Monday, March 18, 2024

Kitty Pryde's 🐈‍⬛ search for snacks is hampered by the camouflage pattern of the sheets

Whenever we put down snacks for her on the bed, Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛ swivels her head and moves around and about staring at the bed. We call it her Sherlock Scan.


Today in Comics History, March 18, 1958: Nancy springs ahead; falls back


from Nancy (United Feature Syndicate, March 18, 1958), by Ernie Bushmiller

A special tip 'of the three rocks to Johnny Callicutt for bringing this strip to my attention. Johnny runs the absolutely essential and unofficial Nancy Comics by Ernie Bushmiller feeds on Twitter and Bluesky! Thanks, Johnny!

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Bully and His Pals on St. Patrick's Day: The Wearin' of the Grin

A very happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you from all of us!


We held a dress reheasral yesterday but Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛ kept facin' the wrong way.


Saturday, March 16, 2024

Today in Comics History, March 16: Kate Middleton continues daring rain heist


This Curious World (Newspaper Enterprise Association, June 15, 1936), by William Ferguson

A tip o' the cow hat to Pal Tom Heintjes at Hogan's Alley, who posted this strip on Bluesky! Thanks, Tom!

Friday, March 15, 2024

Now Playing: Fawlty Towers: Second Sitting

The late great Andrew Sachs (as Manuel) narrates action that would be visual on the TV.


I'm not a John Cleese fan (exasperated sigh) anymore, but I still like this series with its great ensemble cast.


Bully is listening to Fawlty Towers: Second Sitting (BBC, 1981), with John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Connie Booth and Andrew Sachs

Now Playing: Italian Favorites by Louis Prima

Yes, he has rhymed "roly-poly" with "ravioli."


I'm still in my kilt, which is the wrong national dress to listen to this record.


Bully is lustening to Italian Favorites (Tops, 1963), by Louis Prima (and Phil Brito)

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Bully and His Pals: Happy π Day!

In honor of mathematicians everywhere, I shall now cut this pie into equal portions for me, Shelly, and Marshall!


Now Playing: Don't Cry Now by Linda Ronstadt

She can break your heart with a single verse.



Bully is listening to Don't Cry Now (Asylum, 1973), by Linda Ronstadt

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛: Bed rest

Happy sleepy time, sweet dreams, and may you always have a soft paw to rest your head.


Now Playing: Pretenders by The Pretenders

Hello, radio fans! You'd better "Stop Your Sobbing," because we're listening to Pretenders here on the Mighty Bull, WBUL, 101.6 FM! (goes off for extended bathroom break while record plays)


One thing you miss from listening to this on CD or MP3: there is a lotta music on each side. Fourteen songs on this whole album, and every one a classic! So don't forget:


Chrissie even mentions Howard the Duck, trapped in a world that he never made. Cool!


from Howard the Duck (1976 series) #1 (Marvel, January 1976); co-plot and script by Steve Gerber; co-plot, pencils, and colors by Frank Brunner; inks by Steve Leialoha; letters by John Costanza

Thank you, Pretenders, for giving us the first of many albums that rock!


Bully is listening to Pretenders (Real, 1980), by The Pretenders

Today in Comics History, March 13, 1781: William Herschel gets you to bend over, chuckling all the while


"Uranus" from Tomb of Terror (1952 series) #16 (Harvey, July 1954), pencils and inks by Bob Powell (?), letters by Joe Rosen

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 2024 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, March 13, 1970: Day before invention of Gravestone White-Out™


"Rest in Pieces" from The Unexpected #119 (DC/National, June 1970), inks (and pencils?) by Murphy Anderson, letters by John Costanza

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 2024 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, March 13, 1896: This story will make you feel good all over!


from "The Forbidden Room" im Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #4 (Charlton, July 1957), script by Joe Gill (?), pencils and inks by Steve Ditko, letters by Jon D'Agostino

Sounds pretty scary and creepy, right? So why should this story make you feel good? Simple answer:


cover of Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #4; pencils and inks by Steve Ditko

Oh goodie! It was only a story!

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 2024 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Today in Comics History, March 13, 2036: Well, that'll happen...in the future!


from Man o' Mars #1 (Fiction House, 1953), pencils and inks by Maurice Gutwirth

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 2024 in this series. Thanks, Blam!

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Today in Comics History, March 12, 1914: What's he doing in that coffin? Westing.

Today in 1914, inventor and entrepeneur George Westinghouse died. But before he did, he managed to work in inventing the Westinghouse air brake, developed the AC current mode of electrical transmission, and a whole buncha other stuff, and I'm fairly certain he had something to do with the Westinghouse refrigerator of kids joke fame (see title).


from "George Westinghouse" in True Comics #50 (Parents' Magazine Press, July 1946), pencils (and inks?) by Sam Glankoff




Today in Comics History, March 12: Happy Birthday, Sy Barry!

Happy 96th birthday today to Seymour "Sy" Barry, comic book and comic-strip artist: he's worked on Strange Adventures, Mystery in Space, All Star Western, Girls Romances, Rex the Wonder Dog, Superboy and many more...but he's best known for being the artist of The Phantom comic strip for 33+ years, which includes the entire period I read it as a wee calf in the newspaper funnies!

"Behind the Mask" from The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks (2009 series) #1 (Moonstone, March 2009), text by Ed Rhoades, pencils and inks by Sy Barry
(Click picture to Skull Cave-size)

Happy birthday, Sy, and many more!


advertisement from The Phantom (1948 series) #1207 (Frew, 1998)

Today in Comics History, March 12: Happy birthday, Ken Spears!

Born on this day in 1938: writer, animator, and producer Ken Spears, co-creator of Scooby-Doo and co-founder of Ruby-Spears Productions, both with Joe Ruby. Ruby-Spears gave us Thundarr the Barbarian, Fangface, Goldie Gold and Action Jack, The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, Rubik the Amazing Cube, Mister T, Sectaurs, Centurions, Superman (1988) and more, and hired Jack Kirby to work on their productions.


from Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (Ten Speed, July 2020), script and art by Tom Scioli

Happy birthday, Ken!

Good morning, Kitty Pryde 🐈‍⬛!

Are you comfy enough now to go back to sleep without any more throwing up?