardner Fox, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Sid Greene, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Spectre will willingly "sacrifice his existence" (and I think we all know how painful that can be) in order to save the twin Earths. Oh no! But then who will turn criminals against humanity into trees and chainsaw them into logs, or into candles to be burned on the Spectre's birthday cake? Anyway, Dr. Palmer ain't havin' none of that. Our favorite Tiny Titan Little Leaguer has applied The Patch to the Spectre's upper arm, which will reduce his cravings for nicotine at the same time it allows the Ghostly Guardian to shrink down to the size of a tiny pet store turtle!


Then, they blow up the Spectre. Boom! [SPOILER WARNING: he gets better.]


Earths-1 and 2 are saved, and even better: I have no idea how they did that. But good job at cosmic defyin', Mister The Spectre!

365 Days of Defiance, Day 120: Robot Ruckus

Panels from Justice League of America #108 (November-December 1973), script by Len Wein, pencils by Dick Dillin, inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Ben Oda

365 Days of Defiance, Day 104: Say the secret word and win a Wonder Woman

Panels from Justice League of America (1960 series) #55 (August 1967), script by Gardner Fox, pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Sid Greene, letters by Gaspar Saladino
The rest of the comic is just a lot of punching accompanied by word association.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 93: I think I've got something in my eye...I've just been chopping onions, stop asking me.

Panels from Justice League of America #184 (November 1980), script by Gerry Conway, breakdowns by George Pérez, finishes by Frank McLaughlin, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by Ben Oda

365 Days of Defiance, Day 79: To Me, My Earth-X Men

The Justice Society of America! Strange visitors from another world (Earth-2, to be precise)! Hey, since they came first, why is their world Earth Two? If'n I were the Original Flash and the Original Green Lantern and the Original Superman, I'd have a thing or two to say about that. Anyway: they're fightin' Nazis! Which is always a good thing, as Earth-2 Martha Stewart told you first.


Panels from Justice League of America (1960 series) #107 (September-October 1973), script by Len Wein, pencils by Dick Dillin, inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Ben Oda
All is darkest before the dawn (and also because my scans didn't turn out as bright as I'd hoped on those last panels), but luckily the JSA is accompanied by their Earth-1 non-union equivalents, the Justice League of America! Er, at least, Green Arrow, Elongated Man, and...Red Tornado, not even actually yet a member of the League. Oh man. They're boned.


Hooray! It's the Nazi-bustin' heroes of Earth-X! The Earth where no one under the age of eighteen will be admitted, cos' it's kinda saucy. It's...Amerihat! Gnat Boy! Cling-Film Woman! Captain Rhinoceros! Designed-By-Mike-Grell-Costume Kid! And Poppin-Fresh! They are the Freedom Fighters!


I kid the Freedom Fighters, but they punch Nazis, so they're okay by me. You go, FF!