Category: Birthdays

Happy Birthday: Hawkman III

Happy Birthday: Hawkman III

Katar Hol was born on the planet Thanagar, the child of a wealthy family. Katar joined the Wingman police force but rebelled against his world’s ruthless conquest. He became addicted to drugs and was then manipulated into publicly killing his own father.

As a result, Katar was exiled to the Isle of Chance, where he purged his body of the drugs, atoned for his crime, and made peace with himself. After his sentence was up, Katar uncovered and defeated Byth, the corrupt police captain who had manipulated him, and was reinstated as a Wingman. When Byth escaped to Earth, Katar and his new partner Shayera Thal were sent there as well. After defeating Byth, Shayera returned home but Katar remained on Earth and became the third Hawkman. Katar then encountered the previous Hawkman, Carter Hall, and discovered that he was half-human himself–his mother was a Native American medicine woman and still alive. Katar was reunited with his mother and learned more about her ways and her people.

Unfortunately, Katar later became the avatar of the Hawk-God, which drove him mad, and to save others he had Arion the mage transport him to the Realm of the Hawkgod and leave him there.

 

Happy Birthday: Marc Silvestri

Happy Birthday: Marc Silvestri

Born in 1958 in Palm Beach, Florida, artist Marc Silvestri joined Marvel Comics in the late 1980s, and became the penciller on Uncanny X-Men from 1987 to 1990.

In 1992 he and six other artists broke away to form Image Comics. Each artist had his own imprint, and Silvestri’s was Top Cow, which is best known for its major hits Witchblade, The Darkness, and Fathom. Top Cow has continued to be a major portion of Image, although Silvestri has spent less time doing his own art and more time publishing.

He has returned to Marvel a few times to work on various X titles.

 

Happy Birthday: Mon-El

Happy Birthday: Mon-El

Lar Gand was born on the planet Daxam and, as a young man, took to exploring the galaxy. He was unlucky enough to land on Krypton just before the planet exploded, but Jor-El warned him away in time. Jor-El also provided Lar Gand with a map to a safe planet he’d already selected for his own infant son—a planet called Earth.

Lar Gand went into suspended animation for the journey, and upon arriving he encountered Jor-El’s now-teenage son Kal-El, also known as Superboy. The two hit it off immediately. Lar Gand was suffering amnesia from his trip and his Daxamite powers, plus the map from Jor-El, convinced Kal-El that Lar Gand was his brother.

He gave his newfound sibling the name Mon-El, since they met on a Monday. Unfortunately, Daxamites find lead even more poisonous than Kryptonians find kryptonite, and when Mon-El was accidentally exposed to lead he regained his memories but almost lost his life. Superboy placed his friend in the Phantom Zone to save him until they could find a cure.

In the 30th Century, Saturn Girl finally created a temporary antidote, which Brainiac 5 later modified to become permanent, and Lar Gand left the Zone and joined the Legion of Super-Heroes. He became one of their greatest members, and led the Legion several times.

Happy Birthday: José Luis Garcia-Lopez, Brian Bolland, and Mark Verheiden

Happy Birthday: José Luis Garcia-Lopez, Brian Bolland, and Mark Verheiden

Today is a popular birthday for comic book creators! Three very different comic book luminaries all share March 26.

José Luis Garcia-Lopez was born in Spain in 1948 but moved to Argentina in 1952. Growing up he worked on several Argentinian comic strips, and in the late 1960s he began doing romance titles for Charlton Comics. Garcia-Lopez moved to New York in 1974 to work for DC. He’s best known for his art on Superman.

Brian Bolland was born in 1951 in Lincolnshire, England, and began drawing at age 10. He went to art school and published work in various underground magazines, then met Dave Gibbons at a comic convention in 1972. Gibbons recommended him to Bardon Press Features and Bolland began drawing comics professionally. In 1977, he found work on the new British comic 2000 AD, and soon became a regular artist on Judge Dredd. In 1979 Bolland began working for DC Comics, doing both covers and shorts. Perhaps his most famous image is the cover to Batman: The Killing Joke.

Mark Verheiden was born in 1956. He started writing comics in 1987, creating The American for Dark Horse. The following year he wrote his first Aliens comic. Verheiden then wrote several Superman stories and a Phantom maxi-series for DC Comics. He also works in television and film, and has contributed scripts to Smallville and other series. He currently serves as co-executive producer of the popular Battlestar Galactica television series.

Happy Birthday: Night Girl

Happy Birthday: Night Girl

Lydda Jath was born on the planet Kathoon, a world that lives in permanent darkness. Her scientist father found a way to give her super-strength but didn’t realize it would only work at night or in deep shadows.

Lydda applied for the Legion of Super-Heroes but was turned down because they felt her power’s limitation made it impractical. She met Brek Bannin, Polar Boy, at the tryouts and together they formed the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

After the events of Infinite Crisis, it appears that future history has been rewritten and Lydda has become a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes instead.

Happy Birthday, Doug Moench

Happy Birthday, Doug Moench

Moon Knight creator and noted Batman scribe Doug Moench celebrates his birthday today. Moench’s byline has adorned hundreds of issues through the years, including work for DC, Marvel and various other publishers of comics and magazines.

He’s the man who made Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu a hit, and the architect behind many of Batman’s Elseworlds battles with vampires, werewolves and, on one occasion, the creature who gave Ah-nuld a run for his money: the Predator.

A personal favorite of mine, Moench’s run The Spectre was my first introduction to the writer, and I’ve been a fan ever since.

Here at ComicMix, we hope you have a great birthday, Doug!

 

Happy Birthday, Alan Rickman and C-3PO

Happy Birthday, Alan Rickman and C-3PO

British actors Anthony Kingsley Daniels and Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman were both born today in 1946.

Daniels is famous for creating the memorable Star Wars ‘droid, C-3PO, and although Rickman is an accomplished thespian, his recent portrayal of Snape in the Harry Potter films earned him an entirely new generation of fans.

One interesting note about Daniels: He was the only Star Wars cast member to voice his character in all three National Public Radio dramatizations of the trilogy.

 

Announcing – The Big ComicMix Radio Contest!

Announcing – The Big ComicMix Radio Contest!

They Say It’s Your Birthday…

As we celebrate the kickoff of Year Two, ComicMix Radio notes our own anniversary by bringing back our very first guest, the shy and retiring ComicMix editor-in-Chief Mike Gold, who is eager to share what’s next for the site in the clicks to come.

Meanwhile, we’ve got the details on how you can WIN copies of Exclusive Graham Crackers Comics variants of some of the hottest titles – FREE.

Plus —

  • World Of Warcraft continues to sell out at DC
  • At Last: Spectacular Spider-Man getting set to debut on The CW
  • CBS & NBC start the rolling on new episodes
  • The Hobbit goes to court!

(To be sung) "Happy Birthday to us, Happy Birthday to us, Please Press The Button, Happy Birthday To Us!" 

Or subscribe to our podcasts via iTunes - ComicMix or RSS!

Happy Birthday, Geoff Johns!

Happy Birthday, Geoff Johns!

Geoff Johns was born today in 1973 in Michigan where the writer himself admits, it is "damn cold." Like so many of us, Geoff had a passion for the creative (screenwriting, graphic design, storytelling, your basic artist jack-of-all-trades stuff) but he got lucky in Los Angeles when after a phonecall, he became an intern to someone fancy schmancy. This in turn led him to a fruitful career as a contributing writer to DC comics, among others. You’ve probably read a couple of issues of The Flash by Johns, he was responsible for reviving Teen Titans, plus he’s got some fun TV credits sprinkled here and there (Robot Chicken!). We’re glad LA was kind to you Geoff Johns and glad that you have return your karma with some pretty fun storylines. Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, David Firth

Happy Birthday, David Firth

Happy 25th, David Firth!

The creator of a few strange but entertaining flash animations such as Salad Fingers, Burnt Face Man and Devvo is celebrating his quarter-century one today. Firth’s characters depict what must go on in his head: they are strange, stick-figured  humanoid creatures dealing with the abtract, the surreal and often mentally ill. Although it’s fun to venture into someone else’s subconscious imagination, we must remember it’s mere vacationing, lest it remind us too much of our own deeper selves. That’s not blood, it’s red water. Creepy.