Today in Comics History, June 7: Happy birthday, Tom Jones!

On this date in 1940, international star and singer Sir Tom Jones was born! It's not unusual...to celebrate his birthday!

Hey wait! That's not the Tom Jones I meant!


Wheaties ad from DC Comics cover-dated March 1946

Ten of a Kind: What Do You Know About My Image Duplicator?

(More Ten of a Kind here.)

The title of this ten take-downs of Roy Lichtenstein (notice how every one of 'em has better lettering than the Larcenous Mr. L) is from this 1963 Lichtenstein artwork. You probably recognize the laid-back dude in it.


"What Do You Know About My Image Duplicator?" is...let's be frank and use the right word...plagiarized, as is most of Lichtenstein's comic-based art, from the good work of comic book writers and artists. So yeah, that's what I know about your fershluggin' image duplicator, Roy: it stinks.

Here's "Image Duplicator"'s original sources:


Panels from (L): The X-Men (1963 series) #1 (September 1963), sript by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Paul Reinman, letters by Sam Rosen
(R): "The Return of General Immortus" in My Greatest Adventure (1955 series) #84 (December 1963), script by Arnold Drake, pencils and inks by Bruno Premiani
Ooooh boy, big man Roy, rippin' off Kirby and Arnold Drake. I extend my fuzzy bare butt in your general direction.

Curiously, Roy Lichtenstein actually exists within the Marvel Universe, as seen in this set of panels from Web of Spidey #73:


Panels from Web of Spider-Man (1985 series) #73 (February 1991), script by John Byrne, pencils by Alex Saviuk, inks by Keith Williams, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker
Didja spot Lichtenstein-616? He's the one living in the panel that's been Lichtensteinated.


We can but hope that Lichtenstein-616 died painfully under a pile of his trash paintings when the Incursion of May 2015 destroyed the Earth.

Sure, I'm as disappointed as you are that John Byrne didn't have Peter Parker punch the daylights out of Lichtenstein, but I guess he was too busy with changing to Spider-Man and saving Alicia Storm-Masters when villains attack her art exhibit.


Me, I'm just wondering why Alicia didn't ask "Peter, why are you wearing gloves now? And why does your voice sound muffled?"

Anyway, to wrap up, what do you think about high art, Calvin and Hobbes?

Today in Comics History, May 10, 1985: Comically oversized newspaper pursues Spider-Man

from Web of Spider-Man (1985 series) #5 (Marvel, August 1985), script by Danny Fingeroth, pencils by Jim Mooney, inks by Greg LaRocque and Kyle Baker, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Phil Felix
(See also.)

Today in Comics History, May 1, 1985: Tiny, tiny masthead enrages J. Jonah Jameson

from Web of Spider-Man (1985 series) #5 (Marvel, August 1985), script by Danny Fingeroth, pencils by Jim Mooney, inks by Greg LaRocque and Kyle Baker, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Phil Felix

Today in Comics History, January 30, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1996: Spider-Man goes berserk; Daily Bugle runs out of black ink

cover of Web of Spider-Man #13 (Marvel, April 1986), pencils by Mark Beachum, inks by Joe Rubinstein

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 262: Spaghetti sauce everywhere

Cover of Web of Spider-Man #101 (June 1993), pencils and inks by Alex Saviuk

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 156: Well, hello to you, too

Panel from Web of Spider-Man #14 (May 1986), script by David Michelinie, pencils by Mike Harris, inks by Kyle Baker, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Phil Felix

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 153: Civil War: Whose Side Are You On?

Panels from Web of Spider-Man (1985 series) #12 (March 1986), script by Peter David, layouts by Sal Buscema, finishes by Bob McLeod, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 152: I bet this never happened to Jimmy Olsen

Panels from Web of Spider-Man #3 (June 1985), script by Louise Simonson, pencils by Greg LaRocque, inks by Jim Mooney and Vince Colletta, colors by George Roussos, letters by Phil Felix

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 83: The Pin-Up Voted Least Likely to be Actually Pinned Up

Pin-up from Web of Spider-Man Annual #3 (1987), script by Danny Fingeroth, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Keith Wilson
This was the Spider-Man annual that consisted of nothing but pin-ups. Pity the poor 1987 comic fan who picked this one up by accident.

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 65: That guy hates J. Jonah Jameson's cheek!

Cover of Web of Spider-Man (2009 series) #9 (August 2010), painted cover by Jelena Djurdjevic

What's in love is now in debt on your birth certificate

Gosh! Since you ask so nicely, Mister Trump, here you go!




Panels from Web of Spider-Man v.1 #19 (October 1986), script by David Michelinie, pencils by Marc Silvestri, inks by Bob McLeod, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Rick Parker

There you go! He's an American citizen, so please stop "bugging" him. (Haw!)

Disturbing Fetishes of the Supervillains, Part 17

Not to be confused with the DC Universe's Captain Boomerang, the Marvel Universe's Boomerang uses boomerangs as weapons and...um...he comes from Australia.

Oh wait, here's a good way to tell the Earth-1 from the Earth-616 model of toss-and-return supervillain: the Marvel one apparently has an interesting obsession with...um...well, let's just take a look:


Panel from Web of Spider-Man Annual #8 (1992), script by David Michelinie, pencils by Scott McDaniel, inks by Keith Williams, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Steve Dutro


Whoa. Way too much information, Boomie. What you collect in your own time is your little secret, okay?

Well, I guess it coulda been worse. Glad there wasn't a MAX version of Boomerang where he and Blacklash fought Squirrel Girl, I guess.




(I am only six years old. Of course I find that funny!)