Today in Comics History, September 27: Happy birthday, Avril Lavigne!

Born on this day: Grammy-Award-winning singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne ("Complicated," "Sk8er Boi," "Don't Tell Me," "My Happy Ending" and more)! What's that gotta do with comic books, you ask? Well...


covers of Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes Vol. 1 and 2 (Del Rey, April 2007-July 2007), art by Camilla d'Errico

Today in Comics History, September 19: Schoolchildren can no longer read these captions

from Spectacular Spider-Man #149 (Marvel, April 1989), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, Thursday the 23rd: Victoria's Secret model confounds Captain America and SHIELD*

from Spectacular Spider-Man (2003 series) #19 (Marvel, November 2004), script by Paul Jenkins, pencils by Paco Medina, inks by Juan Vlasco, colors by Studio F, letters by Cory Petit
*Supermodel Has Indecent Exposure Lingerie Down

Today in Comics History, November 4: Creepy middle-age man creepily stalks teen-age girl he's creepily obsessed with, creepily

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #149 (Marvel, April 1989), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Halloween Comics History, October 31: Peter Parker sings racist anthem

from Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #38 (Marvel, January 1980), script by Bill Mantlo, breakdowns by Sal Buscema, finishes by Chic Stone, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Diana Albers
See? Parker's as "white as a sheet." Like the sheet you're gonna wear for your meeting later, Petey?


What kinda party are you joinin', Pete? Does it rhyme with Yahtzee?!?


(PS: Peter Parker is not a racist, a Klansman, or a Nazi. He is, however, incredibly socially inept.)

Today in Comics History, October 13: NYC Mayor Abe Beame decides to charge Spider-Man sixty million dollars for his unpaid parking tickets

from Peter Parker, The Spectcaular Spider-Man (1976 series) #1 (December 1976), script by Gerry Conway, breakdowns by Sal Buscema, figure finishes by Mike Esposito, background finishes and colors by Dave Hunt, letters by Joe Rosen

Today in Comics History, September 27: Happy birthday, Bob Sharen!

Born on this day: comics inker and colorist Bob Sharen!


from Marvel Age #57, 93 and 105 (Marvel, December 1987, October 1990 and October 1991); text by Mike Carlin (#57), Chris Eliopoulis & Barry Dutter (#93) and Mike Lackey (#105); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Paul Becton (#57), Marie Javins (#93), and Renee Witterstaetter (#105)
Bob has colored issues of Amazing and Spectacular Spider-Man, Alpha Flight, Avengers, Captain America, G.I. Joe, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Micronauts, What If...?, and many, many more1


from Marvel Age #13 (Marvel, April 1984)
Happy birthday, Bob!


from Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #77 (Marvel, April 1983), script by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Al Milgrom, inks by Jim Mooney, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Joe Rosen

Today in Comics History, August 16: Happy birthday, Madonna!

Born on this day: singer, songwriter, and (ahem) actor Madonna! Marvel shoulda given her a series in the '80s, doncha think?


from Madonna #1 (Personality Comics, September 1991), script by Steven Spire III, pencils and inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, letters by Dave Sharpe

Today in Comics History, August 15: Everybody wants to kill Peter Parker, but nobody ever does anything about it

from The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #149 (Marvel, April 1989), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1990, 2:30 AM: Everybody powers up and yells a lot

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #170 (Marvel, November 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1990, 1:36 AM: So judging from this image, a quinjet is about ten automobiles wide?

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #170 (Marvel, November 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1990, 1:06 AM: Pink Phantom in Avengers Mansion, the team is in expansion

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #170 (Marvel, November 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 14, 1990, 12:38 AM: Pink skies at night, everything's not all right

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #170 (Marvel, November 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 13, 1990, 10:58 PM: They smile in your face / All the time they want to take your place / The sand punchers

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #169 (Marvel, October 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen and Renee Witterstaetter, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 13, 1990, 10:47 PM: Edna Gorch fails her perception roll

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #169 (Marvel, October 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen and Renee Witterstaetter, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 13, 1990, 10:32 PM: Puma Man! He flies like a moron!

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #169 (Marvel, October 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen and Renee Witterstaetter, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 13, 1990, 10:06 PM: The Daily Bugle gets knocked down; doesn't get back up again

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #169 (Marvel, October 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen and Renee Witterstaetter, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, August 13, 1990, 8:13 AM: She-Hulk bets on television promotion

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #168 (Marvel, September 1990), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen and Renee Witterstaetter, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, July 22: Happy birthday, Millie Shuriff!

Today's the birthday of Millie Shuriff! You probably don't recognize the name, so stop, collaborate and listen: she has the third-longest employment at Marvel Comics (after Stan Lee and Flo Steinberg), hired in 1956 when the company was still known as Magazine Management (the "Atlas" era). Starting out as a freelancer, Millie later was hired full-time by Stan to serve as Marvel's bookkeeper and the person who cut vouchers for freelancers to get paid, and without paid freelancers, you don't get pages. See, without Millie Shuriff, there would be no Marvel Comics!


from Marvel Vision #30 (Marvel, June 1998)

Today in Comics History, June 11, 1988: Royalties on "Ring of Fire" are finally paid

from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #144 (Marvel, November 1988), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker