Today in Comics History, October 23: Happy birthday, Ewell Blackwell!

A very happy birthday today to born-in-1922's Ewell Blackwell (nicknamed "The Whip" and "Blackie"), phenomenal Major League Baseball pitcher, primarily with the Cincinnati Reds. Also: professional eater of the "Breakfast of Champions":


Wheaties advertisement in DC Comics cover-dated September 1948, creators unknown and uncredited

Today in Comics History, October 23: Happy birthday, Bob Montana!

Born on this day in 1920: Bob Montana, artist and creator of the original Archie comic strip, comic book feature, and characters of Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica. (I personally credit Montana and not John Goldwater, and here's a good TCJ article by R. C. Harvey that argues the same.) Montana also drew or inked some stories at Lev Gleason and Marvel Comics.

Today in Comics History, October 23, 1927: 3-day anniversary of invention of the rubber band co-incides with the invention of the H.R. Department

The Far Side (Chronicle Features, 1983?), by Gary Larson
P.S.: The rubber band was actually patented on March 17, 1845.

Today in Comics History, October 23, 1945: Jackie Robinson joins the League of Multi-Colored Suits

from Jackie Robinson #1 (Fawcett, Summer 1949), script by Charles Dexter, pencils by Clem Weisbecker, inks by John Jordan

Today in Comics History, October 23: Looking through left lens of 3-D glasses provides an entry for "Today in Comics History"

from Batman: The Imposter #3 (DC/Black Label, February 2022), script by Mattson Tomlin, pencils and inks by Andrea Sorrentino, colors by Jordie Bellaire, letters by Steve Wands

Today in Comics History, October 23, 1942: Thank you for flying Amelia Earhart Airlines

from "Indestructible Eddie Rickenbacker" in True Aviation Picture-Stories #3 (Parents' Magazine Press, June 1943), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, October 23, 1962: Khrushchev demands that the studio restore the Snyder Cut

from Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #4 (DC, January 2013), script by Len Wein, pencils and inks by Jae Lee, colors by June Chung, letters by John Workman

Today in Comics History, October 23: Kang's bootleg calendar store is busted by the Avengers

cover of Avengers Forever (1998 series) #5 (Marvel, April 1999), pencils by Carlos Pacheco, inks by Jesús Merino, colors by Steve Oliff and Tony Kelly

Today In Comics History, October 23, 1988: Invention of Levi's loose-fitting camouflage cargo pants

from "Dirty Play" in Psi-Force #29 (Marvel/New Universe, March 1989), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Hector Collazo. inks by Chris Ivy, colors by Marc Siry, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, October 23: The "Serial" podcast goes to Gotham City

from Batman #539 (DC, February 1997), script by Doug Moench, pencils by Kelley Jones, inks by John Beatty, colors by Greg Wright, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, October 23: Library Science is used for evil purposes

from "Guns for Hire!" in Batman #73 (DC, October 1952), pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Charles Paris, letters by Pat Gordon