The 1975 2025 Mighty Marvel Calendar: June Commune

It's June, True Bull-lievers, and here;'s the Fab Fantastic Four to celebrate their new movie comin' out this month starring that idol o' millions, H.E.R.B.I.E. the Ro...wait, I've made another one of my silly mistakes. I've just been alerted that the FF movie comes out in July, and on July 25th yet, so we've got almost two months still to wait for it. Looks like I'm gonna be still camping outside this movie theater in my little bull pup tent for another few weeks! (Hope I brought enough marshmallows.)

So cool your heels by pounding a big-ass nail into your wall (no need to check with your landlord...I'm sure he loves the Fantastic Four as well!) and hang up this month's spread from the 1975 Mighty Marvel Calendar, featuring our Kooky Quartet (hmm, it seems like that would be a description of another team, but it's not ringin' a bell). This 1975 calendar works for 2025, didja know that? Well, you do now, thanks to the super-science of Dr. Reed "Big Brain" Richards!

"June is the Fantastic Four (or Is It Five?)" from Mighty Marvel Calendar for 1975 (Marvel/Simon & Schuster, 1974), pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Joe Sinnott
(Click picture to major motion picture-size)
Yes indeed, during this period of time our favorite super den mother Sue Richards had been replaced on the team by Inhuman Medusa, she of the prehensile hair and Marvel's ill-advised recent "these guys are just as good as the X-Men, honest" Inhumans push. I do regret to inform you that Medusa will not be in the upcoming mnotion picture, because don't forget that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Medusa looks like this:


Please note that I did not desaturate the color of that screenshot of Miz Amaquelin-Boltagon: the TV series really looked exactly that dull. Whew! And speaking of limited color, you might want to save some space on that wall by posting the limited-hued Marvel UK version of this month's calendar. Or. put 'em both up! Look, I'm not the boss of you. I can't make all your decisions.

from The Mighty World of Marvel (1972 series) #121 (Marvel UK, 25 January 1975)
(Click picture to The Thing Is Big Ben-size)

Today in Comics History, March 6: Happy birthday, Al Milgrom!

Born on this day: Al Milgrom, writer, penciller, inker, and editor for too many comics to list from Marvel, DC, Archie, Dark Horse, Atlas/Seaboard and the proverbial many more!


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


from Marvel Age #27, 51, 87, 99, and 111 (Marvel, June 1985, June 1987, April 1990, April 1991, and April 1992); text by Jim Salicrup (#27), Mike Carlin (#51), Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#87 and 99), and Mike Lackey (#111); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by George Roussos (#27), Paul Becton (#51), Gregory Wright (#87), and Renee Witterstaetter (#99)

The 1978 2017 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: December Defenders and Daredevils

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

Well, we got through another year, very nearly! And let's celebrate with a full-page, full-color montage of Spidey's Pals 'n' Gals by John Byrne! As a special bonus: it's before he went insane online!

"December Is Teaming with Dynamic Do-Gooders!" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (1977); pencils by John Byrne, inks by Joe Sinnott, colors by George Bell
(Click picture to Marvel Team-Up-size)
And, for your bonus final-month amusement and edification, here's even more Bullpen Birthdays and a special essay intoned by December birthday boy Stan Lee!

(Click picture to Stan's legend-size)
Finally, as a special treat, here's the Amazing, Spectacular, Sensational, Web of, Adjectiveless back cover of the 1978 Spidey calendar!


So remember to keep Spidey in your heart all year long, and to quote the final days of the 1978 calendar, but in full-color:


Final panel from Marvel Team-Up #1 (March 1972), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Mike Esposito, letters by Artie Simek

The 1978 2017 2023 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: November Nonagenarian Nuptials

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

Not only is it this month in which Spidey pops the clutch and tells the cops to eat his dust...er, snow...


Panel from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #130 (March 1974), script by Gerry Conway, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt, colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
...it's Wedding Bells for Aunt May Parker and...WHA HUH?!


Yes, it's that time when Aunt May got married to Doctor Octopus!

"November Is Nearly Tender Nupials!" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (1977); pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Mike Esposito, colors by George Bell
(Click picture to bridezilla-size)
It's too bad their honeymoon had to be cancelled — they planned to walk on the beach hand in hand in hand in hand in h


Splash page of Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #131 (April 1974), script by Gerry Conway, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt, colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Of course, it went off just about as successfully as nearly every wedding ceremony in the Marvel Universe.


Why is she calling her fiancé "Doctor Octavius?" Should that be "Otto baby?" Ah well, back to Tinder for her.

Also in this calendar's month: clones galore!


And HEY WAIT THAT'S THE JLA COMPUTER from the DC Super-Spectacular Disasters calendar! What're you doin' here, dude?

Today in Comics History, October 26: Happy birthday, Larry Lieber!

Born on this day in 1931: comic book writer and artist Larry Lieber, co-creator of Thor, Loki, Jane Foster, Ant-Man, Iron Man, Groot, Spider-Man's parents Mary and Richard Parker, and more! His writing and artwork appear in The Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt: Outlaw, Two-Gun Kid, Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, My Own Romance, Teen-Age Romance, Captain Britain, and the proverbial etc.!


from (top) Mighty Marvel Calendar 1978-1979 (Marvel, 1977-1978);
(bottom) Marvel Age #34 and 94 (Marvel, January 1986 and November 1990); text by Jim Salicrup (#34) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#94); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Adam Philips (#34) and Marie Javins (#94)

The 1978 2017 2023 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: October Owl My Enemies Around Me

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

Just another friendly neighborhood reminder that you can continue to use your leftover 1978 calendars to accurately keep track of the garbage fire that is 2017! Still, consider this: do you really have it worse off than Spider-Man? A: No. No, you do not.

"October Is Not for Monsters Only!" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (1977); pencils by George Perez, inks by Pablo Marcos, colors by George Bell
(Click picture to big freakout-size)
Now, October may not be Just Not for Monsters Only, but this era of Spidey's life is certainly is certainly filled chock-full o' oddities, orwfullness, and o my god what is that thing?!?-type adventures! It covers not only ASM #122-130 but also the early-seventies Spider-'Sposion, when our web-crawlin' wonder suddenly swung himself up lots more media to star in: Marvel Team-Up, Spider-Man Comics Weekly UK, Spidey Super Stories, and Giant-Size Spider-Man (which I was disappointed did not contain a kaiju-sized Peter Parker terrifying the city). Also, a couple of hit (!?) record albums from the long-ago d ays of vinyl longplayers!

Still, for my money (still only 25¢!) there's no better value for your arachnid allowance than the J. Jonah Jameson and Son subplots a-bubblin' through the Spider-Books. Why, here's just one week of wonder!

The 1978 2017 2023 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: September Shock

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

Please do not reveal the startling shock ending of September 1978 2017 2023 before...oh, it's right there.

"September Is Such Sweet Sorrow!" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (Marvel, 1977); pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Tom Palmer, colors by George Bell
(Click picture to look-out-below-size)

Today in Comics History, July 1: Happy birthday, Billy Graham!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published July 1, 2022.

Born on this day in 1935: comics artist (and actor and playwright) Billy Graham (Black Panther, Luke Cage: Hero for Hire, Sabre, Vampirella, more). Power Man villain Stiletto is his co-creation!


Comics writer Don McGregor writes (at length, as he always does!) abotu working with Rich Buckler and Billy on the famous "Panther's Rage" story in Jungle Action and the creation of Erik Killmonger.

from Marvel's Voices: Legacy 2022 #1 one-shot (Marvel, April 2022), by Don McGregor
(Click picture to do justice to Don's extensive prose!)
Happy birthday, Billy!


from (L) Mighty Marvel Calendar 1976 (Marvel, 1975, and
(R) 1975 Mighty Marvel Convention Program Book (Marvel, 1975), photograph by Michele Wolfman

Today in Comics History, June 15: Happy birthday, Neal Adams!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published June 15, 2022.

Born on this day in 1941: the recently passed (April 28, 2022) and still unsurpassed comics artist Neal Adams (Batman, The Spectre, X-Men, Strange Adventures, The Avengers, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, National Lampoon, the award-winning Green Lantern/Green Arrow among many others). He's the co-creator of Ra's al Ghul, Man-Bat, Hellgrammite, Green Lantern John Stewart, Ms. Mystic, and more!


from (L) Mighty Marvel Memory Calendar 1977 (Marvel, 1976)
(right) 1975 Mighty Marvel Convention Program Book (1975), photograph by Michele Wiofman

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

The 1978 2017 2023 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: May Misery

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

Geez, Peter Parker...you don't know enough to come in out of the rain! What'll Aunt May say when you swing walk home soaking wet?

"May is a Dear Old Aunt" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (1977); pencils by Larry Lieber, inks by Frank Giacoia
(Click picture to Rainy-Day-Mondays-Always-Get-Me-Downsize)
SPIDER-MAN NO MORE! Until the next issue, at least. This month's calendar girl picture recreates the one of the most famous images in Marvel comics, the classic John Romita Sr. full page where Peter gives up being Spidey, tossing his costume into the trash. Earlier in the day, the same thing was done by Bottle-of-Wine-Man, Bottlecap Girl, Mr. Pack of Matches, and Captain Cigarette Butt.


Page from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #50 (July 1967), script by Stan Lee, pencils by John Romita, Sr., inks by Mike Esposito, letters by Sam Rosen
How iconic is this iconic scene that is an icon? So iconic that it's been referenced by more Spider-Man comic book covers than you can count on one hand! That is, six:


Why, it was even immortalized in real life, in the excellent movie Spider-Man 2: Electro Boogaloo:


It's such a classic that frankly, comic books themselves can't stop homaging the image:


Okay, fair enough, that last one doesn't really count: instead of a costume in a barrel and the hero running away, the costume is running away and the hero's in a barrel! It's a switcharoo!

Plenty of comic books do the same on interior pages. And I thought these things copied Romita...on the outside!


And let us not forget Mike Haseloff's (of comics blog Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!) revealing classic "Namor No More!"

Yes, "Spider-Man No More" has even crossed over to all those destroyed-since-2015 alternate Earths that the Watcher used to peep in on. What If... trash cans throughout the multiverse got used for uniform disposal?!?


You can even toss away...BWAH!...your human skin! Ick! Stop that, Zombie Peter!


Yes, it's a comic book tradition everyone has to try once in a while! Even though it doesn't always work.


So, Spider-Man No More, won't you?

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, February 9: Happy birthday, Jo Duffy!

Born on this day: comics editor and writer Jo Duffy, scripter on Power Man & Iron Fist, the '80s Marvel Star Wars, Fallen Angels, Crystar, Marvel Comics Presents, Marvel Fanfare, Catwoman, Glory, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and much more!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1979 (Marvel, 1978)


from Marvel Age #26, 50, 87, and 98 (Marvel, May 1985, May 1987, April 1990, and January 1991); text by Jim Salicrup (#26), Mike Carlin (#50), and Chris Eliopolous and Barry Dutter (#87 and 98); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Gregory Wright (#87) and Marie Javins (#98)
By the way, that last calendar panel is misleading (aka wrong). Duffy didn't write Akira, she did the English adaptation of the original work by Katsuhiro Otomo with translation by Yoko Umezawa.

Today in Comics History, February 6: Happy birthday, Rich Buckler!

Born on this day in 1949: comics artist Rich Buckler (Justice League of America, All-Star Squadron, Mighty Crusaders, Secret Society of Super Villains, The Warlord, The Unexpected, World's Finest Comics, The Avengers, Astonishing Tales (where he created Deathlok), Black Panther (where he co-created Killmonger), Fantastic Four, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Big Bang, Eerie, Creepy, and many more)! He's also the author of three books about working in the industry: How to Become a Comic Book Artist, How to Draw Superheroes, and How to Draw Dynamic Comic Books. He certainly was an expert in all three!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1976 and 1977 (Marvel, 1975 and 1976), and Marvel Age #98 (Marvel, March 1991), text by Chris Eliopolous and Barry Dutter, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme

The 1978 2017 2023 Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar: February Fiasco

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

"February Is for Fantastic Friends!" in The Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics Calendar 1978 (Marvel, 1977);
pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by John Verpooten
(Click picture to sales-of-Rod Stewart-Do-Ya-Think-I'm-Sexy-in-1978-size)