Happy Birthday, Batman here on what is officially Batman Day.

Gotta admit he’s still looking good as an octogenarian, but he’s had some help over the years.

Of course none as helpful as the men who made him. Maybe none as influential as co-creator and almost unknown father figure Bill Finger.

Long thought of as his soul creative source, Bob Kane had out-and-out lied to remain in the spotlight. When Superman first inaugurated the men in tights genre, DC Comics rushed to populate the field. Kane was offered a substantial financial reward for the creation of a follow up hero.

His initial offering more resembled Superman than Batman. Kane would admit privately Finger provided 50 to 75 percent of the Dark Knight’s finishing touches. He would also christen his alter ego as Bruce Wayne.

Finger would pen the first script for Detective Comics 27 as well as Batman issue one.

Conducting many of the early writing chores, Finger would be instrumental in the creation of the Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow,  Riddler and many other villains.

He was also a force behind Batman’s second-in-command, Robin. Finger gave life to the Boy Wonder allowing Batman someone to talk to rather than have panels cluttered with thought balloons.

Finger would die in obscurity, alone, in January 1974. He was last seen alive January 14 and his body found January 18. Finger died of a heart attack.

Efforts by his granddaughter and fans finally allowed Finger to receive the recognition he was denied in his lifetime.

In September 2015 DC Entertainment announced Finger’s name would join Kane’s on the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the second season of Gotham. His first official recognition would come the following month on both Batman and Robin Eternal issue three and Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis three.

Happy birthday, Batman, and welcome to your much deserved day in the sun Bill Finger.

Spoiler Alert:

If you haven’t read DC Comics 2004 Identity Crisis, read no further.

If you have, proceed for National Ex-Spouses Day.

The term ex is derived from the Latin word “ex” or out of and from and the Old French word “espous”, meaning to marry. Together they form ex-spouse referring to former husband or wife. 

The day, or non-holiday, is derived from Reverend Ronald Coleman’s desire to spread a message of forgiveness. The Kansas City, Missouri, pastor wished to mend wounds and move past former relationships.

Our four color tie-in is a seven-issue mini series as conceived by Brad Metzler and envisioned by Rags Morales and Michael Blair.

Initially planned as a story arc for the ongoing JLA series, it became a stand-alone mystery tale existing within the DCU, but away from current titles.

From June 2004 to December 2004 readers were invited along  a labyrinthine journey to discover who killed Elongated Man’s wife Sue Dibny. The super hero community finds its foundation shaken by the threats and death of other significant others. That’s in addition to revelations within the ranks of those most trusted.

The series was both praised and denounced for its depiction of rape, un consensual manipulation 

and murder. Let the final judgment be left in the eyes of the reader.

Identity Crisis is a murder mystery first and foremost. Make no mistake the themes are mature and not to be taken lightly.

Identity Crisis (2004) 1

I, for one, found the story riveting. At times Metzler was shocking. Don’t read this if you want the Super Friends as sacred cows are sacrificed for entertainment and realism.

Turning back the hands of time back to when cable and satellite television was in its Golden Age, there was something called the public broadcasting system.

This was, essentially, what many television pioneers believed television was meant to be. It was commercial free, funded by governmental programs and out of public pockets. With no one to answer to, PBS was able to broadcast programs with a more educational agenda.

One such program was The Electric Company.

Part of the American educational children’s television series, The Electric Company aired from Oct. 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977. In total, 780 episodes were broadcast over the six seasons. It would continue in reruns through Ot. 4, 1985.

Marvel Comics formed a free partnership with the Children’s Television Workshop.  By the fourth season, Spider-Man began to appear in live-action segments.

Spidey would save the day by stopping crimes of a lesser nature; usually muggings, hold ups, etc. Viewers were prompted to read Spider-Man’s thoughts that popped up courtesy of thought balloons. Less than 30 segments were filmed.

To compliment the episodes, Marvel printed a comic book entitled Spidey Super Stories. While the television series was short lived, the comic book lasted 57 issues running from 1974 to 1982. The book was geared toward six- to 10-year olds.

Spidey Super Stories (1974)                    1

Young fans were welcomed to the Marvel U with a guest villain each issue. In addition, other members of the Marvel stable made appearances like J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane Watson and many others.

Spider-Man was immortalized on vinyl as part of the Children’s Television Workshop and Peter Pan. His recorded adventures included Spidey Versus the Measles and The Queen Bee, both from The Electric Company. Also included were Spidey’s origin story, The Last Laugh, The Leader of the Pack, 20,000 Feet Under the Ground, Deadly is the Doctor Called Doom and Spidey Versus the Sandman.

Some of Spidey’s electrifying adventures can be found on YouTube and are worth a look for the hardcore Spider-Man fan or just morbidly curious. The once dollar-box fodder Spidey Super Stories are gaining a little traction in the collector’s market and can be found in most third-party shopping spots.

Whatever your predisposition, don’t expect too much and you may not be disappointed this National Public Television Day.

You were probably wondering when we were gonna announce today’s non-holiday.

Welcome to National Joe Day.

Today is designed to serve two purposes: enjoy a cup of coffee – or Joe – with a Joe. Or, Joseph, or Joey or Josephine, Jody, Johanna, fill in your Jo of choice.

For our usage we’re going with plain old Joe. As in Just a Guy Named Joe. That’s the title of Amazing Spider–Man issue 38. While unremarkable story wise, it does mark the end of an era.

Amazing Spider-Man 38 (1963)

Issue 38 is the dissolution of the creative partnership between Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. For 38 issues, and Amazing Fantasy 15 (1962), Stan the Man and Sturdy Steve laid the foundation of a franchise that carried Marvel for decades.

In the first 38, the bulk of Spidey’s rogues gallery was formulated. As were the core cast of characters who have shadowed Spider-Man and his alter ego. Peter Parker’s DNA are in those issues.

So, it is with a whimper the two dissolve their partnership with Joe.

Joe Smith.

A nice enough guy, but a loser. Poor Joe just can’t catch a break. He only wants to be somebody. Whether it be in the ring or in front of the camera.

He gets his wish in merry Marvel misadventure manner. That means Spidey must save the day, yet it’s Joe who wins in the end.

It’s a serviceable comic book. It does bring the promise of action to come. And, Peter almost meets the love of his life.
But, it’s over shadowed by the book that follows. Amazing Spider-Man 39 is the first to feature Jazzy Johnny Romita (Sr) on pencils. It also features the Green Goblin’s real identity.
So, like poor Joe, issue 38 finds itself overlooked except as a swan song for the original team who birthed a legend.
And, like Joe, it has gotten a little respect with the 1:10 scale McFarlane Toys PVC statue. Complete with environmental backdrop.
It actually is cool. I picked one up.
Okay, Back to Joe.
Did you know the name Joe is the 103rd most popular male name in the United States with an estimated population of 508,202.

Joe is used as a first name 99 percent of the time. It is also used as a male’s name 97 percent of the time.

The state with the most people named Joe is Texas where 97,514 can be found. Yet, you are more likely to meet a Joe in New Mexico where there is a person named Joe 477.94 times for every 100,000.

We’ve celebrated Black Cat Appreciation Day – not once, but twice. International Cat Day. National Hug Your Cat Day. Recognized International Tiger Day. Twice. Even Garfield the Cat Day.

So, why not Cuddly Kitten Day?

Bill the Cat

With one of Garfield’s own no less.

How’s that, you ask?

We’re gonna tell ya, but first a little background on the source material.

Bloom County began its tenure in the newspaper strips Dec. 8, 1980. It ended its first incarnation Aug. 6, 1989. In between it merged the legendary Doonesbury and Pogo strips to lampoon the dream and reality of a decade.

Along the way, creator Berkeley Breathed would garner the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. It was only the second Pulitzer ever awarded for a comic strip. And, the last to date.

During Bloom County’s run Breathed would populate his fictional world with a colorful cast of characters and caricatures. Each would represent a person and demographic of the era.

Our guest of honor first graced the strip in June of 1982. The emaciated, strung-out orange tabby was introduced as a parody of the immensely popular Garfield.

What began as a one-and-done turned into one of the faces of the franchise.

Bill the Cat, or Bill D. Cat, was given the fictional pedigree as one of his inspiration’s illegitimate offspring.

In addition, Bill’s resume would include televangelist, Presidential candidate, heavy metal rock star and Chernobyl nuclear plant operator.

Not bad for an inarticulate feline of questionable parentage whose vocabulary consisted of Tasmanian Devil-esque spits and belches.

Following the strip’s voluntary demise Breathed would start and stop the series over the years.

No mater what’s happened since the initial run, Bloom County has become a time capsule for the 1980s and the politics and pop culture it roasted over a National spit.

Thanks, Bill.

And, Opus and Milo and Oliver and Steve and Cutter John and Michael. Most importantly, thank you, Berkeley.

We’ve observed this day twice before, each time from the Marvel angle. Today we’re celebrating National Proofreading Day with a dearly departed foundation of the comic book industry, Julius Schwartz.

As in the past, National Proofreading Day began in 2011 when Judy Beaver created the day in honor of her mother, Flo, who lived to correct people. Not in a belittling way, but to help them. March 8 was chosen because it was Flo’s birthday.

But, we’ve covered that all before.

So, let’s talk about our emcee for the day, Mr. Schwartz.

The DC Comics giant was involved with the industry almost since its beginning. He was there when two scrawny kids from Ohio sold their creation from another planet. He rode herd on that same hero’s book as well as DC Comics other flagship crusader, Batman. He advised as one era passed to another.

But, before all this, Schwartz was born June 19, 1915, in the Bronx, New York.

A longtime science fiction fan, Schwartz began his literary career as an agent for fledging writers of the genre. Together with Mort Weisinger and Forrest J. Ackerman – who coined the term sci-fi – they published Time Traveller, one of the first science fiction fanzines. Schwartz and Weisinger opened the Solar Sales Service literary agency. The future comic book editor represented such notables as Alfred Bester, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury and H.P. Lovecraft.

In his spare time, Schwartz also helped found the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939.

He would begin work for All-American Publications, a subsidiary of DC Comics, as an editor in 1944.

Schwartz, with writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino, initiated the Silver Age by revamping The Flash for Showcase issue four in October 1956. More science fiction oriented than his Golden Age inspiration, The Flash would star in four issues of Showcase before receiving his own title. Others would follow, all with a sci-fi flavor, including Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Atom.

As the list of heroes grew, Schwartz saw the opportunity to relaunch another title, albeit with a fresh coat of paint, with the Justice League of America. The team debuted in The Brave and the Bold issue 28 before moving to its own self-titled book six months later.

Schwartz didn’t stop with the new kids. In 1964 he turned his editorial attention to the faltering Batman titles. Following the Comics Code Authority’s intervention, the Dark Knight stepped from the shadows and into the light. For a decade he and Robin would play the jesters to public opinion.

At his insistence, Batman was given a makeover and a coming out party in Detective Comics 327 with his “New Look.”

A couple years later Batman was rebranded on television. Schwartz championed newcomers Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams to, once again, make the Caped Crusader readable. Schwartz would surrender his editorship with the Batman books in 1978 and 1979.

He would steer Superman from 1971 through 1986 when the the long-time editor would step down after 42 years. 

In 2000 Schwartz would co-author his autobiography with Brian Thomsen, Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction.

He passed Feb. 8, 2004.

The comic of choice for today is Superman 411, The Last Earth Prime Story. The staff of DC Comics surprised Schwartz with a semi-auto biographical issue to celebrate his 70th birthday.

He would be immortalized in other titles as well. These included The Flash 179, Justice League of America 123 and 124, Action Comics 583, Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest and as a back up in Ambush Bug titles.

See how many mistakes you can find in this missive and wish a comic book giant a belated and posthumous thank you.

“One punch!”

Quote the two-word sentence to any Justice League fan and it instantly brings a smile.

“One punch!,” was Blue Beetles’ explanation, exhortation and exhalation for Guy Gardner’s come upence in Justice League (1987) five.

Further, it was continued reason why the book was gaining traction in the comic book community with each publication.

Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, with artist Kevin Maguire, were responsible for recreating one of DC Comics cornerstones, the Justice League, following the Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, the rest of the DC Universe was starting over, too.

This left the team hamstrung with a limited roster of heroes to choose from. John Byrne was reimagining Superman. George Perez was overseeing Wonder Woman.

Batman was the last of the original trinity and Bat-family editor Denny O’Neil took pity on the new league allowing the Dark Knight to be used in the book.

Other team members included Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Captain Marvel, Doctor Fate, Doctor Light, Guy Gardner, Martian Manhunter and Mister Miracle and camp (wife, Big Barda and manager, Oberon).

The roster would change over time, growing to flesh out various leagues once it reached international status, but Giffen and DeMatteis kept the group grounded while giving the readers a behind-the-scenes look at the team.

The writing duo focused as much on the in-house fighting as they did with the villains who cropped up.

Which, led to issue five’s fisticuffs.

Green Lantern Guy Gardner proved to be grating enough to the other members that by the time he challenged Batman for leadership, they were all too happy to see him splayed on the floor after, “one punch.”

The punch would indirectly lead to today’s non-holiday focus.

Picking himself up, Guy finds his ring where Beetle had thrown it earlier, which leads to him to bang his head causing a personality change that would last till issue 18.

Though Giffen and DeMatteis were responsible for many laughs over the course of their Justice League run, there’s nothing funny about National Brain Injury Awareness Day.

Dating back as far as ancient Mesopotamia, head injuries have been recognized as having side effects such as seizures, paralysis, loss of sight, speech and hearing. By the Middle Ages the term concussion was in use.

Yet, it wasn’t until post World War I brain injuries were recognized as health problems.

Over time treatment and management have improved. Standardized guidelines to treat brain injuries have been established, multiple drugs have come into use and survival rates have improved greatly.

The 1990s were dubbed the Decade of the Brain following the amount of study devoted to the organ.

This year’s National Brain Injury Conference and Awareness Day will be held March 3-5 in Washington, D.C.

It’s too late to really make plans to attend, but some study can be done, prevention prepared and, as always, use the excuse to relive a wonderfully bright – though brief – period in the DCU.

Not to be confused with National Peanut Butter Day or National PB & J Day, today – March 1 – is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day.

It is a day to remember the food of kings and the masses has many fathers and many origins. The  peanut paste product stands alone or completes so many combinations. Peanut butter is a multi million dollar a year industry.

Taking on the big boys, i.e. JIF, Peter Pan, Smuckers, Skippy, etc; is not an easy task. One that would be Herculean for most. Or, even a job for someone with powers far beyond those of mortal man.

A job for Superman.

Sometime in the late 1970s a maverick private label peanut butter company called Sunnyland Refining Co. chose a small advertising firm to tackle the peanut butter market. Rather than join the fray on merit, it would seek licensing to catapult it onto store shelves.

It just so happened DC Comics, a subsidy of Warner Communications, had made a company wide agreement not to whore the Superman name out for food products unless it was nutritious. Sunnyland’s peanut butter was deemed so and a partnership was formed.

Superman Peanut Butter hit grocery store shelves around 1981. 

While not affiliated with any DC Comics production, cross promotions were included in the deal. At one point Superman Peanut Butter purchasers could redeem two product labels for a free copy of Action Comics issue one. Another tie in offered coupons for Super Powers merchandise.

The brand would remain a staple of many diets for the next decade.

Peanut butter can be traced back to the Aztec and Inca civilizations. They ground roasted peanuts into a paste.

More modern dabblers include Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Quebec, Canada, cited for receiving the first patent for a method of producing peanut butter from roasted peanuts using heated surfaces in 1884.

George Bayle, a businessman from St. Louis, sold peanut butter as a snack food in 1894. The dietary aid became more of a kitchen staple when, in 1917, peanut butter was used as a source of protein during meatless Mondays when rationing was in effect for World War I.

Breakfast cereal magnate John Kellogg championed peanut butter as a meat alternative in his campaign to substitute plant based products for a healthier lifestyle.

Maybe the most recognized name in the peanut butter game is George Washington Carver. A common misconception credits him as the inventor of peanut paste. Rather, Carver merely published a document entitled How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption.

The list of peanut butter contributors continues, but you get the gist.

Sit back, enjoy a peanut butter delicacy of choice and watch Superman shill for Wall Street as we round out the day.

Today is a day to commemorate wax packs, stale sticks of gum and cardboard likenesses from sports figures to movie scenes.

Sometimes referred to as Topps Trading Card Day, this is also National Trading Card Day.

Trading cards, or more specifically, baseball cards, were first manufactured in the 1860s. As the twentieth century dawned, baseball cards began being packaged with candy or tobacco products. Goudy Gum Company is credited with initially including gum with the product in 1933.

1940 Superman card

While The Topps Company was originally the largest of the baseball card companies, it was Bowman Gum Company – before they were bought by Topps – who produced the 1940s Superman-based set of collectible cards. The set consists of 72 cards in all, each featuring a full-color drawing of Superman. Naturally these, and others of their ilk, are the collectible card sets we’ll be focusing on today.

Donruss licensed the Marvel stable of heroes for a set of 66 in 1966.

They were overshadowed by their Distinguished Competition that same year when Topps produced a 55 companion card set riding ABC’s popular television series coattails featuring the Caped Crusader.

By the 1970s, Marvel was surpassing DC in sales and popularity. Topps chose to commit to a line of stickers featuring the House of Idea’s characters and corny one-liners.

Fantasy Trade Company featured replicas of Marvel first issue covers on cardstock in 1984.

Though the Superman and Batman movies generated trading card sets, let’s focus on the source material.

In 1991 Marvel opened the floodgates with an Impel printed 167 card set. Five chase holograms were featured –  Spider-Man, Magneto, Silver Surfer, Wolverine and Spider-Man v. Green Goblin.

Impel offered a set of 180 DC Comics cards that same year complete with 10 holograms.

Offerings continue to this day from various card companies featuring various publishers’ products.

1984 Marvel first issue trading card