Monday, February 08, 2021

Today in Comics History, February 8: Happy birthday, Terry Stewart!

Born on this day: Terry Stewart, who was editor at and president of Marvel Comics and a CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum!


from Marvel Age #98 (Marvel, March 1991), text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter, art by Ron Zalme, colors by Renee Witterstaetter

During the Stan's-in-Hollywood era of the 1990s, President Terry was the "face fronter" of Marvel public relations, altho' he never gained the cultural popularity or either Stan or any of the Editors-in-Chiefs at the House of Ideas.


from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated October 1993

He certainly popped up with regularity in photos features within Marvel Age:




from Marvel Age #112 (top), 115 (middle), and 136 (bottom) (Marvel, May 1992, August 1992, and May 1994)

But have you ever seen his picture on a bubble gum card? Hmmm? How can you say someone is great who's never had his picture on a bubble gum...oh.


from Marvel Age #104 (Marvel, September 1991)

But what you're probably going to remember about terry Stewart was that the Great Image Exodus occurred on his watch. (Ouch!)


from "No More Wednesdays" in Comic Book Comics #6 (Evil Twin, November 2011); script by Fred Van Lente; pencils, inks, and letters by Ryan Dunlavey

Here's that same scene from the POV of the Image guys, doing a MAD magazine-style recollection of the events:




from Splitting Image #1 (Image, March 1993); co-plot by Rob Liefeld; co-plot, script, pencils, inks, and letters by Don Simpson; colors by Brian Murray)

Wonder whatever happened to those guys?


Now that you';ve been exposed to lots of pictures of Terry Stewart, can you find him in the very crowded 1992 Marvel Bullpen? (Hint: He is next to Stan Lee.)



from Marvel Age #120 (Marvel, January 1993), art by Rick Parker
(Click top picture to President-size)

A couple links about Terry Stewart that I liked:

Still, even though we know all that, not a lot of people know that (copyright ©1966 by Michael Caine) Terry Stewart debuted as a comic book love story protagonist waaaay back in 1953! (wink wink)


from "One Night of Love" in First Love Illustrated #25 (Charlton, February 1953), pencils and inks by John Sink

Say, I wonder what Terry said during his apparently censored speech balloon...and how did it lead to their world turning black and white? Are they being targeted by a sniper?


Anyway, happy birthday, Terry Stewart!

Fun with Comics: How It Started/How It's Going



from "Wilbur Underhill — Maniac Killer!" in Police Line-Up #2 (Avon, December 1951), pencils and inks by Bill Molno

Today in Comics History, February 8: Happy birthday, Bill Finger!

Born on this date in 1914: Bill Finger, co-creator of Batman, Robin, Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon, Green Lantern, Wildcat, and many other classic characters and concepts!


from Fifty Who Made DC Great one-shot (DC, 1985)

Here's a lovely memorial essay for Finger in the DC fan magazine The Amazing World of DC Comics #1 (DC, July 1974). Note that Finger here is credited, altho' not in a "created by" byline, with the invention of many iconic DC characters.


But The Amazing World of DC Comics had many contributors with many differing views. Since I don't have access to issue #10, here's a great video by Tom Brevoort about a comic story published within its pages that was truly cruel and dismissive of Bill Finger. Boo!


In fact, DC's "official" story of Batman's origin in a 1946 comic book doesn't mention Finger at all. (More on this here.)


from "The True Story of Batman and Robin! How a Big-Time Comic is Born!" in Real Fact Comics #5 (DC, November 1946), script by Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinger, and/or Bernie Breslauer; pencils and inks by Win Mortimer

From Wikipedia:
While Kane privately admitted in a 1980s audio interview with his autobiographer that Finger was responsible for "50–75% of all the creativity in Batman," for decades he publicly denied Finger had been anything more than a subcontractor executing Kane's ideas. As a result, Finger died in obscurity and poverty while the Batman brand—and Kane—amassed international fame and wealth.

At least Finger was by-lined within the pages of the comic book as the co-creator of Green Lantern straight from the first (if not necessarily later on).



from Green Lantern (1941 series) #1 (Fall 1941), script by Bill Finger, pencils and inks by Mart Nodell

It's only recently that DC Comics has credited Bill Finger with the co-creation of Batman, altho' with a "with" credit line after Bob Kane.


from Batman (2016 series) #101 (DC, December 2020)

We love you and remember you, Bill Finger, creator of Batman and so much more! Happy birthday!

Sunday, February 07, 2021

Today in Comics History, February 7, 1964: Parents just don't understand


from The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story (Dark Horse, November 2013), written by Vivek J. Tiwary, art by Andrew C. Robinson, letters by Steve Dutro

Today in Comics History, February 7, 1964: Pop band invades, conquers, enslaves America


from The Beatles in Comics! (NBM, November 2018); script by Gaëtan Petit; translation by Joe Johnson; art by Efix; letters by Ortho


from The Beatles: Their Story in Pictures (ITV, 1982), script by Angus P. Allan, art by Arthur Ranson (collected from the strip in Look-In)


from Marvel Comics Super Special #4 [The Beatles] (Marvel, 1978), script by Dave Kraft, additional dialogue by Don McGregor, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Klaus Janson and Joe Rubinstein, colors by Petra Goldberg, letters by Tom Orzechowski


from Rock 'n' Roll Comics: The Beatles Experience (Revolutionary/Bluewater, 2010), script by Todd Loren, art by Mike Sagara


from The Beatles one-shot (Dell, September 1964), pencils and inks by Joe Sinnott

And the world would never be the same. Because The Beatles blew it up.

Saturday, February 06, 2021

Fun with Comics: I love the Knight's Cave in Knight and Squire

It has a giant bulldog, larger-than-life milk bottles, and an oversized jar of Marmite Moomite.

Wow, I so love this series.

Thursday, February 04, 2021

Fun with Comics: I don't think this is a spoiler anymore, Mister Vader


from Marvel Age #4 (Marvel, July 1983)

Today in Comics History, February 4: Or it might have been April 2 at 5 AM


from "The Man Who Radiated Fear!" in Batman #200 (DC, March 1968), script by Mike Friedrich, pencils by Chic Stone, inks by Joe Giella, letters by Gaspar Saladino

Today in Comics History, February 4, 1996: Happy birthday, Ronald Fergunson, Jr.! Hope you surviveD the experience!



from "No Heroes" in The Joker 80th Anniversary Super-Spectacular #1 (DC, June 2020); co-script by Eduardo Medeiros; co-script, pencils, and inks by Rafael Albuquerque, colors by Marcelo Maiolo, letters by Steve Wand

Oh goodie, he did! Happy endings all around!

Today in Comics History, February 4, 1984: Massive floating heads threaten nation



from Amazing Spider-Man #252 (Marvel, May 1984), script by Roger Stern and Tom DeFalco, pencils by Ron Frenz, inks by Brett Breeding, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Joe Rosen

Monday, February 01, 2021

Wild About the Calendar: February: Coming Out of the Closet (The Hard Way)


from "Wild's 1954 Calendar: February" in Wild #5 (Marvel/Atlas, August 1954); script, pencils, and inks by Howie Post

The 2010 2021 Marvel Calendar for February: Free Fallin'

Geez, Ms. (not-quite-yet-Captain) Marvel from the 2010 Marvel Calendar what still works for February 2021, sit up!

"February: Ms. Marvel" from the Marvel Calendar 2010 (Marvel, 2009)
(Click picture to exposure-size)

And put a sweater on! It's snowing outside!

The Marvel Age Calendar for February 1993 2021: February Fightin'

Avengers vs. X-Men? Why, they'll never resort to that sales-goosing gimmick again!

from Marvel Age #122 (Marvel, March 1993), art by Darren Auck and George Pérez
(Click picture to crossover-size)

Yes, it's a scene from the so-early-it-hasn't-even-been-cancelled yet X-Men, when the Marvel's Merry Mutants first met the Mighty Mavengers! Hey, check it out: the X-Men battle Thor and Co., while in the storm cellar, Professor X attacks Lucifer over those raspberruy preserves he put up last summer. Who will win the jam?!?


cover of [Uncanny] X-Men (1963 series) #9 (Marvel, January 1965), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Chic Stone, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Sam Rosen (sourced)

Clip 'n' color 'n' display it all month!

Sunday, January 31, 2021

What's Bully Watching?: Kittens!

They are showing kitten videos right now (and, pretty much 24/7) on the PlutoTV Cats channel if you need some serotonin.


I need it and I bet you do too.

Stuff Bully Got Wants: Starbucks "Year of the Ox" Merch

Oh wow, all the best Starbucks Year of the Ox Bull merchandise is only available in Singpore, more's the pity! Warning: cuteness ahead!






If any of my pals are in Singapore couldja please pick these up for me? I'll give ya hugs!

Note in 2022: None of this stuff ever even showed up on eBay. Pfui!

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Today in Comics History, January 28, 814: I wonder why you keep me waiting, Charlemagne, my Charlemagne


from "Charlemagne, Emperor of the West" in Real Life Comics #9 (Pines, January 1943), pencils and inks by Henry Kiefer

Today in Comics History, January 28: Happy birthday, Violet Gray! Maybe.

Hey, January 28 is Violet's birthday! Happy birthday, Violet Gray!


from Peanuts (United Feature Syndicate, January 29, 1955), by Charles M. Schulz

Or...is it on June 17?!? What kinda con game are you playing here, Violet?


from Peanuts (United Feature Syndicate, June 17, 1962), by Charles M. Schulz

(Be back here on June 17 to see these same strips in the opposite direction, I guess!)

Today in Comics History, January 28, 1725: Long-time companion outs dead man


from "Peter the Great, Father of Russia" in Real Life Comics #6 (Pines, July 1942), creators unknown