It’s NATIONAL LIPSTICK DAY! Pucker up, buttercup!
By PETER BOSCH
Each year on July 29, there is an unofficial holiday called National Lipstick Day and while there are probably hundreds, maybe thousands, of comics showing lipstick in some way that could tie into it — there is only one where it is the absolute raison d’être. And it was a Lois Lane story about “Plan L.”
Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #29 (Nov. 1961). Cover art by Curt Swan (penciller) and Stan Kaye (inker).
With that, diehard Silver Age fans likely just bowed their heads, covered their faces, and shook their heads slowly from side to side: “Not that, please not that.”
Yes, that.
A word of explanation: In the early 1960s, Mort Weisinger was editor of the Superman titles, which included Superman; Action Comics; Adventure Comics; World’s Finest Comics; Superboy; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen, and… yes… Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane. Weisinger loved incredible and imaginative plots in his comics, many of which had a straightforward storyline at first glance, to fool, say, the citizens of Metropolis or aliens or bad guys, but, behind it all, was an intricate sub-plot concocted by Superman or one of the other characters.
A perfect example was when Jimmy Olsen was to be paid $1,000 by a press agent of a new horror film to spend three nights in a haunted house. Jimmy agreed and moved in… and the first two nights were filled with spooky figures and loud noises. And, then, approaching the final night, we learned that the “press agent” was actually the head of a criminal gang that was secretly drilling into the vault of the bank next door (shades of the 1942 Edward G. Robinson comedy Larceny, Inc.) and the spooky noises were to cover up the sound of their drilling machine.
Now, back to National Lipstick Day, created to wear colorful lip shades to celebrate the cosmetic – which dates back approximately 5,000 years to the time of the Sumerians. You can do that — and also have fun reading “The Irresistible Lois Lane!” from Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #29 (Nov. 1961), with a script by Robert Bernstein and cover illustration and story art by Curt Swan (pencils) and Stan Kaye (inks):
—
Oh, by the way — our pal Kerry Callen once did a gif of the cover. Mmmmm.
—
MORE
— It’s NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY! Let’s Hear It for HERBIE, THE FAT FURY. Click here.
— NATIONAL BIKINI DAY: Get Into the Swim of Things With BETTY AND VERONICA. Click here.
—
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.
