Get in while you can!
By PETER BOSCH
The end of summer is just about upon us! The last days of enjoying the parties by the ocean and, of course, swimming, surfing, and sunbathing! But since today, August 30, is National Beach Day, go on, get out and celebrate while you can!
National Beach Day was created in 2014 as a way to celebrate our beaches but also to promote conserving the coastal environment. So pick up your trash when you are done and keep it looking as wonderful as you found it!
Now, before we jump into 13 COVERS that celebrate the sand, surf, and sky, here’s something to get you ready:
OK, grab your chick, grab your board, and let’s go-go-go!
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Beach Blanket Bingo comic book adaptation (Dell, 1965). Art by John Tartaglione.
Betty and Veronica Spectacular #83 (July 2008, Archie). Art by Dan Parent.
Archie Comics Digest #253 (Sept. 2014, Archie). Cover art by Jeff Shultz (pencils) and Bob Smith (inks).
Donald Duck’s Beach Party #6 (1959, Dell). Cover pencil art by Tony Strobl. Unknown final cover painting artist.
Bugs Bunny’s Beach Party (Dell Giant #32) (Aug. 1960, Dell). Cover pencils by Tony Strobl, with finishing colors by Norm McGary.
The Flintstones #1 (Nov. 1970, Charlton). Cover art possibly by Ray Dirgo.
Comic Cavalcade #3 (Summer 1943, DC; art by Frank Harry) and World’s Finest #36 (Sept.-Oct. 1948; art by Win Mortimer).
Art for Action Comics #1068 cover (Oct. 2024) by Frank Cho. Inspired by Sea World’s 1976 DC tribute on the right(?).
DC’s Beach Blanket Bad Guys Summer Special #1 (Sept. 2018). Cover art by Amanda Connor.
Marvel Swimsuit Special: Brand New Beach Day #1 (Sept. 2026). Cover art by John Romita, Jr. (pencils) and Scott Hanna (inks).
DC’s Hawk-Girl Summer #1 (Sept. 2026). A blanket toss to end the summer! Variant cover art by Lesley Leirix Li.
Hopefully, you have a beach near you (here in California, we have an entire coastline and do we love them!) — but if you can’t get to the ocean, maybe a pool party will be your choice. NOTE: Please do not try the blanket toss from the previous cover if you’re having a rooftop pool party like this:
Marvel Swimsuit Special: Brand New Beach Day #1 (Sept. 2026). Another variant cover, this one by J. Scott Campbell.
Happy National Beach Day, everyone!
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MORE
— NATIONAL BIKINI DAY: Get Into the Swim of Things With BETTY AND VERONICA. Click here.
— HURRY! Grab This Groovy BATMAN Beach Towel Before the Summer Ends. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. (You can buy it here.) A sequel, American Movie Comic Books: 1930s-1970s — From the Silver Screen to the Printed Page, is out now. (Buy it here.) Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
