Mark Bode, Joe Maneely, Johnny Hart, Julie Strain, Heavy Metal Magazine, Battlefield Earth, V for Vendetta, Jonny Quest, Rocky Jones: Space Ranger.

Today is a cool day because John Travolta is having a birthday. The cool part isn't him, but instead because I can talk about the horrible movie that he acted in. That movie was Battlefield Earth, which in my opinion, had some of the worst writing ever for a piece of its time. As for the acting and the effects, I think they did a great job of both, but the pitfall definitely was the writing. Without saying more I salute the badness of Battlefield Earth, may there never be another.


As you look through the births and events you'll notice a few comic book artists and cartoonists. As a child one of my favorites was B.C and Wizard of Id. Both were a joy to read. Johnny Harts work in B.C was uncomplicated and perhaps that's what I liked about it. His wife said that he passed away at his drawing table which I think is a fitting thing. If you've got to go then a passing while you're doing something you enjoy is perfect.


Finally I wanted to make note of Julie Strain's birthday. Julie has done scores of work in the acting field but I have always know her as one of the muses for Olivia de Berardinis. Olivia's works with Julie have always been some of my favorites.



Birthdays

Mark Bodé 1963, comic book author and artist. Bodé is best known for his work on Cobalt-60, Miami Mice and The Lizard of Oz. Bodé has also worked on Heavy Metal Magazine, and on The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Joe Maneely 1926, comic book artist, best known for his work at Atlas Comics. He began his comic book career freelancing for Street & Smith Publications in 1948, drawing such features as "Butterfingers", "Django Jinks, Ghost Chaser", "Dr. Savant", "Mario Nette", "Nick Carter", "Public Defender", "Roger Kilgore", "Supersnipe", and "Ulysses Q. Wacky" in comics including The Shadow, Top Secrets, Ghost Breakers and Super Magician Comics. His earliest known credit is the company's Red Dragon #4 (Aug. 1948), for which he penciled and inked the eight-page story "Death by the Sword" and the one-page featurette "Tao's Small Sword Box", both starring the hero Tao Anwar. The covers of Sub-Mariner Comics #37, 39 and 41 (Dec. 1954, April and Aug. 1955) were Maneely's only superhero work for Atlas.

Molly Ringwald 1968, actress, Niki - Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Allison Channing - The Outer Limits (1 episode, "Judgment Day", 2000).

Julie Strain 1962, actress/model, Female Dancer - Future Shock (1994), Robot Mommy - Captain Jackson (1999) TV series, Julie - Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) (voice), Coochinota - Baberellas (2003), Trophy Victim - Exterminator City (2005) (V), Queen Ziba - Space Girls in Beverly Hills (2009).

John Travolta 1954, actor, Vinnie Barbarino - Welcome Back, Kotter (78 episodes, 1975-1979), Terl - Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (2000), Howard Saint - The Punisher (2004), Bolt - Bolt (2008) (voice).

Sinead Cusack 1948, actress, Mary Doyle - The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle (2005) (TV), Delia Surridge - V for Vendetta (2005).

Johnny Hart 1931, cartoonist, noted as the creator of the comic strip B.C. and co-creator of the strip The Wizard of Id. Hart's first published work was in Stars and Stripes while he served in Korea as an enlisted member of the United States Air Force. Returning in 1953, he published cartoons in The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly and other magazines. Hart's biggest success, B.C., was created in 1957 and began national daily newspapers appearances on February 17, 1958. Hart also co-created and wrote the comic strip The Wizard of Id, drawn by Brant Parker, which has been distributed since November 9, 1964.

George Kennedy 1925, actor, Crandell - Tarzan (1 episode, "Thief Catcher", 1967), Movie Director - Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (1 episode, "In the Nam of the Father", 1995), General Axton - The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1 episode, "DNA Doomsday", 1996), Grandpa - Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! (1998) (V).

Allan Melvin 1922, voice actor, Sgt. Snorkle - Beetle Bailey (6 episodes, 1963-1964), Magilla Gorilla - The Magilla Gorilla Show (1 episode, 1965), Additional voices - The Secret Squirrel Show (1965) TV series, Clarence O'Hara / Pete Dudley - My Favorite Martian (2 episodes, 1964-1966), Quartz / Mailman/Head #1/Tom/Thin Man/Prospector - The Flintstones (13 episodes, 1963-1966), Alice's Father/Humphrey Dumpty - Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1966) (TV) (voice), Enforcer Claudio / Little Joe/Gambling Machine - Lost in Space (2 episodes, "Curse of Cousin Smith", "West of Mars", 1966) TV episode (voice), Drooper - The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (7 episodes), Bunko/Brunik the Wild Hermit - The Adventures of Gulliver (1 episode, "The Forbidden Pool", 1968) (voice), Bumbler/Bristle Hound - Cattanooga Cats (1969) TV series (voice), H. R. Pufnstuf / Polkadotted Horse / Stupid Bat / West Wind - Pufnstuf (1970) (voice), Magilla Gorilla / Chief Ranger - Yogi's Gang (2 episodes, 1973), Charlie / Mr. Adler - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (3 episodes, 1972-1973), Bluto - The All-New Popeye Hour, TV series (voice) (1978-1982), King Vultan - Flash Gordon (1979) TV series, Electro - Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1 episode, 1981), Bluto / Wimpy - Popeye and Son (1987) TV series (voice), Troggles - Adventures of the Gummi Bears (24 episodes, 1988-1991), Magilla 'Ice' Gorilla - Yo Yogi! (9 episodes, 1991).

Jack Palance 1919, actor, Jabberwock - Alice Through the Looking Glass (1966) (TV), Omus - The Shape of Things to Come (1979), Kaleel - Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (2 episodes, 1979), Joe Taylor - Without Warning (1980), Carl Grissom - Batman (1989), Travis - Solar Crisis (1990), Mercy - Cyborg 2 (1993), Dr. Jeremy Wheaton - Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994) (TV) (segment "Where the Dead Are").

Reginald Sheffield 1901, actor, Prof. Mayberry - Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (3 episodes, 1954).

Chester Clute 1891, actor, Ticket Agent - Blondie on a Budget (1940), Hotel Clerk - Joe Palooka in the Knockout (1947), Leroy J. Blodgett - Blondie's Reward (1948), Doniger - Joe Palooka in Winner Take All (1948), Mayor A.K. Ramsey - Blondie's Big Deal (1949), Upperbottom - Joe Palooka in Humphrey Takes a Chance (1950).

Adolphe Menjou 1890, actor, Dr. Elliott Harcourt - Science Fiction Theatre (1 episode, "Barrier of Silence", 1955).

Events

1924, "Girls" comic strip becomes "Boots and Her Buddy".

1991, Star Trek:TNG, "First Contact" airs.

1998, Star Trek:Voyager, "Prey" airs.

1998, Babylon 5 Episode 93 - "Learning Curve" first aired

2004, Star Trek:Enterprise, "Doctor's Orders" airs.

2005, Star Trek:Enterprise, "Affliction" airs.