Saturday, August 24, 2013

Today in Comics History, August 24, 79 AD: The Crisis on Infinite Earths reaches first century Italy


from Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book #2 (Marvel, January 1992), script and pencils by Evan Dorkin, inks by Stephen DeStefano, colors by Robbie Busch, letters by Kurt Hathaway

Say, do you enjoy hot volcanic action? You're in luck—tune in tomorrow for even more explosive events on Today in Comics History!

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 236: A desperate but futile attempt to convince the youth of America that chess clubs are cool


House ad for Justice League of America (1960 series) #1 (October-November 1960); printed in Batman #135 (October 1960)
Comic cover art: pencils and inks by Murphy Anderson, colors by Jack Adler (?), letters by Ira Schnapp
Ad designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp

Meanwhile, over at the Marvel Comics Chess Club...


Cover of Alter Ego v.2 #13 (March 2002), pencils and inks by Murphy Anderson

Friday, August 23, 2013

Today in Comics History, August 23, 1949: A red letter day for a crook; just another regular day for Green Arrow


from "The Diary of a Desperado" in Adventure Comics #145 (October 1949), script by Otto Binder, pencils and inks by George Papp

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 235: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition Unexpected


House ad for The Unexpected #194 (November-December 1979); printed in Batman #317 (November 1979)
Comic cover art: pencils and inks by Luis Dominguez
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino

Thursday, August 22, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 234: The only house ad that's liquid at room temperature


House ad for Metal Men eight-issue limited series (2007-2008); printed in Superman/Batman #38 (September 2007)
Ad art: pencils and inks by Duncan Rouleau

Hey, it's Day 234!:


Covers of Metal Men (2007 limited series) #2-4 (November 2007-January 2008), pencils and inks by Duncan Rouleau

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Today in Comics History, August 21, 1950: Don Ho is invented

Today, won't you please raise your glass of fresh-squeezed pineapple juice in a hearty salute to our fiftieth and islandest state, Hawaii, which became a state on this very date in 1959, fifty-four years ago today! (Or, as we like to say on the Big Island, Hau'oli la Ho'omana'o!)


"Aloha...Hawaii!" DC PSA comic from DC Comics cover-dated April 1960, script by Jack Schiff, pencils and inks by Bernard Baily, letters by Ira Schnapp

This comic points out several notable Hawaiians, but it's left off a lot of my personal favorites: comic book artist Steve Leialoha, actor Keanu Reeves; Battlestar Galactica's original Athena, Maren Jensen; musician Pete Wentz; famous police detective Chang Apana (and his fictional version Charlie Chan); singer Israel "Iz" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoiole; surfer guru Duke Kahanamoku; journalist Jeff Chang; Superboy from that run of issues where he lived in Hawaii; G.I. Joe's Torpedo; Namor nemesis Llyra...and let's not forget fiction's most important characters to originate from Hawaii:


from Disney Junior Graphic Novel #2 [Lilo & Stitch] (Disney, 2006), script by Greg Ehrbar; pencils and inks by Anna Merli, Sonia Matrone, Federico Bertolucci, Dario Calabria, Massimiliano Narciso, and Gabriella Matta

So here's to Lilo & Stitch and all our other good friends on the islands of Hawaii! Mahalo nui loa na ho'olaule'a me la kaua!


Today in Comics History, August 21, 1973: Weirdest Archie Andrews comic book ever


from "Fool's Paradise" in Black Magic (1950 series) v.4 #2 [#26] (Prize, 1953), pencils and inks by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 233: DC's very first 3D lenticular cover leaps right out at you!


House ad for Showcase #27 [Sea Devils] (July-August 1960); printed in Batman #133 (August 1960)
Ad designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp

That's actually not the actual art for the actual cover of the actual Showcase #27 which features the actual first appearance of the (actual) Sea Devils, actually. Here it is, a gorgeous color wash cover by Russ Heath (who is actually pretty great in and of himself...actually.)


Cover of Showcase #27 [Sea Devils] (July-August 1960), painted wash art by Russ Heath

The art in the ad above is (actually) repurposed and recolored from the splash page of the story.

Splash page of Showcase #27, script by Robert Kanigher, pencils and inks by Russ Heath, letters by Gaspar Saladino

Today in Comics History, August 21: Waldo once again spotted. He isn't even trying anymore.


from The Unwritten #35.5 (DC/Vertigo, May 2012), plot by Peter Gross, script by Mike Carey, pencils and inks by Gabriel Hernandez Walta, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Todd Klein

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 232: That crossover whose name you can't remember


House ad for "The Teasdale Imperative" in Justice League America #31-32 and Justice League Europe #7-8 (October-November 1989); printed in Hellblazer, yes, Hellblazer #22 (September 1989)




Today in Comics History, August 20, 1959: Dr. Manhattan and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day



from Watchmen #4 (DC, December 1986); script by Alan Moore; pencils, inks and letters by Dave Gibbons; colors by John Higgins



Monday, August 19, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 231: You make me feel like I'm livin' a teenage dream


House ad for Teen Titans (1976 series) #44 (November 1976); printed in Super-Team Family #7 (October-November 1976)
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino




Today in Comics History, August 19, 1998: Big galoot marries fairytale princess


from Excalibur (1988 series) #125 (Marvel, October 1998), script by Ben Raab, pencils by Dale Eaglesham, inks by Scott Hanna, colors by Kevin Tinsley, letters by Richard Starkings and Emerson Miranda

Behold the happy event!




And with that very issue, Excalibur was cancelled. The lesson? You can't have a wife and a Marvel series at the same time.

Today in Comics History, August 19: Internet rises up violently against Bully after he uses the same panel four days in a row


Panel from the Green Lantern story "The Diary of a Desperado" in Adventure Comics #145 (October 1949), script by Otto Binder, pencils and inks by George Papp

Sunday, August 18, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 230: After he grew tired of talking to the fish, Aquaman sliced them in two with his nifty new sword


House ad for Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #50 (May 2007); printed in Detective Comics #828 (April 2007)
Ad art taken from the cover of Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #50 (May 2007), painted by Mario Alberti

Today in Comics History, August 18: Crook uses newly oiled gun to shoot pool


from "The Diary of a Desperado" in Adventure Comics #145 (DC, October 1949), script by Otto Binder, pencils and inks by George Papp