Today in Comics History, January 2: He blinded me with...well, best not to think about it

from "Some Dates for Your Diary" in Department of Mind-Blowing Theories (Drawn and Quarterly, April 2020), by Tom Gauld

Today in Comics History, August 17: Happy birthday, Jonathan Franzen!

Born on this day: award-winning novelist and essayist Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections, Freedom, Crossroads, and more. He's also written essays published in The Best American Comics Criticism and The Complete Peanuts!


from The Complete Peanuts v.4: 1957-1958 (Fantagraphics, September 2005
So a very happy birthday to ya, Jonathan!


"Jonathan Franzen Says No" in Baking with Kafka (D+Q, October 2017), by Tom Gauld

Today in Comics History, July 3: Happy birthday, Franz Kafka!

Born on this day in 1883 in the Kingdom of Bohemia (Face it, you didn't know he came from Bohemia! The only thing I knew about Bohemia was that there was a scandal there), writer and cockroach enthusiast Franz Kafka, who woke up this morning not quite feeling himself. Hey, Franzie, what kinda cake would you like for your birthday?


"Baking with Kafka" from Baking with Kafka (D+Q, October 2017), by Tom Gauld

Today in Comics History, June 3: Happy Birthday, Allen Ginsberg!

Born on this date in 1925: Beat poet, essayist, and philosopher Allen Ginsberg (Howl, Kaddish, Cosmopolitan Greetings, The Fall of America and more)! He was (and still is) considered, along with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, one of the greatest voices of his generation, and one of the writers who put the renowned and vital City Lights Bookstore at the forefront of fifties' history when they published Howl and defended against obscenity.

You all are, I presume, familiar with getting together a list of famous people born on this day and then go researching their comic book appearances, but becomes suprised and disappointed that there are no appearances in comics of Larry McMurtry or Boots "Yakety Sax" Randolph. But then along comes Allen Ginsberg with a surprisingly large number of comic book guest-starring appearances, even if you don't count Marvel's 1968 Dr. Strange/Allen Ginsberg Team-Up #1-6!


from Meet the Beats (Water Row Press, 1985 series), by Robert Crumb