Today in Comics History, June 10: Happy birthday, Howlin' Wolf!

No, not this guy:


from "Watchdogged Wolf" in [Tex Avery's] Wolf & Red #2 (Dark Horse, May 1995), script by Henry Gilroy, pencils by Stephanie Gladden, inks and letters by Jim Massara, colors by Pamela Rambo
...but this man, born on this day in 1910: one of the greatest blues musicians of all time across his four-decade 20th century career, with blues classics like "How Many More Years," "Moanin' at Midnight," "Smokestack Lightning," "The Red Rooster," "Smokestack Lightnin'", "Killing Floor," "Spoonful" and many more.


from "Patton" in Zap Comix #11 (Last Gasp, February 1985), by Robert Crumb
Happy birthday. Mr. Wolf!

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

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