Today is free comic book day at participating comic shops. Runner Runner from Tugboat Press is one of titles you could pick up.

The Cheeky Weekly was sort o the English equivalent of the Weekly Reader found here in the U.S., although maybe less education oriented. It merged with another publication in 1980. There’s a blog devoted to documenting those old issues, which is where these 1977 skateboard pull-out issue images were found. They go into quite a bit of detail about everything they post. That Cheeky sure is a handsome fella. – Thanks to Boy from Skate Malasia for the tip.

Skateboarding gangs were a recurring theme in 70’s comic books. I would cite the temporal proximity of the Warriors, but that wasn’t released until 1979. Teen Titans Volume 12, No. 49 was published in August 1977. The bad guys look like they escaped from the set of Devo’s Freedom of Choice, but that album didn’t come out until 1980. DC comic’s bad guys, AKA Rocket Rollers, clown on the Teen Titans and rob a disco. Far out man. Also of historical importance, comic book evience of the first ever wall (and ceiling) ride. I’m not sure why Wonder Girl didn’t let go of her lariat instead of slamming into the wall…

Captain America and the Falcon, Volume 1 #196 dates to 1976. In issue 195 the Captain somehow lost his shield and now must enter in the Kill-Derby in order to win it back. Marvel Comics has posted some digital versions of old comics online. They require a subscription fee to read beyond a few pages. I thought this issue was in there, but it isn’t. You can view the skateboard related excerpts here on S&A – he said, until Mickey mouse’s lawyers crushed him… I was going to the refrain from Captain Sensible’s Wot as the title, but I’m pretty sure I’ve already used that joke at least once. Instead, the title comes from one of the panels in the story.

Issue 181 of Sad Sack dates back to September of 1966. It may look like a second rate rip off of Beetle Bailey, but Sad Sack debuted as a comic strip in 1942, while Beetle Bailey started in 1950. It has a 40’s aesthetic though. You know it’s bad if the props have to be labeled, as in the case with the skateboard. It says “loved by Millions” on the cover of this Harvey Comics publication, but the contents are pretty horrible inside. At least Beetle Bailey was sometimes actually funny. Full cover after the jump, and no skateboarding in the contents. I bought this on Ebay from a real skateboard historian, Scott Starr. I didn’t realize he was the seller until after I bought it.

Jughead got in on the skateboard craze too, possibly before Archie ever set foot on one. Issue 136 is dated November of 1965. In this illustration Jughead looks and dresses like a guy I went to college with in the 80’s. We called him Nest. (Hello Tom!)

July of 1967 and they are still trotting out skateboards for the cover gag on Archie comics. Archie looks a little like Greg Brady in this one, although I think Greg might have had better style. The Twist had it’s heyday in 1960, so it’s kind of funny that by 1967 it was already considered “old-fashioned” by girls in unhip comic books. Seriously. Who was the the audience for these? (Click through, you won’t be sorry.)

I never got Archie, even as a kid it just seemed boring. This is Archie Pal-N-Gals #36 that dates back to April of 1966, a full year after skateboarding supposedly died a violent and sudden death in 1965. Coincidentally, I just read an interview with in the Skateboarders Journal with Patti McGee who mentioned the same thing, conventional wisdom reports the death of skateboarding in ’65, but Patti said she was still touring and making public appearances in 1966. So that’s the most interesting thing about Archie. It sort of corroborates Patti’s story. There’s no further skateboarding in this issue of Gals-N-Pals except for the cover. View it after the jump.

Woodsy Owl was/is the mascot of the US Forest Service. He had his own comic book from 1973-1976. Here he is getting down with some 8 wheeled action in issue #4 from 1973. There are no other skateboard stores inn this issue. [Source: Retrogasm]

There’s more Dee Dee merch now than there ever was when he was alive. I don’t know who benefits from that, but some of it is pretty cool. On the left, Dee Dee as he appeared in Tank Girl: Skidmarks, shown as he might have appeared on a custom Bulldog board. On the right, Dee Dee as the Powell ripper. Ripper clones are a dime a dozen, but Dee Dee being actually dead, well that makes this one special. Source: DeeDeeRamone.com – Tank-Girl.com