Today in Comics History, April 25: Happy birthday, Justice!

Born on this day in 1950: the guy who thought he was an alien cop until Marvel remembered he was supposed to live in the world outside your window: John Tensen, Justice!



from Justice (1986 series) #22 (Marvel/New Universe, August 1988), creators unidentified and unknown

Today in Comics History, April 20, 1966: Happy birthday, Mutator!

Please wish a happy bithday to porcupine impersonator and true inventor of the grunge look, Mutator!


from D.P. 7 #26 (Marvel/New Universe, December 1988), pencils by Paul Ryan

Today in Comics History, September 23: Happy birthday, Paul Ryan!

Born today in 1949: comic book artist Paul Ryan (Fantastic Four, Fantastic Five, D.P. 7, The Flash, Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Phantom comic strip, The Amazing Spider-Man Sunday comic strip, various Superman and Batman titles, The Avengers, Maximum Security and many more)! How great is Paul Ryan? So great he got two different Marvel Pro Files!



(top) from Marvel/New Universe comics cover-dated January 1988;
(bottom) Marvel Age #93 (Marvel, October 1990)
Now for birthday party games: seek and find Paul Ryan in the crowd at the El/Lane nuptial event below!:

from Superman: The Wedding Album one-shot (DC, December 1996), pencils by Dan Jurgens, inks by Jerry Ordway, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Bill Oakley
Click top picture to honeymoon-size
Happy birthday to you, Paul!

Today in Comics History, September 22: Happy birthday, Kathy Ling!

Today in 1970 in the New Universe was born Kathy Ling, one of the members of Psi-Force with the paranomal power of really long legs and really short shirts. Also: she got her fashion sense about belts from Rogue.


from Psi-Force #21 (Marvel/New Universe, July 1988), pencils by Ron Lim
Happy birthday, Ms. Ling!

Today in Comics History, September 21: Happy birthday, Mastodon!

Born on this date in 1952: Dave Landers, better known to us as everybody's favorite Displaced Paranormal: Mastodon! Frankly, I can't see why he would be displaced — how could you possible move that guy! he was one of the most visible characters in the 1980s New Universe. You can tell he's from the eighties because of those adorable furry shoulder pads.


from D.P. 7 #22 (Marvel/New Universe, August 1988), creators uncredited and unknown
Happy birthday, Dave! Don't eat all the cake before I get a slice, big guy!

Today in Comics History, September 1: Happy birthday, Friction!

Friction! You don't cause some, there won't be none! Oh, and it's her birthday, too (born in 1968).


from D.P. 7 #20 (Marvel/New Universe, June 1988), creators unidentified and unknown
Happy birthday to you all the way over in the New Universe, Charlotte!

Today in Comics History, August 27: Happy birthday, Thomas Boyd!

Born on this day in 1969 (so he just missed Woodstock): paranormal Thomas Boyd, who was absent the day they handed out cool code names.


from Psi-Force #23 (Marvel/New Universe, September 1988), pencils by Ron Lim
Oh no! He killed Edgar Allan Poe!

Today in Comics History, August 2, 1988: This text is an insult to any actual dead skunks in a bag* of spoiled milk

from "Hard Copy" in Psi-Force #26 (Marvel/New Universe, December 1988), text by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Graham Nolan, inks by Chris Ivy, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker
(Click picture to large-print-size this book)
*Despite this, curiously enough, Fabian Nicieza is not from Canada.

Today in Comics History, January 27, 1958: Happy birthday, Pit Bull!

Happy birthday this very day to Pit Bull...if not the best known, then certainly the handsomest denizen of the New Universe!


from D.P. 7 #26 (Marvel/New Universe, December 1988), pencils by Paul Ryan

Today in Comics History, July 22, 1986, 4:22 AM (or maybe PM): It's a New, New U / Comin ' right at you

New Universe teaser house ads in Marvel Comics (1986), art by John Romita, Jr.

IT'S COMING and we're totally in the pink

from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated April 1986, by Jim Shooter

IT'S COMING (we promise)

from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated August 1986, by Jim Shooter

IT'S COMING

tomorrow


New Universe house ad from Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1986

Today in Comics History, July 13: Happy birthday, Andrew Chaser!

Andrew Chaser? This character who I don't remember at all from the New Universe is having a birthday! Wait, he was born in 1954? Funny, judging by his clothing, I woulda thought he was born in the eighties!


from Psi-Force #23 (Marvel/New Universe, September 1988), pencils by Ron Lim
Happy birthday, Andrew Chaser! May you celebrate with a shot and...well, ya know.

Today in Comics History, May 20: Happy birthday, Glitter!

Born on this date in 1956: the New Universe's Glitter! Not to be confused with that Mariah Carey movie. Boy, I bet they make a lot of jokes to her about that.


from D.P. 7 #24 (Marvel/New Universe, October 1988), pencils by Paul Ryan
Happy birthday, Ms. Harrington! Play us off, Mariah!


"Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" by Mariah Carey feat. Busta Rhymes, Fabolous and DJ Clue (Sony, 2001), written by Michael Cleveland

Today in Comics History, April 14: Happy birthday, Potiphar!

Born on this day in 1960: Potiphar, the mercenary who asks the question "what's a potty for?" Actually, upon consultation with my New Critical Comparative Bible and Koran for Bulls, "Potiphar" is a character in both the Hebrew Bible and the Koran who had Joseph (of Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat fame?) as a slave but elevated him to become his household's major domo, until Potiphar's Wife (the apt-titled "not named in the scripture) messed that all up by trying to seduce Joseph and then accusing him of rape when Joseph resisted. (Looking back at my big-ass Bible) Really? That's who this guy is? Why didn't you just name him "Mark Hazzard, Merc?" That name wasn't being used anymore!


from Psi-Force #23 (Marvel/New Universe, September 1988), pencils by Ron Lim
Oh well, happy birthday anyway, Potiphar!

Today in Comics History, April 1: Happy birthday, Sillatochca!

Born on this day, April 1, 1955: Leonid Vishnevetsky, better known as Sillatochca, displaced (in Siberia) Russian paranormal!


from Psi-Force #26 (Marvel/New Universe, December 1988), pencils by Graham Nolan
Happy birthday, ya balding, weird-skulled, commie rat!

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 15: Happy birthday, Skybreaker!

Born on this day in 1953, everybody's favorite* comic book baddie that sounds like a James Bond film: Skybreaker!


from Psi-Force #26 (Marvel/New Universe, December 1988), pencils by Graham Nolan
*Except for Thunderball.

Today in Comics History, February 4: Happy birthday, Antibody!

Born on this day in 1958, in the World Outside Your Window™ (copyright ©1986 Jim Shooter): Randy O'Brien, the amazing Antibody of D.P.7!


from D.P. 7 #20 (Marvel/New Universe, June 1988), creators uncredited and unknown
A very displaced birthday to ya, Antibody!