Every day has a story in comics — and This Day in Comic Book History tells it. Join us for a daily deep dive into the debuts, birthdays, milestones, and losses that shaped the medium we love. From Golden Age newspaper strips to modern superhero epics, from trailblazing creators to legendary runs, we cover it all. New episode every day. Find back issues, pre-orders, and new releases at Epic Panels Comics.

EPISODE TITLE This Day in Comic Book History – June 29: Brenda Starr, Christopher Priest, and Superman #1100

EPISODE DESCRIPTION June 29th is one of the most loaded dates in comic book history. We cover the groundbreaking 1940 debut of Brenda Starr, Reporter, celebrate the birthdays of Sandman artist Shawn McManus, trailblazing writer-editor Christopher Priest, and ensemble superhero specialist Mike McKone, remember the 1993 closure of the iconic Belgian Tintin magazine, and mark the passing of Warren Publishing artist Jaime Brocal Remohi. Plus — today is your last chance to pre-order Action Comics #1100.

SHOW NOTES

Featured on Today's Episode

Dale Messick & Brenda Starr, Reporter (1940)

• Launched in the Chicago Tribune Sunday supplement in June 1940
• Messick was the first woman to create and draw a major nationally syndicated adventure strip
• Adopted the gender-neutral name "Dale" (born Dalia) to avoid rejection from male editors
• Editorial assistant Mollie Slott rescued her submission from the trash and championed its publication
• Brenda Starr — a glamorous, red-headed reporter modeled on Rita Hayworth — ran for 71 years, ending in January 2011

Birthdays

• Shawn McManus (b. June 29, 1958) — Artist on Neil Gaiman's Sandman, including the A Game of You arc and issue #19, A Midsummer Night's Dream. That issue remains the only comic ever to win the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction.
• Christopher Priest (b. June 29, 1961) — Born James Christopher Owsley. The first African American editor in mainstream comics (Marvel, 1984, age 22), and the youngest editor in Marvel history at the time. Later became the first Black writer-editor at DC Comics. Helped lay the groundwork for Milestone Media. Wrote the definitive Black Panther run beginning in 1998, introducing Everett K. Ross and shaping the modern Wakanda later adapted by the MCU. Also known for the acclaimed Quantum and Woody.
• Mike McKone (b. June 29, 1969) — British artist known for his clean, precise ensemble superhero work on Teen Titans, Avengers: The Initiative, and Fantastic Four.

This Date in History

• June 29, 1993 — The Belgian weekly comics magazine Tintin published its final issue after 46 years in print. Home to Hergé's Tintin, Edgar Jacobs' Blake and Mortimer, and dozens of other beloved European series.
• June 29, 2002 — Death of Jaime Brocal Remohi, Spanish artist known for his work in Warren Publishing's horror anthologies Eerie, Creepy, and Vampirella.

New Comics – June 29, 2022

• Detective Comics #1061
• The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #3
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #294 (written by Larry Hama)

Today – June 29, 2026

• Final Order Cutoff: Action Comics #1100 — Superman's 1100th issue. Written by Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Sophie Campbell, and Dan Slott. Art by Ryan Sook, Dan Mora, and more. 56 pages. Pre-order today — it's your last chance.

Find back issues, pre-orders, and new releases at Epic Panels Comics.