Welcome to National Sewing Machine Day.

What tailors and seamstresses did by hand for centuries was brought into the pre-industrial age when Thomas Saint filed and received the first patent for the design of a sewing machine in 1790. While designed to sew leather on canvas, no actual machine has ever surfaced.

William Newton Wilson saw the English inventor’s designs in the London Patent Office. With a few deft drafts, he was able to produce a working model. It is on display at the London Science Museum.

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John Greenough received the first American patent for the sewing machine in America, but it was Isaac Singer who developed what is more recognizably the modern sewing machine.

While taken for granted today, the sewing machine proved invaluable. Not only did it help with production of clothing thus dropping the price, it was also a major mover in the industrial revolution allowing sewing to be done in factories,

While a handful of visionaries are responsible for today’s machine laureate, our emcee is the work of two men. Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson created the Patchwork Man in Swamp Thing (1972) for issue two.

He only appeared in the final panel of the book, but was the thrust of the story for issue three.

Readers learned Gregori Arcane had been dismantled by a land mine. His mad scientist brother, Anton, gathered the pieces and sewed them back together. With science and sorcery, he was able to return life to Gregori.

A second Patchwork Man resides in the DCU. This one is Marine, Pvt. Elliot “Lucky” Taylor. He, too, was killed by a land mine, but was reconstructed by Doctor Mazursky and his team of surgeons and scientists in Project M. He became part of the experimental Army unit, the Creature Commandos.

His first appearance was in Weird War Tales (1971) issue 92 entitled The Creature Commandos.

While we know how the Patchwork Men came to be, we do not have the origins of National Sewing Machine Day.

Rather than worry about that, celebrate by sharing tips and tricks, post photos commemorating the day or hang out in your favorite sewing-related shop.

We might suggest you cobble together your own Patchwork Man suit for a little cosplay.

Just a suggestion.

Today we are asked to remember a simpler time and a simpler toy for a message of love and happiness.

The second Saturday in June has been designated World Doll Day, as founded by Mildred Seeley. In a chain letter of sorts, Seeley asked each of the persons she contacted to tell five people and they in turn tell another five about her project. The inaugural event was held June 14, 1986.

While many fondly remember having a “friend” growing up, there are many more who might not have the same opportunity. Though the day began as one of remembrance, it has become a day of giving as well. Those celebrating may wish to give a gift of a doll especially to a child who does not have one.

The toy itself may not have always been a toy.

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The earliest dolls were found in Egyptian tombs as long ago as 2000BC. Their intended use is unknown, but some cultures believed dolls possessed magical powers.

Dolls were originally made with wood. They have also been made from soapstone and bone, dried apples, corn husks, clay and stone. Porcelain is highly prized for the manufacture of dolls.

Putting a face to the day is an unlikely hero who first appeared in the Golden Age of comic books.

Doll Man debuted in Feature Comics issue 27 in 1939 for Quality Comics. Darrel Dane was coined The World’s Mightiest Mite after concocting a formula allowing him to shrink to six inches while retaining his full strength.

The Mite was popular enough he became the featured character through the title’s run ending with issue 139 in 1949. Doll Man’s self-titled book ran 47 issues, ending in 1953.

National Periodicals, later DC, purchased Quality Comics’ characters when the company went out of business in 1956. It wasn’t until 1973, in Justice League of America issue 107, he returned as part of the Freedom Fighters from Earth-X.

Freedom Fighters received its own book from 1976-78, running 15 issues.

He would then be moved to Earth-2, which was destroyed during Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Post crisis has not been kind to Darrel who is sometimes referred to as Darryl. He would not be seen again until 2006 when The Freedom Fighters were resurrected under Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. Readers learned the years of shrinking had caused brain damage, leaving Darrel/Darryl Dane, aka Doll Man, mentally unstable.

Not content to allow a valuable property to lie dormant, DC revamped Doll Man under the persona of Lester Colt as witnessed in Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Bludhaven.

He was further transformed at the dawn of The New 52, this time as Dane Maxwell. He costarred with the Phantom Lady in a mini-series having no roots to his previous incarnations.

No matter what, enjoy the day. If so inclined, have a tea party with friends and dolls, but if you’re male, make sure they are referred to as action figures.

Serve it up with neat or with toppings, chocolate ice cream always brings a smile.

Prepare to flex the zygomaticus major and minor, orbicularis oculi and levator labii superioris as the 26 muscles turn up the mouth, crinkle the eyes and raise the lip and nose in anticipation of National Chocolate Ice Cream Day.

It’s no surprise chocolate ice cream is second only to vanilla as the most common flavor. Its simple formula of cocoa powder eggs, cream, vanilla and sugar make it an easy staple to keep on hand.

Our man du jour is an indie horror host in a self-titled book receiving high praise.

Ice Cream Man is an anthology comic book like DC’s House books of the late 1960s and 1970s. Rather than a trilogy of tales, though, Ice Cream Man offers one story per narrative. The title character acts as a conduit and castigator for the objects in question, loosely linking each book to the next.

So popular has the series been, Ice Cream Man has twice been tapped for development beyond the printed page. In both instances, production has ceased leaving the franchise in limbo.

To celebrate the day, simply partake of a cone, bowl or whatever delivery system you choose for a healthy dose of chocolate ice cream and dig into this dark and devilish collection of comic book chronicles.

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National Hug Your Cat Day is as comforting and as mysterious as the furry feline we long to snuggle.

With no known origin for the day to cite, we’ll focus on the kitties to cuddle.

The mascot for the day is Felix the Cat.

Considered the first, real animated movie star, Felix was created by Otto Messmer. He proved more popular than the live stars of the silent era in which he was spawned.

Not long after his debut on the silver screen, Felix found himself part of the King Features stable syndicated in over 250 newspapers worldwide. Pat Sullivan was the first to bring Felix to papers, but Papa Messmer took over art duties in 1927.

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When the Sunday strip was discontinued in 1943, Messmer began an 11-year run on the Dell comic book incarnation of his famous feline. He would write and draw the bi-monthly series.

Harvey Comics would later pick up the license.

During his heyday, Felix proved popular enough he was adopted by Fighter Squadron 2-B as their mascot. His likeness holding a bomb would be painted on each of the F-3 bi-planes.

Felix was even the first cartoon-related balloon featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 1933.

His image would be the first to be broadcast over television airwaves. The engineers at RCA Research Labs used a rotating doll of the cat as their test subject.

This would prove prophetic as the pussy cat would be featured in 264, five-minute animated episodes for Trans-Lux TV. The cartoons would run continuously for the next 20 years.

In 2002, TV Guide ranked Felix the Cat number 28 on its 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time list.

To celebrate the day, here are some interesting facts about our furry companions:

There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world with approximately 40 recognized breeds;

Over 30 percent of North American households own a cat;

A cat can travel at a top speed of approximately 31 miles per hour over a short distance;

Most cats give birth to a litter of one to nine kittens. The largest litter on record is 19;

Cat’s brains are biologically more similar to a human brain than it is to a dog’s;

Isaac Newton invented the cat flap;

Female cats are right pawed, while male cats are more often left pawed.

Finally, the one fact we all know and need to acknowledge, cats are the best. Period.

June is National Cancer Survivor Month.

While many of us have the unfortunate ability to put a face to the month, Four Color Holidays is using Deadpool’s scarred visage.

One of the Weapon X candidates, Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, was diagnosed with an unspecific cancer. Due to his accelerated healing power, Deadpool is able to regenerate any damaged or destroyed portion of his body. That includes his normal and cancerous cells.

Following his debut in New Mutants 98, Deadpool bounced around the Marvel Mutant U associated with co-creator Rob Liefeld. He became a regular in X-Force before branching out to guest shots in The Avengers, Daredevil, and Heroes for Hire.

In 1993 Deadpool earned his own mini-series, The Circle Chase, penned by co-creator Fabian Nicieza and penciled by Joe Madureira. A moderate fan favorite, he returned in a second mini scribed by Mark Waid and penciled by Ian Churchill.

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In 1997 Deadpool received his first solo series. Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness guided the new Merc with a Mouth through the first 36 issues. Christopher Priest replaced Kelly with issue 37.

Priest left after a year with other authors telling Wade’s tale until Gail Simone took over with issue 65. The book was “re-launched” with issue 69 as Agent X.

After the confusion of the reboot, Deadpool wandered the Marvel U for a bit until he was tagged for Cable & Deadpool in 2004 co-starring fellow mutant Cable. The buddy book lasted 50 issues until it, too, was cancelled to make way for Deadpool’s second solo series.

Marvel’s annual crossover bid for 2008 was Secret Invasion. Deadpool played a major role in aiding Nick Fury and S.H.E.I.L.D as they halted the attack. Daniel Way and Ale Garza were the artistic team for the series.

Deadpool seemed to blossom as the 2010s dawned. Launched were The Deadpool Corps, Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth, Deadpool MAX.

As Marvel continued to morph and reboot, so did Deadpool with Brian Posehn (or Bert on Big Bang Theory) at the helm. Posehn earned the dubious honor of having written the most Deadpool stories as he guided him through the previous decade.

In 2016 Ryan Reynolds appeared on the silver screen as Deadpool in his first movie. Reynolds reprised the role in 2018, both movies being financially successful. A third film is in the works.

While cancer treatment has improved, an estimated 5,200 cases are expected to be diagnosed each day resulting in 1,670 daily deaths.

For more information, please log onto the American Cancer Society’s Web page.

There are about 350 species of parrots in the world. Nearly half are endangered and about a quarter critically endangered.

To recognize the plight and pomp of these intelligent birds, May 31 is World Parrot Day.

The last day of May first featured the feathered fowl in 2004 as organized by The World Parrot Trust. The inaugural gathering was held in Trafalgar Square in London. Following a march to Downing Street, the Prime Minister was given a petition containing 33,000 signatures asking for a ban on importing wild parrots to the European Union.

The European Union Commission released a statement noting a permanent ban on wild bird imports including parrots in 2007.

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Illegal trade of wild parrots is a major contributing factor in their scarcity. Other factors include, destruction of habitats and hunting.

Some parrots live for over 60 years. In the wild, they usually mate for life. Its beak is strong enough to break open a metal cage. The most intelligent parrot is the African grey parrot.

With some parrot facts out of the way, let’s have some fun with Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson. At the expense of Hydra Bob.

As shown to the side, today’s comic book(s) is/are Deadpool issue(s) 13 and 14.

The fourth volume of Deadpool, and the third solo incarnation, began in 2008, on the back of the company crossover Secret Invasion.

By issue 13, Daniel Way had the Merc with a Mouth ready for new adventures. This time on the high seas.

Using money from a disguised Bullseye, Deadpool bought a sailing vessel seeking to plunder unsuspecting seamen. To help, Wade tagged Hydra Bob for help.

Bob, or Robert Dobalina, first appeared in Cable & Deadpool 38. Bob became a member of Hydra at the urging of his wife as a stable career choice. Deadpool would coerce him to leave after torturing the minion.

Over the course of Deadpool’s adventures, Bob would be called upon many times for various assists. For the Wave of Mutilation storyline, Bob is forced to wear a parrot costume in the warm Caribbean climate causing heat exhaustion.

His most nagging malady is the bamboo stick Deadpool uses to “discipline” his henchman with. Bob does wind up with the girl and gold, but his loyalty to his wife leads him to reveal the fact as the sun sets and the story ends.

While this has nothing to do with the plight of parrots or the actual day itself, the two issues are a very fun read.

If truly interested in the origins of the World Parrot Day, learn more about the beautiful birds, make a donation to the appropriate charity or even read up on President Andrew Jackson’s bilingual pet parrot, Poll.

Tune in tomorrow for more Deadpool action.

After a cloistered past coupla years, Americans are ready to hit the roads once more. Today is the day to do so.

Today is National Road Trip Day.

National Road Trip Day is the Friday before Memorial Day, the official kickoff to the summer road trip season.

Our official travelers are the “hard-traveling heroes” Green Lantern and Green Arrow. The pair bid farewell to the end of the Silver Age and the 1960s as they discovered America, faults and all, for a celebrated 14-issue run chronicled by Denny O’Neil Neal Adams.

The term “hard-traveling heroes” wasn’t coined until the early 1990s when their exploits were first reprinted in the burgeoning trade paperback genre. They had first been reprinted in the Paperback Library version of Paperback Comics in 1972. The book featured black and white reprints of Green Lantern (1959) issues 76 and 77.

That same year a second volume, in the same format, was offered featuring reprints of issues 78 and 79.

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In 1983, DC reprinted the issues in what has been termed as the Baxter series. The seven-issue run offered two issues per book, completely reprinting the original storyline.

The “hard-traveling heroes” were the brainchild of writer Denny O’Neil. DC editor Julie Schwartz offered him the floundering character allowing the writer carte blanch to boost sales.

O’Neil returned the space-faring policeman of sector 2184 and rooted him on Earth in the dying counterculture movement of the previous decade. With liberal Oliver Queen, aka, Green Arrow, they shared experiences and differed in opinions as they traversed the highways and byways of America.

False sales figures brought their adventures to a premature close with issue 89, but the storyline peaked with issues 85 and 86. Those featured Arrow’s teen sidekick and sometime Teen Titan, as a heroin addict in one of the first serious looks at drugs in the pages of comicdom.

At times the story telling was heavy handed, but the tales were recognized beyond comic book pages by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.

Now, plot a course for your own adventure or relive part of comic book and American history. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

National Solitaire Day celebrates its inaugural anniversary today, courtesy of Microsoft and all those participating in the card game that’s already passed its bicentennial birthday.

Solitaire, or Klondike, features an addictive play utilizing all 52-playing cards. Participants are challenged to arrange those 52 cards from lowest to highest in the four different suites for victory.

It can also mean any tabletop game played by one person, sometimes even including dominos. For our purposes, we’re using the solitaire everyone knows.

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Microsoft first included a digital version of the game with its Windows 3.0 version. In addition to creating a craze, it aided people in the use of learning how to manipulate the mouse and became the most played video game in the history of computers.

Representing the four-color community is the Royal Flush Gang.

These card suited villains were first introduced in Justice League of America (1960) issue 43. Using a playing-card based theme, each of the members used a codename based on the cards needed to form a royal flush in poker: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10.

The original gang only appeared twice. A second Royal Flush Gang debuted in Justice League of America (1960) 203 as part of Hector Hammond’s devising. Their motif was the house of Spades.

A third gang surfaced in the post-crisis DC Universe. Rather than decking themselves in all the same suit, this group chose to utilize hearts, clubs and diamonds as well as using codenames from the lower cards.

With the advent of the New 52, the Royal Flush Gang returned in the Forever Evil storyline. They would resurface in DC’s Rebirth period as well.

Solitaire is believed to have been created sometime in the late 1700s in northern Europe.

While Klondike Solitaire is the most commonly recognized version, other popular interpretations include Spider, Yukon and FreeCell.

Of course, the most common way to celebrate the day is to grab a deck of cards or mouse. When you’re frustrated enough with that, grab a vintage Justice League or variation and give the criminal cards a read.

Giving the devil his due, today we celebrate National Devil’s Food Cake Day.

For the second year, we commemorate the dessert that shares its day of fame with the upper order of after dinner treats, Angel Food Cake. While the heavenly-named confection may satisfy our sweet tooth, it’s the baser, darker dessert what we desire.

This devilish last course is almost haughty with its moist and airy texture. Recipes call for hot or boiling water as the primary liquid, utilizing coca in the batter with chocolate. Coffee can be added for more flavor. All is topped with a creamy chocolate frosting.

The origins of the dessert’s day are as mysterious as how it earned its name. Some say it’s due to the fact a Devil’s Food Cake is the opposite of an Angel Food Cake in flavor and texture. Others cite that the more indulgent a dessert sounds, the more it’s craved.

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Devil’s Food Cake is said to have originated in the southern states with the first printed recipe appearing in Sarah Tyson Rorer’s book Mrs. Rorer’s New Cook Book in 1902. The original recipe used melted chocolate and baking powder. Today the recipe calls for cocoa rather than baking soda.

Last year we called on Harvey Comics Hot Stuff as the day’s mascot. This year we rely on the opening story of issue number one of DC Comic’s Strange Sports Stories.

With spring here what could be more appropriate than America’s national pastime, baseball? To Beat the Devil is a Frank Robbins/Curt Swan creation pitting the Metropolis Meteors against Lucifer himself.

The Meteors are flying high in more ways than one as they wing their way to the World Series. During the flight they experience a bad storm that leads them to Hell.

Old Nick makes a pledge to return the team and manager Skip Wilson to their previous destination if they defeat him in regulation play.

As a one-man baseball team, Beelzebub nearly takes down the Meteors until Wilson changes strategies meaning the Devil must forfeit the game and the players souls due to a simple rule.

Strange Sports Stories ran a total of six issues between 1973 and 1974.

DC tested the genre as early as 1963 with a five-issue run in Brave and the Bold. After the ill-fated series of the Seventies, DC attempted to turn sports on its ear once more with DC Super-Stars issue 10 in 1976 featuring the Justice League facing off against the leading villains of the time.

The story was reprinted in 1981 in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest issue 13.

As of this writing, DC has dusted off the concept one last time for the Vertigo imprint. The four-issue mini-series ran in 2015.

Enjoying a delicious slice of Devil’s Food Cake is gonna be way more satisfying then tracking down any of these retreads, so grab a fork and enjoy.

For those about to embark upon the remainder of your lives, happy National Graduation Tassel Day.

May 17 is the day. Across the nation a parade of graduates will be commemorating today, or a day like this soon enough, taking their tassel and moving it right to left in a symbolic recognition of their academic achievements.

Those earning graduate degrees will mirror that motion, moving tassels from left to right.

We will symbolize the day with a three issue, mini series published July to August 2003, Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day.

The trilogy was important for several reasons; not the least of which were the deaths of Donna Troy and Omen. It also meant the end of both title books allowing for new Teen Titans and Outsiders books to begin.

While never officially offered as a reason for cancellation, it’s long been rumored Young Justice was given the axe to make way for a new Teen Titans title to compliment the then new Teen Titans animated series on Cartoon Network.

Unlike the above-mentioned story, most graduations are a time of celebration. Nearly four-million high school seniors graduated last year. That same number are expected to graduate from college in the coming year.

About 66.2 percent of those high school students will attend college. The most popular college majors are Business, Health Professions, Social Sciences and History, Engineering, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Psychology, Communication and Journalism, Visual and Performing Arts, Computer and Information Sciences and Education.

About 136,000 of those high school graduates will enlist in the armed forces.

The Titans began as the Teen Titans in 1964. Over time they changed team members and affiliations. Marv Wolfman and George Perez launched the uber popular The New Teen Titans in 1980 which became Team Titans then the Teen Titans again in 1996 followed by the Titans of this story arc.

The Titans returned in 2008 and were rechristened once more for the New 52 and five years later for DC Rebirth and are currently under the Infinite Frontier banner.

Young Justice was formed in 1998 with members Superboy, Robin and Impulse. They would be joined by Wonder Girl, Secret and Arrowette.

The title would be relaunched in 2011 in an unrelated series as a literary version of the animated show. The comic book would conclude with issue 25, a month before the cartoon ceased to air.