This Day in Comic Book History: June 22
This Day in Comic Book History: June 22
June 22 is a birthday bonanza for comic book fans — from a TV writer who brought new life to the X-Men to the first woman to pencil a Batman issue for DC Comics.
June 22, 1964: Birth of Joss Whedon, Astonishing X-Men Writer
Joss Whedon Born — June 22
Astonishing X-Men · Buffy the Vampire Slayer · Directed Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
Born on June 22, 1964, Joss Whedon is best known to comic fans for his remarkable 2004–2008 run on Astonishing X-Men with artist John Cassaday, consistently cited as among the finest X-Men stories ever written. He also created Buffy the Vampire Slayer and directed Marvel's The Avengers (2012).
June 22, 1980: Birth of Becky Cloonan, Batman History-Maker
Becky Cloonan Born — June 22
First woman to pencil Batman for DC · Batman #0 (2012) · Demo · Punisher
Born on June 22, 1980, Becky Cloonan made history in 2012 when she became the first woman to pencil a Batman issue for DC Comics — Batman #0, part of Scott Snyder's legendary run. She is equally celebrated for her creator-owned indie work and her Punisher run for Marvel.
June 22, 1924: Birth of Frank Bolle
Frank Bolle Born — June 22
The Heart of Juliet Jones · Apartment 3-G · Master of soap-opera newspaper comics
Frank Bolle, born June 22, 1924, mastered the soap-opera narrative style in American newspaper comics, best known for The Heart of Juliet Jones and Apartment 3-G, two of the most popular continuity strips of the mid-20th century.
June 22, 1957: Birth of Igor Kordej
Igor Kordej Born — June 22
Croatian comic artist · New X-Men · Adamson Award winner
Igor Kordej, born June 22, 1957, is an internationally recognized Croatian comic artist whose painterly style earned him the Adamson Award — Scandinavia's top comics prize — and credits on New X-Men for Marvel.
June 22, 2005: Death of Sam Kweskin
Sam Kweskin — June 22
Atlas Comics artist · 1950s pre-Marvel era · Horror, sci-fi, war and western comics
On June 22, 2005, the comics world mourned the loss of Sam Kweskin, whose contributions to Atlas Comics — Marvel's 1950s precursor — helped keep the industry alive during its most difficult years after the 1954 Senate hearings.
🏆 Top 10 Key Comics Tied to June 22 History
- Astonishing X-Men #1 (July 2004) — Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's landmark X-Men run; Whedon born this date in 1964.
- Batman #0 (November 2012) — Penciled by Becky Cloonan, born this date in 1980 — first woman to draw a main Batman issue for DC.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 (March 1998) — Dark Horse Comics adaptation of Joss Whedon's hit TV show.
- Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975) — The "All-New, All-Different" X-Men; foundation for Whedon's Astonishing run.
- X-Men #1 (November 1963) — First X-Men; the series Whedon revitalized with Astonishing X-Men in 2004.
- Demo #1 (November 2003) — Becky Cloonan's breakthrough creator-owned series (with Brian Wood).
- Punisher MAX #1 (March 2004) — Adult-readers Punisher series that Becky Cloonan later wrote for Marvel.
- New X-Men #114 (August 2001) — Grant Morrison's boundary-pushing X-Men relaunch; Igor Kordej contributed artwork.
- Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988) — First full Venom; one of the greatest Copper Age key issues.
- Avengers #1 (September 1963) — First Avengers; Joss Whedon directed the 2012 film adaptation.
Visit Epic Panels Comics to find issues featuring the legendary creators born on June 22!