Category: Birthdays

Happy 90th birthday, Stan Lee!

Happy birthday to Stan the Man! (If you don’t know who he is, we can’t imagine why you’re even reading this website.)

Excelsior from all of us true believers! May you keep making cameos in Marvel films for decades to come…

…in fact, we have most of them here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C26dzgNOj5Q[/youtube]

 

Happy 100th Birthday, Chuck Jones!

1978 photograph of Chuck Jones in his office.

One hundred years ago today in Spokane, Washington, Charles Martin “Chuck” Jones was born. It is quite possible there has not been a more widely influential artist in the twentieth century.

We could easily list his over three hundred cartoons that he directed; we could talk about all of the influential cartoons that he didn’t do for Warner Brothers– Pogo, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, The Dot and the Line, and revitalizing Tom & Jerry; we could mention his creation and co-creations Private Snafu, Charlie Dog, Hubie and Bertie, The Three Bears, Claude Cat, Marc Antony and Pussyfoot, Charlie Dog, Michigan J. Frog, Marvin the Martian, Pepe LePew, the Road Runner, and Wile E. Coyote; we could discuss his educational work with The Electric Company and Curiosity Shop and his works with Dr. Seuss, not to mention the multiple generations of animators he taught and trained– but we’ll simply note that three of his shorts (Duck Amuck, One Froggy Evening and What’s Opera, Doc?) have been inducted into the National Film Registry.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYy3FsLgIoE[/youtube]

Here, let Chuck show you how to draw Bugs Bunny:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlpRoyjX-mQ[/youtube]

And since this is in the public domain, we can show The Dover Boys at Pimento University in its entirety:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpOPyjmB8SI[/youtube]

And here’s a Chuck Jones cartoon you probably haven’t seen, Hell-Bent for Election:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekOarlYgA0Y[/youtube]

I was honored to have shaken Mr. Jones’s hand in 1993, and I owe him a tremendous debt. We honor him today. Chuck Jones… soooooooper-genius.

Happy Birthday, Jack Kirby! Here’s How To Celebrate!

Today marks the 95th birthday of the all-time king of comics, Jack Kirby. In the comics racket, that makes today a national holiday. The influence of superhero comics on our popular culture has never been greater, and, therefore, Jack’s impact upon our society has never been stronger.

To help celebrate, Jack’s 16 year old granddaughter Jillian has teamed up with our friends at The Hero Initiative on the Kirby4Heroes initiative.

To quote The Hero Initiative press release:

The Hero Initiative, the charitable organization dedicated to helping veteran comic creators in medical or financial need, is celebrating the birthday of Jack “King” Kirby on August 28 with a little help from The King’s family.

Hero has recruited 100 artists to get up on the morning of August 28, 2012 to simply “Wake Up and Draw.” This new event is a way for artists to limber up, get the creative juices flowing, and celebrate the day by drawing and sending a “birthday card to Jack.” All 100 drawings will be featured in a special gallery at ComicArtFans.com, and fans can follow the action through the day on Twitter searching hashtag: #WakeUpAndDraw. All drawings will be auctioned to benefit Hero Initiative at a later date! Neal Kirby, son of Jack, and artist Tim Seeley are featured in a special YouTube video on the event here

And Jillian Kirby, Jack’s granddaughter, has spearheaded the “Kirby4Heroes” campaign. Jillian has recruited a number of comic stores to donate a percentage of their sales to Hero on August 28, and encourage their customers to make donations as well. Fans can donate via the PayPal link at www.HeroInitiative.org, and type in “Kirby4Heroes” in the special instructions box. Jillian has teamed up with Seth Laderman, head of production from the Nerdist Channel, to produce a video spotlighting the campaign. Check out Jillian’s YouTube video on the event here

 “Though my grandfather Jack unfortunately died the year before I was born, I am surrounded by books, artwork, and of course family stories and anecdotes so much that I feel like I’ve known him my whole life,” said Jillian Kirby. “Even though I never had the opportunity to know him personally, I have learned my grandfather was a very giving and charitable man. I know my grandfather would have been the first to lend the Hero Initiative his support.”

Neal Kirby adds, “By supporting the Hero Initiative through the ‘Kirby4Heroes’ campaign and ‘Wake Up and Draw,’ comic book fans can honor my father on his 95th birthday in the same manner that he would have.”

 

Happy 84th Birthday, Steve Ditko!

And those are just the characters he created for DC. We won’t even mention Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, the Question, Mr. A…

But who, you may still ask, is Steve Ditko? By a handy coincidence, there was an hour-long documentary four years ago asking that very same query…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfxVO0fLHvA[/youtube]

Long may he wave.

Will Eisner on Google

Happy 94th birthday, Will Eisner!

Will Eisner on GoogleOn this day in 1917, Will Eisner, American comics pioneer and creator of The Spirit, was born. He would have been 94 today.

To celebrate, Google has devoted its Doodle to him today, and Scott McCloud (his Understanding Comics is the intellectual heir to Eisner’s Comics And Sequential Art) writes up a tribute at the Official Google Blog.

It’s tough to say Eisner is having a renaissance when he’s never been away in the comics world– from the current retrospective at MoCCA complete with a birthday party and film screening tonight (I don’t think they’re showing either adaptation of The Spirit, but I could be surprised) to the Eisner Awards handed out at San Diego– but it’s nice to see the master getting the respect he deserves in wider circles. One hopes that it comes through when the film version of A Contract With God is completed.

As for me, I plan on celebrating by curling up with a Spirit Sunday strip or seventy.

Welcome A New Addition To The ComicMix Extended Family!

And we’re not just talking about the new site here…

We’d like to welcome Caleigh Elizabeth, daughter of ComicMix colorist and flatter Shannon Weaver (Jon Sable Freelance: Ashes Of Eden, Munden’s Bar) and her husband Tom.

Baby Caleigh was born at 8:47am on Wednesday, weighing 7lbs, 6oz and measuring 19 inches long. Baby is doing very well, mom was sending out updates from her phone mere hours later.

Our warmest congratulations to the happy family.

Happy Birthday: Golden Age Black Canary

Happy Birthday: Golden Age Black Canary

Dinah Drake was born and raised in Gotham City, where her father Richard Drake was a detective with the Gotham City Police Department. He trained his daughter well, and when she was old enough, Dinah applied to the GCPD herself. She was turned down, however, and the disappointment crushed her father, who died a short time later.

Dinah vowed to use her skills and training to fight crime in his memory, and donned a blonde wig, fishnet stockings, pirate boots, a bustier, and a short jacket to create her new alter-ego, the Black Canary. Dinah also opened a flower shop, using the money her father had left her, and that served as both a day job and a cover story.

While fighting crime, Dinah met and fell in love with GCPD detective Larry Lance—the two were later married and had a daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance, who would ultimately follow in her mother’s costumed footsteps. The older Dinah continued her secret life and became a member of the Justice Society of America.

It was during those years that Dinah fought the living star-creature Aquarius, whose radiation ultimately killed her.

Happy Birthday: Sargon the Sorcerer

Happy Birthday: Sargon the Sorcerer

John Sargent became fascinated with magic at an early age—and also gained fearsome powers. This was thanks to his discovery that his mother’s old ruby pendant actually contained the ancient artifact called the Ruby of Life, which let him control anything he touched.

As he grew older, Sargent focused his attention on stage magic in particular, eventually developing his own stage act as "Sargon the Sorcerer." Most of his “tricks” were real magic, however, and off-stage Sargent battled evil for real, eventually becoming an honorary member of the Justice League of America.

Unfortunately, possessing the Ruby of Life affected Sargent’s mind, and he temporarily became a villain. He later shook off that change, but died valiantly aiding Zatara, the Swamp Thing and others fending off a powerful evil.