Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Chester Gould!

Born on this day in in 1900 (only a few weeks after my own Grammy Bull!): cartoonist and writer Chester Gould, creator of Dick Tracy, America's only detective!


from Dick Tracy (1950 series) #26 (Harvey, April 1950)
Happy birthday, Chet!

Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Richard Dawson!

Born on this day in 1932: actor, comedian, and game show panelist and host Richard Dawson (Match Game, Laugh-In, Family Feud, The Running Man)!


cover of Hogan's Heroes #2 (Dell, September 1966), letters by Ben Oda
And of course Dawson appeared in the situation comedy Hogan's Heroes, playing Corporal Peter Newkirk!



from "Operation Double Klink" in Hogan's Heroes #2; script by Alan Riefe, pencils by Steve Ditko (!), inks by Sal Trapani, letters by Jon D'Agostino
On Family Feud Dawson was infamous for kissing female contestants. In the comics he wasn't that much of a sex pest. Well, hardly ever:



from "The Fortunate Fool" in Jo-Jo Comics #26 (Fox, April 1949), pencils and inks by Matt Baker (?)
Note: That ain't actually the Richard Dawson! Whew!

Happy birthday, Richard! I'll always pick you for the SuperMatch!

Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Ming-Na Wen!

Born on this day: actor Ming-Na Wen, who voiced the title character in Disney's Mulan!


from Mulan (Disney Comics, 2013), absolutely no creator credits at all. Shame on you, Disney.
And Detective Ellen Yin in the 2004-2008 animated The Batman!



from The Batman Strikes! #9 (DC, July 2005), script by Bill Matheny, pencils by Christopher Jones, inks by Terry Beatty, colors by Heroic Age, letters by Pat Brosseau
And she played Melinda "The Cavalry" May in Agents of SHIELD!



covers from The Cavalry: SHIELD 50th Anniversary one-shot (Marvel, November 2015), by (top) Dale Keown and (bottom) John Tyler Christopher
Happy birthday, Ming-Na! And this time next year I hope there'll be a Fennec Shand comic book!

Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Joe Biden!

Born on this day: President Joe Biden!


from "Spidey Meets the President!" in Amazing Spider-Man #583 (Marvel, March 2009), script by Zeb Wells, pencils and inks by Todd Nauck, colors by Frank D'Armata, letters by Jared K. Fletcher
Happy birthday, Mr. President!

Now, go do alla that stuff you promised us.

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛ is sleeping cutely

Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Jill Thompson!

Born on this day: comic book writer and artist Jill Thompson (Sandman, Wonder Woman, Elementals, Black Orchid, more; co-creator of Beasts of Burden, creator of Scary Godmother)!


from cover of Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #5 (Bongo, September 1999), pencils and inks by Bill Morrison, colors by Nathan Kane
Chibi Vertigo editor Shelley Bond (left) and Jill Thompson self-portrait!:


from Vertigo X Anniversary Preview one-shot (DC/Vertigo, April 2003), by Jill Thompson

Today in Comics History, November 20, 1943: Jeez, Red, ya jinxed it

from "Beachhead" in Semper Fi #1 (Marvel, December 1988), script by Michael P. Palladino, pencils and inks by Sam Glanzman, colors by Phil Felix (?), letters by Rick Parker

Today in Comics History, November 20: Happy birthday, Dick Smothers!

Born on this day in 1938: Comedian and musician Dick Smothers, half of comedy team The Smothers Brothers!



(top) "A CBS-TV Summer Memo to the Smothered Brothers" in MAD #122 (October 1968), script by Ronnie Nathan, pencils and inks by Jack Rickard;
(bottom) from "More "So How Come..."?" in MAD #136 (July 1970), script by Stan Hart, pencils and inks by George Woodbridge

Today in Comics History, November 20: Run faster and make sure that nuclear blast doesn't scorch your asses, X-Men

from Marvel Team-Up Annual #1 (Marvel, 1976), co-plot by Chris Claremont and Bonnie Wilford, co-plot and script by Bill Mantlo, breakdowns by Sal Buscema, finishes by Mike Esposito, colors by Hugh Paley, letters by Jim Novak

Today in Comics History, November 20, 1804: The fog comes, on little blood-drinking monster feet

from Manifest Destiny #25-26 (Image, January-February 2017), script by Chris Dingess, pencils by Matthew Roberts, inks by Tony Akins and Stefano Gaudiano, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, November 20, 1995: We'd blame him for arson but we might get sued

from Daily Bugle #2 (Marvel, January 1997), script by Paul Grist, pencils by Karl Kerschl, inks by Greg Adams, letters by Jim Novak

Today in Comics History, November 20, 1977: Happy birthday, Rage!

Born on this day: Elvin Holiday, who became the Avengers member Rage!


from Avengers #330 (Marvel, March 1991), script by Larry Hama, breakdowns by Paul Ryan, finishes by Tom Palmer, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Bill Oakley
Happy birthday, Rage! Grrrrrr!


from Avengers #326 (Marvel, November 1990), script by Larry Hama, pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Tom Palmer, colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Bill Oakley

Today in Comics History, November 19, 1992: Happy birthday, Erick Zermeno!

from Spider-Man 2099 (1992 series) #32 (Marvel/2099, June 1995), script by Peter David, pencils by Roger Robinson, inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, colors by Chia-Chi Wang, letters by Ken Lopez

Today in Comics History, November 19, 1863: A hush comes over the crowd as they try to calculate how many is four score and seven

from "The War Between the States" in Picture Stories from American History #4 (EC, Summer 1947), script by Jerry Coleman, pencils and inks by Allen Simon

Today in Comics History, November 19, 1804: Thor steals hammer from President Grant

from Manifest Destiny #25 (Image, January 2017), script by Chris Dingess, pencils by Matthew Roberts, inks by Tony Akins and Stefano Gaudiano, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, November 18, 1801: Pa Ingalls builds a little house, but there's no McDonald's in the area

from Manifest Destiny #19 (Image, May 2016), script by Chris Dingess, pencils by Matthew Roberts, inks by Tony Akins and Stefano Gaudiano, colors by Owen Gieni, letters by Pat Brosseau

Today in Comics History, November 18, 1988: "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin Kirbying in five minutes."

from Kirby: Genesis: Silver Star #1 (Dynamite, November 2011), co-plot by Alex Ross, co-plot and script by Jai Nitz, pencils by Johnny Desjardins, colors by Vinicius Andrade, letters by Simon Bowland

Today in Comics History, November 18: Happy birthday, Kim Wilde!

Born on this day: singer Kim Wilde! She's one of the Kids in America the UK!


covers of Look-In #36/1981 (ITV, 29 August 1981) and #47/1981 (14 November 1981)
Happy birthday, Kim!

Today in Comics History, November 18, 1992: Clark gets out of doing his household chores; Lois Lane is furious

cover of Heroes in Crisis #1 (DC, November 2018), art by Ryan Sook
...which means this is the day that this happened:

from Superman (1987 series) #75 (DC, January 1993), script and layouts by Dan Jurgens, finishes by Brett Breeding, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by John Costanza
(Click pictures to Doomsday-size)
Get well soon, Superman!

And hey, what do you do on the anniversary of this event?


from Superman (1987 series) #175 (DC, December 2001), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils by Ed McGuinness, inks by Cam Smith and Walden Wong, colors by Tanya Horie and Richard Horie, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, November 18, 1992: Vital plot point is buried in hard-to-read text page at back of comic

from Doomsday Clock #7 (DC, November 2018), script by Geoff Johns, art by Gary Frank, design by Amie Brockway-Metcalf, colors by Brad Anderson

Today in Comics History, November 18: Happy birthday, Johnny Mercer!

Born on this day in 1919: songwriter, singer and lyricist Johnny Mercer ("Moon River", "Days of Wine and Roses," "That Old Black Magic" and so many more!



from "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" in Juke Box Comics #1 (Eastern Color, March 1948), creators uncredited and unknown
"Jeepers, Creepers," Johnny! You're "Too Marvelous for Words" and "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby!" "P.S. I Love You!"


Capital Records ad from Juke Box Comics #5 (Eastern Color, November 1948)
Happy birthday, Johnny!

Today in Comics History, November 18, 1963: Paul McCartney cursed with Midas Touch, turns John Lennon's head to a solid ingot

from The Beatles in Comics! (NBM, November 2018), script by Richard Di Martino, translation by Joe Johnson, art by Efix, letters by Ortho

Today in Comics History, November 18: Happy birthday, Bob Smith!

Born on this day: comic book artist/inker Bob Smith, especially known for his work at DC (Detective Comics and Batman, Warlord, Robin, House of Mystery, World's Finest, and more)!


"DC Profiles #43: Bob Smith" from DC Comics cover-dated November 1978

Today in Comics History, November 18: Like pages through the paperglass, these are the Days of Our Calendar

from Batman: The Long Halloween Special #1 one-shot (DC, December 2021), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils and inks by Tim Sale, colors by Brennan Wagner, letters by Richard Starkings

Today in Comics History, November 17, A Long Time Ago: You Bet Your Life Day

On this date in 1978, the class (?) TV spectcaular The Star Wars Holiday Special aired for the very first, and the very last, time. Opinions are divided as to the quality of the show (big furry Wookiee thumbs down on everything except the cartoon, but I like the Bea Arthur segment myself), but you can't help but admit it has had a major impact upon the Star Wars mythology. Now that it's all canon, it's fun to see where the legends got their start!

Okay, yeah, you got me. Thanks to contemporary Disney-era comic books, the celebration of Life Day and some of its characters are canon, if not necessarly anything that went on in that special. Aw, that means Harvey Korman piuring a drink into his volcano head is relegeated to Legends. But did anything good ever come out of the Holiday Special? Why yes! Like this awesome comic book cover by Francesco Francavilla!


cover of Star Wars Adventures (2020 series) #3 (IDW, February 2021), art by Francesco Francavilla

Today in Comics History, November 17: Happy birthday, Mari Aldon!

Born on this day in 1925, actor and dancer Mari Aldon (The Barefoot Contessa, This Woman Is Dangerous, Distant Drums and more). Mari's only been in a small number of films and has made even fewer appearances in comic books: namely, one. Which makes her a perfect person to wish happy birthday to in a quick post!


from "[Joyce Holden]" in Movie Love #16 (Eastern Color, December 1952), pencils and inks by Frank Fogarty
Happy birthday, Mari!

Today in Comics History, November 17: Happy birthday, Ed Brubaker!

Born on this day: comic book writer Ed Brubaker, creator/co-creator of series Lowlife, Gotham Central, Criminal, Incognito, Fatale, The Fade Out, Kill or Be Killed, Deadenders, Point Blank, Sleeper and others, plus extended runs on Captain America, Winter Soldier, Detective Comics, Daredevil, X-Men, The Immortal Iron Fist, The Marvels Project, Secret Avengers, Velvet and lots more! He co-created the characters Lady Bullseye, Vulcan, Darwin, and the Immortal Weapons!


from Marvel Comics cover-dated April 2008