Today in Comics History, September 28: Happy birthday, Ed Sullivan!

Born on this day in 1901: reporter, syndicated columnist, radio and TV personality and host Ed Sullivan! (You should mentally sing along to the song as you read that name.)


"Ed Sullivan" from Bye Bye Birdie (Columbia, 1963), song by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, featuring Paul Lynde
By the man with a really big shew also had some big appearances...well, okay, medium guest-starring roles...would you believe, cameos?...in comic books throughout the years. Look, he's gettin' bounced by a seal!


cover of Miss Melody Lane of Broadway #3 (DC, June 1950), pencils and inks by Bob Oksner
Ed's also in that comic, but guess what?

I DON'T HAVE IT.

Today in Comics History, September 22: Happy birthday, E. Nelson Bridwell!

Born on this day in 1931: E. Nelson Bridwell, comics writer and editor (MAD, Super Friends, the Batman comic strip, Action Comics, Adventure Comics, Shazam!, Superman, The Superman Family, World's Finest Comics, The Legion of Super-Heroes and more)! Bridwell co-created some of the greatest B-list characters at DC, including the Inferior Five, The Maniaks, the Secret Six, Angel and the Ape, Fire and Ice, and more! He was an early advocate of continuity between titles, and in his role as assistant editor to Mort Weisinger and Julius Schwartz on the Superman titles, he edited the letters columns and developed the Kryptonese language and characters. So yeah: he's pretty important! Why not read more about him in this post? Sure, we all do!


from the editorial page of Showcase #62 [The Inferior Five] (DC/National, May 1966), text by Jack Miller

Today in Comics History, July 7: Happy birthday, Ringo Starr!

Born on this day in Liverpool, England: Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr: singer, songwriter, actor, and drummer for a little band known as The Beatles.


from Beatles with an A: Birth of a Band (Fanfare, July 2014), script and art by Mauri Kunnas


from The Beatles: Their Story in Pictures (ITV, 1982), script by Angus P. Allan, art by Arthur Ranson (collected from the strip in (Look-In)


from The Beatles one-shot (Dell, September 1964), pencils and inks by Joe Sinnott
I know it's your birthday and you're getting older, Ringo, but that's no reason to be MAD about it!


from "American Confetti" in MAD #166 (April 1974), script by Larry Siegel, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
Peace and love and happy birthday, Ringo!


from "The Origin of...Stuporman" in Not Brand Echh #7 (Marvel, April 1968), script by Roy Thomas, pencils and inks (and colors?) by Marie Severin, letters by Artie Simek
Oh, and congratulations to you and Sophia Loren on your marriage!


from The Adventures of Bob Hope #103 (DC, February 1967), script by Arnold Drake, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Mike Esposito, letters by Gaspar Saladino

Today in Comics History, July 4: Human Torch accidentally destroys Glenville

from "The Origin of...The Fantastical Four" in Not Brand Echh #7 (Marvel, April 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, additional art and colors by Marie Severin, letters by Sam Rosen

Today in Comics History, June 7: Happy birthday, Dean Martin!

Born today in 1917: Singer, actor, comedian and comic book star Dean Martin! Let's all raise a glass of something alcoholic to toast ol' Dino and celebrate his appears in the comics!


house ad from DC comics dated October 1953

Today in Comics History, April 25: Happy birthday, Mort Weisinger!

Born on this day in 1915: Mort Weisinger, co-creator of Aquaman, Green Arrow, Johnny Quick, and the original Vigilante; long-time editor of National/DC's Superman line; and story editor of the Adventures of Superman TV show!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Today in Comics History, January 6: Happy birthday, Artie Simek!

Born on this day in 1916: legendary Marvel letterer Artie Simek, who provied the baloons and words for hundreds of Marvel Comics and became one of the great creators of the Silver Age. He lettered and helped design many logos throughout the 1950s and 1960s Marvels, including Fantastic Four, X-Men, Thor, post-#79 Strange Tales, post-#11 Tales to Astonish, and more. (He's also the father of second-generation comics letterer Jean Simek Izzo!)


L: Marvel Tales Annual #1 (Marvel, September 1964)
R: Fantastic Four Annual (1963 series) #7 (Marvel, November 1969)

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 112: Quality, value, style, service, selection, convenience, economy, savings, performance, experience, hospitality, low rates, friendly service, name brands, easy terms, affordable prices, money-back guarantee

Continuing Magnificent Marie Severin Week with a peek (once again) at the real inspiration for Mad Men's Don Draper, J. Jawbone Junkton!


Panels from "It's a Mad, Mad Ave!" in Not Brand Echh #11 (December 1968), script by Stu Schwartzberg, pencils and inks (and colors?) by Marie Severin, letters by Jean Izzo
Let's hope Stan 'n the Marvel Bullpen got a whole truckload of all these fine products absolutely free for their Madison Avenue-style unpaid placement in this li'l four-color spoof comic!:








Go out and BUY ALL THIS STUFF TODAY! Or, in 1968, as applicable.

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 111: Will you surrender to me, Marie?

Yesterday I highlighted a rare-as-a-Wolverine-appearance (in Wonder Woman) J. Jonah Jameson portrayal by Jack Kirby — but with the caveat that, since it was a background appearance in Not Brand Echh after all, it mighta been one of Marie Severin's classic caricatures. So why not spend the rest of the week focusing in on the Divine Ms. M.S.'s depiction of the greatest newspaperman ever (who doesn't appear in Superman comics), J. Jawbone Junkton!




Panels from "Peter Pooper vs. Gnatman and Rotten" in Not Brand Echh #2 (September 1967), script by Stan Lee, pencils (and colors?) by Marie Severin, inks by Frank Giacoia, letters by Al Kurzrok
Tomorrow: more marvelous Marie!

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 110: Not Brand Ecchymosis

Last week I asked you the musical question (minus the music): Did Jack Kirby ever draw J. Jonah Jameson? Well, Bully-fan Carousin' Chris K. suggested one I'd missed from the pages of the ultimate Marvel mag of the 1960s, that scion of satire and paragon of parody, Not Brand Echh!



Panel from "The Origin of Sore, Son of Shmodin" in Not Brand Echh #3 (October 1967), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Frank Giacoia, letters by Artie Simek
As Chris humbly suggests, that might actually be Magnificent Marie Severin chipping in on the background characters there, as she's definitely the doyenne of drollery when it comes to Not Brand Ecch caricature! But until definitely proven otherwise, let's declare this a Kirby JJJ and of course, there must be feasting and celebration! Let us party with pizza!

(What? You bring the pizza, I'm runnin' the blog here.)

Today in Comics History, February 14: Valentine's Day Cards for the Vexingly Dedicated Comics-addict

If'n you're like me, you're panicking because you forgot to buy your sweetie, special someone, or significant otter a Valentine's card. Too late? Not with these handy-dandy all-purpose cheese-and-onion flavoured Valentine's Day cards courtesy of me an' Irving Forbush! And it's so easy: simply photograph your computer screen, transfer the digital image to your computer, crop and color-correct the digital files, print them out on your color printer, trim them properly and then scan them on your scanner, then just print 'em, cut 'em out, fold 'em, and give 'em to your special somebody! It couldn't be easier!

Or, you could just give 'em a half a box of chocolate, which is what I usually do. "Sorry," I say. "I got hungry on the way."





"Valentines" from Not Brand Echh #13 (Marvel, May 1969), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Ronn Foss, inks by John Verpoorten, letters by Herb Cooper

At 13th Dimension: "Thirteen Days a Week: A Beatles Comics Countdown" continues!

All this week on 13th Dimension, it's Beatles Week! While I'm trying to get caught up on KirbyTech (I promise I will!), my best pal John (my intern and research assistant) has written about some of the greatest Beatles appearances in comic books—a lucky baker's dozen of them, come to think of it! Tonight, installment number two, counting down from 10 to 8 and starring Ben Grimm, Pinky and the Brain, and Herbie Popnecker!

I asked him to, but John didn't include this Beatles moment in comic books that I clipped out and thrust at him hopefully:


Panel from Not Brand Echh #8 (June 1968), script by Roy Thomas, pencils and inks by John Verpoorten, letters by Joe Rosen
Is it petty of me to point out that the colorist for this story (Stan Goldberg, maybe?) got the colors of the Sgt. Pepper uniforms wrong? Naw, that would be nitpicking to point out that John should be in neon green, Ringo in hot pink, Paul in sky blue, and George in Jolly-Olly-Orange.


Once again, that's Beatles Week at 13th Dimension! We hope you will enjoy the show!

Stan Lee Saturdays #16: That boy needs therapy

Panel from "Liltin' Limericks" in Not Brand Echh #13 (May 1969),
script by Roy Thomas and Phil Seuling, pencils and inks by Tom Sutton

Comics Within Comics Week, Day 2: I Never Meta Avenger I Didn't Like

Pages 5-6 from "The Revengers!" in Not Brand Echh #12 (February 1969), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Tom Sutton (page 5) and John Buscema (page 6), inks by Tom Sutton (page 5) and George Klein (page 6), letters by Jean Izzo



Cover of Not Brand Echh #12 (February 1969), cover art by Marie Severin



Sorry; these comics don't count. (They don't read or write, either.)