The 1978 2017 2023 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: June Jitsu*

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published June 1, 2017.

Remember, you can actually use this 1978 calendar for this year, which is (walks over to fridge, checks my calendar) 2023! Had he survived, Peter Parker would have wanted it that way!

"June is Jam-Packed with Jeopardy" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (1977); pencils by John Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott, colors by George bell
(Click picture to enteroctopus-size)
The month's mightily marvelous mural summarizes Amazing Spider-Man #56, featuring Doctor Octopus...


Cover and panel from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #56 (January 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils and cover inks by John Romita Sr., interior inks by Mike Esposito, letters by Sam Rosen
...and ASM #57, co-starring Ka-Zar! Why, that's practically two issues of Marvel Team-Up right there!


Cover and panels from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #57 (February 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils by John Romita Sr. (cover and interior) and Don Heck (additional interior pencils), inks by John Romita Sr. (cover) and Mike Esposito (interior), letters by Artie Simek (cover) and Sam Rosen (interior)
Wow, halfway through the year and we haven't even gotten to eight-armed Spidey or Gwen-Tossin' or oh wait maybe I shoulda put a SPOILER WARNING in there somewhere. Geez though, at this rate we'll never get to the Clone Saga by the end of 2017!

*Oh, and since my post title probably reminded you of her: here's the one, the only, soon to be starring in Spider-Man: Homecoming: June Jitsui!


"Spider-Man Meets June Jitsui" from Marvel Comics cover-dated December 1979 (this one's from ROM #1), pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Joe Rubinstein, letters by Jim Novak
Next month: July! oh man SPOILER WARNING

Today in Comics History, December 28: Happy birthday, Janice Chiang!

Born on this day (aside from that attention hogger Lee): Janice Chiang, the extremely prolific letterer whose work you can find in dozens of Marvel titles (eventually even including Uncanny X-Men) and manga...


from Marvel Age: Punisher Anniversary Magazine #1 one-shot (Marvel, February 1994)
...and Papercutz's Smurf re-release library! Here's a nice profile of Janice.


from The Smurfs v. 9: Gargamel and the Smurfs (Papercutz, 2011), text by Jim Salicrup
A very happy birthday to you, Janice!


from Ka-Zar the Savage #25 (Marvel, April 1983); script and photographs by Danny Fingeroth, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, September 26: Happy birthday, Louise Simonson!

Born on this day: Comic book editor and writer Louise Simonson (also Louise Jones): scripter on Superman: The Man of Steel, Conan, New Mutants, and co-creator of Apocalypse, Cable, Stryfe, Steel, and Power Pack! (And much more!)


from Marvel Age #33, 57, and 93 (Marvel, December 1985, December 1987, and October 1990); text by Jim Salicrup (#33), Mike Carlin (#57), and Chris Eliopoulis & Barry Dutter (#93); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Adam Philips (#33), Paul Becton (#57), and Marie Javins (#93)

Today in Comics History, August 20: Happy birthday, George Roussos!

Happy birthday to the man born today in 1915: comics colorist (and penciller, and inker, and letterer!) George Roussos (aka George Bell)!. He's worked on so so many comics I can't list them all here, but (ahem) he inked early issues of (ahem) JACK KIRBY'S FANTASTIC FOUR.


from Marvel Age #32, 56, 92 and 104 (Marvel, November 1985, November 1987, September 1990, and September 1991); text by Jim Salicrup (#32), Mike Carlin (#56) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#92 and 104); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Andy Yanchus (#32), Paul Becton (#56) and Renee Witterstaetter (#104)

Today in Comics History, July 9: Happy birthday, Virginia Romita!

Happy birthday today to Marvel's famous and beloved Production Traffic Manager Virginia Romita!


from Marvel Age #31, 55, 91, and 103 (Marvel, October 1985, October 1987, August 1990, and August 1991); text by Jim Salicrup (#31), Mike Carlin (#55) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#91 and 103); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Andy Yanchus (#31), Paul Becton (#54) and Renee Witterstaetter (#91 and 103)

Today in Comics History, June 22: Happy birthday, Armando Gil!

Born today: Armando Gil, comics penciller and inker (Conan, Micronauts, The 'Nam, Jurassic Park, Dazzler, World's Finest Comics, Spectacular Spider-Man and more)!


from Marvel Age 54 (Marvel, September 1987), text by Mike Carlin, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme. colors by Paul Becton

Today in Comics History, June 15: Happy birthday, Brent Anderson!

Born on this day: comics artist Brent Anderson (X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, Ka-Zar the Savage, The Phantom Stranger, Power Pack, and more! He co-created Astro City and Strikeforce: Morituri, too!


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: 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)

365 Days of Defiance, Day 49: I still think of you when we dance / Although we can't jitterbug as we did then

To paraphrase Ms. Ciccone: who's that girl? Naw, she's not just another 1971 background character: you know her today as a vital part of Marvel comics and the MCU! Who is she? Go ahead, guess!


Panels from the Ka-Zar story "The Battle of New Britannia!" in Astonishing Tales (1970 series) #8 (October 1971), script by Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Tom Sutton, letters by Artie Simek
Here's a hint: her name is Barbara!






Want another hint? Okay: She was married to one of the premier heroes of the Marvel Universe, and she's also a superhero herself?






Give up yet? Okay, her last name is Morse. Barbara Morse. You may know her instead, though, as Bobbi Morse, the mellifluous Mockingbird!, here in only her third appearance! It'll be a few issues before she gains a last name and some time before she becomes Agent 19 and then the Huntress and then Mockingbird, but now she's a Marvel Legend! Even though she spent several years kidnapped by Skrulls and yeah I'm gonna forget about that story.


Cover of Hawkeye (1983 series) #3 (November 1983), pencils by Mark Gruenwald, inks by Bob Layton
So remember; punch Nazis! Just like Barbara!

Same Story, Different Cover: Zabu demanded they remake this cover, but starring him

L: Daredevil v.1 #12 (January 1966), layouts by Jack Kirby, pencils and inks by by John Romita Sr.
R: Ka-Zar v.1 #2 (December 1970), pencils by Marie Severin, inks by Bill Everett
(Click picture to re-creation-size)

Same Story, Different Cover: I tot I taw a puddy tat

L: Amazing Spider-Man #57 (February 1968), art by John Romita, Sr.
R: Ka-Zar #3 (March 1971), art by Marie Severin and Sal Buscema

(Click picture to savage-size)

Separated at Birth: Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do.

Top left: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.* #6 (November 1968), art by Jim Steranko
Top right: Ka-Zar the Savage #34 (October 1984), art by Paul Neary
Bottom left: Superman v.2 #28 (February 1989), art by Kerry Gammill and Dennis Janke ("after Steranko")
Bottom right: Splash page pencils for the unpublished Marvel Razorline comic Wraitheart #4 (c. 1994), art by Hector Gomez

(Click picture to exploding-lung-size)


*Space Hovering Intentionally Evading Lunar Destruction