Over the span of a decade, The Beatles scored an average of two number one singles on the Billboard 100 a year. For the week ending April 4, 1964, The Beatles held the top five spots of the Billboard Hot 100. They also owned seven positions lower down on the chart. They would eventually sell over 600-million albums.

So, today has been set aside to celebrate and commemorate the contributions John, Paul, George and Ringo made to music and lives the world over. Today is Global Beatles Day.

June 25 was chosen in memory of The Beatles live television broadcast of All You Need is Love as viewed by 400 million people. It marked the first live global TV link reaching 26 countries simultaneously. The event took place on this day in 1967. Global Beatles Day was founded in 2009 by Faith Cohen.

Yellow Submarine (1968)

Four Color would like to remember the Fab Four today by posting a forgotten collectible: The Beatles Yellow Submarine comic book adaptation of the animated film released in 1968 and published by Gold Key.

Yellow Submarine is a Lennon/McCartney collaboration originally released on the Revolver album in 1966. It was also released as the B side on the Eleanor Rigby single. Ringo sang the children’s song which peaked at number one in the Untied Kingdom and hit number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in America.

It inspired the 1968 United Artists animated film of the same name. The film was produced by King Features Syndicate, the same company responsible for the animated television series, The Beatles.

The Yellow Submarine soundtrack was the 10th, of 12, album released by the band containing six songs by the group, Four were new songs with the title track and All You Need is Love previously released. The remainder of the album consists of the film’s orchestral soundtrack.

Yellow Submarine was touted by the critics and moviegoers alike. It grossed $1,275,543 worldwide.

Not bad for four lads from Liverpool, none of whom were 30 by the time the group dissolved in 1970.

Both Scooby-Doo and Batman have a long history together and with Four Color Holidays.

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of both. Combine ‘em and it’s like peanut butter and jelly. Like chocolate and peanut butter. Like bacon and peanut butter toast sandwiches.

Don’t judge.

As they have a history with me, they have a history with each other. A history that dates back to the early 1970s and The New Scooby-Doo Movies.

Hanna-Barbera paired the two in what may have been a demo outing seeing as the animation studio would debut The Super Friends less than a year later.

Their first outing, The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair, aired as the second episode of the series in 1972. They would team again the 15th episode, The Caped Crusader Caper.

Each episode featured Scooby, Mystery Inc., Batman and Robin. Their common foil, Joker and Penguin.

Batman: Brave the the Bold would pay homage to the team up nearly 40 years later with Bat-Mite Presents: Batman’s Strangest Cases! The episode aired April 1, 2011.

They would reunite in the direct-to-DVD Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold in 2018.

That was followed by What a Night for a Knight during the first season of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? the following year.

And, that was just in animation.

Mystery Inc. would join the DCU(?) in November of 2013 with Scooby-Doo! Team-Up. The series ran 50 issues with Batman and Robin appearing in the first three.

The remainder of the run would feature various characters from DC and Warner Bros. including Ace the Bathound and Harley Quinn.

Most recently – and ongoing – are The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries published in 12-issue cycles.

All this to celebrate National Take Your Dog to Work Day.

Much to Scooby’s chagrin, “What rog?” we’ve used him as our, ahem, spokesperson. But, it’s all for a good cause.

Each year, the Friday after Father’s Day, employees across the country are urged to celebrate with their canine and workplace friends. There is an ulterior motive however.

National Take Your Dog to Work Day is to be used as an inspiration to adopt these four-legged besties from shelters and human societies.

The day began in the United Kingdom in 1996 and was adopted in the United States by the Pet Sitters International in 1999.

What better way to commemorate and cement a relationship with a furry friend than bonding with some Scooby Snacks and reruns of the mutt of the hour.

Unless you’re me and have two incredibly handsome and fuzzy cats who spend more time on my lap than they do on their feet.

Welcome to Father’s Day.

Raising children isn’t easy. Just imagine if they had super powers.

That’s what Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did when they decided to bless Reed and Sue Richards with a child. The first couple married in their own title, the Richards also appear to be the first couple to also have a child. Which they did in their sixth anniversary issue.

Lee and Kirby couldn’t just have Marvel’s first family get stuck in a traffic jam for suspense. No, they decided on something much more dramatic. Reed must travel to the Negative Zone for Element X, the only element that can save Sue and their unborn childs’ lives from the Cosmic Rays that gave her her powers.

Fantastic Four (1961)
annual 6

He does not go alone.

Undertaking the dangerous task are Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, the Human Torch and Thing, respectively.

Negative Zone despot Annihilus does not willingly give up his Cosmic Rod, the source of the Element X. Though the trio are able to secure the rod, they are then chased about the Negative Zone. They are allowed to escape after Reed secretly secures some of the needed element and returns  the rod to Annihilus.

With the Element X, Sue gives birth to a healthy baby boy. It would take another two years before he was officially named Franklin Benjamin Storm in Fantastic Four (1961) 94. As a two-fer for Father’s Day, Franklin was named for his maternal grandfather.

Franklin would guest in his parent’s book over the following 15 years until finally earning a spot in Power Pack issue (1984) 17. The title ran 62 issues.

He would float in and out of the FF in various incarnations and ages, but maybe the only real stories to worry about are the Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius out-of-continuity books. Teamed with the ever faithful H.E.R.B.I.E. the two are almost Calvin and Hobbes clones at times.

Their adventures began as back up strips in various Marvel comic books before progressing to periodic oneshots. Fourteen have been printed to date.

As for the day itself, we’ve covered that in Lobo: Infanticide way back in 2019. Rather than rehash, click back for the history of Father’s Day. Go ahead and read the page while there.

And, don’t forget to thank the man in your life for, well, life. Life and lessons taught, no matter how hard they’ve been. Though he’ll never read this, I’ll wish my dad a big ol’ Happy Father’s Day from Four Color.

Don’t worry, I told him in person, too.

Even with the emergence of National Black Cat Day and Cuddly Kitten Day and any others we may have covered, there can never be enough days to honor our feline friends.

Case in point, Hug Your Cat Day.

Today is another chance to show your fuzzy companion how much they mean to us. These low-maintenance roommates can provide stress relief, improve cardiovascular health and sleep quality. Cats have been found to increase self-esteem and relationship skills.

That’s not including how adorable they are.

Currently dogs are the more prevalent pet, but cats are close behind, so it should come as no surprise “man’s best friend” may have some concerns and animosity toward these nocturnal neighbors.

Sooby-Doo (1997) 150

Even our pal Scooby has hard feelings for the fairer, four-legged Felis Catus. Enough so, he and the gang find their monthly mystery in Scooby-Doo (1997) 150 almost more than they can handle in The Black Katz.

This lucky clowder has inherited a fortune from their deceased matriarch allowing them to live out their nine lives in comfort. Yet, the fiction of a black cats bad luck prejudices the public’s opinion who want them gone.

Mystery Inc. soon discover it was a matter of theft and superstition that caused the town’s animosity toward the glaring.

So, take the time today to show your loved one how much they mean to you.

Coin flips have decided presidential candidates, history and names of cities so it’s only fitting the practice have its own day.

Welcome to Coin Toss Day.

Today’s master of Ceremonies was one of the easiest to choose since Jeff and I have been hosting this site. Who better to host than a man who bases all his decisions on the flip of a coin? Today’s Man of the Hour could be none other than Harvey Dent, aka long-time Batman nemesis Two Face.

Batman (1940) 66

First introduced in Detective Comics (1938) issue 66, Harvey Dent wasn’t Harvey Dent. He was still Harvey, but he was Harvey Kent. His surname was tweaked to avoid confusion with Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent.

Both the original creation and later incarnations had their faces scared with acid and became obsessed with the number two.

Following his debut in The Two Crimes of Two-Face, written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane, in 1942, Harvey was retired for the remainder of the Golden Age.

   And, the Silver Age.

Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams would resurrect Two Face in 1971 for Batman issue 234, Half An Evil.

Given a new life, Harvey Returned with a vengeance appearing in Detective Comics, Justice League of America and Teen Titans during the Bronze Age.

Frank Miller entered Harvey into the Modern Age of comicdom following Crisis on Infinite Earths during his Batman: Year One story arc.

He would continue to thrive in each of the following rebirths of DC’s universes until finally receiving his own solo series in 2024.

As stated earlier, flips of coins have long been responsible for life altering decisions.

History was made when Orville and Wilbur Wright decided who would take the first manned flight with the flip of a coin.

    Country singer Waylon Jennings lost his plane seat to J.P. Richardson, aka The Big Bopper, when they flipped a coin. The ill-fated flight ended in a crash that killed all aboard including fledging rockers Richie Valens and Buddy Holly.

Portland, Oregon, was founded over a coin toss.