Today in Comics History, May 9, 1754: The secret ingredient on tonight's Iron Chef is snake

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember!" in Real Fact Comics #6 (DC, January 1947), pencils and inks by George Roussos

Today in Comics History, May 6, 1937: "So, what would you say if I told you that your mother made a phony bomb threat just to get a free ride on a blimp?"

Somebody asked me, "Hey Bully, are you gonna do a Today in Comics History about that big blimp from the 1930s?" And I said, "I already did a post about Orson Welles!"


Okay, okay! Today in Comics History, May 6: Born on this date: Tom Raymond, the Golden Age Human Torch's sidekick Toro!

Oh, and a big balloon blew up.


from The Torch #1 (Marvel, November 2009), co-plot by Alex Ross, co-plot and script by Mike Carey, pencils and inks by Patrick Berkenkotter, colors by Carlos Lopez, letters by Todd Klein
It's the Hindenburg! Yes, a tragic moment in aeronautics for the humanity, but on the other hand, it was a Nazi airship.


from "News Snapshots - Past and Present" in It Really Happened #10 (Pines, August 1947), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, December 17, 1903: Compared to other realities, our Wright Brothers totally suck

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published December 17, 2014.

Today in American History (not just comics, altho' they overlap, as you shall see): one of the most important technological steps forward in humanity as the Wright Brothers finally realized our dream of flying. (Insert your own lost luggage joke here.)


from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #1 (DC, March 1946), pencils and inks by George Roussos
Because the name of the comic book is Real Facts, i assure you that is fact, brother, just exactly as it happened, maybe minus Lex Luthor there underneath the yellow hat. Exciting, huh?

Today in Comics History, September 26, 1908: Tony Stark destroys Brooklyn

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember!" in Real Fact Comics #15 (DC, July 1948), pencils and inks by Phil Berube

Today in Comics History, September 3, 1925: Nobody liked the George Lucas-directed prequel

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember!" in Real Fact Comics #8 (DC, May 1947), pencils and inks by George Roussos

Today in Comics History, August 24, 1814: White House Rose Garden is completely ruined

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember!" in Real Fact Comics #10 (DC, September 1947), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, July 14, 1789: Now that's how you do a revolution

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember!" in Real Fact Comics #11 (DC, November 1947), pencils and inks by George Roussos (?)

Today in Comics History, July 4, 1939: I hope you didn't expect me to have a joke for this one, because I love Lou Gehrig

from "Scoops to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #5 (November 1946), pencils and inks by George Roussos


from "Iron Man Lou Gehrig" in Real Heroes #6 (Parents' Magazine Press, September 1942), pencils and inks by Chad Grothkopf



from "Lou Gehrig: Baseball's Iron Horse" in It Really Happened #5 (Pines, October 1946), pencils and inks by Sam Cooper (?)

Today in Comics History, May 29, 1919: Jupiter aligns with Mars

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #1 (DC, March), pencils and inks by George Roussos

Today in Comics History, May 10, 1869: Thanks to the Dreaded Deadline Doom, Real Fact Comics is forced to re-use an old script

Oh for Pete's sake, Real Fact Comics! You wouldn't catch your counterparts at the competing Real Life Comics stooping so low!



from (top) "Scoops...Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #10 (DC, September 1947), creators uncredited and unknown, and
(bottom) from Real Fact Comics #21 (DC, July 1949), pencils and inks by Joe Kubert
OH COME ON NOW REAL LIFE COMICS


from "Leland Stanford: Railroad Pioneer of the West" in Real Life Comics #11 (Pines, May 1943), pencils and inks by Maurice Gutwirth
Ahhh, I guess we'll let you off the hook, Real Life Comics, since you came up with it first. But for shame, Real Fact Comics. You should have more original imagintion, like they do at EC Comics.


from Picture Stories from American History #4 (EC, Summer 1947), script by Jerry Coleman, pencils and inks by Allen Simon
OH FER CRYIN' OUT LOUD EC

Today in Comics History, May 1, 1898: "Famous" message now completely forgotten

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember!" in Real Fact Comics #10 (DC, September-October 1947), creators uncredited and unknown
(Here's the story of that message.)

Today in Comics History, April 15, 1912: Well, maybe they shouldn't have steered straight for the iceberg

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #3 (DC, July 1946); script by Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinge, and/or Bernie Breslauer; pencils and inks by George Roussos

Today in Comics History, July 28, 1945: Just when we were thinking this was tragic but quaint

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #5 (DC, November 1946), pencils and inks by George Roussos

Today in Comics History, April 14, 1865: Or again, maybe he was

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #3 (DC, July 1946); script by Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinger, and/or Bernie Breslauer; pencils and inks by George Roussos

Today in Comics History, February 15, 1898: Yosemite Sam didn't blow that match out in time

from "Scoops...Pictures to Remember" in Real Fact Comics #9 (DC, July 1947), pencils and inks by George Roussos


from "Bucaneer Bunny" (1948), directed by Friz Freleng