Today in Comics History, March 3, 1944: Once again, Griffy is confused by Zippy's fan mail

from Invisible Ink: My Mother's Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist (Fantagraphics, September 2015), by Bill Griffith

Today in Comics History, March 3: Happy birthday, Tyrone Jessup!

from Psi-Force #21 (Marvel/New Universe, July 1988), pencils by Ron Lim

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1980: Curiously, Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" single is still a year away from release

from Hot Valley Days and Cocaine Nights #2 (Antarctic, January 2021), script by Matthew Spradlin, pencils and inks by Farid Karami, colors by Andrew Crossley

Today in Comics History, March 3: Happy birthday, Jean Harlow!

Born today in 1911, actor Jean Harlow, the "Blonde Bombshell," one of cinema's most important early portayers of sexy seductress roles. Despite her short career, she appeared in a lot of movies during those days when studios would turn around a picture a week, like The Saturday Night Kid, Hell's Angels, Goldie, Dinner at Eight, Red Dust, Dinner at Eight, Reckless, and even Iron Man (the original one; pay attention, son — but wouldn't she have made a great Pepper Potts?). Taken from the world way too soon — she died of uremia (kidney failure) at age 26 — she also didn't get a lot of appearances in comic books, but here's some I've found that spotlight the sparkling, laughing vamp.

Here's Jean...sadly pushed all the way over on the right edge. Next to Jugheads's feet. That's no proper fate for the Queen of the Bombshells!


cover of Life with Archie #94 (Archie, February 1970), artist unknown
Jean's a red-carpet event (between the two word balloons) in this comic book reprint of the "Olly of the Movies" comic strip.


from "Olly of the Movies" in Famous Funnies #6 (Eastern Color, January 1935); script, pencils, and inks by Julian Ollendorff
The Grand Comicbook Database suggests that the blonde in this panel is Jean...but it's from a 1947 comic, a full ten years after Jean's death. It might be a mistaken identification here, or I'd like to posit that in this universe, Black Cat got Jean to the hospital early enough to be diagnosed and saved. See, that's what the multiverse is for. (Let me know in the comments if you think you know who that's supposed to be!)


from Black Cat #6 (Harvey, June 1947), script by Blanche Carlin (?) or Beverly Suser (?), pencils and inks by Lee Elias, letters by Ben Oda
But there's no mistaking her and Hal Roach, her director on early silent shorts, in this special Krazy Kat ink and painted piece by creator George Herriman — now that's a cartoon tribute! With his American Indian Cupids, Herriman appears to be "shipping" Jean and Hal. Is this the first comics example of "shipping?" Oh, wait, Tijuana Bibles. Which I'm not 'lowed to look at. Never mind.

painting from Krazy & Ignatz 1941-1942: A Ragout of Raspberries (Fantagraphics, December 2007), by George Herriman
(Click picture to Coconino-size)
Happy birthday and peace to you, Jean Harlow.

Today in Comics History, March 3: Ted Knight shelves all his books upside-down

from Starman (1994 series) #13 (DC, November 1995), script by James Robinson, pencils by Tony Harris, inks by Wade Von Grawbadger, colors by Gregory Wright, letters by Bill Oakley
@wardhillterry suggested this one! And it also covers March 8! Thanks, pal!

Today in Comics History, March 3: Happy birthday, Alejandro Arbona!

Today's the birthday of Alejandro Arbona, writer and editor who's created at Wizard, Marvel, Image, Valiant, Oni, and Workman Press, and he's also the author of two books in the Awesome Minds series: Video Game Creators and Comic Book Creators! Also, he appears to have replaced Jim Shooter as the Tallest Person at Marvel™, in this comic that's the 21st century version of Assistant Editor's Month!:



from "Assisted Living" in Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular #1 (Marvel, June 2009); script by Chris Eliopoulos; pencils, inks, and colors by Jacob Chabot; letters by Dave Sharpe
(Don't tell Tom Brevoort, but he was also moonlighting over at J. Jonah Jameson's rag! Shhhhhh.)


from Daily Bugle: Civil War Fallen Son Special one-shot (Marvel, June 2007)
Let's all applaud Alejandro on his birthday!

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1945: Cliff fights kaiju, sends Betty another letter with postage due

from "Dear Betty" in Rocketeer Adventures (2011 series) #1 (IDW, May 2011), script by Kurt Busiek, pencils and inks by Mike Kaluta, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Chris Mowry

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1887: Mary Poppins arrives to fight the Crisis on Infinite Earths

from "Conquest of Darkness" in Real Heroes #13 (Parents' Magazine Press, March 1946), creators unknown

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1982: Nation's advertising executives tearfully turn to all-yelling advertisements

from Flaming Carrot Comics (1988 series) #26 (Dark Horse, June 1991); script by Bob Burden; pencils and inks by Bob Burden, Rod Whigham, Pat St Amopur, Joe Pruett, and Marsha Jensen, letters by Roxanne Starr

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1836: The popular Texan phrase "Goliad sucks" is born

from Classics Illustrated #129 [Davy Crosckett] (Gilberton, November 1955), pencils and inks by Lou Cameron

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1972: Felix and Oscar are violently separated

from The Vain #4 (Oni, January 2021), script by Eliot Rahal, pencils and inks by Emily Pearson, colors by Fred C. Stressing, color assists by Macy Kahn, letters by Crank!

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1981: Biff Tannen continues to predict the rest of the 1980s

from Back to the Future: Biff to the Future #4 (IDW, April 2017), story and script by Bob Gale and Derek Fridolfs, pencils by Alan Robinson, inks by Alan Robinson and Jaime Castro, colors by Maria Santaolalla, letters by Shawn Lee

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1942: Steve Rogers rips off Jack Kirby

from The Adventures of Captain America #1 (September 1991); script by Fabian Nicieza; pencils by Kevin Maguire; inks by Joe Rubinstein; colors by Paul Mounts; letters by Richard Starkings
(Click top picture to Golden Age-size)
Also, I'm wondering if "boss" was 1940s slang. Seeing as it's partly of Liverpudlian origin, and I don't see no Ringo Starr in these here panels, maybe not.

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1986: Western Union stock market prices continue to rise

from Back to the Future #10 (IDW, July 2016); story by John Barber and Bob Gale; script by John Barber; pencils by Marcelo Ferreira andÁthila Fabbio; inks by Marcelo Ferreira, Áthila Fabbio and Toni Doya; colors by Jose Luis Rio and Diego Rodriguez, letters by Shawn Lee

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1988: Chris gets irony for his birthday

from The Draft one-shot (Marrvel/New Universe, July 1988), script by Mark Gruenwald and Fabian Nicieza; pencils by Herb Trimpe; inks by (inhale) Kyle Baker, Mike Gustovich, Klaus Janson, Lee Weeks, and Keith Williams (exhale); colors by Michael Higgins; letters by Jim Novak

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1986: Oedipal scene re-rerun

from Back to the Future #6 (IDW, March 2016), story by John Barber and Bob Gale, script by John Barber, pencils by Marcelo Ferreira, inks by Marcelo Ferreira and Áthila Fabbio, colors by Diego Rodriguez, letters by Shawn Lee

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1976: Battleship moves to space E-5

from Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority #3 (WildStorm, October 2000), script by Mark Millar, pencils by John McCrea, inks by James Hodgkins, colors by Ian Hannin, letters by Bill O'Neil

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1916: Lee Marvin picks entirely the wrong day to trick-or-treat

from Hellboy in Hell #4 (Dark Horse, March 2013); script, pencils, and inks by Mike Mignola; colors by Dave Stewart; letters by Clem Robins

Today in Comics History, March 3: DC's New 52 Hee Haw comic is a bit dark

from Detective Comics #503 (June 1981), script by Gerry Conway, pencils by Don Newton, inks by Dan Adkins, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, March 3, 1982: This burro is beginning to really loathe Jason Blood

from The Unknown Soldier (1988 series) #3 (DC, January 1989), script by James Owsley, pencils and inks by Phil Gascoine, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by Carrie Spiegle