Today in Comics History, June 9, 1899: Coney Island bout determines Most Beautiful Participant in Mermaid Parade

"In This Corner" from Joe Palooka Comics (1945 series) #80 (Harvey, November 1953), creator uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, August 2: Happy birthday, Peter O'Toole!

Born on this day in 1932: acclaimed British actor Peter O'Toole (insert joke from Diamonds Are Forever by Sean Connery), who you've seen in such movies (if you're lucky!) as The Lion in Winter, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, The Stunt Man, My Favorite Year, Man of La Mancha, What's New Pussycat?, Lawrence of Arabia, Troy, and, ahem, Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage (and lots more).


photo cover of Goodbye, Mr. Chips one-shot (Gold Key/Western, June 1970)

Today in Comics History, August 1: Happy birthday, Claudius!

Ave Claudius! And happy birthday to ya too, because today's your birthday (born August 1, 10 BC), Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus! Better known to the world as jus' plain Claudius, which makes it easier to write birthday cards to him, especially when you had to chistle 'em into slate tablets. "Happy birthday, Claude!" (thunk) Not that he wasn't mighty enough to pick 'em up:


from "[I Made an Airplane]" in Kid Eternity (1946 series) #5 (Quality, Spring 1947), pencils and inks by Pete Riss (?) or Witmer Williams (?)

Today in Comics History, June 24, 1898: Doctor shoots to kill

"Army Doc" from M.D> (1955 series) #5 (EC, December 1956), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, April 30: Happy birthday, Burton C. Mossman!

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published April 30, 2022.

Born on this day in 1867: Burton C. Mossman, legendary American lawman (and cattleman, but we won't hold that against him).


"Arizona Ranger" in Detective Comics #139 (DC, September 1948), script and art by Stookie Allen (?)
And from that point on there was never any troubles in Arizona ever again. EVER AGAIN.

Today in Comics History, April 29: Happy birthday, Duke Ellington!

Born on this day in 1899, making him one of the original geniuses on the twentieth century: jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington ("Take the "A" Train," "In a Sentimental Mood," "Prelude to a Kiss," "The Mooche," "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)," "Mood Indigo," "In a Sentimental Mood," "Rockin' in Rhythm," and many, many more jazz classics you know in your head and heart)!



from Juke Box Comics #5 (Eastern Color, November 1948), creator unidentified and unknown

Today in Comics History, April 1, 2036: Boy, these Gladiator sequels just get weirder and weirder

from eJunky (Scout, September 2023), script by Nicholas Tana, art by Kyle Faehnrich

Today in Comics History, April 1, 1930, April Fools' Day: I'm gonna make you read these text pages....April Fool!

from Crime Must Pay the Penalty #5 (Ace, December 1948), creator uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, March 23, 1918: "It is truly an honor to be bombed by such an impressive weapon, m'sieur."

An extremely weird text story to publish less than seven years after the end of World War II: a history, and almost outright admiration, for a long-range World War I German cannon that shelled Paris and killed more than 300 people. What...what the actual heck, DC?



"The Fantastic Story of the Paris Gun" from Batman (1940 series) #71 (DC/National, June 1952), pencils and inks by Raymond Perry
I guess the fact that it was buried in a text story meant that no one was actually going to read it, but sheesh, Whitney Ellsworth.

Today in Comics History, March 11, 1938: A Baller move against the Nazis

"They Shall Make Music" from Real Life Comics #33 (Pines, July 1946), text by Nat Schachner
(Click bottom picture to grand piano-size)
(Bully stands, salutes Adolph Baller)

Today in Comics History, March 11: Happy birthday, Ray Gill!

Born on this day in 1918: comic book writer, artist and editor Ray Gill (Mighty Mouse, Super Rabbit, Pals and Pastimes and more, and the co-creator of Airman and Terry Vance). He worked at Funnies Inc. (he was the #2 guy in hierachy there after Lloyd Jacquet), and created for Lev Gleason, Timely, Novelty, Archie, Fawcett, and more in books like Marvel Mystery Comics, Blue Bolt, 4Most, Archie Comics, Target Comics (note: not about the store), Laugh Comics, Pep Comics, etc. And his brother was comic book writer Joe Gill!

Here's a nod-and-a-wink reference to Ray in the pages of a Golden Age Human Torch story. Hey, can you guess which tough guy wrote the darn thing?


from "Hot Stamp Mob!" in All-Winners Comics #6 (Marvel/Timely, Fall 1942), script by Mickey Spillane, pencils by Harry Fisk (?), inks by Edd Ashe (?)
And in this text story I've read so you don't have to, Atomic Mouse meets Ray Gill (and Charlton editor Al Fago and his wife)!

"Bum-bum-bum-Bomb" from Funny Animals #87 (Charlton, October 1954), creator uncredited and unknown
(Click picture to gratuitous cameo-size)
Happy birthday, Ray!

Today in Comics History, January 1, 1925: You're busy watching football today, so I read this goofy text story so you don't have to

"Nevers vs. Notre Dame" from Football Thrills #2 (Ziff-Davis, Fall 1952), creator uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, Thanksgiving: It's time to give Bully thanks for reading comic book text pages, so you don't have to

While you're waiting for Mom to take the Thanksgiving turkey or tofu out of the oven, why not while away the time with this weirdly yellow-backgrounded text story from the old Golden Age Daredevil series, giving the origin story of Crimebuster's battling partner Squawky, The Turkey with No Time for Crime! He'll hit you over the head with his own drumstick!



"Let's Talk Turkey!" from Daredevil Comics #68 (Lev Gleason, November 1950), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, November 22: And that's why the Soviets missed the premiere of Doctor Who

"Success" in Weird Fantasy (1950 series) #16 (EC, November 1950), creator uncredited and unknown

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

Today in Comics History, October 14: Happy birthday, Bob Oksner!

Born on this day in 1916: Bob Oksner, comic book scripter, penciller, and inker on hundreds of books like The Adventures of Jerry Lewis, Leave It to Binky, Marvel Mystery Comics, Action Comics, Superman, The Adventures of Bob Hope, The Adventures of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Sergeant Bilko, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl and many, many more!


from DC Comics cover-dated November 1962
Award-winning artist? You betcha!


from DC house ad from DC Comics cover-dated November 1971, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Olypmics judge Bob Oksner awards Superman a 9.7 on his dive, and the judges agree...hey, what's the big deal, Julie Schwartz?!?


from DC Comics Presents #81 (DC, May 1985), plot and pencils by Keith Giffen, dialogue by Robert Loren Fleming, inks by Bob Oksner, colors by Anthony Tollin, letters by Bill Pearson
Happy birthday, Bob!

Today in Comics History, October 10: Happy birthday, Giuseppe Verdi!

Born on this day (or maybe yesterday) in 1813: Giuseppe Verdi, composer and lyricist, best known for his famous operas Rigoletto, Il trovatore, Aida, Falstaff, Otello, and La traviata and many other works! Here's Batman and Robin singing one of them, so you know Verdi hit it big in comics!


from "The Grand Opera Murders!" in Batman (1940 series) #40 (DC/National, April 1947), script by Don C. Cameron (?), pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Gene McDonald, letters by Joe Letterese (?)

Today in Comics History, October 3, 1896: Diana Prince wrote this text story so she could claim her new bike purchase was tax deductible

from Sensation Comics #85 (DC/National, January 1949), text by Lee Goldsmith

Today in Comics History, September 30, 1846: Dentist at last able to confidently answer the question "Is it safe?"

"The Pain Killer" from M.D> (1955 series) #1 (EC, April 1955), creators unidentified and unknown

Today in Comics History, September 30, 1939: A Thrilling Tale of Bathtime with My Toy Boats, by Bully (Age 7)

"The Battered Battleship" from Fightin' Navy #81 (Charlton, January 1958), creators uncredited and unknown