John Wells Comics
@johnwellscomics.bsky.social
Writer of AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: 1960-1964 & 1965-1969, the Eisner-nominated COMIC BOOK IMPLOSION (w/Keith Dallas) and lots of other things. Major DC Comics historian and consultant. Newspaper comic strip fan/preservationist. I contain multitudes.
"Boy and Moon," by Edward Hopper (circa 1906-1907).
January 23, 2026 at 12:10 PM
"Boy and Moon," by Edward Hopper (circa 1906-1907).
Shhh, it's National Squirrel Appreciation Day!
Art by Erica Henderson.
Art by Erica Henderson.
January 21, 2026 at 11:57 AM
Shhh, it's National Squirrel Appreciation Day!
Art by Erica Henderson.
Art by Erica Henderson.
From the recent (and wonderful) hardback showcase of Rea Irvin's THE SMYTHES: April 16, 1933.
January 19, 2026 at 2:55 AM
From the recent (and wonderful) hardback showcase of Rea Irvin's THE SMYTHES: April 16, 1933.
January 14, 1951: Famed Captain Marvel artist C.C. Beck also had an advertising studio that produced a few Sunday comics ads like this one meant to publicize Unicorn Press' New Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia. The grand prize was a whopping $102,500.
January 14, 2026 at 10:58 PM
January 14, 1951: Famed Captain Marvel artist C.C. Beck also had an advertising studio that produced a few Sunday comics ads like this one meant to publicize Unicorn Press' New Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia. The grand prize was a whopping $102,500.
WONDER WOMAN: THE SILVER AGE OMNIBUS, VOL. 3, for which I wrote the foreword. I'm not sure of the exact on-sale date but it will be sometime in January.
January 2, 2026 at 12:47 PM
WONDER WOMAN: THE SILVER AGE OMNIBUS, VOL. 3, for which I wrote the foreword. I'm not sure of the exact on-sale date but it will be sometime in January.
Pogo, by Neal Sternecky: January 1, 1992.
January 1, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Pogo, by Neal Sternecky: January 1, 1992.
The Family Circus, by Bil Keane: December 18, 1966.
December 22, 2025 at 12:12 PM
The Family Circus, by Bil Keane: December 18, 1966.
King Features' 1949 promotional Christmas Carol book "Sing With King" included this piece by BUZ SAWYER's Roy Crane featuring Buz (far right), Buz's wife Christy and Buz's pal Roscoe Sweeney.
December 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
King Features' 1949 promotional Christmas Carol book "Sing With King" included this piece by BUZ SAWYER's Roy Crane featuring Buz (far right), Buz's wife Christy and Buz's pal Roscoe Sweeney.
This wonderful original by Scott Koblish arrived today! A few months back, Scott reached out to see if I had a list of every established Green Lantern in DC's history. He needed reference for his upcoming GREEN LANTERN #600 variant cover. I came up with--gulp!--eleven pages of names!
December 19, 2025 at 11:56 PM
This wonderful original by Scott Koblish arrived today! A few months back, Scott reached out to see if I had a list of every established Green Lantern in DC's history. He needed reference for his upcoming GREEN LANTERN #600 variant cover. I came up with--gulp!--eleven pages of names!
Hagar the Horrible, by Dik Browne: December 18, 1973.
December 18, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Hagar the Horrible, by Dik Browne: December 18, 1973.
Charles Addams, for The New Yorker: December 21, 1946.
December 18, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Charles Addams, for The New Yorker: December 21, 1946.
December 17, 1950: excerpt from Little Annie Rooney, by Brandon Walsh and Darrell McClure.
December 17, 2025 at 11:19 PM
December 17, 1950: excerpt from Little Annie Rooney, by Brandon Walsh and Darrell McClure.
Little Dot #29 (1957). Art by Warren Kremer.
December 16, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Little Dot #29 (1957). Art by Warren Kremer.
Frank Miller for the Des Moines Register: December 14, 1958.
December 14, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Frank Miller for the Des Moines Register: December 14, 1958.
December 20, 1964: Lolly, by Pete Hansen.
December 13, 2025 at 6:18 PM
December 20, 1964: Lolly, by Pete Hansen.
Joseph Leyendecker for the Saturday Evening Post (Dec. 26, 1936).
December 13, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Joseph Leyendecker for the Saturday Evening Post (Dec. 26, 1936).
Christmas 1988: Neither snow nor rain nor Skrulls nor Doctor Doom would keep Willie Lumpkin from his appointed rounds. Art by John Byrne from Marvel Comics Presents #18.
December 12, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Christmas 1988: Neither snow nor rain nor Skrulls nor Doctor Doom would keep Willie Lumpkin from his appointed rounds. Art by John Byrne from Marvel Comics Presents #18.
The Family Circus, by Bil Keane: December 11, 1968.
December 11, 2025 at 12:09 PM
The Family Circus, by Bil Keane: December 11, 1968.
December 10, 1950: A full-page ad in the Sunday comics section.
December 10, 2025 at 11:34 PM
December 10, 1950: A full-page ad in the Sunday comics section.
When Schulz recycled this line from his November 18, 1961 strip for 1965's "A Charlie Brown Christmas," he transferred the key dialogue in panel two from Linus to Sally.
December 9, 2025 at 11:23 PM
When Schulz recycled this line from his November 18, 1961 strip for 1965's "A Charlie Brown Christmas," he transferred the key dialogue in panel two from Linus to Sally.
A year after "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first aired, Charles Schulz recalled Linus’ show-stopping scene in the December 18, 1966 Sunday strip. Scan via Fantagraphics’ The Complete Peanuts.
December 9, 2025 at 11:22 PM
A year after "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first aired, Charles Schulz recalled Linus’ show-stopping scene in the December 18, 1966 Sunday strip. Scan via Fantagraphics’ The Complete Peanuts.
December 9, 1965: Written by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, the CBS special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” drew dialogue directly from earlier comic strips and faithfully translated the heart and bite of the feature to a degree that few adaptations have ever pulled off.
December 9, 2025 at 11:20 PM
December 9, 1965: Written by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, the CBS special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” drew dialogue directly from earlier comic strips and faithfully translated the heart and bite of the feature to a degree that few adaptations have ever pulled off.
