Today in Comics History, April 1, April Fools' Day: Won't you turn your radio down / Respect the seven second delay we use

from Sandman #5 (1989 series) (DC, May 1989), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils by Sam Kieth, inks by Malcolm Jones III, colors by Robbie Busch, letters by Todd Klein


opening theme from Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Revuew/Universal, 1955), ("Funeral March of a Marionette" by Charles Gounod)

Today in Comics History, May 23, 1751: Pedantics of the Eighteenth Century

from "Death and Venice" in The Sandman: Endless Nights (DC/Vertigo, November 2003), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils and inks by P. Craig Russell, colors by Lovern Kindzierski, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, February 13: Happy birthday, Kim Novak!

Born on this day: film and telvision actor Kim Novak (Picnic, The Man with the Golden Arm, Pal Joey, Vertigo, Bell, Book and Candle, Strangers When We Meet, Of Human Bondage, and lots more!)

And now, Kim Novak as drawn by Wally Wood. Please do not drool on my blog.


from "Scenes We Never Got To See" in MAD #42 (November 1958), script by Albert Meglin, pencils and inks by Wally Wood

Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Jill Thompson!

Born on this day: comic book writer and artist Jill Thompson (Sandman, Wonder Woman, Elementals, Black Orchid, more; co-creator of Beasts of Burden, creator of Scary Godmother)!


from cover of Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #5 (Bongo, September 1999), pencils and inks by Bill Morrison, colors by Nathan Kane
Chibi Vertigo editor Shelley Bond (left) and Jill Thompson self-portrait!:


from Vertigo X Anniversary Preview one-shot (DC/Vertigo, April 2003), by Jill Thompson

Today in Comics History, June 30: Happy birthday, Shawn McManus!

Born on this day: comics artist Shawn McManus (Swamp Thing, Sandman, Omega Men, Doctor Fate, Marvel Comics Presents, Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis, Fables, Fairest, Detective Comics, Man Called A-X, and more)!


from New Talent Showcase (1984 series) #5 (May 1984)
Happy birthday, Shawn!


from Sandman: The Deluxe Edition v.3 (DC/Vertigo, October 2021)

Today in Comics History, June 23, 1593: Invention of "Are we there yet?'

from Sandman #19 (DC, September 1990), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils and inks by Charles Vess, colors by Steve Oliff, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, June 16, 9998K: Oh, we can't have nice things

On this day in the Kryptonian year 9,998: Krypton goes kaplooie! I wouldn't use that phrasing around Superman, though.


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Comics Do Shakespeare, Final Act: Curtain Call

from Sandman (1989 series) #19 (DC, September 1990), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils and inks by Charles Vess, colors by Steve Oliff, letters by Todd Klein

Comics Do Shakespeare: The Tempest, Act 6: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

Shakespeare writes a play. His final play, as it turns out.





from Sandman (1989 series) #75 (DC/Vertigo, March 1996); script by Neil Gaiman; pencils by Charles Vess, John Ridgway, Bryan Talbot, and Michael Zulli; inks by Charles Vess; colors by Daniel Vozzo; color separations by Digital Chameleon; letters by Todd Klein
Oh, this a-hole again:




That's pretty much the end of 2022's Shakespeare Day celebrations (well, very nearly), so for at least a year we return to your regularly scheduled comics blog. i hope you've laughed, and cried, and maybe learned a thing or two.



Born on this day (probably) in 1564; died on this day in 1616: William Shakespeare, who wrote some really cool stuff. Happy birthday, Will.

I like to think that if he'd lived during the 1940s, he would've written some really cool comic books.

Comics Do Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 8: Don't worry, this is gonna pay off in...(checks notes)...fifty-six issues.

from Sandman (1989 series) #19 (DC, September 1990), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils and inks by Charles Vess, colors by Steve Oliff, letters by Todd Klein

Today in Comics History, January 8, 1880: Emperor Norton has fallen and he can't get up

from The Sandman (1989 series) #31 (DC, October 1991), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils and inks by Shawn McManus, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Todd Klein
I think that the following page-and-a-bit is my favorite single scene of them all from Neil Gaiman's Sandman.



Where have you gone, Emperor Norton?



Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.


from "Sure as Shootin'" in Desperado #4 (Lev Gleason, October 1948); text, pencils, and inks by Claude Moore

365 Days of Defiance, Day 118: Rap Battle from Hell

It's the Sandman and his cool slouch hat against the hell-demon who stole his hell-met. But they're not gonna arm wrestle or play chess or even Gnip-Gnop (funnest game on Earth!)...they have agreed to a battle of words. First off: "Yo' mama so fat..." Oh wait, it's a little more civilized than that.


Panels from The Sandman (1989 series) #4 (April 1989), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils by Sam Kieth, inks by Mike Dringenberg, colors by Robbie Busch, letters by Todd Klein
The purpose of the game is to name something that can destroy whatever the opponent says. Personally, I'm all for using Megaweapon, but Dream and Dreamon Choronzon are playing on a much more intellectual plane.


C'mon, somebody say "your mom" already!


OOH HE CAN'T TAKE IT THERE!


"Oh dear," says Choronzon, "I hadn't thought of that," and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.

So remember: when you need the most powerful weapon of them all against the forces of hell, use HOPE!


Oh, and the other guy, too.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 51: The Last Temptation of Prez Rickard

As William Howard Taft, one of our belovedest and roly-polyest Presidents would say: "Hey hey hey, It's Presidents' Day!" And it is*! You can't sneak much past President Taft, not even a bathtub.

That's why we're gathered here today to salute America's Greatest President (sit down, James K. Polk): Prez Rickard!


Panels from Sandman (1989 series) #54 (October 1993), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils and inks by Michael Allred, colors by Daniel Vozzo, letters by Todd Klein
The religious allegories are pretty obvious even in the DC Universe where Superman has been known to stretch out his arms when hovering and Mxyzptlk frequently turns lemonade into Grapefruit Kryptonite. Prez is brought out to the wasteland and tempted, not with the usual comic-book rewards of fame and power...oh, wait, I've made another one of my silly mistakes. He's tempted with exactly fame and power.


And in a dream...or maybe something more like true waking...he conversates with the Little President Who Thought He Could, Richard M. Nixon, trying to convince our pajamaless protagonist that the best creed you can folliow in the White House is every man for himself. (SHAMELESS CROSS-WEBSITE PROMOTIONAL PLUG: Don't forget to check out my article on 13th Dimension for a rundown of the 13 faces of Richard Nixon in Comics! Don't worry, we'll wipe the tapes after you've been there.)


But that's not the way Prez rolls. (Prez Rolls, available at your local supermarket on the specialty breads shelf, new from Staff Bread!) Mind you, it's not that hard to resist Slimy Temptation by Tricky Dick, but I think even you and I might be seduced by the mouthwatering promise of being that one guy who could go to China. No, Prez is in this game we call politics for exactly one thing: everybody else in the United States of America.


And yes, it's truly a better world, pretty close to ours but only a slight vibratory dimension and one good man away. Look, he even saved John Belushi! (Celebrity in a Comic Book, folks!)


And his reward for it all? Well, in the end he gets exactly what we all get: he gets a lifetime.


Wait! One last act of defiance against the expectations of a President. When he discovers his temptor Boss Smiley is in charge "upstairs," Prez (with a little help from that crazy candy-colored clown called the Sandman) chooses another place, another path. Or, to paraphrase General John Stark (no relation to Tony) of New Hampshire: Die free, and live.


'Coz all Prez ever wanted to do was fix things so they ran right.


May we all make the same choice. May our Presidents and Prime Ministers and Premiers and Kings and leaders around the world and throughout the future ever strive to fix things. For all of us. For the dream.

---

* Offer not valid if you're reading this on not Presidents' Day, or indeed, if I forget to post it on President's Day.

365 Days of Defiance, Day 17: I would not be able to equate my life with sand

Panels from Sandman (1989 series) #1 (January 1989), script by Neil Gaiman, pencils by Sam Kieth, inks by Mike Dringenberg, colors by Robbie Busch, letters by Todd Klein