Today in Comics History, April 29: Happy birthday, Kate Mulgrew!

Born on this day: actor Kate Mulgrew, who starred in Ryan's Hope, Orange Is the New Black, Mrs. Columbo aka Kate Columbo aka Kate the Detective aka Kate Loves a Mystery, but today we salute her mainly using comic books about her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager, because there were no Mrs. Columbo comic books and I can't get to my Ryan's Hope comic books (Gold Key, 1975-1983, 47 issues) ever since the "R" section of my Underground Comics Vault collapsed late last year in a freak Ravage 2099 incident.


cover of Star Trek: Voyager (1966 series) #14 (Marvel/Paramount, February 1998), pencils by Terry Pallot, inks by Al Milgrom

What's Bully Reading? 2024 #19: Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack

It's been a while since I read a Star Trek novel — I haven't followed them since the Novelverse was destroyed in order to put the Paramount+'s post-Nemesis canon TV timeline in its place — but this was a pretty good one. It's a prequel to the first season of Picard (and made me appreciate that season a lot more) that fills in the details and the history of the Romulan star's destruction and Picard's attempts to provid escape and harbor to the Romulans on their affected, soon-to-die worlds.

Today in Comics History, September 8, 1966: New sci-fi television show eventually leads to everybody getting Tuvixed this week

It's the 57th anniversary of Star Trek!


from George's Run: A Writer's Journey through the Twilight Zone (Rutgers, May 2023), by Henry Chamberlain
As usual, Mister Spock Explains It All For You™:


Happy birthday, Star Trek! I'mma gonna go and watch one or two of your one bajillion episodes, 'kay?

Today in Comics History, June 19: Happy birthday, Zoe Saldaña!

Born on this day: movie star, model, and voice artist Zoe Saldaña of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Terminal, The Losers, Death at a Funeral, The Book of Life, Maya and the Three, From Scratch and many more...but we nerds know her best from the Avatar series, the 2009 Star Trek reboots, and the Guardians of the Galaxy movies! And from appearing on (or at least inspiring) comic book covers!


covers from (1) Gamora #1 (Marvel, February 2017), pencils and inks by J. Scott Campbell, colors by Peter Steigerwald;
(2) All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel, July 2017), art by Natali Sanders;
(3) Guardians of the Galaxy (2013 series) #4 (Marvel, August 2013), pencils and inks by Sara Pichelli, colors by Justin Ponsor;
(4) Guardians of the Galaxy Annual (2015 series) #1 (Marvel, 2015 series), pencils and inks by Frank Cho, colors by Jason Keith;
(5) Thanos (2019 series) #6 (Marvel, November 2019), painted art by Jeff Dekal;
(6) All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel, July 2017), painted art by John Tyler Christopher


covers from (1) Star Trek (2011 series) #30 (IDW, February 2014);
(2) Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #2 (IDW, February 2013), pencils and inks by David Messina, colors by Claudia Scarletgothica;
(3) Star Trek: Boldly Go #9 (IDW, June 2017), painted art by Arianna Florean;
(4) Star Trek (2011 series) #56 (IDW, April 2016), painted art by John Watson;
(5) Star Trek: Boldly Go #4 (IDW, January 2017), painted art by Tony Shasteen;
(6) Star Trek (2011 series) #28 (IDW, December 2013), pencils and inks by Erfan Fajar, colors by Ifansyah Noor and Stellar Labs
Happy birthday, Zoe! Say, I have noticed that in your biggest hit films, you're a beautiful woman who falls in love with an alien. Now, have you considered in your next movie playing a beautiful woman who falls in love with a little stuffed bull? It'd be a box-office smash! In Bullsylvania.

No, I can't believe MAD never did a spoof of Kelvinverse Trek either.

Today in Comics History, June 7: Happy birthday, Karl Urban!

Celebrate his birth today in both settings rural and urban: It's the birthday of actor Karl Urban, out of The Bourne Surpemacy, Pete's Dragon, Doom, Thor: Ragnarok, The Lord of the Rings, Xena: Warrior Princess and many more, including (or course), roles of...Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the Kelvinverse Star Trek films!:


photo covers featuring Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy on Star Trek (2011 series) #42 and 50 (IDW, February and October 2015)
...as William "Billy" Butcher in The Boys...


cover of The Boys Omnibus v.2 (Dynamite, June 2019)
...and as cinema's only Judge Dredd in the cult favorite movie Dredd:


from "Thrill-Power Overload: 40th Anniversary Update! Judgement Time" in Judge Dredd Megazine #379 (Rebellion, 17 January 2017), text by Karl Stock
Happy birthday, Karl Urban! And your less important twin, Karl Suburban.

Today in Comics History, June 6: Happy birthday, Jason Isaacs!

Wish a happh birthday today to actor Jason Isaacs from The Patriot, Black Hawk Down, Hotel Mumbai, The Death of Stalin, Brotherhood, Event Horizon and many more! Including, you betcha, the role of sleek baddie Lucius Malfoy (boo!) in the Harry Potter films based on the novels of J.K. Rowling (even louder boo!):


from "Harry Plodder and the Lamest of Sequels" in MAD #424 (December 2002), script by Desmond Devlin, pencils and inks by Tom Richmond
He was also, of course, Captain Gabriel Lorca on the first season of Star Trek: Discovery! That's him at the bottom. He never got to be a large figure on a cover because, like in Harry Potter, he was a baddie from an evil universe. Geez, Jason, and you wonder why children and little stuffed bulls shriek and run away from you? I added the red circle so you can spot more quickly who he is (and run away from him quickly, like tribbles and little stuffed space bulls.


cover of Star Trek: Discovery Annual 2018 (IDW, March 2018), pencils and inks by George Caltsoudas
Still, Jason Isaacs can't be all bad! Here he is at least pretending to like MAD magazine!


from the letter column of MAD #460 (December 2005), submitted by Ross Feinburg
Happy birthday, Mr. Jason Isaacs please don't hurt me.

Today in Comics History, April 3, 1855 and 1955: And that's how Scotty wound up in the Wild West and Kirk became a Hollywood stuntman

I am absolutely not making that above bit up.


from Star Trek #36 (Western/Gold Key, March 1976), script by Arnold Drake, pencils by Alberto Giolitti, inks by Al McWilliams

Today in Comics History, October 29: Happy birthday, Winona Ryder!

This is an expanded and updated version of the classic post "Comic Book Winona Ryder!," originally published November 1, 2013.

Born on this day: Winona Laura Horowitz, but she lets me call her Winona Ryder.

Is she in any comic books? Hmmm...



from Alien Resurrection #1 (top) and #2 (bottom) (Dark Horse, October-November 1997), script by Jim Vance, pencils and inks by Eduardo Risso, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Gary Fields

Today in Comics History, September 11: Happy birthday, Rod Whigham!

Born on this day: comic book and commercial artist Rod Whigham (G.I. Joe, The Shadow, Doc Savage, Justice League International, Star Trek, the Gil Thorpe strip, and more)!


from Marvel Age #33 and 57 (Marvel, December 1985 and December 1987); text by Jim Salicrup (#33) and Mike Carlin (#57); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Adam Philips (#33) and Paul Becton (#57)

Today in Comics History, August 12: Happy birthday, Jane Wyatt!

Born on this day in 1910: actor Jane Wyatt, known for her TV role of Margaret Anderson on Father Knows Best and many movie roles (Great Expectations, Lost Horizon, Hurricane Smith, Treasure of Matecumbe and many more). Here she is in 1961's The Two Little Bears with Brenda Lee and...let's say, uh...Jimmy Olsen.


from Brenda Lee: Life Story one-shot (Dell, July 1962), art by Tony Tallarico (?)

Today in Comics History, August 6: Happy birthday, Alfred, Lord Tennyson!

Born on this day in 1809: English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson! (You may know him better as Batman's butler.) Now, Tennyson has never starred in a comic book stories (aside from Bette Kane periodically saying "Tennyson anyone?"), but he's been adapted into comics more than once!

from New Adventure Comics #12 (DC/Nicholson Publishing Co., January 1937), illustrated by Henry Kiefer
(Click picture to half-a-league-size)

Today in Comics History, July 19: Happy birthday, Benedict Cumberbatch!

Born on this day: actor and confusing name to pronounce Benedict Cumberbatch, who's starred on stage, screen, film and radio in such productions as Hedda Gabler, Hamlet, Frankenstein, Atonement, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The War Horse, The Hobbit, 12 Years a Slave, The Power of the Dog, Van Gogh: Painted with Words, Patrick Melrose, and many more.

What? Didn't I mention that he played KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN in Star Trek: Into Darkness?


photo cover of Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #4 (IDW, April 2013)
Or Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse of Madness?


photo covers of Marvel's Doctor Strange Prelude #1-2 (Marvel, September-October 2016)
Well, surely i must have made a fuss about his award-winning role of the detective Holmes in the TV series Sherlock, right?


photo covers of Sherlock: A Study in Pink #1-6 (Titan, June-November 2016)
I didn't? Geez, I oughta have done that.

Happy birthday, Benny!

Today in Comics History, July 9: Happy birthday, Hoshi Sato!

It's the birthday of Star Trek: Enterprise's communications officer and linguist Hoshi Sato today (in 2129), but she has never appeared in a comic book.


See?


from the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" (UPN/Paramount Network Television, April 29, 2005[), script by Michael Sussman, directed by Marvin V. Rush
Sorry, Hoshi. And happy birthday.

By some curious cosmic coincidence (I blame the Great Bird of the Galaxy), it's also the birthday of actor Linda Park, who played Hoshi Sato. Huh! What're the odds of that?


Happy birthday too, Linda!

Today in Comics History, May 20: Happy Birthday, Jane Wiedlin!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published May 20, 2012.

Born on this day: Singer/songwriter/subject of my affection Jane Wiedlin! Hi Jane!

Comics Do Shakespeare: King Lear, Act 4: Four out of five dentists recommend sharpness for their serpent patients

Hey, how about titles based on famous Shakespearean quotes? Where were you when you first realized Claremont stole this from the Bard?:


from [Uncanny] X-Men #126 (Marvel, October 1979), script by Chris Claremont, pencils by John Byrne, inks by Terry Austin, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Tom Orzechowski
Oh, well, maybe he stole it from this, which is where I first encountered the quote:


title card from Star Trek: The Animated Series season 2, episode 5 (Filmation, October 5, 1974)
Poor Will Shakespeare! Bein' plagiarized left 'n' right.

Comics Do Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 2: Cursed be he that moves my Bones

from Star Trek: Year Five #3 (IDW, June 2018), script by Brandon Easton, pencils by Martin Coccolo, inks by Martin Coccolo, colors by Fran Gamboa, letters by Neil Uyetake

Today in Comics History, April 21: Happy birthday, Allan Asherman!

Born today is former DC editorial and assistant editor Allan Asherman, whose books include The Star Trek Compendium, The Star Trek Interview Book and The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan!


from Amazing World of DC Comics #1 (DC, July 1974)
Happy birthday, Allan!

Today in Comics History, April 5, 2063: There goes the neighborhood

from Star Trek: First Contact one-shot (Marvel/Paramount, November 1996), script by John Vornholt, pencils by Terry Pallot and Rod Whigham, inks by Philip Moy, color design by Shannon Blanchard, colors by Malibu, letters by Edd Fear

Today in Comics History, April 4, 2063: The Enterprise crew must help a pig win a medal to avoid Borg conquest

from Star Trek: First Contact #1 one-shot (Marvel/Paramount, November 1996), script by John Vornholt, pencils by Terry Pallot and Rod Whigham, inks by Philip Moy, color design by Shannon Blanchard, colors by Malibu, letters by Edd Fear

Today in Comics History, March 11: Happy birthday, Anton Yelchin

Born on this date in 1989: Anton Yelchin, Russian-born American actor. Among his other roles, he played the Kelvin-timeline's version of Ensign Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek movies from 2009-2016.


Anton died at the age of 27 in 2016. He would have been 33 today. That's far too young to be taken from us.


from Star Trek (2011 series) #20 (IDW, April 2013), script by Ryan Parrott, pencils by Luca Lamberti, colors by Arianna Florean, letters by Tom B. Long
Fly high and free, Anton. Straight on 'til morning.