If clothes make the man, then the villain makes the hero.

Sadly, until Frank Miller, Daredevil was at the mercy of whatever gimmicks or cast offs others had to toss his way. Electro was a mercy guest star in issue two, but not until DD 18 did the Man Without Fear finally meet the Gladiator.

Shoot, Doctor Doom didn’t even come slumming until the 37th issue.

Daredevil (1964) 8

No, Daredevil got to face off against the likes of The Fellowship of Fear, The Matador and The Organizer. Amongst that line up Stilt-Man made his first appearance in DD eight. He’s gonna be our emcee for a day tailor made for him if ever there was, National Walk on Stilts Day.

By now you know we don’t make these up. Yes, it is a real non-holiday inaugurated somewhere around the dawn of the new millennium by Bill “Stretch” Coleman of Denver, CO.

Bill is, and remember the definition of professional is someone who gets paid to to do it, a professional stilt walker. His reasoning for singling out a special day for the activity is to encourage others to take up the sport, hobby or career. His motto: “Walk tall and stretch your imagination!”

Stilts have been used for mobility since the sixth century BC. In the Landes region of France, shepherds would use them as aids with herding sheep. In urban areas they were a means to, literally, rise above the filth. Most recently they are employed more in business practices.

Kinda how Wilbur Day envisioned them. Only for more sinister purposes. Using stolen hydraulic ram schematics, Day created a telescopic legs and body armor for use in more larcenous endeavors.

Initially Stilt-Man and Daredevil were exclusive, but over the years Day branched out into the Marvel U and has fought such heroes as Iron Man, Thor and Spider-Man.

Day was the first Stilt-Man. He eventually met his end when the Punisher killed him during Civil War. He would later return during Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy.

During the interim, an unnamed criminal happened upon the gimmick and fashioned himself as Stilt-Man. Daredevil, Luke Cage and Ms. Marvel all have had the honor of defeating this second incarnation.

A third player entered the field with the help of the Tinkerer. Michael Watts still has delusions of grandeur, but has been silent lately.

Outside comic books, the Day Stilt-Man appeared in the Iron Man episode The Armor Wars. Stilt-Man guested on the PSP version of Spider—Man: Web of Shadows and, finally, the Nintendo DS version of Iron Man 2.

So, stand tall, stand proud today. Try your luck at some stilt walking – if insurance premiums are paid up – or find some old Stilt-Man issues to read. I’m still on the fence about trying Daredevil eight. Guess I’ve done worse.

We’re tapping Superman for a second time to emcee National Atomic Veterans Day.

Why?

Probably ‘cuz he’s about the only hero that can handle the fallout.

Literally.

The Man of Steel helped usher in the atomic age in Action Comics (1938) 101. By Superman (1939) 393 the Man of Tomorrow had become victim of the established era.

Superman (1939) 393

Overall, issue 393 is nothing to run out and pick up. The premise has The Master Jailer – anyone remember him? – seeking revenge on Clark Kent over his relationship with Lana Lang. To remove Clark from the picture, the Jailer realizes he must first deal with his protector, Superman.

Okay, here’s where today’s theme comes into play:

The Master Jailer launches nukes luring Superman out to stop them. When they explode, Superman finds himself a magnet for Kryptonite causing it to adhere to his skin.

Believing Superman to be out of the way, The Master Jailer next attacks Clark. However, he learns the Clark he encounters is really Superman in disguise.

Superman disables The Master Jailer, explaining how he duplicated the missile attack by creating Bizzaro missiles that reversed the magnetizing process.

While we usually recommend rereading a particular issue commemorating the day, forget Superman 393 and find a good book on the history and how the atomic bomb was created.

For a little background, July 16, marks the 80th anniversary of the detonation of the first atomic bomb at the Trinity test site. 

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers participated in more than 200 nuclear weapons tests between 1945 and 1963. As many as 400,000 veterans qualify as atomic veterans according to the National Association of Atomic Veterans. Exposure to radiation in these cases has led to a wide array of health problems for these people including thyroid problems, tumors and deadly cancers.

Remember and respect both the day and those who were players and pawns during the time.

We’re a little ahead of ourselves as I’ve been jumping around with postings. So, instead of offering you a history of primates on the covers of DC comic books, we’re gonna jump right in with World Chimpanzee Day. A history of apes and DC Comics will be forthcoming in about 10 days.

Sorry.

Rex, the Wonder Dog

Anyway, World Chimpanzee Day is a celebration established in 2018 through members of the Jane Goodall Institute. July 14 was chosen to commemorate the exact date Dr. Goodall first sat foot into the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960. Goodall dedicated 30 years of her life studying chimps and their culture.

While we applaud the good doctor’s work, we’re gonna delve into stories involving one of the most intelligent of the species – though fiction – with Detective Chimp.

Originally dubbed Bobo the Detective Chimp by owner Fred Thorpe, the sleuthful simian is mainly known as just Detective Chimp these days. He was transplanted from the equatorial region of Africa by Thorpe in 1953. He was to be used as a sideshow attraction, answering predetermined questions via signals. However, Detective Chimp was given higher cognitive reasoning and the ability of speech when Rex, the Wonder Dog, showed him the Fountain of Youth in Florida.

His first appearance is in Rex the Wonder Dog issue four.

Detective Chimp became a detective for hire following the death of Thorpe.

Former Bobo assumed a more child-friendly appearance and demeanor as time passed. Detective Chimp would piggyback with other headliners and DC stars such as John Jones, the Martian Manhunter, a detective himself. The private eye primate was pulled out of retirement on different occasions to retain the copyright.

He was even granted a (very) small cameo on an episode of Teen Titans GO!

I may have missed my annual post last year, but not my free Slurpee.

Again, if you’ve been following this site for any length of time, you know what July 11 means. This is one of the few days out of the year you can get something for nothing. Head on over to the local 7-Eleven or one of its subsidiaries: A-Plus, Speedway or Stripes Convenience Stores and have ‘em set ya up with a carbonated slushy.

Omar Knedlik is the father of the frozen beverages. When his soda fountain broke, Knedlik was forced to store his pops in a freezer to keep them cool. Extended exposure to the extra cool temperatures caused the pop to congeal. Customers found the semi frozen drink refreshing and a legend was born.

This year’s link between Slurpees and comic books comes from a long mistaken belief I had.

Scratch ticket

Way back in 1981, 7-Eleven and Marvel ran a contest. The convenience store offered a scratch-and-win game. Buy a Slurpee and get a ticket. Match three-in-a-row and you received a prize.

For the longest time I thought the prize was one of four mini comics. Each were two and five-eighths by three and a half inches, 10 pages in length, with a stick of gum. The first was Spider-Man in The Clutches of Doc Ock!

Next was The Hulk in Trapped in the Lair of The Leader!

Issue three featured Captain America in Satellite of the Red Skull with Spider-Woman in To Defy Doctor Doom! rounding out the line up.

One day I happened across The Secret of the Power Crown, a full-size, original Marvel comic book featuring the above four heroes. A little research and I find that what I’ve believed to be promotional mini comics are in reality Amurol’s Bubble Funnies.

The Bubble Funnies were offered in a box much like trading cards to the public at large. In addition, mini Archie and Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic books were sold along with the Marvel books.

I never saw The Secret of the Power Crown at that time.

I still have my Bubble Funnies, even after all these years. They are no less treasured. They can be found on the secondary market fairly easily and are nice – if odd – additions to any collection.

For me, they will still be my rewards for playing the scratchers and niche pieces in my collection.

Not only did it happen once, or even twice, but three times. DC Comics and KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC, partnered to bring justice by forming an alliance between franchise food founder and four-color heroes.

We’ve already examined the third volume in this trilogy of travesty. While somewhat non linear in our approach to this trio of non-traditional team-ups, Four Color is committed to bringing the whole story – no matter how ludicrous.

The Colonel of Two Worlds (2015)

This time around, Flash rogues Captain Cold and Mirror Master welcome Colonel Sunders from Earth 3. Together they are to use their criminal genius to plunder as never before.

Working from Sunder’s cleverly disguised base of operations, a fast food restaurant called Easy Fried Chicken, robberies, muggings and other sundry foul deeds erupt.

Neither the cheap chicken nor criminal activities go unnoticed. Both the real Colonel Harland Sanders and Justice League founders Flash and Green Lantern come to the rescue.

The Scarlet Speedster and Emerald Gladiator take a back seat to the Colonel’s wrath. The discount franchiser beats a hasty retreat leaving Cold and Mirror Master to receive their just desserts. Sanders takes pity on the pair of felons, offering them a job at a local KFC.

KFC is the second largest restaurant chain with over 30,000 locations around the world. Only McDonald’s outpaces the chicken franchise.

The first location opened in 1952 in Salt Lake, Utah. Sanders sold the company in 1964, though he remained the figurehead.

So, join in some southern fried goodness whether it be homemade or just brought home. Make sure to wipe your fingers before reading the DC Comics/KFC saturated cheesiness, it does bring a few dollars on the collector market.

My mother was a Philatelist and I’m not ashamed to say so.

While there aren’t as many philatelists as in years past, there’s still a core group who will appreciate today. What is today? Today is National U.S. Postage Stamp Day.

The first postage stamp issued in the United States was on July 1, 1847. Prior to the stamp, a letter could be mailed without and paid for upon arrival. That changed in 1855 when stamps became mandatory.

The first two stamps issued featured likenesses of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Since then, stamps have been adorned with everything from flowers to works of art to, yes, even super heroes.

DC Comics heroes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Flash, Plastic Man, Supergirl, and Hawkman were featured on a sheet of stamps issued July 20, 2006.

Marvel followed suit a year later, July 25, 2007, with Spider-Man, Hulk, Namor, Thing, Captain America, Silver Surfer, Spider-Woman, Elektra, Iron Man and Wolverine.

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.

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.

Like an excuse is needed for a pizza party, but just in case welcome to National Pizza Day.

We’ve visited this non-holiday on several occasions, usually with the X-Men, but have included those teen heroes in a half shell, too.

Pizza Hut has hosted the party each time and today is no different.

The Wichita, Kansas, native has plumbed the four color field often to entice us comic book fans to stop in for a slice. To date, this is the earliest cross promotion we’ve found.

In 1977 America’s largest pizza franchise partnered with DC Comics to offer six reprints featuring the big three from the Golden Age.

Batman, issues 122 and 123; Superman 97 and 113; and Wonder Woman 60 and 62 were reproduced almost exactly as they were when first published. The main differences being size and advertisements.

If anyone has any information on how these were obtained through Pizza Hut or how they were issued, please let us know.

First, take time out for a pie and some hero worship of your choice.