A MORRISON MONDAYS! (early) birthday salute…
By BILL MORRISON
During my days at Bongo, one of the biggest perks that came with the job was getting to work with some of the most talented people in the comic book industry. Some were mainstays who produced wonderful work for our books from month to month, like Ian Boothby, James Lloyd, and Phil Ortiz. Some were artists and writers we knew from their output for other publishers who occasionally took assignments to fill the gaps between jobs, such as Ty Templeton, Scott Shaw!, and Chuck Dixon. And others were guest stars, like Bernie Wrightson, Len Wein, and Al Williamson.
Most of those in the “guest star” category wrote and drew stories for our annual Treehouse of Horror issue, but occasionally we had a special guest who contributed to one of our other titles. One such superstar creator was Howard Chaykin. What’s that you ask? “Howard Chaykin contributed to a Simpsons comic book?” Yes, indeedly doodly, he did!
The issue was Radioactive Man #575, published in 2002 and a tribute to Howard’s highly acclaimed ’80s American Flagg! series. The Irradiated Crusader’s Eisner Award-winning scribe at the time, Batton Lash, concocted a spectacular homage to American Flagg!, providing not only a hilarious script but also layouts that harked back to Howard’s iconic style, circa 1984. He also added Zipatone shading film to Mike DeCarlo’s and Bob Smith’s finished art to make the parody complete!
Bat had worked as Chaykin’s assistant early in his career, and not only knew the source material inside and out, but also still knew Howard’s phone number. He suggested to me (as editor) that he could contact his former boss and ask him to draw the cover for the issue, and naturally I was all-in on that idea! I had been a fan of Howard’s work for many years, and especially loved the American Flagg! series.
Aside from the gripping science fiction, brilliant political satire, and striking art, how could I not love a comic that includes a recipe for the titular character’s favorite dish! So, the possibility of getting Howard Chaykin to draw a Radioactive Man cover was beyond thrilling! Howard replied to Bat’s request in the affirmative, and Bongo got to add Mr. Chaykin to its illustrious roster of contributors!
A few years later, I got to know Howard on a handful of trips to Germany. We both shared a European publisher (Panini) and they brought us over for various comics festivals. It didn’t take long for us to become fast friends.
Howard usually has very well-thought-out opinions on things, but I’ve never asked him, nor read in print, how he feels about birthdays. He’s having one tomorrow, Oct. 6, but I don’t know if he’s planning to celebrate it boisterously or to let it pass by quietly. But I do know that I’m celebrating it, and that his legions of fans are too.
So, Happy Birthday to my pal, Howard Chaykin! In his honor, I’m going to make Reuben Flagg’s favorite dish, Spaghetti Alpha Carbonara — and if you don’t know what that is, get your hands on a copy of American Flagg! #2 for the recipe!
—
Want more MORRISON MONDAYS? Come back next week! Want a commission? See below!
—
MORE
— ROLL UP: My High-Flying Take on ARCHIE MEETS JAY & SILENT BOB. Click here.
— HARLEY QUINN, ELVIRA and a Salute to the First, Full-Fledged Horror Comic. Click here.
—
Eisner winner BILL MORRISON has been working in comics and publishing since 1993 when he co-founded Bongo Entertainment with Matt Groening, Cindy Vance and Steve Vance. At Bongo, and later as Executive Editor of Mad Magazine, he parodied the comics images he loved as a kid every chance he got. Not much has changed.
Bill is on Instagram (@atomicbattery) and Facebook (Bill Morrison/Atomic Battery Studios), and regularly takes commissions and sells published art through 4C Comics.
October 11, 2025
Read the recipe in the comic and I had to try it. Went to an upscale yet affordable Italian restaurant a couple of blocks away and it did not disappoint.
Of course, now, at this age, I just read Spaghetti Carbonara and the cholesterol blows up. Yikes.
Too, it could be me or my generation or whatever, but I find Chaykin a very special talent. I’m slowly working my way through a book of interviews with him and was inspired to read that Blackhawk book he did for the first time since it was originally published. And by and by, it did not disappoint. Actually, it was nearly perfect.