Today in Comics History, October 17, 1973: Maybe blaming all their arson on the Fire Alien from Mercury was too far-fetched

The Hoaxmaster is back! And this time...aieeee, he's HUGE!


from "The Hoaxmaster Knows -- and Tells All!" in UFO Flying Saucers #4 (Western/Gold Key, November 1974), pencils and inks by Frank Bolle
This post was suggested by faithful reader and frequent commenter Blam, who's provided a lot of date references in comics that I'll spotlight throughout 2023 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, October 17, 2017: Meanwhile in the food court, Hit-Girl just disemboweled the Panda Express guy for forgetting her duck sauce

from Kick-Ass (2018 series) #1 (Image, February 2018), script by Mark Millar, pencils by John Romita Jr., digital nks by Peter Steigerwald with assistance by Megan Madrigal, colors by Peter Steigerwald, letters by John Workman

Today in Comics History, October 17, 1781: First appearance in comics, Pissy George Washington

from "The Story of the War of Independence" in Picture Stories from American History #2 (EC, 1946), script by M. C. Gaines and W. W. D. Sones, pencils and inks by Allen Simon

Today in Comics History, October 17, 1941: In Soviet Union, Russia mothers you

from "Mother ☭ Russia" in Men of War (1977 series) #21 (DC, October 1979), script by Cary Burkett, pencils and inks by Jerry Grandenetti, colors by Jerry Serpe, letters by Shelly Leferman

Today in Comics History, October 17, 1944: Nazis purchase one of those square inch of land deeds from the back of a comic book

from "21 Days" in Battle Action #14 (Marvel/Atlas, December 1954), pencils and inks by Syd Shores

Today in Comics History, October 17, 1967: The Funeral of Brian Epstein

from The Beatles in Comics! (NBM, November 2018); script by Richard Di Martino; translation by Joe Johnson; pencils, inks, and colors by Richard DiMartino; letters by Ortho
Rest in peace, Brian.

Today in Comics History, October 17: Underwood Deviled Ham Guy doing all right for himself

from Batman: Nightwalker (DC, November 2019), original novel by Marie Lu, adapted by Stuart Moore, pencils and inks by Chris Wildgoose, additional inks by Cam Smith, colors by Laura Trinder, letters by Troy Peteri

Today in Comics History, October 16, 1973: Lies, dripping off your mouth like dirt / Lies, lies in every step you walk

It's fun to look back now through old issues of Gold Key's UFO Flying Saucers and seeing all the ridiuclius stuff we believed Project: Blue Book was hiding from us (Bigfoot hitching a ride with Elvis on a flying saucers? tghere's no way that couldn't happen!), but every now and then they let us in on the flip side of that star-eyed ignorance: stuff they couldn't believe even back then in the UFO-crammed 1970s. Enter Gold Key's four-color version of Amazing Randi (no relation to my dear Randi): the skeptical, fraud-exposing Hoaxmaster! The first myth busted: that he bought that suit and top hat at retail! (Hoaxbuster never pays full price!)


from "The Hoaxmaster Knows -- and Tells All!" in UFO Flying Saucers #4 (Western/Gold Key, November 1974), pencils and inks by Frank Bolle

Today in Comics History, October 16, 1931: Evel Knievel immediately jumps the ravine to honor the memory of Roy Dusek

Hey, remember Roy Dusek from September 9? Sure (says Sally Strothers), we all do! That's because we put up a plaque or a statue or maybe a banner that memorizlized him right on this here bridge:


from "The Incarnadine Bridge!" in Ghosts (1971 series) #97 (DC, February 1981), script by Mimai Kin, pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Rodin Rodriguez
Oh, so not a statue. We just put him inside a pillar of cherry Jell-O™. Why, you might even say that he got his...just desserts.


Wasn't that spooky, kids? Even Bully was scared, and let me tell you, Bully doesn't scare easily.

Hey wait, wasn't it Tully Mason that had gone missing?

This post was suggested by faithful reader and frequent commenter Blam, who's provided a lot of date references in comics that I'll spotlight throughout 2023 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, October 14: Happy birthday, Roger Moore!

Born on this day in 1927: cinema's only James Bond, Sir Roger Moore (picture, below, hanging out with his good pal Ben Grimm).


house ad from Fantastic! #45 (IPC UK, 23 December 1967)

Today in Comics History, October 14, 1938: That sure was a shocking story, wasn't it, kids?

from "Killer!" in Police Line-Up #1 (Avon, August 1951), inks by George Roussos (?)

Today in Comics History, October 14, 1806: French military defies expectations of American dumbasses

from "General Antoine Henri Jomini" in It Really Happened #3 (Pines, 1944), creators uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, Eclipse Day: If you look up at the sun today, you're sure of a big surprise

Oh no! Today's the day that the rare "Ring of Fire" Eclipse (so named by Johnny Cash in song) sweeps across the nation, darkening the skies, hiding the sun and sending werewolves into confusion!


from "The Hidden World!" in Sub-Mariner (1954 series) #36 (Marvel/Atlas, November 1954); script, pencils, inks, and letters by Bill Everett

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 14, 1963: Or, as Billy Joel calls it, British Beatlemania

from The Beatles in Comics! (NBM, November 2018); script by Richard Di Martino; translation by Joe Johnson; pencils, inks, and colors by Efix; letters by Ortho

Today in Comics History, October 13, 1937: Even cartoon funny animals agree every workplace should have a union

from Comic Book Comics #1 (Evil Twin, November 2016); script by Fred Van Lente; pencils, inks, and letters by Ryan Dunlavey

Today in Comics History, October 13, 1487: Batman misses the days when Ra's would just write in his diary about how he got bullied by the other boys at recess and how much he worshipped Taylor Swift

from Batman: The Audio Adventures (2022 series) #6 (DC, July 2023), script by Dennis McNicholas, pencils by Anthony Marques and J. Bone, inks by J. Bone, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Ferran Delgado

Today in Comics History, October 13, 1967: But in 1967, October 13 was a Friday, Stan. So where's my No-Prize?!

cover of Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #56 (Marvel, January 1968), pencils and inks by John Romita, Sr., letters by Sam Rosen

Today in Comics History, October 13: Happy birthday, Cadet Schitt!

from Justice Warriors #5 (AHOY!, October 2022), co-script and letters by Matt Bors, co-script and art by Ben Clarkson, colors by Felipe Sobeiro
Happy birthday, Mister Sc...uh, happy birthday to you.

Today in Comics History, October 13, 1939: A shocked and stunned nation in 1939 cannot comprehend the startling revelation that the Daily Bugle can print its first page in color!?! For free?!?

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published October 13, 2022.


from The Daily Bugle: The Marvels Project tie-in promo (Marvel, 2009), art by Alex Ross