Posted By Dan Greenfield on Oct 14, 2026 | 3 comments

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 66 years ago…

This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott and I are selecting comics that came out the week of Oct. 14, 1960.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Oct. 7, 1956. Click here to check it out.

(Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are the issues that went on sale between Oct. 11 and Oct. 17.)

So, let’s set the scene: Only weeks remained in the 1960 presidential race and on Oct. 13, Republican Vice President Richard Nixon and Democratic U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts made history by engaging in a live debate while in separate cities. It was the third of four between the two, and because of their campaign schedules, Kennedy was in New York while Nixon was in Los Angeles. The debate was shown in split-screen and the candidates could react to each other in real time.

The race was incredibly tight but Nixon had stumbled badly in the first debate in September: Declining makeup and wearing a gray suit, Nixon came off as ashen and clammy, as he sweat under the hot TV lights. Kennedy, on the other hand, seemed cool and confident. With television playing a bigger role in presidential politics than ever before, Kennedy came away the victor (though the story goes that radio listeners felt that Nixon had the upper hand).

In any event, they debated again Oct. 7, and in this week’s showdown, Nixon arranged for air conditioning in the Hollywood studio from where he was televised.

The doctored photo on the left has made the rounds, while the one on the right is the original. Either way, Khrushchev is not believed to have banged his shoe at the rostrum.

Nikita Khrushchev’s most famous moment as Soviet leader was when he took off his right shoe at a U.N. General Assembly meeting and banged it at his delegate desk, and that moment was this week. If it actually happened at all. Here’s what we know: On Oct. 12, Khrushchev lost his shit when Filipino delegate Lorenzo Sumulong criticized Soviet policy and the lack of civil rights in Eastern Europe. What happened after that is in question, because there is no video footage or photographic evidence one way or the other.

The story goes that Khrushchev slammed his fists, then his right shoe on the desk (there are variations of this) while others say he slammed his fists and just brandished his shoe. Footage of the Russian leader at the rostrum shows no shoe-banging whatsoever (and both shoes are on his feet when he walks back to his desk). But Khrushchev, who was nothing if not theatrical, loved the idea of the shoe story and, ahem, ran with it.

IN OTHER NEWS

— Oct. 13 gave us one of the greatest moments in baseball history — to the chagrin of Yankees fans everywhere. In the bottom of the ninth inning at Forbes Field in Pittburgh, Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski smashed one over the fence in left field, giving the Bucs a championship-clinching, 10-9, win in Game 7 of the World Series, the team’s first title since 1925. It was the first time a team won the Series on a walk-off home run, although that term wouldn’t be invented for decades.

— Maz’s shot was the end of an era — the last game when there were only eight teams in both the American League and National League. The AL owners had already voted to expand by two teams, and this week, on Oct. 17, the NL followed suit, giving new franchises to New York and Houston. (The four new clubs were to begin play in 1962, but the American League owners pushed up their timeline before the end of the October, and the Los Angeles Angels and expansion Washington Senators would take the field in 1961. At the same time, the original Senators moved to Minnesota to become the Twins.)

— Five days after the Pirates beat the Yanks, Casey Stengel was fired by the Bronx Bombers because of his age. In 12 years, he’d won 10 pennants and seven Series titles — including a still-standing record of five in a row, from 1949 to 1953. Said Stengel: “I’ll never make the mistake of being 70 again.”

— On Oct. 14, in a brief speech at the University of Michigan, Kennedy first mentioned the idea of the Peace Corps.

— On Oct. 12, a Baltimore mother named Madalyn Murray took her her 14-year-old son, William, out of the public Woodbourne Junior High School rather than have him continue to participate in a daily Bible reading. Her decision would become famous: Murray, later Madalyn Murray O’Hair, would found the American Atheists and become the nation’s most prominent advocate for the division between church and state.

— On Oct. 13, three mice were launched in an American rocket to an altitude of 700 miles and came back alive — becoming the first Earthlings to survive a trip of that distance into outer space.

— On Oct. 12, the Sunday Bomber (also known as the Holiday Bomber) struck for the third time, in the Times Square subway station, hurting 33. It was the third such attack in 11 days. He would strike a total of five times — but the case was never solved. Police ultimately arrested a suspect, Walter Long, who is almost certain to have been the culprit, but he escaped while being transferred to Bellevue and was never heard from again.

Ben-Hur came out in November 1959 but was still dominating the box office almost a year later. Other films in the mix included the recently released, competing epic Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas; the drama The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, starring Robert Preston; the psychological thriller Midnight Lace, starring Doris Day; and the ultimate Rat Pack flick Ocean’s 11, headlined by Frank Sinatra, naturally. The previously blacklisted Dalton Trumbo received full screenplay credit for Spartacus.

What’s up, Doc? Making its TV debut this week (Oct. 11) was The Bugs Bunny Show, originally a primetime program, featuring three theatrical Looney Tunes cartoons linked by new framing sequences. By the time I got to see it, it had already moved to Saturday mornings.

The Andy Griffith Show and Route 66 both premiered this month, and a young comedy duo — Burns and Carlin (as in Jack Burns and George Carlin) — made its first appearance on national TV, on Oct. 10’s The Tonight Show, hosted by Jack Paar.

Other than the World Series, the ratings grabbers included Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Have Gun — Will Travel, The Untouchables and 77 Sunset Strip.

The novelty song Mr. Custer by Larry Verne topped the singles charts, with Sam Cooke’s Chain Gang at No. 2. Chubby Checker had The Twist at No. 5, and the King was at No. 11 with It’s Now or Never.

The Kingston Trio’s String Along was a top LP seller, as was Nice ‘N’ Easy by Ol’ Blue Eyes. Comedy albums were a big thing and The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was killing it.

It’s now or never. Come hold me tight…

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Scott Tipton, contributor-at-large, 13th Dimension

Batman #136, DC. That Joker sky sled is nightmare fuel.

Dan adds: Of the 1,000,006 Batman vehicle models Eaglemoss did, I cannot believe the Joker’s sky sled wasn’t one of them.

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Challengers of the Unknown #17, DC. That is one slick-looking space monster.

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Blackhawk #155, DC. If nothing else, at least she won’t have to change her last name…

Dan adds: Ahhh, one of the great comics swipes of all time. Dick Dillin (inked by Chuck Cuidera) does his best imitation of 1959’s Batman #122, by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye. (Though, to be fair, perhaps the blame goes to the editors, who were the same on both books: Jack Schiff, Murray Boltinoff and George Kashdan).

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My Greatest Adventure #50, DC. “Radi-screen” furnished by Atari.

Dan adds: I was thinking Lite-Brite, myself.

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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

Space Adventures #38, Charlton. A Steve Ditko Captain Atom cover completely crowded out by an oversize blurb and an ad. There were also three Ditko Captain Atom stories in the ish. By the way, which Captain Atom outfit do you like the best: original red-and-gold, the blue-and-red version, or the ’80s style metallic blue/silver. I’m Door No. 3 all the way.

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My Secret Life #38, Charlton. You had the wrong kind? I’ve never had the wrong kind, ever. My worst one was right… on the money.

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