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John Wells Comics

@johnwellscomics.bsky.social
402 followers 142 following 292 posts

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.

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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
True in 1941. True in 2026. Source: Action Comics #34, by Jerry Siegel and Jack Burnley.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Remembering... Frank Cho ("Emergency Relief"), Eric Drooker ("Artists Respond") and Alex Ross (DC and Marvel) drew the covers for these 9/11 fundraiser comics.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
E.C. Segar's Thimble Theatre: Feb. 12, 1933.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I scoffed when Superman turned Earth backward at the climax of the 1978 movie--"He could never do that in the comics!"--but there WAS a precedent. In 1953's SUPERMAN #84, the Man of Steel got fed up with Lois' attempts to expose him as Clark, so he reversed time to start over. Art by Al Plastino.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
R.I.P. Gloria Steinem (1934-2026), a champion for equality and lifelong fan of Wonder Woman. Comics fans may remember her best for showcasing WW on Ms. #1 in 1972 (art by Murphy Anderson) and advocating for Diana Prince to reclaim her powers and costume in the comics. Tribute art by Clay Bennett.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
September 1, 1966: Barry Allen marries Iris Allen in THE FLASH #165 sixty years ago this week despite the Reverse-Flash crashing the wedding. I bought my copy about 1979 at a huge flea market in Burlington, IA. Cover art (cleverly signed) by Murphy Anderson. See less
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly was a force of nature. She invested her whole self in every song she wrote and that was a towering achievement in itself. But she went beyond that and demonstrated how to conduct yourself as a citizen of the world. She asked, "What would Jesus do?" and then did it...every day of her life.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
May 23, 1945: "When we Americans hear of some outrage that does not touch us personally, we're apt to do three things..."
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
"Racial and religious hatred are the pistol at the head of democracy." -- Joe Palooka (and writer Ham Fisher) telling it like it is to millions of newspaper readers on July 5, 1948.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
July 4, 1976: Gus Arriola's Gordo celebrates the Bicentennial and the kinship of the United States and #Mexico. #America250 #July4th
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
July 4, 1976: Comic strips celebrate the Bicentennial! #America250 #July4th
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Gordo, by Gus Arriola: May 5, 1974.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
A July 1961 DC Comics public service announcement by Jack Schiff and Bernard Baily.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Happy National Superhero Day!
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Happy 88th birthday to Superman (and Lois Lane, too) on the occasion of Action Comics #1's first publication in 1938. Thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for creating a true American hero and to all the great writers and artists who followed. #supermanday
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Berry's World, by Jim Berry: March 16, 1969.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
A Jules Feiffer cartoon on Nixon from April 28, 1974. Why does this seem so familiar?
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
My favorite variant covers of the week: Catwoman #84 (Frank Cho), Black Panther 60th Anniversary Special #1 (Steve Rude), and Nightwing #135 (Dave Johnson).
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Love and the Single Supergirl. Two of this week's covers for issue #10 by Sophie Campbell and Joe Quinones.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
This week, in ACTION COMICS #1095, Mark Waid finally fixes a long absent omission from Superboy mythology with a 21st Century reconsideration of how Clark Kent's best friend Pete Ross deals with suddenly having a big big secret. It's note perfect. Art by Patricio Delpeche, Ryan Sook & Chris Sprouse
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Mike Rosenthal
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Happy #LibraryShelfieDay
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
"Boy and Moon," by Edward Hopper (circa 1906-1907).
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Shhh, it's National Squirrel Appreciation Day! Art by Erica Henderson.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
From the recent (and wonderful) hardback showcase of Rea Irvin's THE SMYTHES: April 16, 1933.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
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.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
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.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Pogo, by Neal Sternecky: January 1, 1992.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
The Family Circus, by Bil Keane: December 18, 1966.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
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.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
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!
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Hagar the Horrible, by Dik Browne: December 18, 1973.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Charles Addams, for The New Yorker: December 21, 1946.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
December 17, 1950: excerpt from Little Annie Rooney, by Brandon Walsh and Darrell McClure.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Little Dot #29 (1957). Art by Warren Kremer.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Frank Miller for the Des Moines Register: December 14, 1958.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
December 20, 1964: Lolly, by Pete Hansen.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Joseph Leyendecker for the Saturday Evening Post (Dec. 26, 1936).
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
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.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
The Family Circus, by Bil Keane: December 11, 1968.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
December 10, 1950: A full-page ad in the Sunday comics section.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
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.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
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.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
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.
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts has been detained by ICE agents. Protests are happening in Des Moines now! www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/202...
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John Wells Comics @johnwellscomics.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
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