He really is the most famous reindeer of all. How hard is it to remember Dasher, Donner, Vixen, Comet, Cupid and, okay, I admit, I can’t name the others off the top of my head. 

They are, after looking them up, Prancer, Dancer and Blitzen. Sorry guys.

Of course we’re talking about Rudolph.

Rudy has his origins in advertising. The red-nosed reindeer was introduced in 1939 as part of a Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago promotion.

To save money, the store commissioned an original story as a present to customers. The prior practice had been to purchase published books to pass out.

Robert L. May, the youngest of nine, offered a tale that may have been born In the author’s youth. Often picked on as the runt of the litter, Rudolph’s early misfortunes mirrored some of May’s troubles.

The glowing nose was inspired by a fog settling over Lake Michigan as viewed by May from his office window.

A decade later May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks turned the tale to tune and Gene Autry recorded it. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer became a number one hit on the Billboard pop singles selling 2.5-million copies the first year.

Over time, the song has sold 25-million copies and continues to climb.

Here Flash dons the beacon nose and antlers to spread good cheer for the season.

I thought about posting this a day late to stay faithful to the non-holiday, but then how would any of you know that today is National Be Late for Something Day?

Today is a day to procrastinate. Not concerning anything important, but one aspect of our life that may cause us to miss something important we may not realize we’re missing.

In short, focus on something we normally take for granted like a relaxing walk, a good book or paying attention to those around us we may take for granted.

Now, if you can believe what you read on the Internet, it was the Procrastinators Club of America who founded National Be Late for Something Day in keeping with their bylaws and beliefs. September 5 became the magic day for some reason.

Though not a member of the Procrastinator’s Club – that we are aware of – Bartholomew Henry “Barry” Allen has been named spokesperson for the day.

Those familiar with the bringer of the Silver Age understand why; Mr. Allen was habitually late for pretty much everything in his alter ego life. Future wife Iris West was the first to chide Barry on his tardiness as she was often on the end of his late arrivals.

First four color chiding of Barry Allen by Iris West in Showcase #4.

Of course, the late-to-the-party quark was the yin to his Flash’s yang.

His trademark tardiness was evident as early as his first appearance in Showcase issue four that heralded the dawn of the Silver Age and opened the door for super heroes to return to the four color world.

With origins and emcees over, return to your regularly scheduled day, but slow down and relax. If it’s not life threatening, put it on the back burner and see what you can find that is probably more important than you thought.

Of the 365 days in the year – 366 during Leap Year – today is tailor made for myself, Jeff and most readers of this page.

Today is Find Your Inner Nerd Day.

Most of us need not dig that deep.

If you’re here, it’s probably out of more than curiosity. Hopefully it’s to share in the culture we embrace.

In celebration of Find Your Inner Nerd Day, we’re turning the dial back on our television sets to Dec. 10, 2010, for the 11th episode of the fourth season of Big Bang Theory. More specifically, The Justice League Recombination.

If you tuned in that Monday evening, you were one of 13.24 million viewers.

Even though the episode aired before Christmas, it commemorated New Year’s Eve. The gang, plus Penny’s early on-again, off-again boyfriend Zac, gathered at Stewart’s comic book shop to celebrate with a costume contest. Dressed as the Justice League, Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Raj, Penny and Zac took first place as the countdown began for 2011.

For 12 seasons – 279 episodes – Big Bang showed us it’s all right to fly that geek flag with pride. We watched kindred spirits live in the spotlight a life many of us hid in the shadows. They moved (super) hero worship, D&D and Japanese animation from the back of the bus to a front row seat. It was a revelation – and revolution – making Star Wars t-shirts fashionable.

Big Bang Theory took a season to gain traction, but by its fifth season had a premiere viewing audience of 14 million. The show was in the top 10 for seven of its 12 seasons. It reached number one during the 11th.

It was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series between 2011 and 2014. Jim Parsons would take home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series four times and the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series.

Coincidentally enough, Find Your Inner Nerd Day was founded a month prior to Big Bang airing, Aug. 23, 2007.

Find Your Inner Nerd Day was founded by Christopher Reaves Messina when he posted a tweet that created the modern hashtag. Since that time, #FindYourInnerNerd has become a digital hotspot to meet and greet those with similar interests and discuss fandoms and other geek topics.

Oh, and the name “nerd” was created by none other than Dr. Seuss in his book If I Ran the Zoo.

Fly the colors high today – and every day – as we celebrate our individual and shared interests. This is a life meant for us.

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.

If you’ve looked outside to see what the weather is like, you’ve already celebrated today’s non-holiday.

Today is Observe the Weather Day which has its roots in the birth of astrology in Babylonia around 650 BC. Around 360 BC scholar Aristotle jotted down weather patterns in his book Meteorologica. Fast forward 60 years and Indian astronomers began developing techniques to predict weather patterns. In 1854 Naval Officer Francis Beaufort and Robert FitzRoy start their campaign for forecasting to become a science, giving birth to weather observation as known today.

The Flash (1959) 110

And, that in a nutshell, is a history of weather forecasting.

Today’s emcee will be Flash foe Weather Wizard, first appearing in The Flash 110.

Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Weather Wizard – aka Mark Mardon – originally wielded a wand crafted by brother Clyde to control weather patterns. The wand eventually drove Mardon insane, but DC’s New 52 cured him, allowing his return.

As part of The Flash’s Rogue’s Gallery, Mardon has appeared outside of comic books in a plethora of multi-media formats.

So, depending on the weather, choose an appropriate activity for the day which might include a review of today’s man of the hour and a little Weather Channel to fully appreciate the strides made to keep you warm and dry.

December 19th: Six days and counting…

By this time, we’re all wishing time would speed up a bit. Remember growing up when Christmas was on kid time? Everything worth being excited for took so long to arrive. And, when it did, it was over far too quickly.

The same is true with adult time, but our perception of time passage has sped up a bit.

As discussed earlier, The Flash has been able to time travel. His cosmic treadmill allows him to visit the past and future. Which is how the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen, met the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick in The Flash of Two Worlds in Flash (1959) issue 123. Other incarnations include Allen’s nephew Wally West and grandson Bart Allen.

This wooden representation was crafted by Jim Shore through his Enesco partnership.

December 13th: 12 days and counting…

I admit I do not have these but am intrigued at the selection. I can certainly understand the Flash, Batman, Superman and Robin, but I’m mystified by what appears to be Alfred in the lower left-hand corner of the box. Not that I’m taking anything away from Batman’s trusted compatriot.

DC Superhero
mini-ornaments

Let’s face it, Alfred has been the keeper of Batman’s secret as long as pretty much anybody. In addition, he’s been the Dark Knight’s doctor, confidant and voice of reason longer than anyone else.

Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle, first appeared in Batman issue 16 in 1944. While Don Cameron and Bob Kane, writer and penciler respectively, are credited as the faithful butler’s parents, there is strong evidence to suggest Victor McLeod, Leslie Swabacker and Harry Fraser gave life to Alfred for the 1943 Batman serial. DC Comics asked the trio to take a back seat and allow Cameron to write the original Alfred story prior to the serial’s release.

This five-piece festive set is courtesy of Kurt Adler.

The DCU celebrated Halloween 2019 with a trade paperback of reprint material issued the previous two years entitled A Very DC Halloween.

The first half of the trade is pulled directly from DC House of Horror (2017).

Keith Giffen gives readers Bump in the Night with a retelling of Superman’s arrival on Earth. This time it doesn’t end well.

His next offering is a slasher tale featuring the ghost of Wonder Woman in Man’s World.

Another ghost story, Crazy for You, features Harley Quinn haunting a man into killing his wife.

The Last Laugh is more original as Giffen debates the yin and yang of vigilantism.

Blackest Day is a zombie apocalypse on Earth with plot by Giffen and script by Brian Keene.

Ronald Malfi scripts Giffen’s Stray Arrow with Green Arrow as a vigilante killer.

A Very DC Halloween (2019)

Two-Face is featured in Unmasked, a story by Giffen and Wrath James White.

Uttering Shazam takes the speaker to darker realms in The Possession of Billy Batson.

Swamp Thing stars in The Spread, as taken from Swamp Thing Halloween Horror Giant issue one. This Walmart exclusive was a 100-page special offered in 2018 with an original story followed by reprints from previous Halloween specials.

The remainder of this book is filled with stories from 2018’s Cursed Comics Cavalcade in the order they originally appeared, the first being Gorehound.

Batman saves the final girl who – spoiler – is really the killer.

Siren Song is a tale of myth and mystery starring Wonder Woman.

Alien zombies spoil Guy Gardner’s vacation in Life Sentence.

Demon Etrigan possesses a man a woman hires Jason Blood to find in Yellow Jack.

A ghost from the Phantom Zone haunts Lois and Clark in Strange Visitor.

The Monster in Me pits a doppelganger of Green Arrow against himself on a long, hot night.

Black Lightning and Katana get some love in Mercy Killing as they protect a young girl from a demon.

An unlikely pairing of Solomon Grundy and Robin share top billing in The Devil You Know. Professor Pyg threatens three runaway girls under the protection of Grundy.

Finally, Halloween Hayride is a simpler story showcasing Zatanna. The magic mistress plies her trade to stop an older brother from scaring his sister.

With this many stories to pick and choose from, there are plenty of tricks and treats.

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.

Justice League of America (1960) 43

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.