Daily Birthdays and Events in Sci-Fi, Comics and related areas

July 9, 2011

Joe Palooka, Vampirella, Jungleman, Kid Eternity, Bomba and the Jungle Girl, Spacehawk, Basil Wolverton, Night Man, Alf, Pepper Ann, Captain Midnight

Can't be a bad day when it's Basil Wolverton's birthday.


Enjoy !!!



Birthdays

Tony DiPreta 1921, comic book and comic strip artist active from the 1940s Golden Age of comic books. He is best known as the longtime successor artist of the popular comic strip Joe Palooka, from 1959-84 and of the Rex Morgan, M.D. daily strip from then through DiPreta's retirement in 2000
Bill Fraccio 1920, comic book artist whose career stretched from the 1940s Golden Age of comic books through 1979, best known for his remarkable 23-year run at Charlton Comics, on stories for Warren Publishing's horror-comics magazines Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella.
Mort Leav 1916, comic book artist, Leav penciled and inked the feature "Jungleman" in Harvey Comics' Champ Comics (under the pseudonym "Stanley Maxwell"); "ZX-5, Spies in Action" in Fiction House's Jumbo Comics (under the pen name "Major Thorpe"); "The Hangman" for MLJ; and, for Quality Comics, "Sally O'Neil, Policewoman" in National Comics, and "Hell Diver" in Hit Comics, among others. He reportedly also drew stories for the Quality hit characters Blackhawk, Doll Man, Kid Eternity, and Uncle Sam. Leav co-created the World War II aviator character Skywolf in Hillman Publications' Air Fighters Comics #2 (Nov. 1942), and in the following month's issue introduced the "muck creature" the Heap. In 1946, Leav became art director for publisher Ruth "Ray" Hermann's Orbit Publications.[3] He drew the bulk of that company's comic-book covers and lead stories, including for the crime title Wanted Comics. By 1950, he was drawing for The Westerner Comics (a.k.a. Will Bill Pecos Westerner) and Love Diary for the Orbit-related, multi-named firm Our Publishing Co. / Toytown / Patches.
Walter Sande 1906, actor, Second Mailman - Blondie Meets the Boss (1939), Policeman - Blondie Brings Up Baby (1939), Thug Boss at Gold Star Warehouse - The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941)[Chs. 12-13], Pincus' Dog Handler - Blondie in Society (1941), Austin - Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch (1949), Admiral Bill Carey - Red Planet Mars (1952), Mr. Ward - Bomba and the Jungle Girl (1952), Police Desk Sgt. Finlay - Invaders from Mars (1953), Sheriff Bogany - The War of the Worlds (1953), Second Admiral - Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1 episode, "The Human Computer", 1965), Sheriff Baxendale - Lost in Space (1 episode, "Return from Outer Space", 1965), Dr. Arthur Beecham - The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966).
Basil Wolverton 1909, comic book artist, professed "Producer of Preposterous Pictures of Peculiar People who Prowl this Perplexing Planet", whose many publishers included Marvel Comics and Mad. At age 16 he sold his first nationally published work and began pitching comic strips to newspaper syndicates. His comic strip, Marco of Mars, was accepted by the Independent Syndicate of New York in 1929 but never distributed because it was deemed too similar to Buck Rogers, which debuted that year. Disk-Eyes the Detective and Spacehawks were published in 1938 in Circus comics. In 1940, Spacehawk (a different and improved feature) made its debut in Target Comics (Novelty Press), running for 30 episodes (262 pages) until 1942. Wolverton's humor feature Powerhouse Pepper, about a superstrong if none-too-bright boxer, appeared in various comic books published by Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s precursor of Marvel Comics, from 1942 through 1952 (76 episodes, 539 pages). Admirers consider that series a high-water mark of humorous comics, with its alliterative, rhyming dialogue, screwball comedy, and throwaway gags in background signs. In 1946 Wolverton won a contest to depict "Lena Hyena", the world's ugliest woman, a running gag in Al Capp's Li'l Abner newspaper strip where Lena remained unseen beneath an editorial note stating her face had been covered to protect readers. Capp, responding to popular demand, announced a contest for artists to submit their interpretations to be judged by Boris Karloff, Frank Sinatra and Salvador DalĂ­. Among 500,000 entries, Wolverton's was the winner; it appeared in a Li'l Abner daily and Life magazine. Wolverton's fame briefly lead to Life and Pageant printing his caricatures. The Lena portrait typified the unique "spaghetti and meatballs" style he employed regularly thereafter. In the 1950s, Wolverton produced 17 comic-book horror and science-fiction stories for Marvel and other comic-book publishers, including one story by author Daniel Keyes, which led to him being "hailed for creating uniquely grotesque monsters". Wolverton first appeared in Mad with a single panel in #10, drew Mad Reader! for #11 and also contributed an iconic Lena-like image to the cover of #11, which was billed as the "Beautiful Girl of the Month". Mocking the glossy cover images of Life Magazine, Wolverton's hag was Mad's first magazine parody cover image. Although Wolverton contributed sporadically to the title—appearing in just nine issues over two decades—his work was memorable enough that, in 2009, The New York Times dubbed him "The Michelangelo of Mad Magazine". In 1968 Wolverton did a series of posters for Topps, displaying his trademark twisted headshots, and in 1973 he returned to mainstream comics, illustrating several covers for Joe Orlando's satiric Plop! at DC Comics.
John Tesh 1952, musician, actor, Klingon Warrior - Star Trek: The Next Generation (1 episode, "The Icarus Factor", 1989), John Teshadactyl - Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby (1993) (TV) (voice).
Lisa Banes 1955, actress, Doctor Renhol - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1 episode, "Equilibrium", 1994), Elder - Last Exit to Earth (1996) (TV).
Brian Fitzpatrick 1957, actor, John Dillinger - Night Man (1 episode, "That Ol' Gang of Mine", 1997), Tedran, Kyrian Rebel Leader - Star Trek: Voyager (1 episode, "Living Witness", 1998).
Pamela Segall 1966, actress, Lori - Alf (1 episode, "Varsity Drag", 1988), Oji - Star Trek: The Next Generation (1 episode, "Who Watches the Watchers", 1989), Fairy - FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) (voice), Sparks - Phantom 2040 (11 episodes, 1994-1995), Dewey Duck - Quack Pack (39 episodes, 1996-1997), Mother/Sarah/Child - The New Batman Adventures (1 episode, 1997)(voice), Lucky - 101 Dalmatians: The Series (31 episodes, 1997-1998), Baloo - Jungle Cubs (21 episodes, 1996-1998), Zach Nichols - Adventures from the Book of Virtues (11 episodes, 1996-1998), Cousin Sow - Cow and Chicken (1 episode, "Sergeant Weenie Arms/Sow and Chicken/I.M. Weasel: I Am Bush Pilot", 1998), McNugget #1 - The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: Scared Silly (1998) (V) (voice), Baby Bear - O' Christmas Tree (1999) (V), Lester the Termite - The New Woody Woodpecker Show (1 episode, 1999)(voice), Judy - Spawn (2 episodes, 1999), Young Tito - Rocket Power (1 episode, 1999), Spinelli - Recess (11 episodes, 1997-2000), Tano - The Wild Thornberrys (1 episode, 2000), Leila - Vampire Hunter D (2000) (voice), Margaret Rose 'Moose' Pearson - Pepper Ann (9 episodes, 1999-2000), A.G. Skinner - The Trumpet of the Swan (2001) (voice), Otto/Waitress/Cat Woman/Woman #1 - Time Squad (3 episodes, 2001), Milo Oblong / Jared Klimer / The Debbies - The Oblongs... (8 episodes, 2001), Ashley Spinelli - Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street (2001) (V), Brother - Dexter's Laboratory (1 episode, 2002), Janey/Bobby Blather/Eddie - What's New, Scooby-Doo? (2 episodes, 2002), Jue - Final Flight of the Osiris (2003) (voice), Manabu - The Animatrix: Beyond (2003) (voice), Spinelli - Recess: All Growed Down (2003) (V) (voice), Spinelli - Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade (2003) (V), Spinelli - Lilo & Stitch: The Series (1 episode, 2006), Hector MacBadger - Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks (36 episodes, 2003-2006), Andy Johnson/Mrs. Runion - Squirrel Boy (12 episodes, 2006-2007), Vidia - Tinker Bell (2008) (V) (voice), Mademmoiselle DeBoursay / Trini Bird / Claire / Cathy / Mrs. Vronchy - The Drinky Crow Show (7 episodes, 2008-2009), Vidia - Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009) (voice), Bobby Hill - King of the Hill (254 episodes, 1997-2009), Birthday Girl/Eileen/Old Woman - Wordgirl (5 episodes, 2007-2010), Kevin's Mother - Ben 10: Alien Force (1 episode, 2010).
Enrique Murciano 1973, actor, Tolaris - Star Trek: Enterprise (1 episode, "Fusion", 2002).
Linda Park 1978, actress, Hannah - Jurassic Park III (2001), Lieutenant Hoshi Sato / Ensign Hoshi Sato - Star Trek: Enterprise (98 episodes, 2001-2005).
Christopher Jewett 1980, actor, Crewman #1 - Star Trek: Enterprise (1 episode, "Bound", 2005),
Megan Parlen 1980, actress, Young Ro Laren - Star Trek: The Next Generation (1 episode, "Rascals", 1992), Girl #1 - Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1 episode, "Witness", 1994), Lydia - Elysium (2003) (voice).
Charles Sherlock 1900, actor, Palace Televisor Operator - Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938), 2nd Jake, Second Truck Driver - Dick Tracy Returns (1938)[Ch. 6], Ship Henchman - Mandrake the Magician (1939)[Ch. 1], Car 14 Trooper - Dick Tracy's G-Men (1939)[Ch. 15], Bud, Bus #16 Driver - The Green Hornet (1940)[Ch. 6], Guard Kroad - Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)[Ch. 11], Spotter, Henchman #12 - Captain Midnight (1942), Daily Planet Worker - Superman (1948)[Chs. 4, 6-7, 11 & 14], Government Man - The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Military Man - Tobor the Great (1954), Airline Pilot - The Colossus of New York (1958).


Events

1933, Wash Tubbs Sunday strip ends.
1982, Tron is released.

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