old

from Archie’s Pals ‘n’ Gals #10 (Fall ’59)

Yeah, it’s my birthday again…they just keep comin’, one every year. Though I feel like I’ve aged about a year just in the last week…arguing with folks on the internet will do that to you. Internet arguments are like trying to sweep the desert – you don’t get anywhere, and it just makes you tired.

So I’m taking the day off today, but not before posting a couple things:

• Happy birthday to my birthday brother Andrew at Armagideon Time. He was also born on March 13th, but three years later than me. Why, he’s practically just a baby! (EDIT: In his birthday post, Andrew dedicates to me a late addition to pal Dorian’s Meme That Wouldn’t Die. Yes, it has Swamp Thing in it.)
• Thanks to Johanna for letting me know about this article on alternative minimum tax with an entirely random Swamp Thing reference:
  

  “Dispatching the alternative minimum tax is like trying to kill the Swamp Thing, a Hollywood horror beast of the 1970s that kept resurfacing no matter how many times you tried to get rid of it.”

  Oh, okay, su…wha-huh?

• And just because it’s my birthday: here, have another Myspace Swamp Thing:
  

  “About me:

  “What’s up people? I’m a crime fighting vegetable in the swamps of Louisiana! When I’m not slapping some evil mad scientist like a little b*tch; I’m mackin’ wid da Cajun hos. You ever wanna go slummin’ with me, holla. Oh, and I’m Jewish; so shalom biotch!

  “Who I’d like to meet:

  “I’d like to meet a woman that knows how to treat a plant right. You know, a woman that doesn’t mind fetching a little miracle-gro for me from time to time. I’m not saying I’m high maintenance, this brother just needs a little sunshine and fertilizer now and then. And I’m packin’ a twelve inch cucumber so if she was tall that would be good too. She also has to like swimming and can’t be afraid of alligators and snakes and sh*t.”

  I can’t help but think that this sounds slightly different from the Swamp Thing I’d been reading about all these years.

  He’s also a member of the adults-only Myspace group “gEt reaDy fOr a naSty tiMe,” which, again, seems a tad out of character for ol’ Swampy.

See you all tomorrow!

Richie Rich Billions #14 (January ’77)

March 13, 1781 – Sir William Herschel discovers Uranus – grade school comedians are forever in his debt.

March 13, 1911 – Noted fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard born.

March 13, 1916 – Krazy Kat, Bugologist animated short (based on the George Herriman comic strip) released.

March 13, 1921 – Mad Magazine cartoonist Al Jaffee is born.

March 13, 1930 – Bunny Yeager, photographer of Bettie Page, born.

March 13, 1939 – Neil Sedaka born.

March 13, 1942(?) – Charo born! Cuchi-cuchi!

March 13, 1950 – William H. Macy, star of Mystery Men, is born.

March 13, 1964 – Kitty Genovese’s murder is witnessed by several people, none of whom attempted to help her or call the police. Alan Moore would use this incident in Watchmen…an article reprinting all the related panels may be found here (though it notes the date as the 14th, which contradicts most other sources).

March 13, 1969 – Mike Sterling is born. The world trembles in fear.

March 13, 1969 – Amazing Spider-Man #73 is released to newsstands (see here for details).

March 13, 1983 – Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell marries Christine Deveau.

March 13, 1988 – Assumed birthdate of Irma Lair, from Walt Disney’s W.I.T.C.H.

March 13, 1992 – Shakes the Clown, Bobcat Goldthwait’s finest cinematic achievement, released in the U.S.

March 13, 1992 – This fellow from Mike Kazaleh’s Har Har #2 celebrates his birthday in funnybook form.

March 13, 1997 – The “Phoenix Lights” are witnessed over Phoenix, Arizona.

March 13, 1999 – Lee Falk, creator of The Phantom, dies.

March 13, 2006 – Mike Sterling celebrates his 37th birthday. The world trembles in pity.

* It’s my party and I’ll pi if I want to.

…so I’m taking the day off from the weblog, but not without showing you this Amazing Spider-Man comic from 1969:

…which has a cover date stamp of March 13th:

That means some newsstand owner somewhere was stamping these and putting them out for sale at the same time I was tied up with the whole “being given birth to” thing — which, of course, kept me from getting to the racks and picking up the new releases. Some fan I am.

And, yeah, I know the comic has a printed cover date of “June,” but I don’t think comic cover dates have ever been accurate. All the Marvels and DCs from last week are either April or May editions, for example. There was a brief period of time in the ’90s, if I recall correctly, that the major publishers tried to do some cover date adjustments. End result: cover dates are only a month or two off, instead of a whole four months.

Er…birthday. Day off. No posting. Right…see you tomorrow!

from Har Har Comics #2 (Fantagraphics, 1992) by Mike Kazaleh

…so I’m taking the day off from weblogging. See you tomorrow!