Notable events of 1981 in comics.

Events and publications

January

* January 24: In '' Linus'', first episode of ''Rebecca'', by Anna Brqandoli and Renato Queirolo. The series has for protagonist a gypsy girl, looking for the

St. Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

treasure in the Fifteenth century Lombardy. * January 25: In ''I

Il giornalino ''Il Giornalino'' is an Italian comics magazine published in Italy. History and profile ''Il Giornalino'' was founded by the Catholic publisher Edizioni San Paolo of Alba (CN), Alba in 1924. During its history, the magazine has published the It ...

'', first episode of the series ''Father'' ''Brown''''’s tales'', by Renata Gelardini and Tommaso Landolfi, from

G. K. Chesterton Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English author, philosopher, Christian apologist, journalist and magazine editor, and literary and art critic. Chesterton created the fictional priest-detective Father Brow ...

. *

Capital Comics Capital City Distribution was a Madison, Wisconsin–based comic book distributor which operated from 1980 to 1996 when they were acquired by rival Diamond Comic Distributors. Under the name Capital Comics, they also published comics from 1981 to ...

makes its entrée into publishing with the release of ''

Nexus NEXUS is a joint Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection-operated Trusted Traveler and expedited border control program designed for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Members of the program can avoid waits at border ...

'' #1. *

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book artist, comic book writer, and screenwriter known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'', for which he created the character Elektra, and ...

takes over full writing duties on '' Daredevil'' with issue #168, creating

Elektra Electra, also spelt Elektra, was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology. Electra or Elektra may also refer to: Animals * ''Electra'' (bryozoan), a genus of aquatic invertebrates * ''Elektra'' (bug), a genus of insects in the ...

. * The "

Days of Future Past "Days of Future Past" is a storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' issues #141–142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps. An adult Kate Pryde transfer ...

" storyline debuts in ''

Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...

'' #141 (continues in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #142). * The reprint title ''

Marvel's Greatest Comics ''Marvel Collectors' Item Classics'' was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics in the mid- to late-1960s that marked the first reprinting of many of the earliest Marvel stories. Primarily focused on the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, ...

'', with issue #96, is cancelled by Marvel. * The reprint title ''

Amazing Adventures ''Amazing Adventures'' is the name of several anthology comic book series, all but one published by Marvel Comics. The earliest Marvel series of that name introduced the company's first superhero of the late-1950s to early-1960s period fans and h ...

'' vol. 3, with issue #14, is cancelled by Marvel. * The reprint title ''

Tales to Astonish ''Tales to Astonish'' is the name of two American comic book series, and a One-shot (comics), one-shot comic, all published by Marvel Comics. The primary title bearing that name was published from January 1959 to March 1968. It began as a scie ...

'' vol. 2, with issue #14, is cancelled by Marvel. * ''Les chiens meurent en hiver'' by Yves Swolfs, first album of the western series ''Durango;'' the hero is inspired by the

Jean-Louis Trintignant Jean-Louis Xavier Trintignant (; 11 December 1930 – 17 June 2022) was a French actor. He made his theatrical debut in 1951, and went on to be regarded as one of the best French dramatic actors of the post-World War II, war era. He starred in m ...

’s character in ''

The great silence ''The Great Silence'' () is a 1968 revisionist spaghetti Western film directed and co-written by Sergio Corbucci. An Italian-French co-production, the film stars Jean-Louis Trintignant, Klaus Kinski, Vonetta McGee (in her film début) and F ...

.'' * ''Le demon blanc'' (White devil) by

Derib Derib (born Claude de Ribaupierre on 8 August 1944 in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland) is a Swiss francophone comics creator. He is best known for creating the comics '' Les Aventures d'Attila'', '' Buddy Longway'' and '' Yakari''. Awards * 1974: ' ...

, 10th album of the

Buddy Longway Buddy Longway is a western bande dessinée written by the Swiss cartoonist Derib. It is published under the Le Lombard publishing house. The first album came out in 1972, and 16 albums were published until 1987. Derib restarted the series in 200 ...

series (

Le Lombard Le Lombard (), known as Les Éditions du Lombard () until 1989, is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when '' Tintin'' magazine was launched. Le Lombard became part of Média-Participations since 1986, alongside publishers Darg ...

). * ''Tribunal noir'' (Black tribunal) by André-Paul Duchateau and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

, 32. qlbum of the

Ric Hochet ''Ric Hochet'' is a Franco-Belgian comics series created by Tibet (drawings) and André-Paul Duchâteau (scripts). It first appeared on March 30, 1955, in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine ''Tintin''. Synopsis The series features the adventur ...

series. * ''Les trois vieillards du pays d’Aran'' (The three old men in Aran country), by

Jean Van Hamme Jean Van Hamme (born 16 January 1939) is a Belgian novelist and comic book writer. He has written scripts for a number of Belgian/French comic series, including ''Histoire sans héros'', '' Thorgal'', '' XIII'' and ''Largo Winch''. Biography ...

and

Grzegorz Rosiński Grzegorz Rosiński (Polish: ; born 3 August 1941) is a Polish comic book artist, illustrator and painter. He is best known for providing the artwork for the series '' Thorgal''. His other notable work includes art drawn in the '' Hans'' and '' C ...

, 3. album of the

Thorgal ''Thorgal'' is a fantasy Adventure (genre), adventure series created in the Franco-Belgian comics, Franco-Belgian ''bandes dessinées'' (BD) tradition by Belgian writer Jean Van Hamme and Polish graphic artist Grzegorz Rosiński. Debuting in 1977, ...

series. * First issue of Necron by

Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...

and Ilaria Volpe (

Edifumetto Edifumetto was an Italian publishing house of comics, founded by Renzo Barbieri. It was started in 1972 and folded in 1993. The majority of their publications were digest- or pocket-sized adult comics known in Italy as ''fumetti''. Popularity peak ...

February

* February 22: in ''

Topolino ''Topolino'' (from the Italian language, Italian name for Mickey Mouse) is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932 as a comics magazine. Since 2013, it has ...

'', ''Paperobot contro i Paperoidi'' (Duck Robot vs. Duck aliens) by

Romano Scarpa Romano Scarpa (27 September 1927 – 23 April 2005) was one of the most famous Italian creators of Disney comics. Biography Growing up in Venice he developed a particular love for American cartoons and Disney comics, that, at the time, were publ ...

, first (and only) episode of the sci-fi series ''Storie stellari'' (Star stories). *

Jenette Kahn Jenette Kahn (; born May 16, 1947) is an American comic book editor and executive. She joined DC Comics in 1976 as publisher, and five years later was promoted to president. In 1989, she stepped down as publisher and assumed the title of editor ...

becomes president of DC Comics, succeeding

Sol Harrison Sol Harrison (1917 – November 19, 1989) was an American comic book colorist, production manager, and executive whose career spanned nearly 50 years in the industry. Career Sol Harrison attended high school with Jack Adler and the two men oft ...

. Kahn retained the title of publisher, which she had held since 1976. * ''

Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...

'' vol. 2 #272 features an

insert An SQL INSERT statement adds one or more records to any single table in a relational database. Basic form Insert statements have the following form: The number of columns and values must be the same. If a column is not specified, the default va ...

previewing the upcoming "

Dial H for Hero ''Dial H for Hero'' is a comic book feature published by DC Comics about a magical dial that enables an ordinary person to become a superhero for a short time, such as an hour, by selecting the letters H-E-R-O in order. Each time it is used, the ...

" series in ''

Adventure Comics ''Adventure Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from ''New Adventure Comics''), ...

'' by

Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's ''The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade (character), Blade, and DC Comi ...

and

Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creations are ...

. * ''New York the big city'' by

Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner ( ; March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series '' The Spirit'' (1940–1952) wa ...

March

* March 1.: in the Spanish Magazine ''Cimoc'', ''

El mercenario ''El Mercenario'' () is a science fiction comics Publication of comic strips and comic books focusing on science fiction became increasingly common during the early 1930s in newspapers published in the United States. They have since spread to ...

'' by

Vicente Segrelles Vicente Segrelles (born 9 September 1940) is a Spanish comic book artist and writer. Segrelles gained popularity in Europe for his painted comic book epic ''The Mercenary'' ('' El Mercenario''), started in 1980. Set in a medieval fantasy world, ' ...

make his debut. * March 1: in ''

Pilote ''Pilote'' (), for a while subtitled ''the magazine of Asterix and Obelix'' (French: ''Le Journal D’Astérix et D’Obélix'' ) was a French comics magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major Franco-Belgian comics, French ...

'', '' Brooklyn Station, Terminus Cosmos'' by

Pierre Christin Pierre Christin (; 27 July 1938 – 3 October 2024) was a French comics creator and writer. Biography Christin was born at Saint-Mandé on 27 July 1938. After graduating from the Sorbonne, Christin pursued graduate studies in political scie ...

and Jean-Claude Mezieres, 10th episode of the '' Valerian'' series, is prepublished. * March 8: The final episode of

Stan Lynde Myron Stanford Lynde (September 23, 1931 – August 6, 2013) was an American comic strip artist, painter and novelist. Biography Born 23 September 1931 in Billings, Montana, he was raised on a sheep ranch near Lodge Grass. He attended the ...

's ''

Rick O'Shay ''Rick O'Shay'' is a Western comic strip created by Stan Lynde, which debuted as a Sunday strip on April 27, 1958. The daily comic strip began on May 19 of the same year.

'' is published. * March 8. In ''

'', ''Paperino di Bergerac'' (

Donald Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinter ...

of Bergerac), by

Guido Martina Guido Martina (9 February 1906 – 6 May 1991) was an Italian comic writer, documentarist and author. Martina is well known for his Disney comics stories, including the first of the "" story "L'inferno di Topolino", and the creation of Paperini ...

and

Giovan Battista Carpi Giovan Battista Carpi (; November 16, 1927 – March 8, 1999) was a prolific Italian comics artist, illustrator, and teacher from Genoa. Carpi worked mainly for Disney comics, mostly on books featuring Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck, although ...

, parody of

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with th ...

’s ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...

'', is prepublished. * March 17: In a widely mediatized event,

Hergé Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé ( ; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian comic strip artist. He is best known for creating ''The Adventures of T ...

finally meets his old Chinese friend

Zhang Chongren Zhang Chongren (27 September 1907 – 8 October 1998), also known as Chang Chong-jen, was a Chinese sculptor best remembered in Europe as a friend of Hergé, the Belgian cartoonist and creator of ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The two met ...

again in Brussels, whom he hadn't seen again for almost half a century. Zhang was the inspiration for the Tintin character

Chang Chong-Chen Chang Chong-Chen () is a fictional character in ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Although Chang and Tintin only know each other for a short time, they form a deep bond which drives them to tears wh ...

. Hergé's longing to see his old friend again inspired the story ''

Tintin in Tibet ''Tintin in Tibet'' () is the twentieth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. It was serialised weekly from September 1958 to November 1959 in ''Tintin (magazine), Tintin'' magazine and publis ...

''. * March 19: The first episode of

Raoul Cauvin Raoul Cauvin (; 26 September 1938 – 19 August 2021) was a Belgian comics author and one of the most popular in the humorist field. Biography Raoul Cauvin was born in Antoing, Belgium in 1938.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Raoul Cauvin". In België ...

and

Philippe Bercovici Philippe Bercovici is a French comics artist of Franco-Belgian comics. Having illustrated a wide range of series, Bercovici is perhaps most known for ''Les Femmes en Blanc'' written by Cauvin, started in 1981. Initially under the pseudonym Thél ...

's ''

Les Femmes en Blanc Les Femmes en Blanc (Women in white) is a Belgian comics humor series of 42 album volumes, for which the script was created by Raoul Cauvin and whose design was directed by Philippe Bercovici. Colours were done by Leonardo. The series debuted in ...

'' is published in '' Spirou''. *

Robert Crumb Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American artist who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary American c ...

launches the American adult comics magazine '' Weirdo'', which will run until 1993. * Marvel takes notice of the growing direct market and produces a title specifically for comic shops — '' Dazzler'' #1 sells 400,000 copies. * ''

Marvel Preview ''Marvel Preview'' is a black-and-white comics magazine published by Magazine Management for fourteen issues and the affiliated Marvel Comics Group for ten issues. The final issue additionally carried the imprint Marvel Magazines Group. Publica ...

'' (published until now by the Marvel imprint

Curtis Magazines Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...

), with issue #25, changes its name to ''

Bizarre Adventures ''Marvel Preview'' is a black-and-white comics magazine published by Magazine Management for fourteen issues and the affiliated Marvel Comics Group for ten issues. The final issue additionally carried the imprint Marvel Magazines Group. Public ...

'' and becomes an official

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

publication. * ''

Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...

'' #500: 84 pages, 7 different anniversary stories by several well-known creators, including television writer

Alan Brennert Alan Brennert (born May 30, 1954) is an American author, television producer, and screenwriter. Brennert has lived in Southern California since 1973 and completed graduate work in screenwriting at the University of California, Los Angeles. Care ...

and

Walter B. Gibson Walter Brown Gibson (September 12, 1897 – December 6, 1985) was an Americans, American writer and professional magic (illusion), magician, best known for his work on the pulp magazine, pulp fiction character The Shadow, and as a ghost-writer ...

, best known for his work on the

pulp fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...

character ''

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...

''. * "

The Exaggerated Death of Ultra Boy "The Exaggerated Death of Ultra Boy" is a comic book story arc published by American company DC Comics, presented in ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' vol. 2, #273–275 and #277–282 (March–December 1981). It was written by Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, ...

" story arc begins in DC Comics' ''

'' #273. Written by

Gerry Conway Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" (" Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, science ficti ...

Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor. He was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and possibly bes ...

, and

Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002 to 2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...

, with pencils by

Jimmy Janes Jimmy Janes (July 17, 1947 – September 1, 2020) was an American comics artist and storyboard artist best known for his work on DC Comics' ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' series. Early life Jimmy Janes was born July 17, 1947 on Staten Island, New Y ...

and

Steve Ditko Stephen John Ditko. Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular ac ...

, the story arc concludes in ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' #282 (December). * ''

Mystery in Space ''Mystery in Space'' is the name of two science fiction American comic book series published by DC Comics, and of a standalone Vertigo anthology released in 2012. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 to 1966, with a further seven issues ...

'' (

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

series), with issue #117, is cancelled by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. * ''

Captain Canuck Captain Canuck is a Canadian comics, Canadian comic book superhero. Created by cartoonist Ron Leishman and artist/writer Richard Comely, the original Captain Canuck first appeared in ''Captain Canuck'' #1 (July 1975). The series was the first suc ...

'', with issue #14, is cancelled by Comely Comix. * John Byrne and Terry Austin leave ''

The Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the List of X-Men comics, X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of super ...

'', with issue 143 being their last. *In ''

Frigidaire Frigidaire Appliance Company is the American consumer and Commercial area, commercial home appliances brand subsidiary of multinational company Electrolux, a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm. History ...

'', ''Giallo scolastico'' (A school mystery) by

Andrea Pazienza Andrea Pazienza (; 23 May 1956 – 16 June 1988) was an Italian comics artist and painter. Biography Early life Pazienza was born in San Benedetto del Tronto, province of Ascoli Piceno, in 1956. Growing up in his father's town of San Severo i ...

, the anti-hero Zanardi, a young hooligan, nihilist and drug-addicted, makes his debut.

April

Jan Bucquoy Jan Bucquoy (; Harelbeke, 16 November 1945) is a Belgian anarchist who has worked in various media (film, comics writing, painting, sculptures, museums). He gained fame for his controversial anti-establishment works and media stunts, which cause ...

launches the Belgian adult comics magazine Spetters. It will last until 1982. * ''Steve Warson contre Michel Vaillant'' by

Jean Graton Jean Graton (10 August 1923 – 21 January 2021) was a French comic book author and cartoonist. Graton created the character Michel Vaillant and the eponymous series in 1957. Biography Graton was born in Nantes, France, in 1923. He moved to ...

, 38th episode of the

Michel Vaillant ''Michel Vaillant'' is a French car racing comics series created in 1957 by French cartoonist Jean Graton and published originally by Le Lombard. Later, Graton published the albums by himself when he founded Graton éditeur in 1982. Michel Vai ...

series.

May

* May 3: in ''

'', ''Zio Paperone e il tuffo nel black hole'' (

Scrooge McDuck Scrooge McDuck (occasionally stylized as $crooge McDuck) is a cartoon character created in 1947 for The Walt Disney Company by Carl Barks. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish-born American anthropomorphic duck. Like his nephew, Do ...

jumps in the black hole) by Giorgio Pezzin and Guido Scala; the story is published simultaneously with the release in Italy of the film ''

The black hole A black hole is a region of extreme gravitational pull. Black hole or blackhole may also refer to: Computing *Black hole (networking), in computer networking, a place where traffic is silently discarded * Blackhole server, a DNS server that han ...

''. * May 8: The first issue of ''

Eclipse Magazine ''Eclipse, The Magazine'' (renamed ''Eclipse'' from the second issue) was a black-and-white comics anthology magazine published bi-monthly by Eclipse Comics from 1981 to 1983. It was the company's first ongoing title, Eclipse having previously pub ...

'' is published by

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

and Jan Mullaney. It will run until January 1983. * May 10: in ''

'', the comic-adventure series ''Captain Rogers'', by Giorgio Pezzin and

Giorgio Cavazzano Giorgio Cavazzano (; born 19 October 1947) is an Italian cartoonist, and one of the most famous Disney comics artists in the world. Biography Giorgio Cavazzano was born 19 October 1947 in Venice, Italy. At the age of twelve, Cavazzano started t ...

, makes his debut; the hero is an American

trapper Animal trapping, or simply trapping or ginning, is the use of a device to remotely catch and often kill an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including for meat, fur/feathers, sport hunting, pest control, and wildlife man ...

, fighting against the English in the

War of independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

. * May 19: in ''Tele junior'', ''Le bandit manchot'' (The slot machine) by

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia * St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Man ...

and

Bob de Groot Robert de Groot (26 October 1941 – 17 November 2023) was a Belgian comic books artist and writer. Career While still a young art student de Groot got his first comics experience as an assistant to Maurice Tillieux on ''Félix''. He began cr ...

, 81th episode of ''

Lucky Luke ''Lucky Luke'' is a Western (genre), Western bande dessinée, comic album series created by Belgian cartoonist Morris (cartoonist), Morris in 1946. Morris wrote and drew the series single-handedly until 1955, after which he started collaborati ...

'' series, is pre-published. * ''

Master of Kung Fu Zheng Shang-Chi,. also known as the Master of Kung Fu and Brother Hand, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin, debuting in ''Spec ...

'' #100: "Red of Fang and Claw, All Love Lost," by

Doug Moench Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American writer of comics, novels, short stories, newspaper feature articles, weekly newspaper comic strips, film screenplays and teleplays. He is notable for his ''Batman'' wo ...

Mike Zeck Michael J. Zeck (born September 6, 1949) is an Americans, American comics artist. He is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on such series as ''Captain America (comic book), Captain America'', ''Secret Wars, Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars'' ...

, and

Gene Day Howard Eugene Day (August 13, 1951 – September 23, 1982) was a Canadian comics artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''Star Wars'' licensed series and ''Master of Kung Fu''. He was considered a mentor by independent comic writer/art ...

. * ''

Ghosts In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

'' #100 (DC Comics): Edited by

Jack C. Harris Jack C. Harris (born August 30, 1947) is an Americans, American comic book writer and editor known mainly for his work in the 1970s and 1980s at DC Comics. Biography Early life and career Jack C. Harris attended the University of the Arts (Ph ...

. * With issue #66, Charlton revives ''

The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves ''The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves'' is an American supernatural-anthology comic book that was published by Charlton Comics, often featuring stories by writer-artist Steve Ditko. The eponymous Dr. M. T. Graves was a fictional character who hosted ...

'', cancelled in May 1978.

June

* June 15:

Doug Marlette Douglas Nigel Marlette (December 6, 1949 – July 10, 2007) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American editorial cartoonist who, at the time of his death, had also published two novels and was "finding his voice in writing long-length fiction."

's ''

Kudzu Kudzu (), also called Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot, is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing deciduous perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands. It is invasive species, invasive in ...

'' makes its debut. It will run until 2007. * June 26: In

Berkeley Breathed Guy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed (; born June 21, 1957) is an American cartoonist, children's book author, Film director, director, and screenwriter, known for his comic strips ''Bloom County'', ''Outland (comic strip), Outland'', and ''Opus (comic s ...

's ''

Bloom County ''Bloom County'' is an American comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which originally ran from December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989. It examined events in politics and culture through the viewpoint of a fanciful small town in Middle America, whe ...

Opus the Penguin Opus the Penguin (Opus T. Penguin) is a fictional character created by artist Berkeley Breathed. Breathed has described him as an "existentialist penguin" and the favorite of his many characters. Opus has appeared in several of Breathed's creati ...

makes his debut. * ''

Weird War Tales ''Weird War Tales'' is a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September - October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was an an ...

'' #100 (DC Comics) * Final issue of '' The Hulk!'' published by

. * First issue of '' Charlton Bullseye'' (

Charlton Charlton may refer to: People * Charlton (surname) * Charlton (given name) Places Australia * Charlton, Queensland * Charlton, Victoria * Division of Charlton, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in New South Wales ...

) * Debut of the comics industry magazine ''

Amazing Heroes ''Amazing Heroes'' was a magazine about the comic book medium published by American company Fantagraphics Books from 1981 to 1992. Unlike its companion title, '' The Comics Journal'', ''Amazing Heroes'' was a hobbyist magazine rather than an anal ...

'' (published by the Fantagraphics imprint Zam, Inc.. With later issues, until it folds in

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, ''Amazing Heroes'' will be "officially" published by

Fantagraphics Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and (formerly) the Erotic comics, erotic Eros Comix imprint. They have managed sev ...

). * ''Rallye sur un vulcan'' by

, 39th episode of the

series. * In the Spanish magazine ''cimoc'', the war reporter Frank Kappa, by Manfred Sommer, makes his debut. * In the Argentinian magazine ''Superhumor'', the inept New York cop Merdichesky'','' by

Carlos Trillo Carlos Trillo (May 1, 1943 – May 8, 2011) was an Argentine comic book writer, best known worldwide as the co-creator and writer of the '' Cybersix'' comics. With a long and prolific career in the '' Historieta'' medium, he is considered as one ...

and Horacio Altura, makes his debut.

July

* '' Superman and Spider-Man'', "The Heroes and the Holocaust," a DC/Marvel

intercompany crossover A crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders (known as intercompany ...

("sequel" to 1976's ''

Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man ''Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle of the Century'' is a comic book jointly published by Marvel Comics and DC Comics in March 1976. It was the second co-publishing effort between DC Comics and Marvel Comics following their collabor ...

''). * ''

Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ' ...

'' vol. 2, with issue #11, is cancelled by Marvel. * John Byrne begins his 62-issue run as writer/artist on ''

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...

'' with issue #232. * In Italy, first issue of the weekly magazine ''Paperino & c.'' (

Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 19 ...

), publishing Danish and American

Disney comics Disney comics are comic books and comic strips featuring characters created by the Walt Disney Company, including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck. The first Disney comics were newspaper strips appearing from 1930 on, starting with t ...

August

*August 5: in ''

Le matin de Paris ''Le Matin de Paris'' (, ''The Morning of Paris'') was a French daily newspaper, founded on 1 March 1977 by Claude Perdriel, and disappearing in 1987 ("dépôt de bilan" on 6 May). Its foundation is the subject of the documentary ''Numéros zéro ...

'', first chapter of ''La jeunesse de Corto Maltese'' (

Corto Maltese ''Corto Maltese'' ( ; ) is a series of adventure comics named after the character Corto Maltese, an adventurous sailor. It was created by the Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt in 1967. The comics are highly praised as some of the most arti ...

’s youth) by

Hugo Pratt Ugo Eugenio Prat (15 June 1927 – 20 August 1995), better known as Hugo Pratt, was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as '' Corto Maltese''. He was indu ...

and Patrizia Zanotti.: *DC's ''

The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...

'' reaches its 300th issue and celebrates its 25th anniversary. *''

Justice League of America The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived t ...

'' #193 features an

previewing the upcoming

All-Star Squadron The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in ''Justice League, Justice League of America'' #193 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. Although the team was introduced in the 1980s, its s ...

series by

and

Rich Buckler Rich Buckler (February 6, 1949 – May 19, 2017) was an Americans, American comics artist and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' in the mid-1970s and for creating the character Deat ...

. * Final issue of ''

Marvel Premiere ''Marvel Premiere'' is an American comic book anthology series that was published by Marvel Comics. In concept it was a tryout book, intended to determine if a character or concept could attract enough readers to justify launching their own ser ...

'' (#61) published by

* With issue #47, DC cancels ''

Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of Am ...

''. * "Doomquest" storyline debuts in ''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

'' #149 (continues in ''Iron Man'' #150) * '' The Warlord'' #48 features an insert previewing the upcoming '' Arak, Son of Thunder'' series by Roy Thomas and

Ernie Colón Ernesto Colón SierraColón in English translation of Via (July 13, 1931 – August 8, 2019) was a stateside Puerto Rican comics artist, known for his wide-ranging career illustrating children's, superhero, and horror comics, as well as main ...

Fall

* ''

DC Special Series ''DC Special Series'' was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. ''DC Special Serie ...

'' #27 — ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

vs.

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book ...

'', an

between DC and

. This marks the final issue of ''

'' (

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

series), a catch-all series primarily for one-shots of different formats, released on an irregular schedule.

September

* September 5: in '' 2000 AD'', first strip of

Rogue Trooper ''Rogue Trooper'' is a science fiction strip in the British comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'', created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons in 1981. It portrays the adventures of a "Supersoldier, Genetic Infantryman" named Rogue ...

, by

Gerry Finley-Day Gerry Finley-Day (born 1947, in Broughty Ferry, Dundee) is a Scottish comics writer, prolific from the 1960s to the 1980s, best known as the creator of "Rogue Trooper". Career He began his career at D.C. Thomson & Co., before becoming the ...

and

Dave Gibbons David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story " For the M ...

. * September 20:

Jean Dulieu Jan van Oort (13 April 1921 – 29 November 2006) was a Dutch children's book writer and comic strip cartoonist, working under the pseudonym of Jean Dulieu (). He is known for his creation of ''Paulus the woodgnome''. Biography Jan van Oort ...

wins the

Stripschapprijs The Stripschapprijs is a Dutch prize awarded to List of comic creators, comic creators for their entire body of work. It is awarded annually by the ''Stripschap'', the Dutch Society of comics fans, since 1974. The prize is non-pecuniary, but is con ...

. Patty Klein, Annemieke and Har van Fulpen win The Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdiensten (nowadays the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs). * September 21: Guy Gilchrist and Brad Gilchrist's newspaper comic based on ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...

'' is published for the first time and in more than 80 countries across the world on the same simultaneous date. An exceptional event. * September 24: **

Kamagurka Luc Zeebroek (born 5 May 1956), better known as Kamagurka, is a Belgium, Belgian cartoonist, playwright, comic strip artist, painter, comedian, comedic singer and television producer, known for the Absurd humor, absurd nature of his work. He cre ...

and

Herr Seele Herr Seele is the pseudonym of Peter Van Heirseele (born 13 April 1959, Torhout, Belgium), a Flemish cartoonist, author, actor and piano collector. He is mainly known for drawing the absurd humor comic strip '' Cowboy Henk'', for which his coll ...

's ''

Cowboy Henk ''Cowboy Henk'' is a Belgian Surreal humour, absurd/surreal humour gag-a-day comic strip series drawn by Herr Seele and written by Kamagurka. It was originally published in the newspaper ''De Morgen'', but later taken over by the magazine ''HUMO' ...

'' makes its debut in ''

De Morgen ''De Morgen'' (; ''The Morning'') is a Flemish newspaper with a circulation of 53,860. The paper is published in Antwerp, Belgium. History and profile ''De Morgen'' originates from a merger in 1978 of two socialist newspapers ' (meaning "Onwar ...

''. ** Toon van Driel's gag comic ''Hullie'' debuts in ''

Algemeen Dagblad The ''Algemeen Dagblad'' (; ), also known by its initialism ''AD'' () is a Dutch daily newspaper based in Rotterdam. History and profile ''Algemeen Dagblad'' was founded in 1946. The paper is published in tabloid format and is headquartered i ...

'', where it will run until 2001. * ''Le scandale Ric Hochet'' by

André-Paul Duchâteau André-Paul Duchâteau (8 May 1925 – 26 August 2020) was a Belgian comics writer and mystery novelist. Biography He worked with Tibet on the detective comics series ''Ric Hochet'' and the more humoristic western comic ''Chick Bill''. He also w ...

and

, 33th episode of the ''

'' series (

October

* October 18: in ''

'',

Nicoletta Nicoletta is a name and feminine given name derived from the Greek ''Nikolaos'', most often used in Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Nicoletta is also a surname. Given name * Nicoletta (singer), full name Nicoletta Grisoni, French singer, kn ...

, by Clod and

Claudio Nizzi Claudio Nizzi (born 9 September 1938 in Sétif, Algeria) is an Italian comic author. He started his career as comic scriptwriter in 1963, writing for the comics magazine '' Il Vittorioso''. During 1969 he started working for ''Il Giornalino'' cre ...

, makes her debut. * '' The Defenders'' #100: Double-sized issue written by

J.M. DeMatteis John Marc DeMatteis (; born December 15, 1953) is an American writer of comic books, television and novels. Biography Early career J. M. DeMatteis's earliest aspirations were to be a rock musician and comic book artist. He began playing in ban ...

. (Marvel Comics) * " Block Mania" storyline begins in '' 2000 AD.'' (continues through December) * '' The hunting party'', by

and Enik Bilal (

Dargaud Société Dargaud (), doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud, publishing its first comics in 1943. ...

) * ''

Asterix and the black gold ''Asterix and the Black Gold'' (French: ''L'Odyssée d'Astérix'' literally "Asterix's Odyssey") is the twenty-sixth volume of Asterix comic book series, originally published in 1981. It is the second book to be both written and drawn by Albert ...

'' – by

Uderzo Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo (), was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the '' Astérix'' series in collaboration wit ...

( Editons Albert-René). * ''La tour de Babele'' by Jacques Martin, 16. album of the ''

Alix ''Alix'', or ''The Adventures of Alix'', is a Franco-Belgian comics series drawn in the ligne claire style by Jacques Martin. The stories revolve around a young Gallo-Roman man named Alix in the late Roman Republic. Although the series is ren ...

'' series.

November

* November 1: In the Italian Disney magazine ''

'', the ''

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shirt and cap with ...

'' story ''The Tourist at the End of the Universe, by''

and

Carlo Chendi Angelo Carlo Chendi (10 July 1933 – 12 September 2021) was an Italian cartoonist. From 1952, Carlo Chendi wrote hundreds of stories with characters from Disney comics. Biography Having moved at a young age from Province of Ferrara to Rapallo, ...

marks the debut of O. K. Quack. *November 2: Steve Bell's political comic strip '' If'' debuts in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. It will run until 2021. *November 22: in ''

'', '' Rosco and Sonny'', by

and

Giancarlo Alessandrini Giancarlo Alessandrini (born March 20, 1950) is an Italian comic artist. Biography Born in Iesi, Alessandrini graduated from Ancona's Art Institute and begins drawing comics professionally in 1972 for ''Il Corriere dei Ragazzi'' with the story ' ...

, make their debut. *November 26: in '' Spirou'', first chapter of '' La Ceinture du grand froid'', by Nic Broca and

. * '' Jinty'' merges with '' Tammy'' (

Fleetway Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. History It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies t ...

). *

Pacific Comics Pacific Comics was a comic book Distribution (marketing), distributor and Comic book publisher, publisher active from 1971 to 1984. The company began as a San Diego, California, comic book shop owned by brothers Bill Schanes, Bill and Steve Schan ...

makes its entree into publishing with the release of

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...

's '' Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers'' #1 * The reprint title '' Marvel Super Action'', with issue #37, is cancelled by Marvel. * In '' Linus'', the shabby private eye Joe Balordo by

Benito Jacovitti Benito Jacovitti (; March 19, 1923 – December 3, 1997) was an Italian comics artist. Biography Benito Jacovitti was born in Termoli, Molise. He was still a kid when he started drawing on the pavement of the village's streets. The son of a rai ...

, makes his debut; the series, very short lived (only two episodes), for its explicitly sexual contents, is one of the few comics by the author aimed to an adult audience.

December

* December 17:

Stéphane Colman Stéphane is a French given name an equivalent of Stephen/Steven. The word derives from the Greek word "''στεφάνι''" (stefáni) n (plural στεφάνια), meaning wreath, garland (of flowers), and the verb "στέφω" (stéfo), meaning "t ...

and

Stephen Desberg Stephen Desberg (born 10 September 1954 in Brussels) is a Belgian writer of comics. In 2010, he was the 10th bestselling author of comics in France, with 412,000 copies of all his comics together sold that year. Biography Stephen Desberg was bor ...

's '' Billy the Cat'' makes its debut in '' Spirou''. * December 23: The final issue of the French satirical comics magazine ''

Charlie Hebdo ''Charlie Hebdo'' (; ) is a French satirical weekly magazine, featuring cartoons, reports, polemics, and jokes. The publication has been described as anti-racist, sceptical, secular, libertarian, and within the tradition of left-wing radicalism ...

'' is published. It will be relaunched in July 1992. * In Italy, first issue of the magazine ''Pilot'' ( Bonelli), specialized in French comics; it contains ''L’uomo di carta'' (Paper man) by

Milo Manara Maurilio Manara (; born 12 September 1945), known professionally as Milo Manara, is an Italian comic book writer and artist. Career After architecture and painting studies, he made his comics debut in 1969 drawing for ''Genius'', a fumetti neri ...

, a western adventure on the natives’ side, already published in France. * Specific date unknown:

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

and Steve Schanes establish

Specific date unknown

* Norman Dog starts his long-running comics series ''Bad Habits''. *''Walt Disney's Uncle $crooge McDuck: His Life and Times'', by

Carl Barks Carl Barks (March 27, 1901 – August 25, 2000) was an American cartoonist, author, and painter. He is best known for his work in Disney comics, Disney comic books, as the writer and artist of the first Donald Duck stories and as the creator of ...

. The book includes, beyond an anthology of the best stories with

Uncle Scrooge ''Uncle Scrooge'' (stylized as ''Uncle $crooge'') is a Disney comic book series starring Scrooge McDuck ("the richest duck in the world"), his nephew Donald Duck, and grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and revolving around their adventures in ...

, the unpublished short tale ''Go slowly, sands of time'', written and illustrated in watercolor by Barks himself. *

Claire Bretécher Claire Bretécher (; 17 April 1940 – 10 February 2020)
on Lambiek Comiclopedia was a French

Le Nouvel Observateur (), previously known as (2014–2024), (1964–2014), (1954–1964), (1953–1954), and (1950–1953), is a weekly French news magazine. Based in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, ' is one of the three most prominent French news magazines ...

, where it had run since 1973. * David Sutherland introduces Olive Sprat, the cafetaria cook, in ''

The Bash Street Kids ''The Bash Street Kids'' is a comic strip in the British comic magazine '' The Beano''. It also appeared briefly in The Wizard as series of prose stories in 1955. The strip, created by Leo Baxendale as ''When the Bell Rings!'', first appear ...

''. * The first episode of '' Tete Cohete'' by

Francisco Ibáñez Talavera Francisco Ibáñez Talavera (15 March 1936 – 15 July 2023) was a Spanish comic book artist and writer. Ibáñez was one of the most prolific and well-known authors in Spain, with popular comics such as '' Mort & Phil'', '' Rompetechos'', '' ...

is published. * Loesje Raymakers and Carla Schrama release the photo comic ''Calla & Lucy Go West''.

Births

Deaths

February

* February 16: William Edwin Pidgeon, Australian comics artist (''The Trifling Triplets'', ''In and Out of Society''), dies at age 72, from complications of a traffic accident. * February 20: Enzo Magni, aka ''Ingam'', Italian comics artist ('' Pantera Bionda''), dies at age 76. * February 22:

Michael Maltese Michael Maltese (February 6, 1908 – February 22, 1981) was an American screenwriter and storyboard artist for classic animated cartoon shorts. He is best known for working in the 1950s on a series of '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoons with director ...

, American screenwriter and comics writer (''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

'' and ''

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

'' comics), dies at age 73 from cancer. * February 25: Arne Ungerman, Danish painter and comics artist (''Hanne Hansen''), dies at age 78. * February 29: Carlo Bisi, Italian comics artist ('' Sor Pampurio''), dies at age 91.

March

* March 10:

Jack Oleck Jack Oleck (March 1, 1914 – March 10, 1981)Social Security Death Index, SS# 115-01-6988. was an American novelist and comic book writer particularly known for his work in the horror genre. The brother-in-law of comics pioneer Joe Simon, Oleck ...

, American novelist and comics writer (wrote

horror comics Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...

for

EC Comics E.C. Publications, Inc., (doing business as EC Comics) is an American comic book publisher. It specialized in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction, dark fantasy, and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, nota ...

and

and series like ''

Kong the Untamed ''Kong the Untamed'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics that ran for five issues. It was created in 1975 by writer Jack Oleck and artist Alfredo Alcala. The title character, Kong, is an intelligent caveman who is a direct descendant of ...

'') dies at age 67. * March 17: Emile Mercier, Australian comics artist (''Tripalong Hoppity'', ''Wocko the Beaut'', ''Doc McSwiggle'', ''Bowyang Bill and the Princess'', ''The Case of the Haunted Piecrust'', ''Search for the Gnu-Gnah'', ''Speed Umplestoop'', ''Supa Dupa Man'', ''Three Gun Ferdie''), dies at age 79. * March 31: Cees van de Weert, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (''Marco Polo'', worked for

Marten Toonder Marten Toonder (2 May 1912 – 27 July 2005) was a Dutch comic strip creator. He was probably the most successful comic artist in the Netherlands and had a great influence on the Dutch language by introducing new words and expressions. He is most ...

), dies at age 63. * Specific date in March unknown: Richard Loederer, aka Dick Loederer, American comics writer and artist (worked for

National Comics Publications National Comics Publications (NCP; later known as National Periodical Publications Inc. or simply National) was an American comic book publishing company. It was the direct predecessor of modern-day DC Comics. History The corporation was origin ...

), dies at age 86 or 87.

April

* April 18: Tage Anderson, Danish illustrator and comics artist (''Willy på Eventyr''), dies at age 58. * April 23: Vivie Risto, American animator and comics artist (''

'', particularly

Bucky Bug Bucky Bug is a beetle who appears in Disney comics. He first appeared in the ''Silly Symphony'' Sunday comic strip, and later appeared as a regular feature in the comic book ''Walt Disney's Comics and Stories''. Silly Symphony Bucky Bug first app ...

, ''

'' comics), dies at age 78. * April 24:

Howard Purcell Howard Purcell (November 10, 1918 – April 24, 1981)Howard Purcell
at the Social S ...

, American comics artist (co-creator of ''

Sargon the Sorcerer Sargon the Sorcerer is the name of several fictional characters appearing in DC Comics. The first version of the character appeared in 1941, during the period known to fans as the Golden Age. The original incarnation of the character is John Sarge ...

'', ''Gay Ghost'', ''Enchantress (DC Comics), Enchantress''), dies at age 62.

May

* May 7: Jaap Veenendaal, aka Javé, Dutch comics artist, painter and illustrator (''Bongo''), dies at age 77. * May 12: Henry Formhals, American comics artist (continued ''Freckles and His Friends'', assisted on ''Ella Cinders'' and ''Joe Jinks''), dies at age 72. * May 25: George Clark (cartoonist), George Clark, American comics artist (''The Neighbors (comic strip), The Neighbors'', ''Side Glances''), dies at age 78.

June

* June 7: Arnold Molenaar, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (''Daantje Driest'', ''Flip Kater''), dies at age 76. * June 11: Eppo Doeve, Indonesian-Dutch illustrator and comics artist (''Mannetje Bagatel'', ''Kleine Isar, de Vierde Koning''), dies at age 73. * June 19: Lotte Reiniger, German film director and animator (''The Adventures of Prince Achmed''), dies at age 82.

July

* July 17: Odd Harrong, Norwegian comedian, singer and comics artist (''Bokholder Blidberg'', ''Harrongs Komikk'', ''Blidberg og Stribert'', ''Kjakan'', ''Jumbo'', ''Samegutten Anti'', ''Knokkelmannen'', ''Den Usynlige Mannen''), dies at age 68.

August

* August 5: Ton Smits, Dutch cartoonist and comics artist (''Tommy'', ''Karel Kwiek'', ''Daniel Daazer'', ''Dolly en de Juwelenroof''), dies at age 60. * August 13: Gustaaf De Bruyne, Belgian painter and comics artist (''De Opwindende Verhalen van Carlo Guzzi''), dies at age 67. * August 25: Guillermo Cardoso, Mexican comics artist and illustrator (worked on ''Little Lulu'',

), dies at age 59. * August 27: Fred Fox, American screenwriter, gag writer, comics writer (continued ''Ella Cinders'', ''Freckles and His Friends'', ''Odd Bodkins'') and artist (continued ''Good Time Guy''), dies at age 79. * August 31: Nikos Kastanakis, Greek painter and comics artist (worked on the ''Classic Illustrated'' series), dies at age 84 or 85.

September

* September 2: Andrija Maurović, Montenegrin-Croatian comics artist (''Stari Macak'', ''Dan'', ''Old Tom-cat'' and ''Radoslav'') dies at age 80. * September 29: Aage Grauballe, Danish journalist and comics writer (''Willy på Eventyr'') ), dies at age 56.

October

* October 12: Lawrence Lariar, American comics artist, writer, novelist, editor and cartoonist (''Barry O'Neill'', ''Best Cartoons of the Year'' series), dies at age 72. * October 14: Jim Raymond, American comics artist (continued ''Blondie (comic strip), Blondie'', assisted on ''Jungle Jim''), dies at age 64. * October 29: Pierre Noël, French illustrator (drew picture stories), dies at age 78.

November

* November 2: Wally Wood, American comics artist (''Mad Magazine'', ''Sally Forth (Wally Wood), Sally Forth'', ''Heroes, Inc. Presents Cannon'', '' Daredevil'') commits suicide at age 54. * November 12: Ralph Heimdahl, American animator and comics artist (''Bugs Bunny'' comic strip), dies at age 72. * November 18: Fredric Wertham, German psychologist and author of the anti-comics book ''Seduction of the Innocent'' which paved the way for the Comics Code censorship, dies at age 86. * November 26: Lou Visser, Dutch comics artist and illustrator (''Fred Penner''), dies at age 70.

December

* December 1: Russ Manning, American comics artist (''The Aliens'', ''Magnus, Robot Fighter'', continued ''Tarzan (comics), Tarzan''), dies at age 52. * December 4: Raoul Verdini, Italian comics artist (''Cipollino'', ''Le Maschere'', ''Chicchirichi''), dies at age 81. * December 9: Édouard Van Overstraeten, aka War Van Overstraeten, Belgian painter, politician, poster artist and editorial cartoonist, dies at age 90. * Harry "A" Chesler, American comics entrepreneur (''Chesler's Studio''), dies at age 83. * George Swanson, American comics artist (''Flop Family'', ''Salesman Sam'', ''High Pressure Pete'', ''Officer 67/8'', ''Elza Poppin' ''), dies at age 93 or 94.

Specific date unknown

* Ferdinand Bis, Croatian comics artist (comics for ''Mickey Strip''), dies at age 70 or 71. * Freddie Chaplain, British comics writer (''Rupert Bear''), dies at age 67 or 68. *Noel Cook, New Zealand-Australian comics artist (''Roving Peter'', ''Bobby and Betty'', ''Kokey Koala''), dies at age 84 or 85. * Henry Gammidge, British comic writer (scripted ''James Bond'' newspaper comic * * Ester Gill, Swedish comics artist (''Lillans Morgongröt'', ''Den Egenkära Gunilla'', ''Sara''), dies at age 87 or 88. * Sam Leff, American comics artist (continued ''Joe Jinks'' as ''Curly Kayoe''), dies at age 64 or 65. * Dumitru Negrea, Romanian caricaturist, comics artist and illustrator (''Misterul învaţătorului Helmuth''), dies at age 57 or 58.

Exhibitions and shows

Conventions

* May 3: Colorado Comic Art Convention (Rocky Mountain School of Art, Denver, Colorado) — official guests include Kirk Alyn (guest of honor) and John Severin * June 27–28: Creation Convention (Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Washington, D.C.) — guests include Stan Lee, Bob Wiacek, Terry Austin, and ''Savage Sword of Conan'' artist Kenneth Morris * July 3–5: Comic Art Convention (Statler Hilton Hotel, 33rd Street and 7th Avenue, New York City) — special guest of honor George Pérez; other official guests include Burne Hogarth, Harvey Kurtzman, Howard Chaykin, Gil Kane, and Art Spiegelman * July 3–5: Multicon 81 (Lincoln Plaza Inn, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) — guests include John Byrne, L. B. Cole, Jim Engel, Chuck Fialla, Mike McQuay, John Wooley, and Ron Wolfe (comics), Ron Wolfe * July 17–19: Chicago Comicon (Pick-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois) * July 23–26: San Diego Comic Con (El Cortez Hotel, San Diego, California) — 5,000 attendees; official guests: Jerry Bails, Dave Berg (cartoonist), Dave Berg, L. B. Cole, Jim Fitzpatrick (artist), Jim Fitzpatrick, Dick Giordano, Bil Keane, Julius Schwartz, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Dave Sim * August: Atlanta Fantasy Fair (Dunfey's Royal Coach, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests include Al Williamson, Michael Whelan, Bob Burden, Mike Jittlov * September: OrlandoCon (Orlando, Florida) — guests include C. C. Beck * September 19–20: FantaCon, FantaCon '81 (Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany, New York) * October 31–November 1: British Comic Art Convention, Comicon '81 (British Comic Art Convention) (Regent Centre Hotel, London, England) — 14th annual (and final) edition; guests include

, Alan Davis, Paul Neary, Bryan Talbot, Richard Burton (comics), Richard Burton, Bernie Jaye, Martin Asbury, Brian Bolland, John Bolton (illustrator), John Bolton, John M. Burns, Ron Embleton,

, Don Lawrence, and Mick Anglo; presentation of the Eagle Award (comics), Eagle Awards * November 14: Mid-Ohio Con (Quality Inn Park Place, Mansfield, Ohio) — special guest of honor: John Byrne * December 5–6: Greater Cincinnati Comic and Card Convention (Drawbridge Motor Inn, Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky) — special guest Bob Layton

Awards

Eagle Awards

''Presented in 1982 in comics, 1982 for comics published in 1981'': * Best New Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz * Roll of Honour:

* Favourite Artist (UK): Mick AustinAustin profile
Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999

First issues by title

DC Comics

''Arak, Son of Thunder'' : ''Release'': September ''Writer'':

. ''Artists'':

and Alfredo Alcala.

Marvel Comics

'' Dazzler'' : ''Release'': March. ''Writer'': Tom DeFalco. ''Artists'': John Romita, Jr. and Alfredo Alcala. ''Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder), Ka-Zar the Savage'' : ''Release'': April. ''Writer'': Bruce Jones (comics), Bruce Jones. ''Artists'': Brent Anderson (comics), Brent Anderson and Carlos Garzon.

Other publishers

''Alien Encounters (comics), Alien Encounters'' : ''Release'': by FantaCo Enterprises. ''Editor'': Catherine Yronwode. '' Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers'' : ''Release'': November by

. ''Writer/Artist'':

. ''Charlton Bullseye (comic), Charlton Bullseye'' : ''Release'': June by Charlton Comics. ''Editor'': George Wildman. ''Eclipse Magazine, Eclipse'' : ''Release'': May by Eclipse Comics. ''Editors'': Dean Mullaney and Jan Mullaney. ''Hatsukoi Scandal'' : ''Release'': in ''Shōnen Big Comic'' by Shogakukan. ''Author'': Akira Oze. ''Justice Machine'' : ''Release'': June by Noble Comics. ''Writer/Artist'': Michael Gustovich. ''Love and Rockets (comics), Love and Rockets'' : ''Release'': Self-published by Los Bros Hernandez ''

'' : ''Release'': January by

. ''Writer'': Mike Baron. ''Artist'': Steve Rude. ''Weirdo (magazine), Weirdo'' : ''Release'': March by Last Gasp (publisher), Last Gasp. ''Editor'':

Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

in ''Justice League of America'' #193 (August) * I…Vampire, Andrew Bennett, in ''House of Mystery'' #290 (March) * Arak (comics), Arak in '' The Warlord'' #48 (August) * Arella, in ''New Teen Titans'' #3 (January) * Auron (character), Auron, in ''Green Lantern'' #141 (June) * Arisia Rrab, in ''Tales of the Green Lantern Corps'' #1 (May) * Bushmaster (DC Comics), Bushmaster, in ''

'' #45 (June) * Firebrand (DC Comics), Danette Reilly, in ''Justice League of America'' #193 (August) * Electrocutioner, in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #331 (January) * Fearsome Five in ''New Teen Titans'' #3 (January) ** Gizmo (DC Comics), Gizmo ** Mammoth (comics), Mammoth ** Psimon ** Shimmer (comics), Shimmer *Houngan, in ''New Teen Titans'' #14 (December) *Mary, Queen of Blood, in ''House of Mystery'' #290 (March) *Nekron, in ''Tales of the Green Lantern Corps'' #2 (June) *Neutron (DC Comics), Neutron, in ''Action Comics'' #525 (November) * Omega Men in ''Green Lantern (comic book), Green Lantern'' #141 (June) * Phobia (comics), Phobia, in ''New Teen Titans'' #14 (December) *Plasmus, in ''New Teen Titans'' #14 (December) *Firebrand (DC Comics), Rod Reilly, in ''

'' #1 (September) *Trigon (comics), Trigon, in ''New Teen Titans'' #5 (March) *Typhoon (comics), Typhoon, in ''

'' #294 (February) *Vixen (comics), Vixen, in ''Action Comics'' #521 (July) *Warp (comics), Warp, in ''New Teen Titans'' #14 (December)

Marvel Comics

* Arlok, in ''What If (comics), What If?'' #27 (July) * Astron (comics), Astron, in ''What If (comics), What If?'' #27 (July) * Avalanche (character), Avalanche, in ''

'' #141 (January) *

, in '' Daredevil'' #168 (January) * Hybrid (Jimmy Marks), Hybrid, in ''Rom (comics), Rom'' #17 (April) * Mad Jim Jaspers, in ''The Mighty World of Marvel, Marvel Superheroes'' #377, published by Marvel UK (September) * Pyro (Marvel Comics), Pyro, in ''

'' #141 (January) * Rogue (Marvel Comics), Rogue, in ''Avengers (comics), Avengers Annual'' #10 * Siryn, in ''Spider-Woman'' #37 (April) * Stick (character), Stick in '' Daredevil'' #176 (November)

Other publishers

in '' 2000 AD.'' #228, published by IPC Media * Syzygy Darklock in ''The Price (graphic novel), The Price'', published by Eclipse Comics * Thrud the Barbarian in the British fanzine ''Arken Sword'' * Zanardi (comics), Zanardi in the Italian anthology ''Frigidaire''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1981 In Comics 1981 in comics,