Today in Comics History, October 24, 1937: Orson Welles still can't remember the name of that Greer Garson movie about Dunkirk

from The Twilight Zone: The Shadow #2 (Dynamite, May 2016), script by David Avallone, pencils and inks by Dave Acosta, colors by Omi Remalante, letters by Taylor Esposito

Today in Comics History, May 6: Happy birthday, Orson Welles!

Born on this day in 1915: American screenwriter, actor, producer, director, newspaperman, advertising spokesman, magician, and perhaps the largest personality of the twentieth century: Mister Orson Welles.


I can hear you asking, though: Was he great? Have you ever seen his him in a comic book? Hmmm? How can you say someone is great who's never been in a comic book?


Ladies and gentlemen, I give you a birthday celebration of Orson Welles in Comic Books. (Mercury Theatre On the Air overture begins playing)


The Mercury Theatre on the Air overture

Today in Comics History, January 7: Happy birthday, Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson!

Born on this date in 1890: Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, founder of National Allied Publications, which would later become DC Comics. Ah ha! So he's the one to blame for Infinite Crisis and the New 52!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

from DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes (Bulfinch, October 1995), by Les Daniels
(Click picture to Major-size)
Wheeler-Nicholson is portrayed in a Shadow comic (thinly disguised as "Major Walton Carter-Tennyson"), when he comes to Kent Allard Lamont Cranston for help when he's targeted by the competition's goons.


from "Black and White and Red All Over" in The Shadow (2015 series) #100 one-shot (Dynamite, June 2015); script, pencils, and inks by Howard Chaykin; colors by Jesus Aburtov; letters by Ken Bruzenak
You'd guess that since he's a crimefighter, Lamont would've held comic books in high regard, no?


Nothing goin' on here that a little brute force, some spooky smoke, and the echoing voice of Orson Welles wouldn't cure, right?


But in the end it all works out, because everybody thinks comics are just that great!


Happy birthday, Major! (salutes him, looks through his pockets for copies of New Fun #1)

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 24: Shadow of the Batman

How universal is Batman's origin story? So freakin' universal that it even takes place on Earth-S&S (Street & Smith)!



Panels from "New York City, 1938" in The Shadow #100 (Dynamite, June 2015), script by Michael Uslan, pencils and inks by Giovanni Timpano, colors by Marco Lesko, letters by Rob Steen
Well, he sure told you, Mister So-Called Batman's Dad!

Today in Comics History, December 31, 1949, New Year's Eve: Howard Chaykin accidentally brushes his teeth over his artwork

from The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow one-shot (Dynamite, May 2014); script, pencils, and inks by Howard Chaykin; colors by Jesus Aburto; letters by Ken Bruzenak

Today in Comics History, October 30, 1929: Professor Xavier really enjoys his Norwegian Cruise

from The Shadow: Year One #1 (Dynamite, February 2013), script by Matt Wagner, pencils and inks by Wilfredo Torres, colors by Brennan Wagner, letters by Rob Steen

Batman's Great Escapes Month, Day 25: So that's what they mean by "The Shadow of the Batman."

Panels from The Shadow (2012 Dynamite Entertainment series) #12 (April 2013), script by Victor Gischler, pencils and inks by Giovanni Timpano, colors by Ivan Nunes, letters by Rob Steen

Comics Pulps Within Comics Month, Day 7: Who knows?

from Batman: Dark Allegiances graphic novel (DC, 1996); script, pencils, inks, and colors by Howard Chaykin, color seprations by Jamison, letters by Ken Bruzenak


cover of The Shadow Magazine #60 (Street & Smith, August 1934), painted cover by George Rozen

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 193: Who knows what evil lurks six hundred feet high over the el tracks?

House ad for The Shadow #1 (October-November 1973); printed in Weird Worlds (1972 DC series) #7 (October 1973)
Ad art taken from the cover of The Shadow #1 (October-November 1973), pencils and inks by Michael W. Kaluta

Separated at Birth: Getting Ahead

L: Crime SuspenStories #22 (April-May 1954), art by Johnny Craig
R: The Shadow #18 (January 1989), art by Kyle Baker
(Click picture to decapi-size)