Today in Comics History, September 1, 1858 and 1958: The literary hunt that serves a duel purpose

On this very day in 1858, a remarkable competition is born:


from The Adventures of Blake & Mortimer v.24: The Testament of William S. (Cinebook, March 2017), script by Yves Sente, translation by Jerome Saincantin, pencils and inks by André Juillard, colors by Madeleine DeMille, letters by Design Amorandi
Just like me doing my chores (I have to empty the wastebaskets and put the magazines into recycling), everybody leaves it until the last minute, so one hundred years later, in 1958:


Anyway, so what's such aa big deal about winning the bet?


HOLY COW! TO THE SHAKESPEARE-MOBILE!

Today in Comics History, September 1: Happy birthday, Joyce Holden!

Born on this day in 1930: movie and TV actor Joyce Holden! She's been in The Milkman, Iron Man (not, not that one, this one's from 1951), Bronco Buster, Girls in the Night, You Never Can Tell, The Donald O'Connor Show, and in Spin and Marty from The Mickey Mouse Club, among others! What she hasn't been in is very many comic books, but I did hunt up the one she was in! Who says this isn't the Mighty Bully Age of Doing Research to Entertain All Y'All?


from Movie Love #18 (Eastern Color, December 1952), pencils and inks by Frank Fogarty
Sadly, she didn't even get her picture in this feature. So, to address that omission, here she is WHOA VA-VA-VOOM! Ahem. I mean, Miss Holden, with complete respect AH-WOOGA AH-WOOGA! (hits self over head with hammer)


Happy birthday, Joyce!

Today in Comics History, September 1: Happy birthday, Gene Colan!

Let's all wish a happy birthday to comics artist Gene Colan, born this day in 1926! Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Tomb of Dracula, Detective Comics, Wonder Woman, Tales of Suspense, Night Force, Jemm: Son of Saturn, Captain America, Silverblade, Iron Man, Howard the Duck, My Love, Our Army at War, Hopalong Cassidy, The Avengers, and don't forget Jughead's Time Police – he's drawn 'em all! Plus ever so very many more! Why, we'd be here all night so maybe I'd better list the comics Gene Colan hasn't worked on. Let's see...Angel Love...? And here's a short list of the dozens of characters he's co-created: Blade, Carol Danvers, the Super-Adaptoid, Ben Urich, freakin' Dracula (well, the Marvel version, at least), Nathaniel Dusk, Captain Mar-Vell, Madame Masque, Jemm (Son o' Saturn), Baron Winters and the members of Night Force, Mister Fear, Nocturna, and my favorite, Man-Bull! Whew!


from The Mighty Marvel Calendar 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979 (Marvel, 1975-1978)

Today in Comics History, September 1: Happy birthday, Larry Stroman!

Born today: comics artist and writer Larry Stroman (X-Factor, Alien Legion, Cloak and Dagger, Sabretooth, Ghost Rider, Punisher, Darkstars, The Mark, co-creator of Image's The Tribe, and much more)!


from Marvel Age #112 (Marvel, May 1992)
Happy birthday, Larry!


from Marvel Graphic Novel #34: Cloak and Dagger: Predator and Prey (Marvel, June 1988)

Today in Comics History, September 1: Happy birthday, Joe Jusko!

Born on this day: painter Joe Jusko, whose illustrative work has graced many fantasy/science fiction books and collections, including the groundbreaking 1992 Marvel Masterpieces trading cards that initiated the painted trading card boom of the 1990s!



from Marvel Age (top) #117 and (bottom) 118 (Marvel, October-November 1992), photographs by Christopher Ebel

Today in Comics History, September 1: Happy birthday, Gaspar Saladino!

Born on this day in 1927: Gaspar Saladino, long-time letterer and logo designer for DC comics (and Marvel too!)


"DC Profile #86: Gaspar Saladino" in DC Comics cover-dated January 1982, by Michael C. Carmichael
Happy birthday, Gaspar!


from The Amazing World of Superman (DC, 1973)
And a Merry Letterer Appreciation Day to you, too! (It's also Spirit letterer Abe Kanegson's birthday!)

Today in Comics History, September 1: Happy birthday, Abe Kanegson!

Born on this day in 1921 (or September 6, sources vary): comics letterer Abe Kanegson, letterer in the Will Eisner Shop, which created the weekly Sunday adventures of The Spirit!


from The Spirit Section (Register and Tribune Syndicate, June 8, 1947), script, pencils, and inks by Will Eisner; background pencils and inks by Jerry Grandenetti, letters by Abe Kanegson

Today in Comics History, September 1, 2016: Moon Knight is ready for his close up

cover of Moon Knight (2016 series) #6 (Marvel, November 2016), art by Greg Smallwood

Today in Comics History, September 1: Calendar Man imparts a vital piece of secret knowledge to the Caped Crusader

from Batman: The Long Halloween #12 (DC, November 1997), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils and inks by Tim Sale, colors by Gregory Wright, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, September 1, 1981: Like Golden Age Daredevil, Captain America too is screamin' mad at giant newspaper

from The Avengers (1963 series) #214 (November 1981), script by Jim Shooter, pencils by Bob Hall, inks by Dan Green, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Janice Chiang

Today in Comics History, September 1, 1967: Alexander Haig declares he's in charge of the Beatles

from The Beatles in Comics! (NBM, November 2018); script by Richard Di Martino; translation by Joe Johnson; art by Ben Lebégue; letters by Ortho

Today in Comics History, September 1, 1939: Meanwhile in New York, the young Jack Kirby makes plans to punch him

from History of the Marvel Universe #2 (Marvel, October 2019), script by Mark Waid, pencils and colors by Javier Rodríguez, inks by Álvaro López, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, September 1, 1980: Madeleine Pryor tragically doesn't get a second pack of peanuts on her flight

from Uncanny X-Men (1963 series) #171 (Marvel, July 1983), script by Chris Claremont, breakdowns by Walt Simonson, finishes by Bob Wiacek, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Tom Orzechwoski

Today in Comics History, September 1, 1982: American tourist detained at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport with suitcase full of hotel towels

from Psi-Force #21 (Marvel/New Universe, July 1988), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Mike Witherby, colors by Nelson Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, September 1: Happy birthday, Nicole Boose!

Born on this day: Nicole Boose, editor at Marvel in the mid-aughties! And she had to put up with shenanigans like this:


from "Masked Marvel," backup story in Marvel Comics cover-dated August and Septeber 2006; script by Karl Kesel, pencils and inks by David Hahn, colors by Pete Pantazis, letters by Rus Wooton
And, if that wasn't bad enough...with Deadpool!


from Cable & Deadpool (2004 series) #36 (Marvel, March 2007), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Reilly Brown, inks by Jeremy Freeman, colors by Gotham, letters by Dave Sharpe
Happy birthday, Nicole!

Today in Comics History, September 1, 1939: Pretty much the worst telemarketing call ever

from "General George C. Marshall" in It Really Happened #7 (Pines, February 1947), pencils by King Ward

Today in Comics History, September 1, 1945: Golden Age Daredevil declares war on black marketeers and this one newspaper

from Daredevil Comics #32 (Lev Gleason, September 1945), pencils and inks by Charles Biro

Today in Comics History, September 1, 1989: The Gotham Gazette just gives up and distributes a Xerox™ed newsletter

from Detective Comics #608 (DC, November 1989), script by Alan Grant, pencils by Norm Breyfogle, inks by Steve Mitchell, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by Todd Klein
Also in this issue: Batman goes FRATCH!


Fratch, everybody! Fratch.