Today, in honor of Bob Dylan's birthday, we deliver 81 references to Bob Dylan in comic books.
Knowledge Waits is a feature where I just share some bit of comic book history that interests me.
I've been doing this since Dylan's 70th birthday, and I used to just add a reference each year, but for his 80th, I thought I'd be stupid and actually come up with 80 new references that I had not previously used (you're welcome, websites that will use these references in the future without mentioning that you got them from here). For his 81st, I'll merge my 80 favorites from the two lists plus a new 81st reference in honor of Bob turning 81 today.
Here we go!
From around 2009, comic book artists (including Dave McKean!) illustrated Dylan songs for a book called Bob Dylan Revisited...
From Ghost Rider #3 (by Gary Friedrich, Jim Mooney and John Tartaglione), a reference to Dylan's song "Wheels on Fire"....
From G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #2 (by Larry Hama, Don Perlin and Jack Abel), the introduction of Kwinn the Eskimo, a reference to Dylan's song "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn")...
From Salvation Run #6 (by Lilah Sturges, Sean Chen and Walden Wong), an offbeat reference to the lyrics of "All Along the Watchtower" ("'There must be some way out of here,' said the joker to the thief")....
(I actually inspired this joke by the great Lilah Sturges, but she put her own spin on the joke)
From Watchmen #1 (by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons), a lyric from Dylan's "Desolation Row" to kick off the first issue...
Also from Watchmen #1 (by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons), more lyrics from "Desolation Row" to end the first issue...
From 1970, the first independent comic book produced entirely by women, led by Trina Robbins and Barbara "Willy" Mendes, a reference to Dylan's song, "It Ain't Me Babe" with a comic by that same name...
From Nightwing #140 (by Peter Tomasi, Rags Morales and Michael Bair), a reference to Dylan's song "Positively Fourth Street"...
From RASL #1 (by Jeff Smith), our hero realizes he's n the wrong dimension when he sees that Dylan is credited by his real name on the album cover to Blonde on Blonde...
From Watchmen #10 (by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons), a reference to Dylan's song "All Along the Watchtower" to kick the issue off..
Also from Watchmen #10 (by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons), more lyrics from "All Along the Watchtower" to end the issue...
From the mid-1980s (as suggested by reader Matthew Johnson), a Jim Aparo ad for Batman and the Outsiders...
From Superman #279 (by Elliot S! Maggin, Curt Swan and Frank Giacoia), we see Bob Dylan and Joan Baez....
From National Lampoon in 1972, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito poked fun at Dylan...
From the cover to Doctor Who: New Adventures of the Eighth Doctor #1, a Simon Myers homage to the Dylan album cover, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan "
From 1974 National Lampoon, a sequel to their earlier Zimmerman parody piece, drawn by Neal Adams!...
Rock 'N' Roll Comics #50-52 covered Dylan's entire career (to that point), from his folk years by Scott Pentzer...
to his religious years...
to his (then) current years...
It's amazing that Dylan won a Best Album of the Year Grammy years AFTER the "wrap up" of his career was released!
From The Mighty #3 (by Peter Tomasi, Kieth Champagne and Peter Snejbjerg), a reference to the Dylan song "Dirge" (I count this as a Dylan reference since writer Peter Tomasi frequently cites Dylan references, including the next two story titles for The Mighty)...
From The Mighty #5 (by Peter Tomasi, Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee), a reference to the Dylan album, World Gone Wrong (also a song, but I think being the name of an album is more notable)...
From The Mighty #10 (by Peter Tomasi, Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee), a reference to the Dylan song "Gates of Eden"...
From Catwoman Volume 1 #49 (by Doug Moench, Jim Balent and Bob McLeod), a reference to a lyric from Dylan's song "Like a Rolling Stone"...
From Uncanny X-Men #397 (by Joe Casey, Sean Phillips, Mel Rubi and Danny Miki), a reference to a lyric ("A Complete Unknown") from Dylan's song "Like a Rolling Stone"......
From Swamp Thing #72 (by RIck Veitch and Alfredo Alcala), a reference to a lyric ("gargles in the rat race choir") from Dylan's song "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"...
From Outlaw Nation #3 (by Jamie Delano and Goran Sudzuka), a reference to a lyric ("Too Much Force") from the Dylan song "Tangled Up in Blue"...
From Outlaw Nation #4 (by Jamie Delano, Goran Sudzuka and Sebastijan Camagajevac), a reference to a lyric ("Careless Love") from the Dylan song "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" (yes, there is a song called "Careless Love," Dylan even did a duet with Johnny Cash on it once, but I think with the three issues in a row of Jamie Delano naming the titles after Dylan lyric references that it is fair enough to count this as a Dylan reference, especially since "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" is off of the same album as "Tangled Up in Blue")...
From Outlaw Nation #5 (by Jamie Delano, Goran Sudzuka and Sebastijan Camagajevac), a reference to a lyric ("Need to Be Nervous") from the Dylan song "Tombstone Blues"....
From X-Man #63 (by Warren Ellis, Steven Grant and Ariel Olivetti), a reference to both a lyric from Dylan's song, "Like a Rolling Stone" and also the name of a documentary film about Dylan....
From X-Men/WildC.A.Ts: Silver Age (by Scott Lobdell, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and many inking assistants)...
From Phoebe and the Pigeon People #1 (by Jay Lynch and Gary Whitney), a performance of the Dylan song "Just Like a Woman"...
From Umbrella Academy: Dallas #3 (by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba), Dylan shows up as God...
From Dazzler #21 (by Danny Fingeroth, Frank Springer and Vince Colletta), Alison Blaire covers Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"...
From Not Brand Echh #12 (by Gary Friedrich and Tom Sutton), Medusa falls for Dylan...
From Avengers #210 (by Bill Mantlo, Gene Colan and Dan Green), a reference to Dylan's song, "Subterranean Homesick Blues"...
From Ultimate Adventures #1 (by Ron Zimmerman and Duncan Fegredo), a reference to the Dylan song "It Ain't Me Babe"...
From Ultimate Adventures #6 (by Ron Zimmerman and Duncan Fegredo), this is just the name of a Dylan song...
From Stormwatch Volume 2 #11 (by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Michael Ryan and Paul Neary), a reference to both a lyric from Dylan's song, "Like a Rolling Stone" and also the name of a documentary film about Dylan....
From Thunderbolts #78 (by John Arcudi and Francisco Ruiz Velasco), a reference to another lyric from Dylan's song, "Like a Rolling Stone"...
From the Dan DeCarlo and Rudy Lapick's cover of Archie's Gals Betty and Veronica #163, a reference to Dylan's song, "The Times They Are a-Changin'"....
From Swamp Thing Annual #2 (by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette and John Totleben), the Phantom Stranger's line about strangers comes from Dylan's song, "Gates of Eden."
From Human Target #7 (by Peter Milligan and Cliff Chiang), a story arc named after a lyric from the Bob Dylan song, "Subterranean Homesick Blues."
From Life With Archie #256 (by George Gladier, Stan Goldberg and Rudy Lapick), Veronica's father, Mr. Lodge, quotes Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'."
From Justice League International #25 (by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Mike McKone and Joe Rubinstein), Blue Beetle and Booster Gold take a repossession job so that Beetle can afford a CD player and all of Bob Dylan's CDs.
From the June 4, 1966 edition of Valentine, a British weekly romance comic where comic book creators would do stories based on then-popular songs, like Bob Dylan's "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)."
From Incredible Hulk #157 (by Archie Goodwin, Herb Trimpe and Sal Trapani), Dylan's song "Ballad of a Thin Man" is quoted...
From Captain America #327 (by Mark Gruenwald, Paul Neary and John Beatty), a reference to Live-Aid and similar charity concerts features a cameo of Bob Dylan (well, Neary gave it a shot, at least).
From Critters #29 (by J. Holland and Ron Wilber), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Stuck Inside of Mobile (With the Memphis Blues Again)."
From Green Lantern #77 (by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Frank Giacoia), a folk singer has been inspiring a mining town into striking (the singer is then specifically referred to as being like Dylan).
From the 2005 The Maze Agency #1 (by Mike W. Barr, Ariell Padilla and Ernest Jocson), a reference to the Bob Dylan song "The Times They Are A-Changin'."
From the December/January 1976 issue of High Times, Paul Kirchner's Dope Rider comic has Pancho Villa quoting (backwards) the Bob Dylan song "The Times They Are A-Changin'."
From World's Finest Comics #211 (by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella), a quote of the Bob Dylan song, "Desolation Row."
From Superman Annual #1 (by Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Jorge Jimenez and Alejandro Sanchez), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Tangled Up in Blue."
From Betty and Veronica Comics Digest Magazine #180 (by Kathleen Webb, Stan Goldberg and John Lowe) a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Blowin' in the Wind."
From JLA: Welcome to the Working Week (by Patton Oswalt, Patrick Gleason and Christian Alamy), a character refers to Martian Manhunter as the Dylan of the Justice League (Patrick Carrington suggested this one)
From the "Little Annie Fanny" feature in the October 1966 issue of Playboy (by Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder and Jack Davis), Dylan is parodied as "Bobby Doleful."
From G.I. Joe and the Transformers #1 (by Michael Higgins, Herb Trimpe and Vince Colletta), a reference to the Bob Dylan album, Blood on the Tracks.
From Snake 'n Bacon's Cartoon Cabaret (by Michael Kupperman), Dylan appears in a murder mystery.
From Ectokid #8 (by Lana Wachowski, Steve Skroce and Bob Dvorak), a reference to the Bob Dylan album, Highway 61 Revisited (also a song, but I'm assuming it's a reference to the album).
From Negative Burn #11 (by Alan Moore, Phil Hester and Ande Parks), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Positively Fourth Street."
From the March 15, 1969 edition of Valentine, a British weekly romance comic where comic book creators would do stories based on then-popular songs, like Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released."
From X-Ray Robot #2, Paul Pope pays tribute to the late Milton Glaser with a variant cover based on Glaser's iconic poster of Bob Dylan.
From Go-Go #1 (by Joe Gill and Jon D'Agostino), Dylan appears in a wacky answer column bit.
From Strange #1 (by J. Michael Straczynski, Samm Barnes, Brandon Peterson and Justin Ponsor), a quote from the Bob Dylan song, "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)."
From X-Men #31 (by Roy Thomas, Werner Roth and John Tartaglione), the Bob Dylan song, "Like a Rolling Stone" is playing in a night club.
From Deadpool Max #8 (by David Lapham and Kyle Baker), Deadpool proposes to Cable that they play a "Name that Bob Dylan song" game.
From Azrael: Agent of the Bat #61 (by Denny O'Neil, Roger Robinson and James Pascoe), Azrael tries out the new harmonica that Barbara Gordon gave him and compares himself to Bob Dylan.
From Wonder Wart-Hog #2 (by Gilbert Shelton), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream."
From the graphic novel, Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns, & Moonage Daydreams (by Michael Allred, Steve Horton, and Laura Allred), a Dylan album makes a cameo.
From Roaring Rick's Rare Bit Fiends #2 (by Rick Veitch), a Bob Dylan "museum" is shown.
From Human Target #9 (by Peter Milligan and CLiff Chiang), the story arc named after a Dylan song lyric now gets a title named after a Bob Dylan album, Bringing It All Back Home.
From Rock Toons (written by Dominique Farran and Michael Sadler and drawn by Serge Dutfoy), Dylan get his own page.
From Spider-Island: Deadly Foes #1 (by Fred Van Lente, Minck Oosterveer and David Curiel), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35" (Rob London suggested this one).
From Archie's Pal, Jughead #105 (anyone know who wrote and drew this one?), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Mr. Tambourine Man."
From Iron Man #47 (by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith and Jim Mooney), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "New Morning" (also an album title, but it seems like it is referring to the song).
From Wolverine #48 (by Marc Guggenheim, Humberto Ramos, Carlos Cuevas and Edgar Delgado), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."
From Crazy #91, David Allikas and Dave Morris do their take on Bob Dylan.
From Ex Machina Special #4 (by Brian Azzarello, John Paul Leon and JD Mettler), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Blowin' in the Wind."
From Detective Comics #995 (by Peter Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza and David Baron), a reference to the Bob Dylan song, "Ring Them Bells."
From Millie the Model #152 (by Gary Friedrich and Bill Williams), we see Millie rocking out to Bob Dylan's "Stuck Inside of Moblie (With the Memphis Blues Again," which is just hilarious.
and finally, from Doctor Strange, Socrerer Supreme #12 (by Roy and Dann Thomas and Jackson Guice), Doctor Strange's apprentice, Rintrah, briefly dfsguises himself as Bob Dylan (Rob London suggested this one)...
Happy birthday, Bob!
If anyone has suggestions about interesting pieces of comic book history, feel free to drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com.