Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, Ron Cacace!

Happy birthday today to comics writer Ron Cacace, who's managed a comic book shop, been a freelance writer at Marvel, and director of publicity and social media (as well as writer, including Jughead and Sonic the Hedgehog) at Archie Comics! He's the writer and creator, with illustrator Vincent Lovallo, of the super-fun and highly recommended by this bull Bite Size Archiecomic series!


from Bite Size Archie v.1 (Archie, May 2022), art by Vincent Lovallo
Ron occasionally sneaks into the Bite Size Archie strips. Here he is in Riverdale High's yearbook, just to the left of Duck Reggie Mantle! (And to the right, illustrator Vincent Lovallo!)


from "Group Chatastrophe": Bite Size Archie #10 (February 12, 2021), script by Ron Cacace, art by Vincent Lovallo
And you spot Ron and Vincent at the bottom of the strip that rounded out the first year of the comic!


from "Plenty to Digest": Bite Size Archie #52 (December 3, 2021), , script by Ron Cacace, art by Vincent Lovallo
Happy birthday, Ron!

Today in Comics History, March 22, 1965: UFO theories are pooh-poohed by the United States Department of Gaslighting

from "Mystery in Michigan" in UFO Flying Saucers #1 (Western/Gold Key, October 1968), script by Leo Dorfman, pencils by Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio, inks by Sal Trapani

Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, Steve Dillon!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published March 22, 2022.

Today's the birthday of Steve Dillon (born 1962), and his passing in 2016 at the age of 54 hits a little harder every year here in the Bull household, especially to my best pal John, who loves Steve's work and was born within a couple weeks of Steve in 1962. Today's also a great day to re-read some of your favorite Steve Dillon-illustrated comics: perhaps Hellblazer, Preacher, Animal Man or The Punisher or Punisher MAX, or his many stories in 2000 AD. Remember how great his work is, and how we've missed out since he's gone.

"Q&A: Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon" in Vertigo: Winter's Edge #1 (DC/Vertigo, January 1998)
(Click picture to big-as-all-outdoors-size)

Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, Playback!

Born today in 1955: Miriam Morse aka Playback, the psychic sister of Inspector Morse, who helped him solve many murder mysteries who works for the government hunting down the alien paranormal vigilante code-named Justice. Please note that her hobbies include "philately, videotapes (What? Does she collect 'em? Watch 'em? Belong to the Columbia House Hit VHS a Month Club? Does she manage a Blockbuster Video?), and letting the air out of the tires on cars that are illegally parked in handicapped spaces." Whoa, that last one. You go, girl!


from Justice #22 (Marvel/New Universe, August 1988), creators uncredited and unknown
Happy birthday, Playback, and if you see her in a parking lot letting the air out of tires on cars that are illegal parked in handicap spaces...no you didn't.

Today in Comics History, March 22, 1948: Can you solve the mystery of the flour-covered killer...oh, the guy covered with flour did it.

"Murder in the Kitchen!" in Police Line-Up #4 (Avon, July 1952), creators unknown

Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, Wonder Woman!

It's the birthday of Princess Diana (no not that one): Wonder Woman! Altho' I bet they this date is Athena 22 on Themyscira.


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975)

Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, Simon Furman!

Born, or shall we say all-sparked, on this day: writer Simon Furman, co-creator of Death's Head, scripter on Action Force, Robocop, Alpha Flight, Northstar, Doctor Who, Amazing Fantasy and more, and (especially) the Transformers comics, where he created much of the lore and legend that is the foundation of the longrunning franchise!


from Marvel Age #87 (Marvel, April 1990), text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Gregory Wright
Happy birthday, Simon!

Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, Mort Drucker!

Born today in 1929, a day for national celebration: Mort Drucker, longtime artist for DC Comics (Big Town, The Adventures of Bob Hope, Mystery in Space, War Stories, Our Army at War, and more), comic strips (Benchley) and, you guessed it: MAD magazine, natch!

We here 'round Comics Oughta Be Fun! headquarters have a couple Rules of Comics. The first one is "Comics Oughta Be Fun!" The second one is "You ain't nobody 'til you've been drawn by Mort Drucker." So, how much more has Mort Drucker made it than when...Mort Drucker drew Mort Drucker?!?


from MAD #266 (October 1986), art by Mort Drcuker
Happy birthday, Mort!


covers of (L) Mad [Super] Special #52 (Fall 1985), painting by Richard Williams;
(R) Mad's Greatest Artists: Mort Drucker (Running Press, November 2012)

Today in Comics History, March 22: Happy birthday, B. Krigstein!

Born on this day in 1919: the great comics and fine art illustrator Bernard Krigstein, best known by his usual signature B. Krigstein. One of the most lauded and acclaimed comics artists of the 1950s, epsecially for his work on EC Comics. Jorts the Cat, however, would be pleased to know that Krigstein was one of a group to attempt to form a major comics artists unions, "The Society of Comic Book Illustrators," in 1952. I'm pleased, too! Ahead of his time not only in skill but in social progress. It sadly ceased after a year, but while he got fewer assignments from Marvel/Atlas and DC/National because of his labor views, progressive-minded Bill Gaines at EC Comics gave him more work. His work was featured in booiks like Aces High, Mad, Vault of Horror, Impact, Incredible Science Fiction, Valor, Weird Science-Fantasy, and others.

Some portraits of Krigstein in the comics:

from "The Night Before Christmas" in Panic #1 (EC, February 1954), pencils and inks by Will Elder, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
(Click picture to bowl-full-of-gelignite-size)

Today in Comics History, March 22, 1965: Beatles drop acid, pick it up again

from The Beatles in Comics! (NBM, November 2018); script by Gaëtan Petit; translation by Joe Johnson; art by Laurent Houssin; letters by Ortho

Today in Comics History, March 22, 1992: Man who killed thousands with psychic octopus is "giddy"

from Doomsday Clock #7 (DC, November 2018), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh

Today in Comics History, March 22, 1993: Bruce Wayne is tricked by a pyramid scheme

from Batman: Book of the Dead #1 (DC, June 1999), script by Doug Moench, pencils by Barry Kitson, inks by Ray McCarthy, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Kurt Hathaway