Remembering Artist Earl Norem

Remembering artist Earl Norem on his birthday (April 17, 1924 - June 19, 2015) with a couple of his high kicking painted covers for the Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu (# 9, February 1975 and #33, February, 1977) featuring Shang-Chi.  

Remembering Artist Tom Sutton

Remembering artist Tom Sutton on his birthday (April 15, 1937 - May 1, 2002) with a couple of his painted covers for Creepy (#22 and #23, August and October, 1968), because there are things creepier than tax day!

Celebrating Artist Dave Gibbons

Celebrating the birthday of artist Dave Gibbons (April 14, 1949) with a pair of his JSA covers (JSA #70 and #71 from April and May, 2005), featuring pairs of heroes, the original and new Mr. Terrific and the Atom and Atom-Smasher!

Tennis Laughs

A couple of Laugh covers with a tennis theme, both by Dan DeCarlo, just to serve up the funny today, from Laugh #248 (November, 1971) and Laugh #353 (August, 1980). 

Celebrating Artist Amanda Conner

Celebrating the birthday of Amanda Conner (April 12, 1967) with a pair...of Harley Quinn #11 (December, 2014) covers, featuring that unlikely duo, Harley Quinn and Power Girl!

Remembering Artist Irv Novick

Remembering artist Irv Novick on his birthday (April 11, 1916 - October 15, 2004) with a pair of Wonder Woman covers (#84, August, 1956 and #90, May, 1957), featuring Wonder Woman with double trouble!

Celebrating Artist Scott Hampton

Celebrating the birthday of artist Scott Hampton (April 10, 1959) with his three covers for Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, where Batman fell into a coma...

...and had to fight his way through a dreamland to regain consciousness.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #76 and #77 (October and November, 1995)

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Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #78 (December, 1995)

Remembering Artist Mac Raboy

Remembering artist Mac Raboy on his birthday (April 9, 1914 - December 12, 1967) with a couple of his Fawcett covers featuring heroes not in the Marvel Family...Minute Man from Master Comics #12 (March, 1941) and Ibis from Ibis #1 (1942).

Minute Man was Jack Weston, a patriotic hero who was also a member of the Crime Crusaders Club, and Ibis was an ancient Egyptian prince as well as a magician, revived in the modern day to fight crime with his Ibistick.

Remembering Artist Gil Kane

Remembering artist Gil Kane on his birthday (April 6, 1926 - January 31, 2000) with a few covers of his before his super hero work...

...the covers he did for Sensation Mystery, the last titles of the former Sensation Comics featuring Johnny Peril!  

Sensation Mystery #110 and #112 (July-August and November-December, 1952)

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Sensation Mystery #114 and #115 (March-April and May-June, 1953)

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Happy Easter...Island

A happy Easter to all...and even though Easter Island has nothing to do with the holiday, this little cover by Jack Kirby and Christopher Rule, where a man discovers invading aliens on Easter Island from Tales To Astonish #5 (September, 1959), reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell #24 (October, 1973) should make you happy that that is not how you are spending the day.

Remembering Artist Joe Orlando

Remembering artist Joe Orlando on his birthday (April 4, 1927 - December 23, 1998), with this one off cover of Plastic Man #3 (March-April, 1967), as DC had recently added the pliable policeman to their lineup from Quality Comics, here matching wits with Dr. Dome to save Micheline de Lute 3rd.

Laughs In Class

A couple of Laughs at school, from Laugh #287 (February, 1975) and Laugh #290 (May, 1975), with the latter definitely being by Dan DeCarlo, with Moose in trouble with Miss Grundy. 

World's Finest Fools

What's more fun than one magical extradimensional imp?

Why, two of course!  

So, in honor of April Fool's Day, two of the earliest team-ups of Batman and Superman's two foolish foes, Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk!

Bat-Mite Meets Mr. Mxyzptlk

The two imps first meet in World's Finest Comics #113 (November, 1960) in a story by Jerry Coleman, Dick Sprang and Sheldon Moldoff (under a cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye), where it was an ordinary day in Gotham, with Batman and Robin about to take down a criminal robot...or at least planning on it.  But the robot seemed too much, so Superman was going to pitch in...until Bat-Mite stopped the help because he wanted his hero to do the job.  The dynamic duo went to continue the battle, but Superman was distracted by mystical menaces....but Bat-Mite said it wasn't him stopping Superman.  

It was Superman's 5th Dimensional foe, Mr. Mxyzptlk!  Mr. Mxyzptlk was not happy that Bat-Mite was vexing Superman.  The two imps battled for a while, but, after a time, Mxy got tired of it, and went home to the 5th Dimension, and Bat-Mite tired of the activity as well, and also went home (much to the relief of the heroes). 

The Incredible Team of Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk

For their second go around in World's Finest Comics #123 (February, 1962) under a cover by Dick Dillin and Sheldon Moldoff, and story by Jerry Coleman, Dick Sprang and Sheldon Moldoff, Batman and Robin were taking down a criminal gang that used a rocket to commit crimes (with Bat-Mite watching his hero in action).  The criminals were giving the dynamic duo a hard time, so Superman joined in (with Mr. Mxyzptlk appearing at the same time).  

Superman was taking out the rocked with a boulder (because of Kryptonite on the rocket), but Bat-Mite changed the boulder into a creature....then, Mr. Mxyzptlk changed it again....then, the creature took on a life of its own due to the combined magic, and became a big menace!  The two couldn't defeat it, even working together...as the creature would just change into an even bigger problem.  Superman's powers didn't work well against the magic creature, but Batman helped with a solution, making an opposite of magnetic creature it had become, and the two cancelled each other out.  The two imps went back home to not be insulted by the heroes. 

The two would meet again, and find more history on that with Bat-Mite's history, or a little on Mr. Mxyzptlk himself.

Celebrating Artist Val Mayerik

Celebrating the birthday of artist Val Mayerik (March 29, 1950) with his covers to the 1994 Bruce Lee 6 issue mini-series for Malibu...

..where Bruce Lee fights another dojo owner (Ace Zeppelin), as well as tries to get movie roles, fighting with Joe Dorgan and El General, to help Caitlin Thomas.

Bruce Lee #1 and #2 (July and August, 1994) 

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Bruce Lee #3 and #4 (September and October, 1994) 

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Bruce Lee #5 and #6 (November and December, 1994) 

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Celebrating Artist Glenn Fabry

Celebrating the birthday of London born artist Glenn Fabry (March, 24, 1961) with a couple of covers featuring the British magician, John Constantine, from Hellblazer #62 and #63 (February and March, 1993).

Meet Captain Britain

Time for a new hero from Marvel, but his one didn't come out of the offices in New York...he was produced in jolly old England, the first new hero from Marvel UK....a hero for the times (the mid-1970s, that is)...and he was Captain Britain.

Captain Britain

The story begins in Captain Britain #1 (October 13, 1976) by Chris Claremont, Herb Trimpe and Fred Kida and a cover by Larry Leiber and Frank Giacoia, with Captain Britain (seeming to just getting use to his powers and abilities) fighting the Reaver....

...then, the hero thinks back, to when he was just Brian Braddock, a student intern, working at the Darkmoor Research Centre in the moors, unlocking the secrets of fusion, until the facility was attacked by rouge scientist, Joshua Stagg, who planned on taking those secrets....and making it look like they all died in an unfortunate accident.  But, Brian escaped on his motorcycle, forcing Stagg and his troops to pursue.  Brian drove off a cliff when confronted by Stagg's airship...and fell into the next issue, which came out a week later.

From The Holocaust...A Hero!

In Captain Britain #2 (October 20, 1976, by the same creative team), picks up where the last issue left off, with Merlin and Roma offering young Brian Braddock a choice....the sword or the amulet.  Brian takes the amulet, and is infused with energy from the cosmos, becoming Captain Britain...to be a force for good to protect the land!

But, Stagg takes his time as well, taking the word to become the Reaver, and the battle between good and evil begins.  Brian learns on the go, keeping up the fight (catching up to where readers first met him), and eventually using his abilities to defeat the Reaver, and vows to the spirits that he will be their champion as Captain Britain.

Brian continued that battle for 39 issues....and beyond!

Remembering Artist Vince Argondezzi

Remembering artist Vince Argondezzi on his birthday (March 20, 1960 - December 14, 2018) with his Millennium crossover covers for Infinity, Inc. (#46 and #47, January and February, 1988), where the Infinitors matched wits with the Floronic Man, and dealt with the Harlequinn (who was an agent of the the Manhunters).

Celebrating Artist Shea Pensa

Celebrating the birthday of artist Shea Pensa (March 18, 1968) with his two covers to Brave and the Bold (#1 and #2, of December 1991 and January, 1992), a six issue mini-series featuring Green Arrow, the Question and the Butcher.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day With Dean and Jerry

To be fair, this isn't exactly a Saint Patrick's Day cover, but having Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis mess with a leprechaun seems like something good enough for the day...

...here, under this cover by Bob Oksner for the Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #36 (April, 1957). 

Celebrating Artist Stephen Bissette

Celebrating the birthday of artist Stephen Bissette (March 14, 1955) with a couple of his covers for Saga Of The Swamp Thing (#26 and #27, from July and August, 1984), as Swamp Thing begins to accept his supernatural beginnings, and teams up with Etrigan, the Demon.

Remembering Artist Basil Gogos

Remembering artist Basil Gogos on his birthday (March 12, 1929 - September 13, 2017) with a couple of his painted covers for Warren....with Gorgo for Famous Monsters of Filmland #50 (July, 1968) and a creeper for Creepy #26 (April, 1969).

Celebrating Martial Artist Chuck Norris

Celebrating the birthday of martial artist and actor, Chuck Norris, who was born on March 10, 1940...and featured on the cover of Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu #20 (January, 1976) with art by Ken Barr.

The issue also features photos and an interview with Chuck!

Celebrating Artist Rick Burchett

Celebrating the birthday of artist Rick Burchett (March 9, 1952) with his covers to the six issue mini-series Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood...

...wherein the Huntress is framed for murder, and she has to go through her past as Helena Bertinelli and confront some of the horrible truths of her mob related family, all while avoiding the Gotham City Police, Batman and his family, and working with the Question.

Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood #1 and #2 (June and July, 2000)

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Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood #3 and #4 (August and September, 2000)

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Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood #5 and #6 (October and November, 2000)

Batman Fights Time

Batman and Robin are literally under the gun as time winds down (and we get daylight saving time), here with this suspenseful cover to Detective Comics #375 (May, 1968) by Irv Novick.

Remembering Artist Will Eisner

Remembering comic pioneer and artist Will Eisner on his birthday (March 6, 1917 - January 3, 2003) with a couple of his covers to the Spirit, featuring femme fatales...including P'Gel of Paris!

From The Spirit #20 and #21 (April and June, 1950).

Celebrating Artist Simon Bisley

Celebrating the birthday of artist Simon Bisley (March 4, 1962) with four of his covers to Lobo's Back, the 1992 mini-series, featuring Lobo....and his back (and something else as well, but it needs not be discussed here).

The first issue had 1 regular and 2 variant covers, but they were all in the first issue!  Simon only did the cover for the second as well (without any variants), though it was a four issue mini-series.

Lobo's Back #1 and #1a (May, 1992)

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Lobo's Back #1b and #2 (May and June, 1992)

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The Early Crimson Dynamo

Iron Man was a true hero (secretly industrialist Tony Stark), but he did inspire some incredible menaces in his time.  One of those was the Crimson Dynamo, who was the Russian counterpart to America's armored Avenger.

Here are the first two men to wear the Crimson Dynamo armor.

Anton Vanko

Anton Vanko debuted in Tales of Suspense #46 (October, 1963), becoming "The Crimson Dynamo!" in a tale by Stan Lee and Don Heck, under a cover by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.  Here, under orders from the Soviet Premier, Vanko was sent to the United States to ruin Tony Stark and take care of Iron Man.  Khrushchev was also planning on eliminating Vanko after taking care of Iron Man. 

While in battle with Iron Man, Tony found the frequency that Khrushchv was communicating with his other agents with, and shared the fact that the Soviet Premier was planning on eliminating Anton after he took care of Iron Man.  

Thus, Iron Man convinced Vanko to defect.

Boris Turgenev

Boris Turgenev fell into the role of Crimson Dynamo via manipulations not his own, in Tales Of Suspense #52 (April, 1964) in the "The Crimson Dynamo Strikes Again!" by Stan Lee and Don Heck (with a cover by Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman).  Furious that Vanko defected, Khrushchv sent his agents, the Black Widow and Boris Turgenev to eliminate Vanko, as well as Tony Stark and Iron Man.  Vanko, working at Stark Industries, was set upon by Boris, who took on the armor to ruin Vanko's work for Stark.  

This led to a battle between the new Crimson Dynamo and Iron Man (who had upgraded from his gold to his red and gold armor).  Boris knocked Iron Man unconscious, and he, along with Natasha, were taking Vanko and Iron Man back to Russia.  But, Iron Man revived, and, with the sacrifice of Anton Vanko, defeated Boris, leaving Natasha an agent alone in the United States.

The Crimson Dynamo would return, with improved armor, with other people under the armor, to face off against Iron Man, Black Widow and more, usually in conjunction with the Titanium Man and other Soviet agents!