Today in Comics History, April 27, 1949: Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

In 1954, EC ("Educational Comics! Plus Injury-to-Eye Motifs!") published a complete issue of Weird Science-Fantasy about UFOs, all presented with the intensity of a Reddit post. Young Foxy Mulder, purchasing this comic at the local five-and-dime, looked up to the skies and proclaimed "I want to believe!" Sadly, his voice had not dropped yet and all he succeded in was frightening the cat.


from "The Mantell-Godman Case [Project Saucer Case Number 33]" in Weird Science-Fantasy (1954 series) #26 (EC, December 1954), script by Al Feldstein, pencils and inks by Joe Orlando, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
Lots of quotes and footnotes from secret government "redacted" files allowed EC Comics to propose the idea that aliens had invaded our space. As we've seen from all other EC Comics, that's never good news.


from "The Eastern Airlines Case [Project Saucer Case No. 144]" in Weird Science-Fantasy (1954 series) #26 (EC, December 1954), script by Al Feldstein, pencils and inks by Wally Wood, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
By the end of the year, however, the government was backtracking because they'd just found out Ed Wood was filming Plane 9 from Outer Space the next field over.


from "The United Air Lines Emmett, Idaho Case [Project Saucer Case No. 10]" in Weird Science-Fantasy (1954 series) #26 (EC, December 1954), script by Al Feldstein, pencils and inks by Wally Wood, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
I dunno...they sobered up?

Today in Comics History, October 4, 1952: The Beginning of The End

from "The End!" in Weird Fantasy (1951 series) #13 (EC, May 1952), script by Al Feldstein, pencils and inks by Wally Wood, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Jim Wroten
Hey, you'll see this page again on October 19! Who sez comics are your worst entertainment value?

Today in Comics History, September 29: Happy birthday, Trevor Howard!

Born on this day in 1913: actor Trevor Howard of Brief Encounter, The Third Man, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Battle of Britain, Ryan's Daughter, Sons and Lovers (Best Actor nominee), Gandhi and many more...including playing Captain Bligh in the Brando version of Mutiny on the Bounty, which of course means...



from "Mutiny on the Bouncy" in MAD #80 (July 1963), script by Larry Siegel, pencils and inks by Wally Wood
I have deleted some gay-panic dialogue in the second panel (sigh).
Howard also played The First Krypton Elder in Christopher Reeves's Superman (1978), in which he was excellent in the role of the guy who was "just asking some questions" of Jor-El. Hmm, wonder whatever happened to that guy? He woulda been io a comic book too, if DC hadn't negotitaed the worst deal in the universe and was prevented from adapting the movie's story into a comic. But at least we got this:


from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-62 [Superman: The Movie] (DC, March 1979)
Happy birthday, Trevor Howard!

Today in Comics History, June 26: I made you wait a whole day for the payoff...

...of this! Aint I a stinker?


from [tutle continued] "...The Next Day's Headlines" in MAD #41 (September 1958), pencils and inks by Wally Wood
Aw man, poor Kelly Freas!

Today in Comics History, June 25, 1876: In the dictionary, this is the picture next to the phrase "famous last words"

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published June 25, 2022.


from Picture Stories from American History #4 (EC, Summer 1947), script by Jerry Coleman, pencils and inks by Allen Simon

Today in Comics History, June 25: Newspapers do look like that

Despite these newspaper clippings from MAD magazine having no date on them, they are all dated June 25. How do I know? Well, you'll just have to tune in tomorrow (as the soap opera announcers always say!).


from "One Day's Advice Columns..." [title to be continued] in MAD #41 (September 1958), pencils and inks by Wally Wood

Today in Comics History, February 13: Happy birthday, Kim Novak!

Born on this day: film and telvision actor Kim Novak (Picnic, The Man with the Golden Arm, Pal Joey, Vertigo, Bell, Book and Candle, Strangers When We Meet, Of Human Bondage, and lots more!)

And now, Kim Novak as drawn by Wally Wood. Please do not drool on my blog.


from "Scenes We Never Got To See" in MAD #42 (November 1958), script by Albert Meglin, pencils and inks by Wally Wood

Today in Comics History, December 13, 1941: The rest of Jimmy's reply was too filthy for the letterer to reproduce

from "The Killing Punch" in Martin Kane, Private Eye #4 (1) (Fox, June 1950), pencils and imks by Wally Wood

Today in Comics History, October 8: Believe it or Don't!

from "Strangely Believe It!" in MAD #42 (EC, November 1958); script by Ernie Kovacs; pencils, inks, and letters by Wally Wood

Today in Comics History, August 28, 1968: A rare moment of American self-realization

from "Savage World" in witzend #1 (Wallace Wood, Summer 1966); script by Wally Wood; pencils and inks by Al Williamson, Angelo Torres, Wally Wood, and Roy Krenkel; additional inks by Frank Frazetta, letters by Arlene Williamson

The Super DC Calendar for 1977 2022: August Assault Among Antiquities

Hey, you're gettin WOOD this August! ... what? What? Why's everybody giggling?

from Super DC Calendar 1977 (DC, 1976), art by Wally Wood
(Click picture to Grundy-size. No, not Miss Grundy. Although...hmmm!)

Today in Comics History, July 3, 1863: Make War No More

Today in 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg ended. Don't fall for any media portrayals of it as a "glorious" battle — it was brutal.




from "Gettysburg!" in Frontline Combat (1951 series) #2 (EC, September 1951), script by Harvey Kurtzman, pencils and inks by Wally Wood, colors by Marie Severin, letters by Ben Oda


from Star-Spangled War Stories #176 (DC, December 1973)

Today in Comics History, June 17: Happy birthday, Wally Wood!

Born on this day in 1927: comics artist, writer, publisher Wally Wood, one of EC's greatest creators (Weird Fantasy, Weird Science, Tales from the Crypt, Shock SuspenStories, Two-Fisted Tales, Aces High and others) and a major figure at Marvel (Daredevil, Astonishing Tales, Tower of Shadows, more), DC (All Star Comics, The Unexpected, All-American Men of War, etc.), Warren (Creepy, Ererie, Blazing Combat, Vampirella, others) and in commercial art. He co-created Stilt-Man, THUNDER Agents and NoMan, Tigra, Power Girl, the Ani-Men, Sally Forth and Cannon — plus the famous "22 Panels That Always Work"!


from "Flight into Fear!" in Tower of Shadows #5 (Marvel, May 1970); script, pencils, and inks by Wally Wood; letters by Sam Rosen

Today in Comics History, May 18, 1956: Ernie Kovacs Presents Jokes from Your Dad

from "Strangely Believe It!" in MAD #38 (March 1958); script by Ernie Kovacs; pencils, inks, and letters by Wally Wood

Gee, Wally.

This remix of a classic Wally Wood panel was inspired by Brandon at Random Panels. If you don't visit there every day, you're not getting your regular daily minimum requirement of guffaws.