Born on this day in 1908: Major League Baseball pitcher and All Star Monte "Hoot" Pearson (Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds from 1932 to 1941). He's in the upper-right on this page:
"Sports Close-Ups!: Sore Arm Puzzle" from Superman (1939 series) #6 (DC/Superman, Inc, September 1940); text, pencils, and inks by Jack Burnley
Let's not mention the time he spent eight months in jail in 1962 for bribery concerning faulty septic tanks, and just wish Monte Pearson a happy birthday, shall we?
Born on this date in 1890: Ferdinand Joseph Lemott, better known to the world as Jelly Roll Morton, ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer ("King Porter Stomp," "Grandpa's Spells," "Wolverine Blues," "Black Bottom Stomp," "Jelly Roll Blues," "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say," "Wild Man Blues," and many more). He claimed to have invented the genre and called himself "The Inventor of Jazz," and even if it's possibly not 100% true, he's one of the greatest pioneer and innovators of jazz music. Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb, natch, were big fans, and here's the first page of Crumb's story on Jelly's Roll's belief that a voodoo curse caused his later decline in popularity:
from "Jelly Roll Morton's Voodoo Curse" in Raw (1980 series) #7 (Raw, May 1985), by Robert Crumb
Great musician and named after a great dessert? He's one of my favorites, too. Happy birthday, Jelly Roll, and keep on playin'.
"King Porter Stomp" by Jelly Roll Morton (Vocalion, 1926), written by Jelly Roll Morton
Born on this date in 1901: Gus Edson, writer and cartoonist on the comics strip The Gumps (for 24 years!) and co-creator of the strip Dondi (which he wrote for 12 years). Edson co-scripted and made a cameo in the 1961 Dondi movie as a police sergeant (along with artist Irwin Hasen as a police sketch artist).
"A Dream Comes True" from Four Color #1176 [Dondi] (Dell, January 1961)
Born on this day: comics inker Doug Hazelwood, a winner in the original Marvel Try-Out Book contest. He's inked Doom Patrol, Animal Man, Flash, Superman, Adventures of Superman, Teen Titans, and more! (So how'd that work out for ya, Marvel? Oh, he also inked Nick Fury, What If?, and Doctor Strange, so fair enough!)
from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated February 1986
from D.P. 7 Annual #1 (Marvel/New Universe, November 1987), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Lee Weeks, inks by Tony DeZuniga, colors by Paul Becton, letters by Phil Felix
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