Today in Comics History, August 20: Happy birthday, Robert Plant!

Happy birthday today to Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin (and a strong and successful solo career as well)! Did you ever think you'd appear in a comic book, Robert? Well, here he is, with Zeppelin drummer John Bonham on the right. Drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz, at that!


from Moon Knight (1980 series) #26 (Marvel, December 1982), script by Doug Moench, pencils and inks by Bill Sienkiewicz, colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Joe Rosen
What? Sienkiewicz isn't amazing enough for ya? how about Mike Allred?!?


from Red Rocket 7 #4 (Dark Horse, November 1997); script, pencils, and inks (and letters?) by Mike Allred; color sand color separations by Laura Allred
Happy birthday, Robert!

Today in Comics History, October 6: Man grilled about this night under the harsh glare of the Booster Gold-Signal

from Moon Knight (2016 series) #8 (January 2017); script by Jeff Lemire; pencils and inks by Francesco Francavilla, Wilfredo Torres, James Stokoe, and Greg Smallwood; colors by Francesco Francavilla, Michael Garland, James Stokoe, and Jordie Bellaire; letters by Cory Petit

Today in Comics History, October 1, 2014: Moon Knight makes a pretty pathetic attempt to get on America's Funniest Home Videos

from Moon Knight (2014 series) #8 (December 2014), script by Brian Wood, pencils and inks by Greg Smallwood, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Chris Eliopoulos

Today in Comics History, September 1, 2016: Moon Knight is ready for his close up

cover of Moon Knight (2016 series) #6 (Marvel, November 2016), art by Greg Smallwood

Today in Comics History, August 4: Happy birthday, Louis Armstrong!

Born on this day in 1901: iconic American trumpeter, singer, and actor Louis Armstrong! "Satchmo", or "Pops," to his pals!

(PS: the birth date and year on this panel are wrong.)


from Dime Comics #24 (Bell Features, December 1945), text and art by Gerald Lazare

Today in Comics History, June 5, 1981: Bob Markham regrets waiting until June to have his yearbook photo taken

from Moon Knight (1980 series) #12 (Marvel, October 1991), script by Doug Moench, pencils and inks by Bill Sienkiewicz, colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Joe Rosen

Today in Comics History, May 23, 1948: Happy birthday, Robert Markham! Hope you don't get turned into a monster with extremely high blood pressure...oh.

from Moon Knight (1980 series) #12 (Marvel, October 1991), script by Doug Moench, pencils and inks by Bill Sienkiewicz, colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Joe Rosen

Today in Comics History, April 11, 2014: Click here to receive a reminder to watch Moon Knight on Disney+!

from Moon Knight (2014 series) #8 (Marvel, December 2014), script by Brian Wood, pencils and inks by Greg Smallwood, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Chris Eliopoulos

The Eight Nights of Comic Book Hanukkah, Night Eight: The Festival of Lights and Egg Rolls

from "Chinese Food for Christmas" in Marvel Holiday Special 2011 one-shot (DC, February 2012), script by Jamie S. Rich, pencils and inks by Paco Diaz, colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, letters by Jeff Eckleberry

Least dramatic debut, ever

Sure, he's a big player in the Marvel Universe now, but Moon Knight's debut is anything but iconic and senses-shattering. In fact, in his very first panel appearance, he seems kinda embarrassed about the whole thing:


Panel from Werewolf by Night #32 (August 1975), script by Doug Moench, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Howie Perlin, colors by Phil Rachelson, letters by Ray Holloway

So, we know this about Moon Knight: he's an avenger that roams the darkness, fighting crime with his wits and his fists. And apparently, if he had his druthers, he'd be known as Captain Crescent-Roll.

Arroooo 3: This time it's personaarrooo

Panel from Exiles #57 (February 2005), script by Tony Bedard, pencils by Jim Calafiore, inks by Mark McKenna, colors by Jung Choi, letters by Dave Sharpe




Panels from Moon Knight v.3 #1 (January 1998), script by Doug Moench, pencils by Tommy Lee Edwards, inks by Robert Campanella, colors by Melissa Edwards, letters by Ken Lopez



Panel from The Supernaturals #2 (December 1998), "storyteller": Brian Pulido, script by Marc Andreyko, pencils by Ivan Reis, inks by Joe Pimental and Elizabeth Lewis, colors by Dean White, letters by Comicraft



Panel from Marvel Premiere #59 (April 1981), script by Steven Grant, pencils and inks by Win Mortimer, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Jean Simek

House ads oughta be fun!

I'm back from the frozen lands of Central New York where I attended the surprise birthday party of John's sister Lorrie (Happy Birfday, Aunt Lorrie!) and got stuck there Sunday night when our flight was cancelled. So, I've returned to Brooklyn a day later and a tote bag full of snowballs richer, which means Wodehouse tomorrow to let me catch up. Tonight? Why not feast your eyes on some wild and wacky Marvel Comics 1980s house ads? Well, why doncha?


House ad from Fantastic Four Annual #18 (1984)


House ad from Fantastic Four #291 (June 1986)


House ad from Fantastic Four #268 (July 1984)


House ad from Fantastic Four Annual #16 (1981)


House ad from Fantastic Four #290 (May 1986)


House ad from Fantastic Four Annual #20 (1987)