TODAY IN COMIC BOOK HISTORY15515
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| May 11 Looking to comics as a vehicle for their ideas, Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster formulated a different take on the concept of the superman, with the character being a physically powerful hero. They pitched this unsuccessfully to newspaper syndicates as a comic strip. Siegel sent it to National Comics in New York where it languished in a drawer. When a publisher had difficulty deciding on an appropriate cover for a new magazine called Action Comics, someone pulled out the Superman proposal, showing him lifting a car with his hands. The publisher allegedly called it “ridiculous”, but still decided to later put it on the cover. He wrote Siegel and Shuster and asked them if they could put together a 13-page story for Action Comics #1. Siegel and Shuster sold the rights to the company for $130 and a contract to supply the publisher with material. The Saturday Evening Post reported in 1960 that the pair was being paid $75,000 each per year, still a fraction of DC’s Superman profits. In 1964, when Siegel and Shuster sued for more money, DC fired them, prompting a legal battle that ended in 1967, when they accepted $200,000 and signed away any further claim to Superman or any character created from him. DC soon took Siegel’s and Shuster’s names off the byline. In 1969, Siegel and Shuster attempted to regain rights to Superman using the renewal option in the Copyright Act of 1909, but the court ruled Siegel and Shuster had transferred the renewal rights to Detective Comics in 1938. Siegel and Shuster appealed, but the appeals court upheld this decision. Detective had re-hired Siegel as a writer in 1957, but fired him again when he filed this second lawsuit. In 1975, Siegel and a number of other comic book writers and artists launched a public campaign for better compensation and treatment of comic creators. Warner Brothers agreed to give Siegel and Shuster a yearly stipend, full medical benefits, and credit their names in all future Superman productions in exchange for never contesting ownership of Superman. Siegel and Shuster upheld this bargain. In addition, any media production which includes the Superman character must include the credit, “Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster”. The first issue with the the restored credit “created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster” was Superman #302 (May 11, 1976).  |
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| May 12 Caliban is an albino mutant with a pale complexion and large yellow eyes. He has the ability to psionically sense other mutants out to several miles away and track their movements. He also has the ability to psionically sense, absorb, and turn the psionic energy of fear radiated by humans against them, inducing more intense fear within their minds. At some point in his life, he is banished from his home by his father, who called him Caliban, after a character from the play The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Learning of his mutant tracking ability, Callisto uses Caliban to locate other disenfranchised mutants and organizes them into the Morlocks, a band of homeless, rejected mutants. Caliban senses the presence of nearby mutants and enters a New York City nightclub seeking their friendship. He finds Storm, Dazzler, Kitty Pryde, and the original Spider-Woman in the club, and has a misunderstood confrontation with them. Though the battle ends peacefully, Caliban returns to his home underground. Caliban’s first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #148 (May 12, 1981).  |
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 TURNING POINTS by Maggie Thompson Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for May 13-19, 2022... 245 years ago May 19, 1777 British cartoonist and illustrator Richard Newton is born. 170 years ago May 14, 1852 Henri Julien is born. An artist working as artistic director for the Montreal Daily Star, he may be the first Canadian cartoonist employed by a newspaper full-time. 130 years ago May 16, 1892 Wally Robertson is born. The Scots artist is known for work on Charlie Chaplin comics. 125 years ago May 15, 1897 Glenn Chaffin is born. He writes Tailspin Tommy. 115 years ago May 13, 1907 Lord Longbow by Richard Thain begins in the Chicago Daily News. 110 years ago May 16, 1912 Artist John Liney is born. He ghosts Carl Anderson’s Henry strip – and draws Dell’s Henry comic book. 105 years ago May 16, 1917 Animator and writer-artist Hal Seeger is born. The director of the Hal Seeger Productions animation studio is known for his work on the Betty Boop strip and Leave It to Binky. He creates Muggy Doo, Boy Cat. 105 years ago May 18, 1917 Writer-artist Bill Everett is born. He creates Marvel’s Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creates Marvel’s Daredevil with Stan Lee. 80 years ago May 14, 1942 Irish artist René Bull dies at age 69. 80 years ago May 15, 1942 Chris Ishii creates a comic strip in the internment camp newspaper Santa Anita Pacemaker. The featured character will eventually be named Lil’ Neebo, short for “Little Nisei Boy.” 80 years ago May 16, 1942 British comics magazine Funny Wonder merges with Wonder. 80 years ago May 18, 1942 Influential underground comix publisher of Apex Novelties Don Donahue is born. 80 years ago May 19, 1942 Writer, publisher, teacher, and filmmaker Shirrel Rhoades is born. He becomes Marvel Entertainment Publisher and Executive Vice President. 75 years ago May 16, 1947 Award-winning “King of 3-D Comics” Ray Zone is born. The film historian is an artist and specialist in 3-D. 75 years ago May 16, 1947 British artist Reginald Perrott dies of throat cancer at age 32. In addition to his comics work and war art, he was studio manager of Mickey Mouse Weekly. 70 years ago May 14, 1952 Writer Eric Dinehart is born. 70 years ago May 16, 1952 Cartoonist and comic book artist Christopher Kelly Browne is born. He’s also a strip artist in the Mort Walker studio. 65 years ago May 15, 1957 Artist, editor, and art director Gary Leach is born. He’s especially known for his work on Disney comics. 65 years ago May 16, 1957 Writer and storyteller Henry Vogel is born. 60 years ago May 17, 1962 Dr. Malcolm Bourne is born. The writer’s work includes Tales of Ordinary Madness, drawn by Mike Allred. 55 years ago May 19, 1967 Writer and Quad Star Comics self-publisher Anthony Monzo III is born. 20 years ago May 15, 2002 Artist Arthur Peddy dies at age 85. The co-creator of Phantom Lady worked at the Iger shop in the Golden Age and drew for DC, Marvel, and more. 20 years ago May 17, 2002 Cartoonist Dave Berg dies of cancer at age 81. While he was especially known for his Mad series “The Lighter Side of …,” he’d worked in comics beginning in the Golden Age. 20 years ago May 17-19, 2002 Motor City Comic Con I is held in Novi, Michigan. 15 years ago May 17, 2007 Award-winning writer Lloyd Alexander dies at age 83. His Chronicles of Prydain series was the basis for Walt Disney’s The Black Cauldron. 10 years ago May 16, 2012 Artist Ernie Chan dies of cancer at age 71. He also worked as “Ernie Chua” and was especially known for his work on horror titles and on Conan, Kull, and Power Man. 5 years ago May 18, 2017 Mexican artist, teacher, and art director Oscar González Guerrero dies at age 91. He co-founded the ¡Ka-Boom! Estudio with his son and daughter-in-law. 5 years ago May 19, 2017 Artist-writer-editor Rich Buckler dies of cancer at age 68. He worked for Marvel and DC, created Reagan’s Raiders, created Deathlok with Doug Moench in Marvel’s Astonishing Tales, co-created DC’s All-Star Squadron, and formed Visage Studios with his son Rick and Walter McDaniel. |
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| May 13 Rory Regan had grown up helping his father, a junk man who owned a pawn shop named Rags'n'Tatters. His father always dreamed of making a better life for Rory and constantly promised that someday he would make Rory rich. While drinking with his friends one night, his father discovered $2 million stuffed inside an old mattress that had been pawned just recently. He and his friends decided to hide the money for Rory, since they were too old to truly benefit from it. The money turned out to be the loot from an armored car heist and when the hoods came to the shop to get it, they shot down some electrical wires and used them to torture Rory’s father and his friends into revealing where the money was hidden. Rory arrived soon after and seeing his father in agony attempted to free him from the wires. A final shock of power ran though the old men and grounded out at Rory, knocking him unconscious. When he regained consciousness, his father and friends were dead and the hoods responsible were gone. Using a costume made out of old rags he became Ragman, “The Tatterdemalion of Justice.” Rory appeared to have gained the physical abilities of the men who were electrocuted as they were all touching when the final blow of electricity flew through them and into Rory. He had an acrobat’s agility, a strongman’s strength, and a boxer’s skills. He first appeared in Ragman #1 (May 13, 1976).  |
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| May 14 Colonel Luther Manning is an American soldier from Detroit, Michigan, who, after being fatally injured, is reanimated in a post-apocalyptic future only to discover that what remains of his dead body has been turned into the experimental Deathlok cyborg by Simon Ryker. He verbally communicates with his symbiotic computer, to which he refers as the abbreviated “‘Puter”. He battles the evil corporate and military regimes that have taken over the United States, while simultaneously struggling not to lose his humanity. Although initially announced as the new lead feature for Marvel’s Worlds Unknown comic, under the title “Cyborg”, the first Deathlok appeared in Astonishing Tales #25 (May 14, 1974).  |
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| May 15 Tilda Johnson was born into poverty in New York City. At an early age, she discovered that she had a natural aptitude for science. As a teenager, she used her extensive knowledge to begin a career as a criminal scientist. The Yellow Claw helped her develop a method for turning normal humans into obedient werewolf-like creatures, and attempted to transform convicts into a werewolf army, but the pair were defeated by Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. She later took control of a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, and used pheromones to force Captain America to battle the Falcon, but was defeated. Tilda Johnson is an extraordinary genius, and extensively self-taught in genetics, biochemistry, cybernetics, robotics and physics. She also obtained a doctoral degree from an undisclosed university while in prison. Nightshade sometimes wears protective battle armor, including silver spikes for protection from attack by werewolves. She has created an array of advanced weaponry, and has built numbers of humanoid robots. Nightshade first appeared in Captain America #164 (May 15, 1973).  |
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| May 16 Originally, Eclipso was written as a generic villain with average superpowers, who would routinely enact an elaborate plot to fulfill his hedonistic motivations, but later became an evil and megalomaniacal entity. He first appeared in House of Secrets #61 (May 16, 1963). Eclipso would frequently seek to possess beings of incredible power like Superman, Lar Gand, and Captain Marvel to achieve his ends. Eclipso’s early comics debut is tied to his first modern host, Bruce Gordon, a scientist specializing in solar energy. While in the jungle to view a solar eclipse, Gordon was attacked by a tribal sorcerer named Mophir. Before plunging to his death off a cliff, Mophir wounded Gordon with a black diamond. Afterwards, Gordon would be transformed into the villainous Eclipso whenever an eclipse occurred. This was countered with a simple means of banishing him again: any bright flash of light would turn him back into Bruce Gordon. A magical being of incalculable strength, Eclipso has demonstrated the powers of flight, immortality, invulnerability, super speed and stamina, advanced intellect, and the ability to emit deadly rays of dark light from his left eye and a powerful burst of paralyzing black light from his right eye by looking through a shard of the Heart of Darkness gem. He carries with him a seemingly unbreakable mystical sword and is a considerable swordsman.  |
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| May 17 Prez Rickard debuted in Prez: First Teen President #1 (May 17, 1973). Prez: First Teen President followed the adventures of a teenage boy whose election had been made possible by a Constitutional amendment lowering the age of eligibility to accommodate the then-influential youth culture of the baby boom. The nickname ‘Prez’ is bestowed by his mother Martha, in the hope of his election to presidency. Having synchronized the clocks of his town of Steadfast, Prez was hired as a front for shady businessman Boss Smiley to run for United States Senator; but did so in a position against that of Smiley. With 45% of voters under 30, Congress lowered the eligibility age for the presidency and Senator Rickard was elected president; whereupon he appointed his mother Vice President and made his sister his secretary. Prez was aided by Eagle Free, a young Native American amateur naturalist, whom Prez appointed director of the FBI, and who trained Prez in multiple fighting techniques. As President, Prez fought legless vampires, a right-wing militia led by the great-great-great-great-great-grandnephew of George Washington, “Boss Smiley”, and evil chess players. He was attacked for his stance on gun control, and survived an assassination attempt during that controversy.  |
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 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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| @OGJackster maybe gonna be a new entry in the "today in comic book history" after this mornings CBCS/MCS announcement. Actually, maybe two new worthy entries with @Hexview getting banned and all. | ||
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| @OGJackster Finalized the sale of a pretty big book today at MCS. So I celebrated by picking up a lower grade (MCS 3.0) copy of the House of Secrets 61 mentioned in your post above. Also picked up a raw copy (MCS 6.5) of the Adventure Comics 428 first Black Orchid mentioned in your previous post. | ||
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| May 18 Piecemeal was created by scientists in the Amazon jungle, under the auspices of the Red Skull. Pieces of animal corpses were combined with a captured spy from the Commission on Superhuman Activities and advanced technology to form a formidable killing machine. Before the cyborg’s blanked mind could be reprogrammed, the Hulk discovered the lab and destroyed it. However, Piecemeal managed to escape in the confusion. Wandering through the jungle, it chanced upon a small airport, and stowed away on a cargo plane headed for Loch Ness, Scotland. As a cyborg, Piecemeal possessed mechanically-augmented strength. It had claws that could shred steel, and a tail that could crush a concrete bunker. It could generate bursts of bioelectricity strong enough to shatter a tank. It also had the ability to absorb the memories and emotions of its victims, and copy the powers and appearance of superpowered opponents. He first appeared in Incredible Hulk #407 (May 18, 1993).  |
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| May 19 First appearing in Captain America #78 (May 19, 1954), Ivan Kronov was a loyal communist agent during the days of the Cold War. He was the subject of a military experiment to create a warrior who could eliminate Captain America and Bucky. By 1954 the project was a complete success and Kronov was transformed into the electricity powered super-agent known as Electro. Electro was then smuggled into New York City where he was to attack Captain America and Bucky when they made their public appearance in a parade that was taking place that day. Altering an electronic billboard to present a death threat to Captain America, Electro goaded the hero into a rooftop battle leading the three combatants to battle it out on a large typewriter display. There Captain America and Bucky fended the villain off with the massive typewriter. However, Electro managed to jolt Bucky and use him as a hostage as his electrical charge was running low. He used Bucky as a shield as he attempted to inch closer to a dynamo that could recharge his powers. Realizing what was going on, Captain America activated a sprinkler that doused Electro as he reached for the dynamo that caused a short circuit that seemingly electrocuted Kronov to death.  |
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| May 20 Ruth Bat-Seraph was born near Jerusalem, Israel. She was raised on a special kibbutz run by the Israeli government after her power manifested. Ruth was the first superhuman agent to serve with the Mossad (the Israeli secret service). She became a police officer in addition to serving as a government agent. Her first public act as Sabra was a battle with the Hulk, whom she mistakenly believed was working with Arab terrorists operating in Israel. Sabra’s mutant power has enhanced all of her body’s physical abilities, such as strength, speed, agility, reflexes, endurance and stamina, to superhuman levels. She is also able to charge other individuals by transferring to them her own life energy, in the process enhancing their physical state of health and granting them low-level super-powers, which are apparently at random and otherwise unrelated to Sabra’s own mutant powers. She debuted in cameo in Incredible Hulk #250 (May 20, 1980).  |
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TURNING POINTS by Maggie Thompson Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for May 20-26, 2022... 180 years ago May 25, 1842 French artist Paul Léonnec is born. 150 years ago May 26, 1872 British artist and Punch contributor Alfred Henry Forrester (who worked as “Alfred Crowquill”) dies at age 67. 145 years ago May 20, 1877 Swedish artist Nils Larsson is born. 115 years ago May 22, 1907 Georges Remi is born. Signing his work as “Hergé,” he creates the long-running adventure hero Tintin. 110 years ago May 24, 1912 Reuben Award-winning artist Alfred Andriola is born. His strips include Charlie Chan, Dan Dunn, and Kerry Drake. 105 years ago May 21, 1917 Garth strip artist Frank Bellamy is born. His other work includes Dan Dare and Heros the Spartan. 95 years ago May 22, 1927 Polish writer-artist and historian Szymon Kobylinski is born. 90 years ago May 21, 1932 Animator and artist Raoul Barré dies of cancer at age 58. The French-Canadian comic strip pioneer was the first Canadian comic artist to publish in French. The inventor of the “peg and slash system” of animation techniques was credited with being the first to co-establish an animation studio (Barré-Bowers Studios) and first to create an animated series around one recurring character. 80 years ago May 20, 1942 Gail Beckett is born. She’s a colorist and letterer for Dark Horse, Malibu, and Marvel. 80 years ago May 25, 1942 Argentine artist Lucho Olivera is born. 70 years ago May 21, 1952 Lawrence Tureaud is born. As Mister T, he stars in the Mister T Ruby-Spears cartoon and appears in comic books both as the character he plays on The A-Team and in the Now Comics series Mr. T and the T-Force. 65 years ago May 25, 1957 Writer-artist Marc Hempel is born. Though he may be best known for his Sandman art, he’s also the creator of Gregory and Tug & Buster and co-creator of Blood of the Innocent, Breathtaker, and Mars. 65 years ago May 25, 1957 NBM Publishing founder Terry Nantier is born. 60 years ago May 22, 1962 Dixie Dugan comic strip artist John H. Striebel dies at age 70. 60 years ago May 23, 1962 The New York Times runs an 18-panel Pogo strip as a TV Guide ad. 60 years ago May 24, 1962 Artist Vic Forsythe dies at age 76. He created the Joe Jinks comic strip. 55 years ago May 24, 1967 Comics creator Everette Hartsoe is born. He’s best known for Razor. 55 years ago May 25, 1967 Award-winning Canadian cartoonist Michael de Adder is born. He’s president of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists. 55 years ago May 25, 1967 Carol Day by David Wright and Peter Meriton ends. 55 years ago May 25, 1967 British artist and Carol Day comic strip creator David Wright dies at age 54. 55 years ago May 26, 1967 Award-winning writer-artist James Kochalka is born. He’s cartoonist laureate of Vermont and a daily online comic strip diarist. 50 years ago May 21, 1972 The Captain Kate strip by Jerry and Hally Skelly ends. 50 years ago May 21, 1972 The Rose of Versailles (Berusaiyu no Bara) by Riyoko Ikeda begins in Margaret magazine. 50 years ago May 23, 1972 Italian artist and animator Nino Pagot dies at age 64. He co-created Calimero and The Dynamite Brothers film with his brother, Toni Pagot. 50 years ago May 23, 1972 Rerun van Pelt is introduced in Charles Schulz’ Peanuts. 50 years ago May 26-29, 1972 The EC Fan Addict Convention is the first “annual” EC con and is held at the Hotel McAlpin in New York City. 50 years ago May 26, 1972 Prolific French writer-artist Robert Dansler dies at age 71. He’s one of the primary artists for the Artima publishing company. 45 years ago May 25, 1977 Norwegian artist Christian Kittilsen dies at age 70. 45 years ago May 25, 1977 Dutch writer-artist Frans Mandos dies at age 67. 45 years ago May 25, 1977 Star Wars opens, starring comics fan (and voice artist) Mark Hamill. (The first issue of the Marvel series that adapts Star Wars is by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin and is already on sale.) 25 years ago May 24, 1997 Already-merged British girls’ magazines Mandy and Judy merge with Bunty. 10 years ago May 26, 2012 Award winning Herman creator Jim Unger dies at age 75. 5 years ago May 24, 2017 Major longtime Spirou contributor Belgian writer-artist Pierre Seron dies at age 75. 5 years ago May 25, 2017 Italian writer-translator-artist Marcello Albano dies at age 55. |
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| May 21 As a young man Arak joined some Viking raids. They consist mostly of raiding monasteries for treasure, including a huge gold bejeweled cross which the captain hangs upside down on the mast as a good luck hammer of thunder. Near the end of the first issue, a sea serpent sent by the sorceress Angelica attacks the Vikings and some monks. All of the Vikings, including Arak’s adoptive father, are killed. Arak seizes the gold cross and says “Hammer of one god, or cross of another, strike for me now!”; he throws the cross, which has a sharp bottom, at the serpent. The cross pierces the roof of its mouth and enters its brain, killing it. Arak manages to save one monk. The monk tells him that God has delivered them. Arak replies he does not know it if it had been the monk’s god, or his own god, whom he had all but forgotten. He becomes an ally of Carolus Magnus (a.k.a. Charlemagne) and befriends several of his knights. He enters a relationship with Valda the Iron Maiden. After a time, he leaves his Court on a mission to the Pope; from there he sets off in search of his destiny. After his debut in The Warlord #48 (May 21, 1981), Arak starred in a monthly DC Comics series, Arak, Son of Thunder.  |
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| May 22 Scary Tales was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics, beginning with Scary Tales #1 (May 22, 1975). The book was “hosted” by Countess R.H. Von Bludd, an alluring female vampire in a tight-fitting dress. Scary Tales was part of a wave of new horror and suspense comics published by Charlton during this period. Its sister titles, with many of the same creators, were the Charlton anthologies The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves (with host Dr. M.T. Graves), Ghostly Tales (with I.M. Dedd), Ghost Manor (with host Mr. Bones), Haunted (with Impy and then Baron Weirwulf), and Ghostly Haunts (with Winnie the Witch). Horror comics in general were in decline in the early 1980s, and Charlton in particular was suffering financially. In the fall of 1984, Charlton suspended publication, and Scary Tales was cancelled along with the rest of the company’s remaining titles.  |
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| May 23 Doop was said to be the product of a Cold War era U.S. military experiment, becoming instrumental in the fall of the Soviet Union. First appearing in X-Force #116 (May 23, 2001), he later served as the cameraman for the celebrity mutant superhero team X-Statix. He films a mission to North Africa which is later criticized by then-team leader Zeitgeist; he feels Doop should not be going for artistic shots. The next X-Force mission is to New York, where they are to rescue the boy band “Boyz R Us” from hostage takers. While in the briefing room, U-Go Girl asks Doop not to keep shooting her rear from a low angle. Doop replies in his language only the characters know, while inexplicably mouthing some of his recording equipment. Doop’s abilities displayed in the comics thus far have included superhuman strength and durability, flight, regeneration, physical malleability, a vaguely defined ability to manipulate time and/or space, and the ability to replicate physical objects by unknown means.  |
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| May 24 In the aftermath of the attacks on comics in the early 1950s, the Batwoman was the first of several characters that would make up the ‘Batman Family’. Since the family formula had proven very successful for the Superman franchise, editor Jack Schiff suggested to Batman creator, Bob Kane, that he create one for the Batman. A female was chosen first, to offset the charges made by Fredric Wertham that Batman and the original Robin, Dick Grayson, were homosexual. Kathy Kane and alter ego Batwoman first appeared in Detective Comics #233 (May 24, 1956). She was a costumed crime-fighter like Batman, yet in many ways not an exact counterpart. The contents of her utility purse were actually weapons disguised as stereotypical feminine products such as lipstick, cosmetic compacts, charm bracelets, and hair nets. Although letters from fans indicated Batwoman had become popular with readers, editor Julius Schwartz considered the heroine, as well as other Batman-related characters, to be inappropriate for the new direction he planned to take the Batman universe. Following the revamp to Detective Comics in 1964, Batwoman was removed from the series.  |
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| May 25 The first Crime Doctor first appeared in Detective Comics #77 (May 25, 1943). The Crime Doctor is surgeon Matthew Thorne – originally named “Bradford Thorne”. He is the brother of the Gotham City gangster Rupert Thorne. Thorne started out as a rogue physician in Gotham City, setting up an illegal clinic and treating criminals for money. He was stopped and apprehended time and again by the Batman. Initially, the Crime Doctor took his career as a doctor very seriously, and would not commit crimes that conflicted with his Hippocratic Oath. In later appearances however, he seemed to abandon this principle. The Crime Doctor’s recent appearances have all depicted him wearing star-shaped glasses. It was later revealed that those glasses were a trophy taken from his first victim, a young nurse named Katherine Wheyhall, who had suspected his sadistic inclination to murder and torture while witnessing him deliberately botching a surgery. Later, the Crime Doctor paid a visit to the nurse and killed her, thus setting the basis of his newfound criminal career. He was a skilled physician and an expert torturer. He sometimes carried an injector gun which could gas opponents to sleep. He also sometimes used a scalpel to assault his opponents.  Technovore is a technological parasite created by a scientist which kills everyone inside the Stark Enterprises orbital space station. Iron Man investigates and confronts the nanotech monstrosity. As Iron Man heads to the station, a being called the “Goddess” takes him aside to offer him a place among her converts; Iron Man refuses and she promises punishment. Entering the station, Iron Man finds that the space crew members are now techno-organic creatures and they attempt to consume him as part of their quest for completion. Iron Man renovates his armor arsenal using the station stores, but after destroying the creatures they reform themselves into a single being calling itself the Technovore. Technovore first appears in Iron Man #294 (May 25, 1993). Iron Man battles the Technovore, but it can reshape itself from injury almost instantly. Technovore’s body is made entirely of nanobots. It can disassemble itself into a stream of nanites, enabling it to fit into and travel through extremely small spaces. Technovore can absorb technology into itself, adding the abilities of consumed technology into its physical being. In addition, Technovore’s inherent resilience is augmented by an ability to adapt to weapons; over time, it will become immune to a given weapon if struck by it enough times.  |
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| May 26 The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninjas who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based in Japan, but operate internationally. They were founded in 1588 as a secret society of Japanese nationalist samurai but were soon co-opted by the Snakeroot, an ancient ninja clan which serves a primordial demon known only as “The Beast”. Members of the Hand are practitioners of powerful occult magic and can murder a person and bring that person back to life as a servant of the Hand, but a few are known to have reversed this programming. The Hand’s most dangerous adversary is The Chaste, a band of warriors once led by Stick, the blind martial arts master and mentor of Matt Murdock, who grew to become the costumed crime-fighter Daredevil. Murdock would eventually, after many bitter battles, accept the offer of becoming the master of the Hand for a time. The Hand first appeared in Daredevil #174 (May 26, 1981).  |
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| May 27 Skull the Slayer is a trained soldier turned superhero who wears a Scorpion power belt that enhances his strength and durability. The belt also has preservative effects on his body’s metabolism. The full capabilities of the belt are unknown. Jim Scully was an adventurer whose plane went through a time warp in the Bermuda Triangle, marooning him and three companions in an alternate Earth where dinosaurs, primitives, and aliens co-existed. Scully and his three companions were eventually rescued and returned to their own world by the Thing of the Fantastic Four. He served in Doctor Druid’s team of occult investigators the Shock Troop alongside Sepulchre and N'Kantu, the Living Mummy. He was attempting to find a way to remove the power belt which had recently been damaged and had altered his appearance. His skin had become transparent showing only a green glowing skelton. During this time, he had adopted the alias of the obscure Golden Age hero, the Blazing Skull. He crossed paths with heroes such as Quasar and Captain America, while a member of the team. Eventually, Doctor Druid was able to restore him to his normal appearance and he left the team. He first appeared in Skull the Slayer #1 (May 27, 1975).  |
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TURNING POINTS by Maggie Thompson Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for May 27 through June 2, 2022... 150 years ago May 31, 1872 British artist William Heath Robinson is born. He’s a cartoonist known for drawing complex inventions (“Heath Robinson contraptions”) for simple results (as is Rube Goldberg, born 11 years later). 130 years ago May 28, 1892 Freckles and His Friends creator Merrill Blosser is born. 130 years ago June 1, 1892 Jimmy Swinnerton’s The Little Bears begins, considered to be “the first American comic strip.” It has recurring characters. 125 years ago May 28, 1897 Dutch writer-artist Alexander VerHuell dies at age 75. He was one of the Netherlands’ first comics artists. 125 years ago May 30, 1897 Kolingen by Albert Engström is introduced in Strix, making him the oldest recurring Swedish comics character. 120 years ago June 2, 1902 Newspaper Enterprise Association is founded in Cleveland, Ohio. It becomes the oldest and longest-running comic strip syndicate in the world. 115 years ago June 1, 1907 Animator and writer-artist George Waiss is born. He works for a number of animation studios, inks the Donald Duck strip, and is known for his Disney and Warner Brothers comic books for Dell. 110 years ago May 31, 1912 Dok’s Dippy Duck by John “Dok” Hager begins in the Seattle Daily Times. 105 years ago May 31, 1917 Dutch artist Cees van de Weert is born. The original artist for the Marco Polo comic, he works for Marten Toonder Studios and is head of Toonder’s drawing studio. 105 years ago June 4, 1917 Dutch writer-artist W.G. van de Hulst Jr. is born. 95 years ago May 28, 1927 British artist Jim Holdaway is born. He co-creates Modesty Blaise with writer Peter O’Donnell. 95 years ago June 2, 1927 Underdog co-creator and co-writer (with Chet Stover) William Watts Biggers is born. He writes the Underdog theme. 75 years ago May 28, 1947 Reuben Award-winning cartoonist Lynn Johnston is born. She’s known for her For Better or for Worse strip. 70 years ago May 27, 1952 Snoopy in Charles Schulz’ Peanuts starts communicating to readers via thought balloons. 70 years ago May 30, 1952 Writer-editor Mike W. Barr is born. The Outsiders, Maze Agency, and Camelot 3000 co-creator is also a mystery and science fiction novelist. 70 years ago May 31, 1952 Writer, agent, and critic David Anthony Kraft is born. He’s head of Fictioneer Books and editor and publisher of Comics Interview. 70 years ago June 2, 1952 MICRA editor, Marvel Age assistant editor, and freelance writer Dwight Jon Zimmerman is born. 65 years ago May 27, 1957 Award-winning writer-artist Robert Lawson dies at age 64. He won the Caldecott Medal in 1941 and the Newbery Medal in 1945, and Disney cartoons included adaptations of his work for The Story of Ferdinand and Ben and Me. 65 years ago May 30, 1957 Writer Peter Quinones is born. He co-creates Beast Warriors of Shaolin. 60 years ago May 30, 1962 Kevin Eastman is born. He co-creates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird, co-founds Mirage Studios and Tundra with Laird, and owns, edits, and publishes Heavy Metal. 55 years ago May 31, 1967 Award-winning artist Dean E. Haspiel is born. He works with Harvey Pekar on American Splendor and The Quitter and creates Billy Dogma. 55 years ago June 1, 1967 Artist, writer, and activist Alonzo L. Washington is born. He creates Omega Man. 50 years ago May 28, 1972 Artist Rea Irvin (who designed The New Yorker mascot Eustace Tilley) dies of a stroke at age 90. He acted as the magazine’s first unofficial art editor. 45 years ago May 28-30, 1977 The last in the series of Detroit Triple Fan Fair conventions is held in Troy, Michigan. 35 years ago May 30, 1987 Prominent gay writer-artist-editor Allen Shapiro dies of AIDS at age 55. As “A. Jay,” he created one of the first gay comic strips, The Adventures of Harry Chess. 35 years ago May 31, 1987 Artist and teacher Hugh Laidman dies at age 73. He created the Middle Class Animals strip. 30 years ago May 31, 1992 Walter Neugebauer dies at age 71. The Croatian artist of Jack Jackson, Bimbo Bambus, Patuljak Nosko, and Winetou was also co-founder of Mickeystrip magazine. 25 years ago June 1, 1997 Ruth Atkinson Ford dies of cancer at age 78. Born Ruth Atkinson, the Fiction House artist and art director was known for her Marvel work, created Millie the Model, and co-created Patsy Walker with Otto Binder. 20 years ago May 29, 2002 Punch owner Mohamed Al Fayed announces the magazine’s closure with fewer than 6,000 subscribers. (Its first issue was dated July 17, 1841.) 20 years ago June 1-2, 2002 The first Adventure Con is held in Knoxville, Tennessee. 15 years ago May 31, 2007 Ted Miller dies at age 89. He created Sunny Climes and was a cartoonist for Boston station WHDH. 10 years ago May 29, 2012 Voice artist Dick Beals dies at age 85. Although he was best known as the voice of Gumby, Davey Hansen, and Speedy Alka-Seltzer, he also created many other child voices for radio and animation. 5 years ago June 1, 2017 Prolific writer-artist Vic Lockman dies at age 89. The creator specialized in but wasn’t limited to Dell funny animal comics including many Disney stories. His other comics work included Christian comics and contributions to Archie. And here are the anniversaries spanning the month of June… 80 years ago June 1942 DC’s Action Comics #49 introduces The Puzzler in “The Puzzler!!” by Jerry Siegel, John Sikela, and Ed Dobrotka. 80 years ago June 1942 “New feature” says the cover of DC’s Detective Comics #64. It’s The Boy Commandos by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. So woo hoo! 80 years ago June 1942 Marvel’s Joker Comics #2 introduces Tessie the Typist. Never heard of her? She was a regular in Golden Age Marvels. It’s probably time to put her into a costume and have her fight some crime, right? 75 years ago June 1947 In “The Day That Dropped out of Time” in DC’s All-Star Comics #35, John Broome and a number of artists (including Irwin Hasen, who may be the character’s co-creator) introduce Professor Zee’s assistant, Per Degaton. He’s still hanging around, though Prof. Zee now seems to be the assistant; thank time travel and TV. 75 years ago June 1947 In “Flames along the Frontier!” by Joe Samachson and Edmond Good, DC’s Star Spangled Comics #69 introduces Tomahawk and Dan Hunter. 75 years ago June 1947 “Exciting … New! Rulah, jungle goddess!” Fox’s Zoot Comics #7 introduces Rulah, who copes with jungly dangers while wearing a strapless bathing suit. But, hey, she’s got a knife, so no prob. 70 years ago June 1952 Marvel launches the pre-Code horror anthology series Journey into Mystery. Story titles in #1 include “One Foot in the Grave,” “The Clutching Hands,” and “Haunted!” 70 years ago June 1952 Not to be outdone, Fawcett begins its pre-Code horror anthology title Strange Suspense Stories. (Spoiler: It doesn’t last as long as Marvel’s anthology series.) Story titles in #1 include “The Man Who Warmed the Bones of the Dead!” and “He Bartered His Head!” 70 years ago June 1952 “Batman and Robin face a new menace – The Man of 1,000 Lights.” DC’s Detective Comics #184 introduces The Firefly in a story by Ed Herron, Dick Sprang, and Charles Paris. 65 years ago June 1957 EC’s Mad publishes Frank Jacobs’ first articles in #33. “Baseball’s Hall of Shame” is drawn by Joe Orlando. “Why I Left the Army and Became a Civilian” and “Mad Tickets” are drawn by George Woodbridge. “Vending Machines of the Future” is drawn by Bob Clarke. Jacobs also contributes “The Railroad Timetable.” He’ll be contributing until October 2014. 65 years ago June 1957 The distributor American News Company goes out of business, and Atlas/Marvel has to switch to Independent News for its distribution. 60 years ago June 1962 “Now – in his own magazine ...” “The world’s smallest superhero,” (also known as The Atom) gets his own series. DC’s The Atom #1 introduces Plant Master (who will eventually be known as Floronic Man). “Master of the Plant World!” is by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, and Murphy Anderson. 60 years ago June 1962 DC’s Justice League of America #12 introduces Doctor Light in “The Last Case of The Justice League!” (it isn’t), a story by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, and Bernard Sachs. 55 years ago June 1967 “Who is the Question?” Charlton’s Blue Beetle #1 introduces The Question. Who is he? Another cool creation of writer-artist Steve Ditko, that’s who. 50 years ago June 1972 Marvel’s The Avengers #100 says it’s “the mightiest 100th issue of all!!” “Avengers assemble! And we do mean assemble!!” “Whatever Gods There Be!” is by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, Joe Sinnott, and Syd Shores. 50 years ago June 1972 “Sensational origin issue!” Marvel’s Hero for Hire #1 introduces Luke Cage and Diamondback. “Out of Hell – A Hero!” is by Roy Thomas, John Romita, Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, and Billy Graham. 50 years ago June 1972 DC changes the name of All-Star Western to Weird Western Tales with #12. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, DC had had 62 issues of All Star Western that ended in 1961. This one was hyphenated.) Scary stuff! 50 years ago June 1972 More scary stuff! Kitchen Sink’s Death Rattle #1 features work by Tim Boxell, John M. Pound, Richard Corben, and Pete Poplaski. 50 years ago June 1972 In DC’s Action Comics #413, Metamorpho becomes the backup feature, continuing the story from Metamorpho #17. “The 7 Sins of Simon Stagg” is by Bob Haney, John Calnan, and Murphy Anderson. 50 years ago June 1972 DC changes its The Sinister House of Secret Love to Secrets of Sinister House with #5. More scary stuff! 45 years ago June 1977 DC revives Challengers of the Unknown with #81, picking up the storyline from Super-Team Family #10 45 years ago June 1977 The group had a cameo in the issue before this, but it’s Marvel’s Howard the Duck #13 that features the first full comic book appearance of Kiss. “Rock, Roll over, and Writhe!” is by Steve Gerber, Gene Colan, and Steve Leialoha. 45 years ago June 1977 “The full power of the M-Vest is unknown.” DC’s “electrifying first issue” of Shade the Changing Man #1 introduces, um, you got it in one! Shade, the Changing Man. Aside from dialogue by Michael Fleisher, it’s by Steve Ditko. 45 years ago June 1977 Marvel’s John Carter Warlord of Mars #1 provides “savage fury from the creator of Tarzan!” That’d be Edgar Rice Burroughs. This adaptation is by Marv Wolfman, Gil Kane, and Dave Cockrum. 45 years ago June 1977 DC’s The Flash #250 introduces Captain Cold’s sister (and Top’s girlfriend), Golden Glider. “One Freeze-Dried Flash – Coming Right Up” is by Cary Bates, Irv Novick, and Vince Colletta. 45 years ago June 1977 She’s not mentioned on the cover of DC’s Detective Comics #470, but “The Master Plan of Dr. Phosphorus!” by Steve Englehart, Walt Simonson, and Al Milgrom introduces Silver St. Cloud. Oh, and by the way … The price on the issue is 35¢, up from 30¢. Which is to say: DC raises its prices this month. 40 years ago June 1982 DC’s Justice League of America #203 introduces The Royal Flush Gang including Wanda Wayland, Joseph Carny, Mona Taylor, and Jack of Spades. “Shuffle and Deal … with Death!” is by Gerry Conway, Don Heck, and Romeo Tanghal. 40 years ago June 1982 It’s a “blockbuster first issue!” Marvel’s G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero #1 features “the ultimate weapon of democracy!” Features are by Larry Hama, Herb Trimpe, Bob McLeod, Don Perlin, Jack Abel, and Al Milgrom. 40 years ago June 1982 It’s far from his first appearance. In fact, a text feature actually provides a history of the character. But DC’s Firestorm finally gets a longer run for his own title, starting with The Fury of Firestorm #1. “Day of the Bison” is by Gerry Conway, Pat Broderick, and Rodin Rodriguez. 35 years ago June 1987 DC’s Detective Comics #575 kicks off “Batman: Year Two.” “Fear the Reaper” is by Mike W. Barr, Alan Davis, and Paul Neary. 35 years ago June 1987 DC’s Flash begins a new series, as Wally West turns 20. “Happy Birthday Wally” is by Mike Baron, Jackson Guice, and Larry Mahlstedt. 35 years ago June 1987 DC’s Young All-Stars #1 continues All-Star Squadron on the post-Crisis Earth and introduces Axis Amerika. And Iron Munro? And Flying Fox? And Sea Wolf? Etc… “The Coming of the Young All-Stars” is by Roy and Dann Thomas, Brian Murray, Michael Bair, Vince Argondezzi, and Malcolm Jones III. 35 years ago June 1987 Archie restarts titles with Betty and Veronica #1 featuring stories by Frank Doyle, Dan DeCarlo, Jim DeCarlo – and Laugh #1 (introducing the characters in “Meet the Gang” by George Gladir, Stan Goldberg, and Rudy Lapick and providing other stories by Gladir, Goldberg, Lapick, Nate Butler, Henry Scarpelli, Bill Webb, Jon D’Agostino, and Dexter Taylor). (That is this month’s longest run-on sentence.) 30 years ago June 1992 Valiant’s Solar, Man of the Atom #10 introduces Eternal Warrior in “The Man Who Killed the World” by Jim Shooter, Don Perlin, Stan Drake, John Dixon, and Paul Autio. 30 years ago June 1992 The Infinity War #1 is a miniseries involved with one of Marvel’s early 1990s crossovers. Before it is The Infinity Gauntlet. After it is Infinity Crusade. The Jim Starlin series involves Thanos and Eternity and stuff. 20 years ago June 2002 IDW releases the first issue of Ben Templesmith’s 30 Days of Night. 10 years ago June 2012 Marvel’s The Secret Service #1 begins the story by Mark Millar, Matthew Vaughn, and Dave Gibbons. (It will be titled Kingsman: The Secret Service in its 2014 big screen adaptation.) 10 years ago June 2012 “From your TV into your hands!” Marvel Universe Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes begins. 10 years ago June 2012 IDW’s Mars Attacks #1 has variants. Yes, it does. Because think of all the trading cards. Just saying. “First Contact! First Carnage” is by John Layman and John McCrea. 5 years ago June 2017 Marvel’s Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider begins with a story by Peter David, Mark Bagley, and John Dell. 5 years ago June 2017 Marvel’s Nick Fury miniseries begins with “The Sky High Caper” by James Robinson, Aco, and Hugo Petrus. 5 years ago Marvel’s X-Men: Blue begins with stories written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Jorge Molina and Matteo Buffagni. 5 years ago And, hey! Let’s not forget Marvel’s X-Men: Gold, also beginning this month, featuring “Back to the Basics, Part 1” by Marc Guggenheim, Ardian Syaf, and Jay Leisten. 5 years ago June 2017 Yep, Marvel has had other comics before with this title, but Weapon X has another first issue, this one with a story by Greg Pak, Greg Land, and Jay Leisten. 5 years ago June 2017 Marvel’s Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation begins by Jody Houser, Emilio Laiso, and Oscar Bazaldúa Nava. 5 years ago June 2017 Marvel’s Black Panther and the Crew begins with “We Are the Streets Part 1: Double Consciousness” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Butch Guice, and Scott Hanna. 5 years ago June 2017 Marvel’s Monsters Unleashed begins with a story by Cullen Bunn and David Baldeón. 5 years ago June 2017 Valiant’s Secret Weapons opens with “Chapter One” by Eric Heisserer, Raúl Allén, and Patricia Martin. |
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| May 28 James Dore Jr., who was born in Mayflower, Freedonia on his Earth, was an airplane mechanic. He began his career as a superhero when he inherited the mantle of the American Eagle from his father and joined the Squadron Supreme. Eventually Dore abandoned the American Eagle identity after a falling out with his father over political differences, and adopted the identity of Cap'n Hawk. The Squadron Supreme, as a result of their conflict with the Overmind, instituted the “Utopia Program”. They assumed control of Earth-712’s United States, and publicly revealed their true identities. James again adopted another identity after his father died from a heart attack. Using a costume made by his dead father, he took the name Blue Eagle. He first appeared as Blue Eagle in Squadron Supreme #1 (May 28, 1985). The Squadron then battled the Institute of Evil. Dore then discovered that the Golden Archer had used the Behavior Modification Device on Lady Lark, and called for the Archer’s dismissal from the team. Blue Eagle was captured by Nighthawk’s Redeemers and placed under Master Menace’s Behavior Modification machine. Blue Eagle recovered and returned to the Squadron, just in time for the Redeemers’ attack on Squadron City. During the battle, Blue Eagle killed the Black Archer with his mace, but lost the use of his wings after Lamprey drained the artificial gravity effect from them. Blue Eagle fell and crashed into Pinball, breaking his neck and the back of Pinball. Both Blue Eagle and Pinball died immediately and were placed in cryostasis until they could be revived and their injuries repaired.  |
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| May 29 Only a single issue of Red Raven Comics was published. Red Raven Comics #1 (May 29, 1940) tells the story of Sky-Island (or the Aerie) which is an “island” which floats in the sky above the Atlantic Ocean, inhabited by the Bird-People or Winged Ones, an avian offshoot of the human-alien hybrid race known as the Inhumans, who had long ago left the hidden Inhuman city Attilan, built their own abode, and learned to stabilize their genetics to reproduce only in this winged form. An airplane crashed into the Sky-Island, killing all passengers except a small boy. The Bird-People raised the boy, equipped their adopted son with a uniform outfitted with anti-gravitons for flight and artificial wings for navigation, and sent him back to the human world as Red Raven. His first adventure was preventing the gangsters Zeelmo and Ratoga from stealing the world’s supply of gold and starting a second Great Depression. The book was replaced by the title The Human Torch, which began with issue #2. After this issue, the title character, avian superman Red Raven, did not appear in print again until 1968.  Kurse was originally the most powerful of a race of Dark Elves and was known as Algrim the Strong. He is coerced by the Dark Elf ruler Malekith the Accursed to fight the Asgardian God of Thunder and superhero, Thor. Malekith, however, betrays Algrim while he is fighting Thor, and in a bid to destroy the Thunder God orders that a pitfall beneath the two be opened. Thor saves himself courtesy of his mystical hammer Mjolnir, while Algrim falls into lava. Algrim’s enchanted armor saves his life, but he is still critically injured and develops amnesia from the shock. He first appeared in Thor #347 (May 29, 1984). Algrim is completely amnesic, except for his obsessive desire to gain revenge upon Thor. Algrim is later healed by the cosmic entity the Beyonder, who transforms him into the much more powerful being called Kurse, who is apparently twice as strong as Thor. The Beyonder transports Kurse to Earth to battle Thor, however Kurse mistakes Thor’s ally Beta Ray Bill for Thor and battles him.  The Transformers comic by Marvel was the first and arguably the best known Transformers comic, debuting with with Transformers #1 (May 29, 1984). Although it was originally intended to be a 4-issue limited series, it expanded into an ongoing series, which ran for 80 issues before being cancelled. The comic did not attempt to follow the show and some elements and characters were completely absent. Most notable was the absence of characters like Ultra Magnus, Springer, Arcee, Metroplex and Wreck-Gar. The comic started much the same as the show; a crew crash landing the Ark on Earth in the distant past. They are befriended by Buster Witwicky. His brother Spike eventually joins the cause as Autobot leader when he became the head of commander Fortress Maximus. There occurs a considerable amount of fractioning and in-fighting in both the Autobots and Decepticons. However, the series climax occurs when both sides, Autobots and Decepticons, form an uneasy peace to defend Cybertron from Unicron.  |
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| May 30 Young Brock Rumlow led the Savage Crims gang on New York City’s Lower East Side, during which time he assaulted fifteen-year-old Rachel Leighton and fought her two brothers, killing the elder brother. Rumlow fled, entering Taskmaster’s school for criminals, within three years becoming an instructor under the name of Bingo Brock. As a mercenary, Rumlow enlisted with Albert Malik, the communist Red Skull, in Algeria, serving him under the name Frag until he was sent to invade Arnim Zola’s Switzerland chateau; Rumlow was ultimately the only team member to survive the assault. There, he also met and impressed the original Nazi Red Skull, Johann Schmidt, who accepted Brock’s services, code-naming him Crossbones. An expert combatant trained in warfare, Crossbones is an accomplished military tactician, and is thus able to formulate strategies on the battlefield. He also has extensive training in martial arts, street-fighting, marksmanship, and various forms of hand-to-hand combat. Physically, Crossbones is tall and well built, but moves with an athletic grace uncommon for a man of his bulk. In addition, he is proficient in the use of various weapons, such as guns, bows, and throwing knives. Crossbones first appeared in cameo in Captain America #359 (May 30, 1989).  |
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| May 31 Master Khan is a sinister sorcerer “god” of K'un-L'un who demands human blood sacrifices from his worshippers. He first appeared in Strange Tales #77 (May 31, 1960). Khan was a notable adversary early in Iron Fist’s career, fighting Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight on numerous occasions as well as sending his agent Scimitar against them. When Khan stole the Sons of the Tiger’s tiger talismans, he badly injured Bob Diamond. Master Khan has magical powers that enable him to distort reality, levitate, and shrink objects and beings. He can also alter his appearance, form shields, fire energy blasts. He calls on the mystic principalities, such as Cyttorak, the Faltine, and Raggadorr, for power.  |
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| June 1 The Warriors Three first appeared when going on a quest with Thor and other Asgardians to prevent Ragnarok in Journey into Mystery #119 (June 1, 1965). The Warriors Three is made up of the Asgardians Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg. The trio have multiple adventures with their friend Thor. For a time, they quest with him in outer space; one of their adventures involved saving an alien world from a naive tentacled beast. Thor and the Warriors Three are sent on a quest as penance for accidentally killing an enemy giant during a time of peace. Although they fail in their quest, through the use of each warrior’s unique capabilities, the adventure eventually comes to a good end.  |
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| June 2 The core concept of 100 Bullets is based on the question of people willing to act on the desire of violent revenge if given the means, opportunity, and a reasonable chance to succeed. Many of the first issues involve the mysterious Agent Graves approaching someone who has been a victim of a terrible wrong. Graves gives them the opportunity to take revenge by providing a handgun, 100 bullets, and documentation about the primary target responsible for their woes. He informs the candidate the bullets are completely untraceable by any law enforcement investigation, and as soon as they are found at any crime scene, investigations will immediately cease. Although all the revenge murders enabled by Agent Graves are presented as justifiable, the candidates are neither rewarded nor punished for accepting the offer other than their own personal satisfaction. Several people decline, but others who accept find varied success or failure. The attaché and Graves’ “games” are later revealed to be only a minor part of a much broader story. The games begin in 100 Bullets #1 (June 2, 1999).  |
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| TURNING POINTS by Maggie Thompson Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for June 3-9, 2022... 155 years ago June 8, 1867 Marius Rossillon is born. The French artist creates the Michelin mascot “Bibendum” and works as “O’Galop.” 130 years ago June 4, 1892 Newspaper cartoonist Wally Wallgren is born. He creates the Helpful Hints feature for Stars and Stripes and the later strip Hoosegow Herman. 130 years ago June 7, 1892 Swedish writer-artist Ingrid Wallerström is born. 130 years ago June 9, 1892 Foremost Japanese woodblock artist Yoshitoshi Tsukioka dies at age 53 of a cerebral hemorrhage. 100 years ago June 5, 1922 Ruggero Giovannini is born. The artist works for Il Vittorioso in Italy and Fleetway in England. 100 years ago June 6, 1922 The Belgian artist known for “Prudence Petitpas” in Tintin, Maurice Maréchal, is born. 100 years ago June 8, 1922 Artist, teacher, and animator Paul Gringle is born. The NEA cartoonist creates the Rural Delivery comic strip. 95 years ago June 6, 1927 Award-winning writer-artist Peter Spier is born. He creates “Sophie” for Spirou, the first of its strips to have a female character as protagonist. 95 years ago June 8, 1927 Artist Rocke Mastroserio is born. His comic book work begins in the early 1950s, and he is best known for his work for Charlton, for which he co-creates Mercury Man with Joe Gill. 90 years ago June 5, 1932 Belgian writer-artist Jean Mariette is born. He works as “Hao” and as “Mittéï,” draws cartoons for Studio Greg, and creates Bonaventure. 90 years ago June 6, 1932 Napoleon begins, written and drawn by Clifford McBride. 85 years ago June 9, 1937 The Italian comics magazine Il Vittorioso begins. 75 years ago June 8, 1947 Charles Schulz’ Li’l Folks begins. 70 years ago June 7, 1952 Animation artist Rick Hoberg is born. He pencils Eternity Smith. 65 years ago June 4, 1957 Writer, cartoonist, and lecturer Michal Jacot is born. 65 years ago June 6, 1957 Artist Andrew A. Munch dies at age 48. He drew features including Mac for NEA. 65 years ago June 8, 1957 Dilbert creator Scott Adams is born. 65 years ago June 8, 1957 Don Thompson meets Maggie Thompson (then Curtis) at a picnic at the home of science fiction writer Basil Wells. Among other attendees were Edmond Hamilton, Leigh Brackett, Andre Norton, P. Schuyler Miller, and (Maggie’s mom) Betsy Curtis. 55 years ago June 5, 1967 Yarrowstalks introduces Mr. Natural in #1. 55 years ago June 7, 1967 Belgian animator and artist Willy Lateste dies at age 36. 50 years ago June 3, 1972 Writer Ken Mennell Jr. is born. 45 years ago June 3, 1977 Australian Fatty Finn comic strip artist and comic book publisher Syd Nicholls dies in a fall at age 80. 45 years ago June 6, 1977 King Features writer-artist Joseph Musial dies at age 72. He wrote The Career Guide for Cartoonists and illustrated the pioneering talking-read-along children’s book Matey. 45 years ago June 6, 1977 The Howard the Duck comic strip by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan begins. 40 years ago June 4, 1982 Danish comics artist Henning Dahl Mikkelsen (who worked as “Mik”) dies of a heart attack at age 67. 35 years ago June 5, 1987 Peter Parker marries Mary Jane Watson in Shea Stadium, Queens, NY. 35 years ago June 8, 1987 Tom Batiuk’s Crankshaft comic strip begins. 30 years ago June 3, 1992 E.C. publisher and Mad publisher William M. Gaines dies at age 70. 30 years ago June 5, 1992 Image’s Spawn #1 (dated May 1992) by Todd McFarlane sets a new direct market record with an announced 1.5 million copies sold. 30 years ago June 6, 1992 Publisher Martin Goodman dies of pneumonia at age 84. His releases included paperbacks and magazines – including titles that would provide the foundation of the Marvel Comics line. 25 years ago June 6, 1997 Golden Age artist Manny Stallman, who worked on a variety of titles for a variety of publishers, dies at age 70. 20 years ago June 3, 2002 Webcomic A Miracle of Science begins. The series by Jon Kilgannon and Mark Sachs provides a story of “mad science, space battles, robots, and true love.” 20 years ago June 7, 2002 Brazilian writer-artist and editor Waldyr Igayara de Souza dies at age 68. He created Paulistinha and set up his own comic art school. 15 years ago June 5, 2007 French artist Arnaud Leterrier dies at age 39. 15 years ago June 7, 2007 Artist and teacher Roger Armstrong dies at age 89. He drew “funny animal” comic books starring Warner Bros., Disney, and Hanna-Barbera characters for Dell/Western/Gold Key and strips including Ella Cinders, Scamp, Bugs Bunny, Napoleon, and Little Lulu. 10 years ago June 5, 2012 Influential, award-winning writer Ray Bradbury dies at age 91. A film and comics fan, he wrote stories that ended up in comic book versions. 10 years ago June 6, 2012 French artist Jean-René Le Moing dies at age 83. He was one of the original co-creators of Pilote. 5 years ago June 4, 2017 Dutch artist Rob Gorter dies at age 71. 5 years ago June 5, 2017 Award-winning writer James Vance dies of cancer at age 64. His work included co-creation of Kings in Disguise with Dan Burr. |
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| June 3 Albert Francis “Al” Simmons was a highly trained Force Recon Marine who was at his most successful point when he saved the President from an attempted assassination. He was promoted to a high level and recruited to a highly classified unit within the CIA devoted to black ops. Once there, he began to question the morality of what his agency was doing. Jason Wynn hired Bruce Stinson (codenamed Chapel), Simmons’ friend and partner, to kill him. In a blazing inferno, Simmons was killed and his soul sent to Hell, because he had knowingly killed innocents while working for the CIA. Simmons made a deal with an evil being known as Malebolgia: in exchange for his soul, he would get to see once again his wife, Wanda. However, when Simmons returned to the human world, five years had passed, and he had been transformed into a demonic creature with little memory of his former life. After regaining his memories, he sought out his wife, only to find she had moved on and married his best friend, Terry Fitzgerald, and that they now had a daughter named Cyan. After this event, the Violator appeared, and revealed to Simmons the purpose of his resurrection. Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1 (June 3, 1992).  |
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