Today in Comics History, March 19: Happy birthday, Flash!

Born on this day (in the Pre-Crisis DC Universe)...Barry Allen, the second Flash! (Post-Crisis, it's May 15, and even I can't figger out how that works.)


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letrters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, Mardi Gras: Happy Mardi Gras!

I have lots of beads, so you know what you have to trade me for them...candy!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975)
What, what else would be worth these cool beads?

Today in Comics History, August 1: Dreadful birthday, dear Joker!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published August 1, 2022.

According to the Super DC Calendar 1976, today's the birthday of the Clown of Crime: you know him, you love him, you're terrified out of your wits by him: The Joker!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Osa

Today in Comics History, Father's Day: Celebrate by sending your only son off to another planet

from Super DC 1976 Calendar (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, Mother's Day: Kansas mom enjoys holiday

from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, December 13 (1927?): Happy birthday, Star-Spangled Kid!

Born on this day: Sylvester Pembleton, the hero known as Star-Spangled Kid I and later, Skyman!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda
Happy birthday, Sly! Don't let the skeleton sing birthday songs about you, m'okay?



from Infinity Inc. (1984 series) #50 (May 1988), script by Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas, pencils by Vince Argondezzi, inks by Tony DeZuniga, colors by Elizabeth Safian, letters by Jean Simek

Today in Comics History, Thanksgiving Day: Happy Thanksgiving, Pilgrim

from 1. Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975);
2. Mighty Marvel Calendar 1979 (Marvel, 1978);
3-4. Marvel Age #59 and 94 (Marvel, February 1988 and November 1990), text by Mike Carlin (#59) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#95), pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Paul Becton (#59) and Renee Witterstaetter (#95)

Today in Comics History, August 27: Sometimes flickering sometimes bright / Sometimes burning up the night / Hair today and gone tomorrow

On this day (mumble mumble) years ago, an accidental laboratory fire and a rescue by Superboy leaves the teenage Lex Luthor bald and vowing revenge for every single one of his lost follicles!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda
Perhsp you can recall the early, happy carefree days of Superboys's Pal, Boy Luthor, the Boy Who was Boy Pals with Superboy! And his luxurious head of...brown hair?


from "How Luthor Met Superboy!" in Adventure Comics #271 (DC, April 1960), script by Jerry Siegel, pencils by Al Plastino
"My hair! My beautiful head of comics' Lex's hair!"

Today in Comics History, August 18: Happy birthday, Wing!

Born today before WWII: The Crimson Avenger's chauffeur and sidekick, and member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, Wing!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, August 17: Happy birthday, Lois Lane!

Born on this day in the DC Universe (according to their 1976 calendar): the star of probably the longest-running DC comic star who didn't have super-powers (most of the time): Lois Lane!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, July 31: Happy birthday, Sgt. Rock!

Born on this day in 1917, according to the 1976 Super DC Calendar: Sgt. Frank Rock, commander of WWII's Easy Company!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda
Happy birthday, Sarge!




from "Surprise Party!" in Our Army at War #217 (DC, March 1970); script, pencils, and inks by Joe Kubert

Today in Comics History, July 15: Rest in Peace, John and Mary Grayson...hey, wait a minute!

Today is the date that John and Mary Grayson were murdered, falling to their deaths before a live audience at the Haley's Circus...or was it?


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda
Maybe that's the Pre-Crisis date that they died, because here at Comics Oughta Be Fun! we always celebrate (wrong word?) that anniversary on June 27 (from the below Post-Crisis comic), one day after the death of Batman's parents. Well, not in the same year. That means the Dynamic Duo can get all their mourning over with in one weekend. Bat-efficient!


from Nightwing (1995 series) #1 (DC, September 1995), script by Dennis O'Neil, pencils by Greg Land, inks by Mike Sellers, colors by Cathi Bertrand, letters by John Costanza
Click here for more depictions of the fateful day!

Today in Comics History, July 7, 1917: Happy birthday, Johnny Thunder!

Born today in 1917, in the DC Universe: Johnny Thunder, master of the genie Thunderbolt!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, June 16, 9998K: Oh, we can't have nice things

On this day in the Kryptonian year 9,998: Krypton goes kaplooie! I wouldn't use that phrasing around Superman, though.


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, June 6, 1924: Commissioner Gordon gets sheepskin; sheep is furious

from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda
Well, accordin' to the ol' clock on the wall Super DC Calendar '76, today's the day James Gordon (that's Commissioner Gordon to those of you on this side of the blinking red hotline phone) got his law degree, and excuse me if I'm a little bit skeptical. I mean, you assign those dates at random, SupeCal, but do they really have a basis in canon? Has this date even ever appeared previously in a comic book?


from "The Private Life of Commissioner Gordon" in World's Finest Comics #53 (DC, August 1951), script by David Vern, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Charles Paris
Oh! Huh! Well, whaddaya know.

Happy law school graduation anniversary to you, Commissioner Gordon, the finest 122-year-old detective on the force!

Today in Comics History, March 14: Happy birthday, Catwoman!

Born on this day (according to the 1976 Super DC Calendar): Selina Kyle, Catwoman!


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, February 18: Not wishin' you a happy birthday, Reverse-Flash!

Born on this day sometime in the 25½th century: Eobard Thawne (the sort of name you'll see in the future, according to the writers of Legion of Super-Heroes), the super-villain known as Professor Zoom (giggle) and the slightly less silly Reverse-Flash. Hey wait, why isn't he named Hsalf?


from DC Super Calendar 1976 (DC, December 1975), letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, February 14: Happy Hawkiversary, Katar and Shayera Hol!

Married this day on the planet Hawkitania Thanagar: Hawkman and Hawkwoman! They didn't hire a wedding planner, so for all the arrangements of the ceremony and receptions, they had to wing it.


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, December 1975), letters by Ben Oda
The Take-Off Two first appeared in The Brave and the Bold (of which they are both) #34, and unusually for a comic book couple, they've already been married for several years, so no double-sized, frought with danger collectors' item wedding special comic for them! (Barry Allen can tell ya they're best avoided, really.)


from Brave and the Bold #34 (DC, February 1961), script by Gardner Fox, pencils and inks by Joe Kubert, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Just in case you're upset there isn't a wedding in this issue...there is! Who says this isn't the Daring DC Age of Nuptial Necessity?!


And the Hawks lived happily ever after without any Three's Company-style misunderstandings or man-hungry husband-stealing neighbors.


"Say, Shayera, you don't think we'll arouse any suspicion being hidden aliens here on Earth, do you?" "Certainly not with this hu-mon clothing I copied from a book titled Costume and Style of the Edwardian Age, Kator dear!"


Here's a much later comic (altho' still set in a Pre-Crisis era) with the Hawks celebrating Valentine's Day without mentioning that it's their anniversary, but still, it's a good thing that Hawkman didn't buy her a bowling ball for the occasion.


from "Love in the Air" in DC Comics Presents: Hawkman #1 one-shot (DC, September 2004), script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Walter Simonson, inks by Bob Wiacek, colors by Michael Atiyeh, letters by John Workman
Hey look, it's Man-Stealin' Mavis! This is set before she got her own popular treasury edition, Mavis Trent Commits Adultery with the DC Universe.


Say, Carter, since your first story shows you two already married, how did you and Shiera meet-cute? Let's have a flashback, shall we?


Everybody loves Valentine's Day, right, Commissioner Emmett?...oh. It's hard to put your foot in your mouth with those gigantic talons, but Hawkman managed it.


Then, I dunno, Simonson drew some symbolic doves into the panel; look, I don't write these, I just read 'em.


Ah, sweet khy'tarishk! (That's Thanagar for "l'amour.") As they go on through their married life, we wish all the best to these crazy kids. Here's to many more, Hawkman and Hawkw...whoops, their origin's been retconned in the middle of that sentence.

Today in Comics History, February 10: Happy birthday, Vigilante!

Born on this day in the DC Universe: Vigilante! Naw, not the guy on the Peacemaker show...the original Vigilante, Greg Sanders (later "under the name of Saunders"), the Singing Cowboy Crimefighter, Rogue with a Rope, Fighting Hero of the West!


from DC Super Calendar 1976 (DC, December 1975), letters by Ben Oda
Vigilante! Created in the pages of Action Comics by Mort Weisinger and Mort Meskin, he rode out of the west to sing and rope criminals, and he's all out of songs! But wait, he does have some rope and he's gonna lasso himself up some crime! Yee-haw!




from "[The Origin of the Vigilante]" in Action Comics (1938 series) #42 (DC, November 1941), script by Mort Weisinger, pencils and inks by Mort Meskin
"Next month: A thrilling Vigilante adventure!" And DC were better than their word. Vigilante appeared in the next issue of Action Comics and for the following 155 issues. Give or take a racist sidekick (ugh) or two, that's a lotta cow-punchin' adventures. (Dear Mr. Saunders: please do not punch cows. Love, Bully.) And he was a founding member of the Seven...or Eight, if you count Stripesy...or nine, if your count Wing...okay, okay, the Nine Soldiers of Victory!


from "Beware! The Black Star Shines!, Chapter 1" in Leading Comics #2 (DC/World's Best Comics, Spring 1942), script by Mort Weisinger, pencils and inks by Mort Meskin
Vigilante even holds the record as EDIT: one of the first DC heroes ever on film in a 1947 Columbia serial, played by Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy). Start wondering now: "Gosh, how is he ever gonna get outta that cliffhanger?!?" Thanks to eagle-eyed commenter jmurphy for reminding my little stuffed brain that I'd forgotten the first DC serial was the 1943 Batman!


But you (and I!) probably know Vigilante better from his exceptional song-story "Grey and Blue: The Ballad of Batman" from the much-loved and -missed ('specially by me!) animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold!:


So happy birthday, Vigilante, and keep on dispensing both justice and trhose easy-listening cowboy hit songs of the Golden Age!