1 Watchmen #1. While Dylan has been referenced many times over the years in comics, the lyrics of “Desolation Row” are used here as more than a nod to Bob, really setting the tone of the series. Dylan lyrics come up again in other issues of Watchmen, in similarly significant ways.
2 Betty and Veronica #163. The cover blurb for this issue reads: “‘The times they are a-changin’.’ Now the chicks have to wait for us boys to finish dressing.” This particular song title has been referenced so many times in pop culture it’s ridiculous, but Archie had a unique way of addressing the changing culture.
3 Ghost Rider #3. Story title: “Wheels on Fire.” Kudos to Gary Friedrich for referencing a slightly more obscure lyric on the “Son of Satan” splash page.
4 Superman #279. In this issue, Batman crashes a Madison Square Garden–type show at the Gotham City Coliseum. While the character couldn’t look less like Dylan, his partner could pass for Joan Baez. He’s referred to as Bobby, and he’s singing Dylan lyrics, almost certainly without permission.
5 The Goon #1. When Goon gets lost in the Hobo Jungle, he encounters their king, a very Dylanesque mush mouth with an acoustic guitar.
6 The Umbrella Academy: Dallas #3. When Seance is shot in the head, he meets God. Fortunately, God is Bob Dylan, riding through the desert on horseback in his modern wizened cowboy persona. Not too long after this, Umbrella creator Gerard Way covered “Desolation Row” with his band My Chemical Romance for the film adaptation of Watchmen.
Scott Allie writes and edits for Dark Horse Comics and Glimmer Train Press. His writing includes the horror comic The Devil’s Footprints, set in his hometown of Ipswich, Massachusetts. Other works include tributes to H. P. Lovecraft, contributions to Star Wars and Planet of the Apes, and a series of self-published horror comics called Sick Smiles, from Aiiie! Comics.