Today in Comics History, April 28: Happy birthday, Ann-Margret!

Born on this day: actress/model/singer/dancer and all-around bombshell Ann-Margret (State Fair, Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, Kitten with a Whip, Stagecoach, Grumpy Old Men, The Flintstones, and many more)!

Ann-Margret is more definitely interesting to see than Bob Hope! (Note: I've done some minor editing to this panel to correct a misspelling on Ann-Margret's name. Shame on you, Marvel Comics!)


from The 'Nam #35 (Marvel, October 1989), script by Doug Murray, pencils by Wayne Vansant, inks by Geof Isherwood, colors and letters by Phil Felix

Today in Comics History, February 29: Happy birthday, Willi Smith!

Born on this day in 1948: Willi Smith, noted designer and innovator in the fashion industry.

What does Willi have to do with comics? Well...



covers of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (Marvel, September 1987), pencils and inks by John Romita, Sr.

The 1978 2017 2023 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: April All Together Now

Hey, look, it's everybody from the Spider-Universe all together at one time! Except for the written-out-of-canon Spider-Mite! Also, Spider-Man himself seems to be missing, and I can't figure out why. More important: ginchy groovy Gwen Stacy, va-va-voom!

"April Is an Assortment of Amiable Associations!" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (1977); pencils by John Romita, Sr., inks by John Verpooten
(Click picture to GOOD LORD PETER WHERE DID YOU GET THAT JACKET-size)
For those of you new to the Spider-Family or who just need a gentle reminder, that's (L-R), Eugene "Flash" Thompson, Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Aunt Anna Watson, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May Parker, Peter Parker, Ned "No, I'm not the Hobgoblin, Honestly" Leeds, Betty Brant, Robbie Robertson, J. Jonah Jameson, and J. Jonah Jameson's coat. And they're all standing in front of one of the most important places in the Spider-Books, the venerable Coffee Bean, serving caffeinated drinks pretty much steadily right through now in the Marvel Universe. That remarkable tenure as an anti-Starbucks is even more astonishing when you consider it's been a long-time competition since the early Marvel Age with the X-Men's favorite hangout, Greenwich Village's Coffee A Go-Go. I don't know which one you prefer, so here's some help: Coffee A Go-Go has Bernard the Poet, and the Coffee Bean has Gwen Freakin' Stacy. I hope that settles the matter definitively.


Panel from [Uncanny] X-Men (1963 series) #31 (April 1967), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Werner Roth, inks by John Tartaglione, letters by Sam Rosen
By the way, are you wondering when Jazzy John Romita "snapped that photograph" so proudly presented in this month's calendar spread? Worried you can't pinpoint exactly when this happens in Spider-Chronology? Fret no more, gentle reader: it occurred during Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4, no doubt right after this pin-up scene! Note the identical outfits! Good golly, that jacket really is hideous, Peter.

Double-page pinup spread from Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964 series) #4 (November 1967), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Larry Lieber, alternations on Gwen and Mary Jane by John Romita Sr. (and why not?), inks by Mike Esposito, colors by Stan Goldberg (?), letters by Sam Rosen
(Click picture to venti-size)
No, I don't know why Stan's calling it the Coffee Bean Barn here, either.

Today in Comics History, December 24, Christmas Eve: All I Want for Christmas Is a Dye Job Like Movie Rogue's

from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #420 (Marvel, February 1997), script by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Steve Skroce, inks by Bud LaRosa, colors by Bob Sharen, color separations by Graphic Color Works, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, December 24, Christmas Eve: Your Friendly Neighborhoodless Spider-Man

from Amazing Spider-Man #314 (Marvel, April 1989), script by David Michelinie, pencils and inks by Todd McFarlane, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Halloween Comics History, October 31: Mary Jane skins and wears the Silver Surfer

from The Amazing Mary Jane #6 (Marvel, May 2020), script by Leah Williams, pencils by Carlos Gómez, inks by Zé Carlos and Annapaola Martello, colors by Carlos Lopez, letters by Joe Caramagna

Comics Do Shakespeare: Macbeth, Act 6: Face It Shakespeare, You Hit the Jackpot

from Sensational Spider-Man (2006 series) #30 (Marvel, November 2006), script by Roberto Aguirre-Sacas, pencils by Angel Medina, inks by Scott Hanna, colors by Dan Kemp, letters by Cory Petit
And then two issues later:


from Sensational Spider-Man (2006 series) #32 (January 2007), script by Roberto Aguirre-Sacas, pencils by Sean Chen, inks by Scott Hanna, colors by Dan Kemp, letters by Cory Petit
Now here's the thing:


Wait, no, here's the thing: the play didn't close because vivacious party girl Mary Jane is totally the wrong fit for Lady Macbeth, but because the theater was under attack from killer bees.

Comics!

Face It Tiger February, Day 28: And they lived happily ever af..Quesada, no!

Let's wrap up this month of accepting it as proven fact, panthera tigris, with a full-circle reminder that when he opened the door that evening, Peter Parker really did beat the usual Vegas odds and triumph over a corrupt casino system. I think I may have lost myself in that metaphor there.


from Marvel Graphic Novel: The Amazing Spider-Man: Parallel Lives (Marvel, May 1989), script by Gerry Conway, pencils by Alex Saviuk, inks by Andy Mushynsky, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker
So what's up for next month? I honestly don't know. We'll find out tomorrow, probably at the same time! (I bet it begins with "M!")

Face It Tiger February, Day 27: We're Off to See the Lizard

from Spider-Island (2015 series) #4 (Marvel, November 2015), script by Christos Gage, pencils and inks by Paco Diaz, colors by Frank D'Armata, letters by Clayton Cowles

Ten of a Kind #427: Face It Ten Tigers February

(More Ten of a Kind here.)

Face It Tiger February, Day 24: Hairy Jane Watson

from Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle #1 one-shot (Marvel, December 2019), script by Nick Spencer, pencils and inks by Mike Allred, colors by Laura Allred, letters by Joe Caramagna

Face It Tiger February, Day 21: That totally goes against the TV Trope!

from X-Men and Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, January 2009); script by Christos Gage; pencils, inks, and colors by Mario Alberti; letters by Jared K. Fletcher

Face It Tiger February, Day 20: Woof woof growl-woof, arf arf arf WOOF-GROWL

from Superior Spider-Man (2013 series) #20 (Marvel, December 2013), script by Dan Slott, pencils by Giuseppe Camuncoli, inks by John Dell, colors by Antonio Fabela, letters by Chris Eliopoulos

Face It Tiger February, Day 17: A classic moment in comics, forever sullied

from Spider-Man Adventures #4 (Marvel, March 1995), script by Nel Yomtov, pencils by Alex Saviuk, inks by Don Hudson, colors by Kevin Tinsley, letters by Steve Dutro

Face It Tiger February, Day 16: This scene reads totally different in the UK

from Amazing Spider-Man #796 (Marvel, April 2018), script by Dan Slott and Christos Gage, pencils by Mike Hawthorne, inks by Terry Pallot and Cam Smith, colors by Erick Arciniega, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, February 14: Well, it was the best Valentine's Day until Mary Jane, out of jealousy, murdered Jill

from Amazing Spider-Man (1999 series) #4 (April 1999), script by Howard Mackie, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Scott Hanna, colors by Gregory Wright, letters by Richard Starkings

Face It Tiger February, Day 13: The Power of Three

from Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (2015 series) #5 (Marvel, November 2015), script by Dan Slott, pencils by Adam Kubert, inks by Scott Hanna, colors by Justin Ponsor, letters by Joe Caramagna

Face It Tiger February, Day 12: Please do not color outside the lines

from Spider-Man: Blue #2 (Marvel, August 2002), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils and inks by Tim Sale, colors by Steve Buccellato, letters by Wes Abbott

Face It Tiger February, Day 8: Let's start at the very beginning

from "The MJ Memoirs" in Marvel Comics #1000 (Marvel, October 2019); script, pencils, and inks by J. Scott Campbell; colors by Sabine Rich, letters by Richard Starkings

Face It Tiger February, Day 4: Well, at least in this version her father won't try to kill you

from Mary Jane: Homecoming #3 (Marvel, July 2005), script by Sean McKeever, pencils by Takeshi Miyazawa, colors by Christina Strain, letters by Dave Sharpe