Today in Comics History, March 12: Happy Birthday, Sy Barry!

Happy 96th birthday today to Seymour "Sy" Barry, comic book and comic-strip artist: he's worked on Strange Adventures, Mystery in Space, All Star Western, Girls Romances, Rex the Wonder Dog, Superboy and many more...but he's best known for being the artist of The Phantom comic strip for 33+ years, which includes the entire period I read it as a wee calf in the newspaper funnies!

"Behind the Mask" from The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks (2009 series) #1 (Moonstone, March 2009), text by Ed Rhoades, pencils and inks by Sy Barry
(Click picture to Skull Cave-size)
Happy birthday, Sy, and many more!


advertisement from The Phantom (1948 series) #1207 (Frew, 1998)

Well, goodnight, and enjoy this commercial of Little Björk and me selling ice cream

Meadow Gold Ice Cream commercial (c. mid-1950s), featuring the artwork designs of Mary Blair

Today in Comics History, January 31: Happy birthday, Don Hutson!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published January 31, 2022. Images from Football Thrills #2 and True Sport Picture Stories #5 have been added!

Born on this day in 1913: NFL football player and coach Don Hutson, "The Alabama Antelope," whose career with the Green Bay Packers led them to three NFL Championship victories.

Also, Don liked Wheaties! Well, who doesn't? (Me. Not enough marshmallows.)


Wheaties ad from DC Comics cover-dated March 1949

Today in Comics History, October 23: Happy birthday, Ewell Blackwell!

A very happy birthday today to born-in-1922's Ewell Blackwell (nicknamed "The Whip" and "Blackie"), phenomenal Major League Baseball pitcher, primarily with the Cincinnati Reds. Also: professional eater of the "Breakfast of Champions":


Wheaties advertisement in DC Comics cover-dated September 1948, creators unknown and uncredited

Send Away for Scary Stuff Month, Night 6: Their house is a museum

Oh man, who wouldn't want an authentic replica of the Addams Family House?

Communists. That's who.


Aurora Plastics Corp. advertisment from Eerie (1966 series) #4 (Warren, July 1966)
Itsy-bitsy teeny-tiny crashing model railway set not included.

Send Away for Scary Stuff Month, Night 4: Vincent Price and Jeff Goldblum look on nervously

advertisement from DC Comics cover-dated June 1992

Send Away for Scary Stuff Month, Night 3: You spin me 'round like a record

Bewitch, bother, and bewilder your friends, family, and household help* (*applies to Richie Rich and Bertie Wooster only) with this fear-filled forty-five of spooky sounds and nocturnal noises! The really scary bit is that, as a New York State resident, I'm gettin' cheated outta an extra 6¢ for tax!


The Gayle House advertisement from DC Comics cover-dated September 1971
Don't let that guy in the ad handle your record! He'll be sure to scratch it.

Send Away for Scary Stuff Month, Night 2: Well-hung monsters

Night Two brings us an ad to send away for SEVEN FOOT MONSTERS! I dunno, both those look like they only have two feet. You've seen these all the time in your comicky books: you can risk a stamp to send away for Frankenstein's Monster] or Boney M. the Skeleton or (gasp, choke) both! Frighten small children and the dog! Terrify your kid sister and babysitter! Convince your parents you may need to go to a psychotherapist! Hang them up carefully because they're made of micro-thin cellophane and not Mylar, the new miracle plastic!


Honor House advertisement from DC Comics cover-dated January 1972
Tomorrow night: more devilish delights delivered (C.O.D.).

Send Away for Scary Stuff Month, Night 1: For all your Dr. Phosphorus cosplay needs

Hey ghouls 'n' goblins, this month, all month: thirty-one (count 'em!) frightenin' and enlightenin' advertisements full o' clippable coupons to let you Send Away for Scary Stuff! That's right, start hoarding your nickels and dimes (and "borrow" a stamp offa Mom), send it in through the USPS, get ready to wait six to eight weeks for delivery, and prepare for excitement, thrills, and probably disappointment when it arrives and you find out it's a miniature cardboard replica, a shoddy print on tearable cellophane, or an actual severed head but from one of your pals, not an enemy.

This advertising (and the ones for Hostess Snack Cakes) kept the comic book industry in business for decades, so it's your moral obligation to send away for some of this crap! Go ahead! Risk a stamp! Cut up your valuable comic book! Steal your shaky nerves for Send Away for Scary Stuff Month!

First up: haven't you always wanted a skull? Sure! We all do!


Johnson Smith advertisement from Lev Gleason comics cover-dated November 1950
And remember: You can smoke with it on!


More Macabre Mail-Order Merch tomorrow and all through October! Who sez a cute little stuffed bull can't present objets d'horreur?!?

Today in Comics History, June 18: Happy birthday, George Mikan!

Born on this day in 1924: pro b-baller George Mikan, aka "Mr. Basketball," (Chicago American Gears and Minneapolis Lakers) the man who gave kids with glasses a hope they could play in the NBA someday!



from "The Story of George Mikan" in Treasure Chest of Fact and Fun v.17 #9/315 (Pflaum, January 4, 1962), script by Bob Weber
You could also spot him in comic books as a spokesman for Keds sneakers...




Keds sneakers ads from (top) Archie Comics cover-dated July 1955;
(middle) Archie comics cover-dated July 1957;
Harvey Comics cover-dateddated May 1957
...and for Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions™!



from (top) DC Comics cover-dated February 1952;
(bottom) Dell Comics cover-dated February 1953
Happy birthday, Mr. Basketball! Let me polish your glasses for you there.

(runs away with the magic basketball glasses)

Today in Comics History, May 17, 1941: Uncle Sam prepares fast-moving bicycles for Pearl Harbor defense

from "Bike-Ology," Bendix Corporation advertisement in National Comics #43 (Quality, August 1944), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, May 12: Happy birthday, Yogi Berra!

Born on this day in 1925: Yogi Berra, champion baseball player and manager, malapropist, and cartoon bear.


from Yogi Berra one-shot (Fawcett, 1951), script by Charles Dexter, pencils and inks by Kurt Schaffenberger

Today in Comics History, March 6, 1836, The Alamo: He killed a liberal raccoon to get that hat

Popsicle advertisement from Archie Comics cover-dated August 1960

Today in Comics History, February 5: Happy birthday, Hank Aaron!

Happy birthday to Hank Aaron, one of the greatest players of Major League Baseball, born on this day in 1934. His sensational home run record of 755 beat out Babe Ruth's previous record and cemented his place in history. 25 times an All-Star player, World Series champ and National League MVP in 1957, and inspiration for MLB's Hank Aaron Award — Aaron is a legend of sports. Why, even the whitest of white teenagers had a poster of Hank Aaron on his wall!


cover of Pep #302 (Archie, June 1975), pencils by Dan DeCarlo, inks by Rudy Lapick, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Bill Yoshida

Today in Comics History, January 24, 1848: YEE-HAW! GOLD!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published January 24, 2021.


from "The World's Greatest Gold Strike" in Real Fact Comics #15 (DC, July 1948); script by Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinger, and Bernie Breslauer; pencils and inks by Howard Sherman

Today in Comics History, September 27: Happy birthday, Meat Loaf!

Born on this day in 1947: Michael Lee Aday, better known to us all as the late great Meat Loaf (two words, not one like in the comic!), musician, singer, songwriter and actor!


"Heroes Helping Heroes": advertisement for A Time for Heroes record, from Marvel Comics cover-dated October 1987
Happy birthday, Mr. Loaf!


"A Time for Heroes" by Meat Loaf with Brian May (Orpheum, 1987); written by Jon Lyons, Meat Loaf, and Brian May
(I'll help, Meat Loaf! But how??)

Today in Comics History, September 8, 1998: America refuses to learn from yet another pandemic

advertisement for Spyro in DC/Johnny DC comics cover-dated November 1998

Today in Comics History, August 17: Happy birthday, Rudy York!

Born on this day in 1913, Major League baseball player and manager Rudy York! With one-eighth Cherokee ancestry and less-than-perfect fielding abilities, York prompted sportswriter Wayne Minshew to declare: "He is part Indian and part first baseman."


from "Indian Sluggers" in King Comics #67 (David McKay, November 1941), pencils and inks by Jack Burnley
And he enjoyed the iconic Breakfast of Champions: Wheaties!


Wheaties advertisement from DC Comics cover-dated January 1949
Happy birthday, Rudy!

y

Today in Comics History, August 6: Happy birthday, Henry Iba!

Born on this day in 1904: college basketball coach Henry Iba, Basketball Hall of Famer, coach to the gold medal-winning 1964 and 1968 basketball team, and Breakfast of Champions advocate!


Wheaties advertisement from DC Comics dated February 1946 and January 1949
Happy birthday, Hank!

Today in Comics History, August 1, 1967: World's Deadliest Fighting Master is awarded an official certificate of authenticity

ad from DC Comics cover-dated August 1975
Soon his Knowledge of Power became the Power of Knowledge across the galaxy!


from Guardians of the Galaxy Annual (2021 series) #1 (Marvel, October 2021), script by Al Ewing, pencils and inks by Flaviano Armentaro, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, letters by Cory Petit
So...Count Danté, won't you?