Monday, June 13, 2022

Today in Comics History, June 13: Happy birthday, W. B. Yeats!

You'd hardly expect comics books to spotlight writers of great literature, but as they've said somewhere or other, comics: they're not just for kids anymore! That's why we gather together on this here blog to celebrate today's birthday of William Butler Yeats, the great Irish writer of drama, poetry, fiction, and essays: At the Hawk's Well, The Land of Heart's Desire, "The Second Coming," "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven," Long-Legged Fly," "Sailing to Byzantium," "Easter 1916," and more.

No, he didn't star in superhero comics (if you ignore Marvel's The Redoubtable Yeats miniseriesl), but he did get quoted in a few, sometimes by the most unlikely of characters:



from "The Return of the Defenders Part 4: Hot Spell" in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Annual (1922 series) #2 (Marvel, 1992), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by M. C. Wyman, inks by E. R. Cruz, colors by Kevin Tinsley, letters by Michael Higgins




Today in Comics History, June 13, 1941: Oh yeah, better get in plenty of sleep for all the big celebrations tomorrow


from "Meet the Flag" in Our Flag Comics #2 (Ace, October 1941), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 13: Happy birthday, Brett Breeding!

Happy birthday to comics penciller and inker Brett Breeding (the Superman titles, Thor, Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, and much more!)! In celebration, can you find Brett at the El/Lane wedding?



from Superman: The Wedding Album one-shot (DC, December 1996), pencils by Dan Jurgens, inks by Jerry Ordway, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Bill Oakley
Click top picture to honeymoon-size

Happy birthday, Brett!

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1945: Crime is committed by hook and by crook


from "Zack Bodego, the Crusher!" in Martin Kane, Private Eye #2 (Fox, August 1950), pencils and inks by Lou Ferstadt

Today in Comics History, June 13: Happy birthday, Chris Evans!

Born on this day: actor Chris Evans (Captain America, the Human Torch, Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim, and more)!


from Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir (Simon & Schuster, January 2019), script by Peter David and Stan Lee, art by Colleen Doran

Happy birthday, Chris!


Today in Comics History, June 13, 1801: Joker/Swamp Thing #1 debuts


from Manifest Destiny #13 (Image, April 2015), script by Chris Dingess, pencils and inks by Matthew Roberts, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1954: Sgt. Schultz Goes to a Funeral


from Doomsday Clock #10 (DC, July 2019), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh

Today in Comics History, Friday the 13th (of June): Cop not doing anything terrible right now but keep your eye on him just in case


from Black Hood (2015 series) #1 (Archie/Dark Circle, April 2015), script by Duane Swierczynski, pencils and inks by Michael Gaydos, colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick, letters by Rachel Deering

Today in Comics History, June 13, 1966: It pays to be aware of your genre


from The 'Nam #5 (April 1987), script by Doug Murray, pencils by Michael Golden, inks by John Beatty, colors and letters by Phil Felix

Sunday, June 12, 2022

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 12: The lessons they tortoise




from Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #3 (DC/IDW, September 2019), script by James Tynion IV, pencils and inks by Freddie E. Williams II with Kevin Eastman, colors by Jeremy Colwell, letters by Tom Napolitano

Today in Comics History, June 12, 1942: Has everybody gotten their line in? Good, then we'll proceed.

from Young All-Stars #26 (DC, June 1989), script by Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas, pencils by Ron Harris, inks by Bob Downs, colors by Shelley Eiber, letters by Jean Simek and Carrie Spiegle
(Click picture to cast of thousands-size)

The only people not talking are Gissmo Chiang and General Brehon Somervell on the covers of Time magazine! Yes, of course: Roy Thomas (and Ron Harris) have done their homework!


covers of Time magazine (June 1 and Juen 15, 1942)

Although that looks like a frog on the cover of Newsweek.

Today in Comics History, June 12: Happy birthday, Len Wein!

Born on this day in 1948: comic book editor and writer Len Wein, who co-created Swamp Thing, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Brother Voodoo, Amanda Waller, Lucius Fox, Clayface III, and many, many more classic characters and comics!


from Mighty Marvel Calendar 1976, 1977, and 1978 (Marvel, 1975-1977)



from FOOM #8 (Marvel, December 1974)





Today in Comics History, June 12, 1936: Meanwhile behind them, Thanos snaps away Groot


from "Benjamin O. Davis Sr. & Jr.: Two of a Kind" in True Comics #43 (Parents' Magazine Press, Spring 1945), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 12, 1941: Dark Horse just baldly publishing Starman fan fiction now


from Doctor Star (aka Doctor Andromeda) & the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows: From the World of Black Hammer #1 (Dark Horse, March 2018), script by Jeff Lemire, pencils and inks by Max Fiumara, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Nate Piekos

Today in Comics History, June 12: Superboy supercrams


from Superman: Year One #1 (DC, January 2020), co-plot and script by Frank Miller, co-plot and pencils by John Romita, Jr., inks by Danny Miki, colors by Alex Sinclair, letters by John Workman

Today in Comics History, June 12, 1968: Vandalizing the Wikipedia entry for "Secret Six" interrupted by break-in of WikiPolice


from "A Bird in the Hand..." in Action Comics Weekly #627 (DC, November 22, 1988), script by Martin Pasko, pencils by Frank Springer, inks by Frank McLaughlin, colors by Carl Gafford, letters by Albert DeGuzman

Today in Comics History, June 12, 1959: Please don't hate me, I just couldn't resist


from Billie Holiday graphic novel (NBM, May 2017); script by Carlos Sampayo; translated by Katy MacRae, Robert Boyd, and Kim Thompson; pencils and inks by José Muñoz; letters by Ortho















Today in Comics History, June 12, 2015: The real subway enthusiasts know that the best time to enjoy the trains is before the sun comes up


from Yellow Cab (IDW, May 2022), by Christophe Chabouté, based on the novel by Benoît Cohen

Saturday, June 11, 2022

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 11: Thomas and Martha Wayne are killed with a gun that shoots concentrated bats

from "There Is Hope in Crime Alley" in Batman Annual (2017 series) #5 (DC, February 2021); script by James Tynion IV; pencils, inks, and colors by James Stokoe; letters by Clayton Cowles
(Click picture to giant golden-crowned flying fox-size)

Today in Comics History, June 11: Happy birthday, Bettie Ringma!

Born on this day: Marvel Production Paste-Up Manager in the early '90s, Bettie Ringma!


from Marvel Age #90 and 102 (Marvel, July 1990 and July 1991), text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter, pencils and inks by Ron Zalme, colors by Renee Witterstaetter

Happy birthday, Bettie!

(Was she the same Bettie Ringma who took great photos of the punk scene in Europe and at NYC's CBGB during the 1970s? LMK in the comments if you're sure!)

Today in Comics History, June 11: Happy birthday, Rich Margopoulos!

Born on this day: comics writer Rich Margopoulos (Creepy, Eerie, What If?, Haunt of Horror, and dozens and dozens of Archie Comics)!



from (top) EERIE (1966 series) #43 (Warren, November 1972), and
New Talent Showcase (1984 series) #2 (DC, February 1984)




Today in Comics History, June 11, 2015: Oh god, no, don't


from Yellow Cab (IDW, May 2022), by Christophe Chabouté, based on the novel by Benoît Cohen

Today in Comics History, June 11, 1988: Royalties on "Ring of Fire" are finally paid


from Spectacular Spider-Man (1976 series) #144 (Marvel, November 1988), script by Gerry Conway, pencils and inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, June 11, 1942: Roy Thomas slows time to a crawl across three entire comics




from Young All-Stars #23 (top), 24 (middle), and 25 (bottom) (DC, March-May 1989); script by Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas; pencils by Ron Harris; inks by Bob Downs; colors by Gene D'Angelo (#23), Shelley Eiber (#24-25), letters by Helen Vesik (#24), Jean Simek and Albert T. De Guzman (#25-26)

Today in Comics History, June 11, 1998: This modern-dress version of the Book of Genesis is weird


from (top) "V for Vendetta: Book Two, Chapter Seven: Visitors" in Warrior #21 (Quality Communications, August 1984), script by Alan Moore, pencils and inks by David Lloyd; and
(bottom) V for Vendetta #5 (DC, Winter 1988); colors by David Lloyd, Siobhan Dodds, and Steve Whitaker; letters by Jenny O'Connor

Today in Comics History, June 11, 1903: Dean Wormer lets "Kegger" MacArthur graduate just to get rid of him


from General Douglas MacArthur one-shot (Fox, 1951), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 11, 1998: Cue the Benny Hill music


from (top) "V for Vendetta: Book Two, Chapter Seven: Visitors" in Warrior #21 (Quality Communications, August 1984), script by Alan Moore, pencils and inks by David Lloyd; and
(bottom) V for Vendetta #5 (DC, Winter 1988); colors by David Lloyd, Siobhan Dodds, and Steve Whitaker; letters by Jenny O'Connor

Today in Comics History, June 11, 1948: Sports exposition subtly deployed


from "Bob Mathias: The World's Greatest Athlete" in True Comics #79 (Parents' Magazine Press, October 1949), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, June 11, 1962: Enterprise is cancelled




from Quantum Leap #1 (top) and 2 (middle and bottom) (Innovation, September 1991); script by George Broderick; pencils and inks by Mark Jones; colors by Scott Rockwell; letters by Vickie Williams

Friday, June 10, 2022

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 10: Well, at least Bruce got to see a Zorro movie...what, huh?!?


from Batman: Overdrive (DC, April 2020), script by Shea Fontana, pencils and inks by Marcelo DiChiara, colors by Hilary Sycamore, letters by Corey Breen

Today in Comics History, June 10, 1942: Filming commences on The Fast and the Furious: Summer of '42


from Young All-Stars #22 (DC, January 1989), script by Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas, pencils by Ron Harris, inks by Bob Downs, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by Jean Simek

Today in Comics History, The Day Before Father's Day (June 10): Jimmy Olsen discovers the terrifying future fate of his beautiful, beautiful red hair

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published June 10, 2014.


from "The Mystery of Convict 313!" in Jimmy Olsen #75 (DC/National, March 1964), script by Leo Dorfman, pencils and inks by John Forte

Today in Comics History, June 10, 1968: General Westmoreland goes east; more land


from The 'Nam #29 (Marvel, April 1989), script by Doug Murray, pencils by Wayne Vansant, inks by Frank Springer, colors by Steve Mellor, letters by Phil Felix