Today in Comics History, October 5: Happy birthday, Chester A. Arthur!

Born on this day in 1829: America's 21st president, Chester A. Arthur! (The "A" stands for "And my last name is Arthur.")

Here's everything that ever happened to him, in one easy-to-digest page:


from Life Stories of American Presidents one-shot (Dell, November 1957), pencils and inks by John Buscema, letters by Ben Oda

Today in Comics History, July 13, 1885: Talking building accepts consequences

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #2 (Marvel, December 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney and Alex Maleev, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Michael Kraiger and Shannon Blanchard, color separations by Malibu, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, July 12, 1885: Flatt and Scruggs song inelegantly shoved into Western comics

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #2 (Marvel, December 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney and Alex Maleev, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Michael Kraiger and Shannon Blanchard, color separations by Malibu, letters by Richard Starkings

"The Ballad of Jed Clampett (Theme from 'The Beverly Hillbillies')" by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs (Columbia, 1962), written by Paul Henning

Today in Comics History, July 5, 1885: WHEEL see you in Vancouver

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #2 (Marvel, December 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney and Alex Maleev, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Michael Kraiger and Shannon Blanchard, color separations by Malibu, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, June 17, 1885: Marvel Western becomes a genteel drawing room comedy

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #2 (Marvel, December 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney and Alex Maleev, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Michael Kraiger and Shannon Blanchard, color separations by Malibu, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, June 16, 1885: Mxyzptlk steals the U.S. Capitol and puts it in Iowa

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #2 (Marvel, December 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney and Alex Maleev, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Michael Kraiger and Shannon Blanchard, color separations by Malibu, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, June 15, 1885: Man throws himself through window prepping for big earthquake 20 years later

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #2 (Marvel, December 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney and Alex Maleev, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Michael Kraiger and Shannon Blanchard, color separations by Malibu, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1885: The ancestors of Nirvana migrate north

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #1 (Marvel, November 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Marie Javins, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, June 2, 1885: In a world with Al Swearengen, the language of money is rated NC-17

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #1 (Marvel, November 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Marie Javins, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, May 6, 1885: Gorgeous desert vista marred by bloody coyote splattered next to an Acme product box

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #1 (Marvel, November 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Marie Javins, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, May 5, 1885: San Franciscans marvel at the invention of Rice-a-Roni

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #1 (Marvel, November 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Marie Javins, letters by Richard Starkings


Television advertisement for Rice-a-Roni (1962)

Today in Comics History, May 4, 1885: First meeting of The League of Extraordinary Heads of State

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #1 (Marvel, November 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Marie Javins, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, May 2, 1885: Typographer nails two boards together; creates new font

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #1 (Marvel, November 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Marie Javins, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, April 28, 1885: The Proud Cowboys prepare for the arrival of Thomas A. Hendricks

from Two-Gun Kid: Sunset Riders #1 (Marvel, November 1995), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Christian Gorney, inks by Michael Halblieb, colors by Marie Javins, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, March 18: Happy birthday, Grover Cleveland!

Born on this very day right here in 1837: Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, who is known today pretty much only for that: his non-consecutive Presidency — what we would call a "reboot" in modern parliance. Given a guess, most people on the street would know that and perhaps also suggest that Grover Cleveland was some sort of anthropomorphic animal, perhaps a giant groundhog.

But didja know Grover Cleveland was often sometimes well, okay infrequently featured in comic books? I suppose you have come to suspect that seeing as I'm devoting a post to him in my blog. Darn my highly predictable ways!

First off, Grover liked boats. The sailing Grover! Captain Grover! Commodore Grover, it is. (There: you now know twice as much about Grover Cleveland as the average American. That's a Real Fact.)


from "Gifts to the President" in Real Fact Comics #17 (DC, November 1948), credtors unknown

Same Story, Different Cover: We found a friend, friend, friend in Purple Phantom / He'll pop right in just when you need him most

L: Two-Gun Kid #68 (March 1964), art by Jack Kirby and George Roussos
M: Two-Gun Kid #93 (July 1970), art by John Severin
R: Two-Gun Kid #136 (April 1977), art by Gil Kane

(Click picture to Ollllllld West-size)


Hey, check it out! That cave on the cover of #68 looks like it might be the same cave where the FF track the Hulk!



(They're both drawn by Kirby a year apart, so all kidding aside, who knows?) Hmmm...this could open up a brand new feature right here at Comics Oughta Be Fun...

Different Comic, Same Locale!

L: Star Wars #43 (January 1981), art by Jack Kirby and George Roussos
M: Star Wars #56 (February 1982), art by Walt Simonson
R: Star Wars Tales #6 (December 2000), art by Kilian Plunkett and Jason Hvam

(Click picture to tibanna mine-size)