With due apologies to our friends Down Under, what better way is there to chase away the midwinter blues than by cracking open another time capsule?
So let’s warm up by looking back at another February from a half-century ago, and celebrate Motown’s first hit, Marilyn’s last movie, the return of a celebrated artist to the DC ranks, and the debut of one of DC’s quirkiest and long-lived war features…
Headlines of the Month:
1st - 1st full-scale test of US Minuteman ICBM is successful
6th - "Jail, No Bail" Jail-in movement starts in Rock Hill, South Carolina in protest of racism and segregation
9th - The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Pete Best) perform at Liverpool's Cavern Club for the first time
10th - Niagara Falls hydroelectric project begins producing power
11th - Trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem
12th - USSR launches Venera 1 toward Venus
15th - Entire US figure skating team of 18, dies in Belgian Sabena 707 crash
16th - China uses it's 1st nuclear reactor
24th - U.S. Explorer 10 fails to reach Earth orbit
Newsreel of the Month (NATO War Games – February 9, 1961)
Magazine Cover of the Month (Boys’ Life – “Homecoming” by Norman Rockwell, February 1961 issue)

Music of the Month: (highlighted by Motown’s first big hit – they don’t come much smoother than these guys…)
US Top Singles
1. Calcutta - Lawrence Welk
2. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Shirelles
3. Shop Around – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
4. Pony Time - Chubby Checker
5. Exodus - Ferrante & Teicher
UK Top Singles
1. Are You Lonesome Tonight - Elvis Presley
2. Sailor - Petula Clarke
3. Rubber Ball - Bobby Vee
4. You're Sixteen - Johnny Burnette
5. Pepe - Duane Eddy
TV clip of the month (In the Twilight Zone episode “A Penny for Your Thoughts”, Dick York, later of Bewitched, suddenly gains the ability to read minds with amusing results – originally aired February 3, 1961)
Movie of the month (The Misfits, starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift – released on February 1, 1961)
Sports Moment of the Month (Boston Celtic Bill Russell grabs 40 rebounds to beat Warriors 136-125)

Top 10 DC Comics of the Month (as selected by Osgood Peabody, in order of publication):
House of Mystery #109: Notable not for the cover story, but that after a lapse of several years, ace artist Alex Toth makes his return to DC with “Track of the Invisible Beast”! (cover by Dick Dillin & Sheldon Moldoff)

Sugar & Spike #34: Our favorite toddlers learn how to play ball and go on a quest for cookies (cover by Shelly Mayer)

G.I. Combat #87: A tank commander aided by the ghost of a Civil War general? It’s the story that introduces the bizarre Haunted Tank (though surprisingly not featured on the cover!) (cover by Russ Heath & Jack Adler)

Batman #139: The original Bat-Girl, Betty Kane, makes her debut, plus the Signal Man takes on the identity of the Blue Bowman, and the Dynamic Duo must survive “The Island of 1,000 Traps”! (cover by Sheldon Moldoff)

Justice League of America #4: The World’s Greatest Superheroes welcome their first new member as the Green Arrow proves his mettle in “Doom of the Star Diamond”! (cover by Murphy Anderson)

Action Comics #275: Brainiac makes his 3rd appearance, attacking the Man of Steel with a diabolical blend of Red/Green K! (cover by Curt Swan & Stan Kaye)

Adventure Comics #283: Another staple of Mort Weisinger’s Silver Age, the Phantom Zone, makes its first appearance in “The Phantom Superboy”! (cover by Curt Swan & Stan Kaye)

All-Star Western #118: Johnny Thunder and his nemesis Madame .44 must once again join forces in “The Eyes of Johnny Thunder”, plus another Infantino Super-Chief gem “The Invasion of the Indian Giants”! (cover by Gil Kane)

Brave & the Bold #35: In their second try-out issue, Katar and Shayera square off against a new foe called the Matter Master, then track down the Abominable Snowman in “Valley of Vanishing Men”! (cover by Joe Kubert)

Strange Adventures #127: Another sublime Infantino Space Museum tale (“Son of Two Worlds”) is accompanied by two other top-notch sci-fi suspense tales courtesy of Murphy Anderson and Sid Greene! (cover by Murphy Anderson)

You can find all DC comics published this month right here courtesy of Mike Voiles’ Time Machine!
So let’s warm up by looking back at another February from a half-century ago, and celebrate Motown’s first hit, Marilyn’s last movie, the return of a celebrated artist to the DC ranks, and the debut of one of DC’s quirkiest and long-lived war features…
Headlines of the Month:
1st - 1st full-scale test of US Minuteman ICBM is successful
6th - "Jail, No Bail" Jail-in movement starts in Rock Hill, South Carolina in protest of racism and segregation
9th - The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Pete Best) perform at Liverpool's Cavern Club for the first time
10th - Niagara Falls hydroelectric project begins producing power
11th - Trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem
12th - USSR launches Venera 1 toward Venus
15th - Entire US figure skating team of 18, dies in Belgian Sabena 707 crash
16th - China uses it's 1st nuclear reactor
24th - U.S. Explorer 10 fails to reach Earth orbit
Newsreel of the Month (NATO War Games – February 9, 1961)
Magazine Cover of the Month (Boys’ Life – “Homecoming” by Norman Rockwell, February 1961 issue)

Music of the Month: (highlighted by Motown’s first big hit – they don’t come much smoother than these guys…)
US Top Singles
1. Calcutta - Lawrence Welk
2. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Shirelles
3. Shop Around – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
4. Pony Time - Chubby Checker
5. Exodus - Ferrante & Teicher
UK Top Singles
1. Are You Lonesome Tonight - Elvis Presley
2. Sailor - Petula Clarke
3. Rubber Ball - Bobby Vee
4. You're Sixteen - Johnny Burnette
5. Pepe - Duane Eddy
TV clip of the month (In the Twilight Zone episode “A Penny for Your Thoughts”, Dick York, later of Bewitched, suddenly gains the ability to read minds with amusing results – originally aired February 3, 1961)
Movie of the month (The Misfits, starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift – released on February 1, 1961)
Sports Moment of the Month (Boston Celtic Bill Russell grabs 40 rebounds to beat Warriors 136-125)

Top 10 DC Comics of the Month (as selected by Osgood Peabody, in order of publication):
House of Mystery #109: Notable not for the cover story, but that after a lapse of several years, ace artist Alex Toth makes his return to DC with “Track of the Invisible Beast”! (cover by Dick Dillin & Sheldon Moldoff)

Sugar & Spike #34: Our favorite toddlers learn how to play ball and go on a quest for cookies (cover by Shelly Mayer)

G.I. Combat #87: A tank commander aided by the ghost of a Civil War general? It’s the story that introduces the bizarre Haunted Tank (though surprisingly not featured on the cover!) (cover by Russ Heath & Jack Adler)

Batman #139: The original Bat-Girl, Betty Kane, makes her debut, plus the Signal Man takes on the identity of the Blue Bowman, and the Dynamic Duo must survive “The Island of 1,000 Traps”! (cover by Sheldon Moldoff)

Justice League of America #4: The World’s Greatest Superheroes welcome their first new member as the Green Arrow proves his mettle in “Doom of the Star Diamond”! (cover by Murphy Anderson)

Action Comics #275: Brainiac makes his 3rd appearance, attacking the Man of Steel with a diabolical blend of Red/Green K! (cover by Curt Swan & Stan Kaye)

Adventure Comics #283: Another staple of Mort Weisinger’s Silver Age, the Phantom Zone, makes its first appearance in “The Phantom Superboy”! (cover by Curt Swan & Stan Kaye)

All-Star Western #118: Johnny Thunder and his nemesis Madame .44 must once again join forces in “The Eyes of Johnny Thunder”, plus another Infantino Super-Chief gem “The Invasion of the Indian Giants”! (cover by Gil Kane)

Brave & the Bold #35: In their second try-out issue, Katar and Shayera square off against a new foe called the Matter Master, then track down the Abominable Snowman in “Valley of Vanishing Men”! (cover by Joe Kubert)

Strange Adventures #127: Another sublime Infantino Space Museum tale (“Son of Two Worlds”) is accompanied by two other top-notch sci-fi suspense tales courtesy of Murphy Anderson and Sid Greene! (cover by Murphy Anderson)

You can find all DC comics published this month right here courtesy of Mike Voiles’ Time Machine!
