Notable events of 1950 in comics.

Events and publications

January

* January 22: The final episode of Charles M. Schulz' ''

Li'l Folks ''Li'l Folks'', the first comic strip by ''Peanuts'' creator Charles M. Schulz, was a weekly Gag cartoon, panel that appeared mainly in Schulz's hometown paper, the ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'', from June 22, 1947, to January 22, 1950. As Schulz's f ...

'' is published. *January 30: The first episode of ''Mickey Mouse, Eega Beeva and the Mook Treasure'' by

Bill Walsh William Ernest Walsh (November 30, 1931 – July 30, 2007) was an American professional and college football coach. He served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal, during which time he popularized the West Coast off ...

and

Floyd Gottfredson Arthur Floyd Gottfredson (May 5, 1905July 22, 1986) was an American cartoonist best known for his defining work on the Mickey Mouse (comic strip), ''Mickey Mouse'' comic strip, which he worked on from 1930 until his retirement in 1975. His contri ...

is published. The story, published at the height of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, is overly

anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...

and portrays the villain

Peg-Leg Pete Pete (also named Peg Leg Pete, Bad Pete and Black Pete, among other names) is a cartoon character created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks of The Walt Disney Company. Pete is traditionally depicted as the villainous Archenemy, arch-nemesis of Mickey ...

as a Soviet officer. * In ''

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories ''Walt Disney's Comics and Stories'', sometimes abbreviated ''WDC&S'', is an American Comics anthology, anthology comic book series featuring characters from The Walt Disney Company's films and shorts, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Micke ...

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 ...

creates 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 ''Rip Van Donald'', a parody of ''

Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" () is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in Colonial history of the United States, colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Du ...

''. * ''Joker Comics'' (1942 series) #40 -

Timely Comics Timely Comics was the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman (publisher), Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely P ...

February

* February 9:

Marc Sleen Marcel Honoree Nestor ( ridder) Neels (30 December 1922 – 6 November 2016), known as Marc Sleen, was a Belgian comics artist. He was mostly known for his humorous adventure comic '' The Adventures of Nero and Co.'', but also created gag comic ...

's version of ''

De Lustige Kapoentjes ''De Lustige Kapoentjes'' (literally: ''"The Joyful Rascals"'') was a long-running Flemish comic book series, which existed under different titles and was drawn by different artists, among whom Marc Sleen (''"The Lustige Kapoentjes"'') and Willy V ...

'' makes its debut in ''

't Kapoentje ''t Kapoentje'' (literally: "The Little Rascal") was a youth supplement published by the Flemish newspaper '' Het Volk'' from April 3, 1947 until 1989. It was notable for its comics and, together with ''Ons Volkske'', the most important comic book ...

''. * February 9: in '' Spirou'', first strip of '' Les chapeaux noirs'', by Andrè Franquin. * February 20:

Elliot Caplin Elliot Caplin (December 25, 1913 – February 20, 2000) was an American comic strip writer best known as the co-creator (with Stan Drake) of ''The Heart of Juliet Jones''. His name is sometimes spelled with an extra letter: Elliott A. Caplin. He ...

and

John Cullen Murphy John Cullen Murphy (May 3, 1919 – July 2, 2004) was an American illustrator best known for his three decades of work on the ''Prince Valiant'' comic strip. Early life and education Born in New York City, Murphy spent his childhood in Chicago a ...

's ''

Big Ben Bolt ''Big Ben Bolt'' is a comic strip that was syndicated from February 20, 1950 to April 15, 1978. It was drawn by John Cullen Murphy, written by Elliot Caplin, and distributed by King Features Syndicate. The strip followed the adventures of boxer ...

'' debuts. * February 23:

Bob De Moor Robert Frans Marie De Moor (20 December 1925 – 26 August 1992), better known under his pen name Bob de Moor, was a Belgian comics creator. Chiefly noted as an artist, he is considered an early master of the Ligne claire style. He wrote and ...

's ''Monsieur Tric (''Meester Mus'')'' makes its debut in ''

Tintin Tintin usually refers to: * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), the protagonist and titular character of the series Tintin or Tin Tin may also refer to: Material related to ''The A ...

''. *'' Captain America's Weird Tales'' (1941 series) #75 –

– (After issue 75, the series will be cancelled for 4 years and then rename back to

Captain America Comics ''Captain America Comics'' is a comic book series featuring the superhero character Captain America. The series was originally published by Timely Comics from 1941 to 1950, with a brief revival by Atlas Comics (1950s), Atlas Comics in 1954. Pub ...

) *

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

(1948 series) #8 –

March

* March 10: in ''

'' magazine, the first chapter of ''Destination moon'' by Hergè appears in print. * March 16:

Barry Appleby Barry Appleby (30 August 1909 – 11 March 1996) was a British cartoonist famous for creating '' The Gambols'' for the ''Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in Tabloid (ne ...

's ''

The Gambols ''The Gambols'' is a British comic strip created by Barry Appleby which debuted 16 March 1950 in the ''Daily Express'' where it ran for almost 50 years: as of 1999 ''The Gambols'' has appeared in ''The Mail on Sunday''. From ''The Gambols ince ...

'' makes its debut. *March 21:

' story ''Ancient Persia'' is published. *March 23: In ''

'' magazine the first chapter of '' The mystery of the great pyramid'', by Edgar P. Jacobs appears in pint. *

Syd Shores Sydney Shores (1916 – June 3, 1973) was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America both during the 1940s, in what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books, and during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books. B ...

and

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

's '' Tex Taylor'' is cancelled by Atlas with issue #9. * '' Black Rider'' debuts with issue #8, taking over the numbering of '' Western Winners'' —

Atlas Comics Atlas Comics may refer to: * Atlas Comics (1950s), one of the two comic publishing companies that would be the forerunner of Marvel Comics * Atlas/Seaboard Comics Atlas/Seaboard Comics is a line of comic books published by the American company S ...

* Cowboy Romances (1939 series) #3 –

– Renamed to Young Men *''Foodini'' (1950 series) #1 - Helnit Publishing * True Western (1939 series) #2 –

– Renamed to

True Adventures True Adventures, Ltd., is a role-playing game company started by Jeff Martin. It operates two entertainment venues at Gen Con Indy: True Dungeon and True Dungeon Fantasy Tavern. True Adventures is notable because their signature event, True Dungeon ...

April

* April 1: The ''

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

'' story ''De Hoed van Geeraard de Duivel'' is first published in the newspapers. Halfway the story the main cast member Madam Pheip makes her debut. * April 8:

's '' Doris Dobbel'' makes its debut. * April 14: The first issue of the British comics magazine ''

Eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

'' is published. It will run (in two incarnations) until

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

. In its first issue

Frank Hampson Frank Hampson (21 December 1918 – 8 July 1985) was a British illustrator. He is best known as the creator and artist of Dan Dare and other characters in the boys' comic, the ''Eagle'', to which he contributed from 1950 to 1961. Biograp ...

's ''

Dan Dare Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories. Dare appeared in the ''Eagle'' comic series ''Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future'' from 1950 to 1967 (and subsequently in ...

'' makes its debut. * ''

Crypt of Terror A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below t ...

'' debuts with issue #17 (April/May cover date), continuing the numbering of ''Crime Patrol'' —

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 ...

* ''Foodini'' (1950 series) #2 - Helnit Publishing * '' The Vault of Horror'' debuts with issue #12 (April/May cover date), continuing the numbering of ''War Against Crime'' —

*'' Trail of the unicorn'', by

. *'' Topolino e I grilli atomici'' (Mickey Mouse and the Atomic Crickets) 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 Angelo Bioletto is first published in the Italian Disney comics magazine ''

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 ...

''. In this story

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

and

Goofy Goofy is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. He is a tall, Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic dog who typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fe ...

meet the

Seven Dwarfs The Seven Dwarfs are fictional dwarfs in the 1812 fairy tale '' Snow White'' by the Brothers Grimm and other renditions and adaptations. History The Seven Dwarfs live in a tiny cottage and work in the nearby mines. Snow White stumbles upon thei ...

May

Andrea Lavezzolo Andrea Lavezzolo (12 December 1905 – 16 November 1981) was an Italian novelist and short story writer who created and wrote many prominent Italian comics of the 1940s and 1950s. Life and career Lavezzolo was born in Paris to Italian parents. Th ...

and

EsseGesse EsseGesse was an Italian team of cartoonists, most famous for their Western (genre), Western comics, which were popular in the 1950s. The comics were translated to French language, French, Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish language, ...

's ''

Kinowa ''Kinowa'' is an Italian comic book series created by Andrea Lavezzolo and EsseGesse. Background The Western comic series debuted in May 1950, with text by Andrea Lavezzolo (who signed the comics with the pen name A. Lawson) and artwork by the ...

'' makes its debut. * ''

Weird Fantasy ''Weird Fantasy'' is an American dark fantasy and science fiction anthology comic that was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. The companion comic for ''Weird Fantasy'' was '' Weird Science''. Over a four-year span, ''Weird Fantasy'' ...

'' debuts with issue #13 (May/June cover date), continuing the numbering of '' A Moon, A Girl... Romance'' —

* ''Foodini'' (1950 series) #3 - Helnit Publishing * ''Joker Comics'' (1942 series) #41 -

(1939 series) #3 –

– Renamed to Men's Adventures *

(1948 series) #9 –

June

* After having received a letter of complaint from

Hilda Terry Theresa Hilda D’Alessio (June 25, 1914 – October 13, 2006), better known as Hilda Terry, was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip '' Teena''. It ran in newspapers from 1944 to 1964. After marriage, she usually signed her name ...

in October 1949 the

National Cartoonists Society The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

allows female cartoonists too as members. Terry,

Barbara Shermund Barbara Shermund (June 26, 1899 – September 9, 1978) was an American cartoonist whose work appeared in ''The New Yorker'' from its first year in 1925. She was one of the first three women cartoonists inducted into the National Cartoonists Soci ...

and

Edwina Dumm Frances Edwina Dumm (1893 – April 28, 1990) was a writer-artist who drew the comic strip '' Cap Stubbs and Tippie'' for nearly five decades; she is also notable as America's first full-time female editorial cartoonist. She used her middle name ...

are the first women to become members of their society. * Cancellation of Gian Giacomo Dalmasso and Ingam (Enzo Magni)'s '' Pantera Bionda''. *'' Wild about flowers'', by

* Young Men (1939 series) #4 –

July

* In ''

The Haunt of Fear ''The Haunt of Fear'' is an American bi-monthly horror comic anthology series that was published by EC Comics from 1950 to 1954 created by Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein. The magazine began in June 1947 as ''Fat and Slat''. It continued under this ...

'', the mascot character

The Old Witch The Old Witch is an English fairy tale published by Joseph Jacobs in his 1894 book, ''More English Fairy Tales''. It is also included within ''A Book of Witches'' by Ruth Manning-Sanders and ''A Book of British Fairy Tales'' by Alan Garner. Neil Wa ...

makes her debut, designed by

Graham Ingels Graham John Ingels (; June 7, 1915 – April 4, 1991) was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on '' The Haunt of Fear'' and '' Tales from the Crypt'', horror titles written and edit ...

. * July 27:

's '' Barelli'' makes his debut in ''

''.

August

*August 25: In the album ''The Blood Pact'',

Tex Willer Tex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series ''Tex'', created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. The series is among the most popular ...

marries the Indian squaw Lylith (who will die within a year). *''Foodini'' (1950 series) #4 - Helnit Publishing, Final Issue *''Joker Comics'' (1942 series) #42 -

, Final Issue * Men's Adventures (1939 series) #4 –

*''

Strange Adventures ''Strange Adventures'' is a series of American comic books published by DC Comics, the first of which was August–September 1950, according to the cover date, and published continuously until November 1973. Original series ''Strange Adventure ...

'' #1 –

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 ...

September

* September 4:

Mort Walker Addison Morton Walker (September 3, 1923 – January 27, 2018) was an American comic strip writer, best known for creating the newspaper comic strips ''Beetle Bailey'' in 1950 and ''Hi and Lois'' in 1954. He signed Addison to some of his strips. ...

's ''

Beetle Bailey ''Beetle Bailey'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Mort Walker, published since September 4, 1950. It is set on a fictional United States Army post. In the years just before Walker's death in 2018 (at age 94), it was among the old ...

'' makes its debut. Though the original comic strip is set at college and will only be set at a military base in March 1951. * September 5: The ''

'' story ''Moea Papoea'' is first published in the newspapers. Halfway the story the main cast member Petoetje makes his debut. * September 7:

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 ...

falls into a clinical depression and goes on a rest cure to Switzerland. For 18 months no new ''

The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' ( ) is a series of 24 comic albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. By 2007, a c ...

'' episodes appear in the eponymous Tintin magazine. * September 14: In the

story ''

A Financial Fable "A Financial Fable" is a Donald Duck comic book story written and illustrated by Carl Barks in September 1950. As with many other Barks stories, it was originally untitled. The story deals with what will happen if everyone in a community becomes a ...

'' by

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 ...

is seen swimming in his money for the first time. * September 15: The first issue of the Dutch comics magazine ''Grabbelton'' is published, a supplement of ''De Katholieke Illustratie''. it will last until 4 September 1954. * September 24:

Kreigh Collins Kreigh Collins may refer to: * Kreigh Collins (tennis) * Kreigh Collins (cartoonist) {{hndis, Collins, Kreigh ...

' ''

Mitzi McCoy ''Mitzi McCoy'' was the first syndicated comic strip of Kreigh Collins, the creator of Kevin the Bold. Collins was 40 years old when he created (script and art) the Sunday comic strip ''Mitzi McCoy'', in close collaboration with Ernest Lynn, edito ...

'' changes its title to ''

Kevin the Bold ''Kevin the Bold'' was an American comic strip that premiered on October 1, 1950, with script and art work by Kreigh Collins. In the 1960s, however, he received script assistance from Jay Heavilin (1961) and Russell R. Winterbotham (1964-68). Th ...

''. It will continue under this title until 1968, whereupon it changes to another title, ''Up Anchor'', and continues until 1972. * Young Men (1939 series) #5 –

October

* ''

Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'' debuts with issue #20 (October/November cover date), continuing the numbering of ''

'' —

* October 2: Charles M. Schulz' ''

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...

'' appears for the first time in seven US newspapers. In the first episode

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the Protagonist, principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily newspaper, daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser", Charlie Brown ...

makes his debut (although he originated in Schulz' previous series ''

''). * October 4: In Charles M. Schulz' ''

'' the character

Snoopy Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. He also appears in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of ...

makes its debut. * October 14: The first issue of the Belgian

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 ...

magazine ''Mickey Magazine'' is published. It will run until September 1959. * October 19: The

Spirou et Fantasio ''Spirou & Fantasio'' (), commonly shortened to ''Spirou'', is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comics. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European comics, European humorous adventu ...

story '' Il y a un sorcier à Champignac'' by

André Franquin André Franquin (; 3 January 1924 – 5 January 1997) was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best-known creations are ''Gaston (comics), Gaston'' and ''Marsupilami''. He also produced the ''Spirou et Fantasio'' comic strip from 1946 to ...

with Jean Darc is prepublished in '' Spirou'' and marks the debut of the Count of

Champignac Champignac, or specifically Champignac-en-Cambrousse, is a fictional village frequently featured in the adventures of ''Spirou et Fantasio'' by André Franquin and the successive authors. The initial idea of Champignac is attributed to Henri Gilla ...

November

* November 13: Jack Kent's ''

King Aroo ''King Aroo'' is an American comic strip written and drawn by Jack Kent, which made its debut on November 13, 1950 and ran until June 19, 1965. The strip was distributed through the McClure Syndicate. Characters and story The strip's central c ...

'' makes its debut. * November 27:

Dick Brooks Richard Harold Brooks (April 14, 1942 – February 1, 2006) was an American NASCAR driver. Born in Porterville, California, he was the 1969 NASCAR Rookie of the Year, and went on to win the 1973 Talladega 500. Brooks held off veteran Buddy ...

's '' The Jackson Twins'' makes its debut. * Men's Adventures (1939 series) #5 –

December

Marvel Boy M-11 M-11 is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was named "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 ''Agents of Atlas'' miniseries as an allusion to its first ...

(1950 series) #1 –

* Young Men (1939 series) #6 –

Specific date unknown

The U.S. comics industry comes to a turning point. The

Golden Age of Comic Books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and ma ...

is ending, and the rise of

crime comics Crime comics is a genre of American comic book, American comic books and format of crime fiction. The genre was originally popular in the late 1940s and early 1950s and is marked by a moralistic editorial tone and graphic depictions of violence a ...

romance comics Romance comics are a genre of comic book, comic books that were most popular during the Golden Age of Comics. The market for comics, which had been growing rapidly throughout the 1940s, began to plummet after the end of World War II when military ...

Western comics Western comics is a comics genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier (usually anywhere west of the Mississippi River) and typically set during the late nineteenth century. The term is generally associated with an American comic bo ...

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 ...

, and

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 many countries around the world. History The first ...

signals the start of the new decade. * In films, '' Destination Moon'' is the first color

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, and the first big budget science fiction film since ''

Things to Come ''Things to Come'' is a 1936 British science fiction film produced by Alexander Korda, directed by William Cameron Menzies, and written by H. G. Wells. It is a loose adaptation of Wells' book '' The Shape of Things to Come''. The film stars Ra ...

'' in 1936.

is quick to pick up on the renewed interest of the public in science fiction, and a still from ''Destination Moon'' is cover of the new science fiction comic book ''

'', soon joined by a companion book ''

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 ...

''. *

is at the height of their brief trajectory, with science fiction comics ''

Weird Science Weird Science may refer to: * ''Weird Science'' (film), a 1985 film directed by John Hughes ** ''Weird Science'' (TV series), a television series based on the film ** "Weird Science" (song), the theme song to the film and the TV series by Oingo ...

'' and ''

''. *

Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark"Wh ...

publishes a large number of

, dedicated to celebrities such as

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

and

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...

. * The

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

reprint comics, which had started the comic book phenomenon, are disappearing.

Ace Comics ''Ace Comics'' was a comic book series published by David McKay Publications between 1937 and 1949 — starting just before the Golden Age of Comic Books. The title reprinted syndicated newspaper strips owned by King Features Syndicate, followi ...

, Magic Comics, and

King Comics King Comics, a short-lived comic book imprint of King Features Syndicate, was an attempt by King Features to publish comics of its own characters, rather than through other publishers. A few King Comics titles were picked up from Gold Key Comics ...

end their long runs. Attempts to bring out single character comic strip reprints, such as ''

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' ...

'', ''

Steve Canyon ''Steve Canyon'' is an American Action-adventure comics, action-adventure comic strip by cartoonist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, ''Terry and the Pirates (comic strip), Terry and the Pirates'', ''S ...

'', and ''

Terry and the Pirates ''Terry and the Pirates'' is an action-adventure comic strip created by cartoonist Milton Caniff, which originally ran from October 22, 1934, to February 25, 1973. Captain Joseph Patterson, editor for the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndica ...

'' fold after short runs. * In Greece Themos Andreopoulos establishes the comics magazine Tam-Tam.

Births

March

* March 6:

Al Milgrom Allen L. Milgrom (born March 6, 1950) is an American comic book artist (penciller and inker), writer, and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of '' Marvel Fanfare''; his long involvement as writer, penci ...

, American comic book writer (

Archie Comics Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (often referred to simply as Archie Comics) is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the village of Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jug ...

, ''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

'', ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...

'', co-creator of

Firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...

). * March 14: Dudu Geva, Israeli comics artist, cartoonist and caricaturist (''The Duck''), (d.

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

July

* July 6: John Byrne, English-born American comic book writer and artist (''

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 ...

'', ''

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

'', ''

Doom Patrol Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appear ...

'', ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American superhero American comic book, comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of t ...

'').

November

* November 25:

Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is an English-born American comic book writer and novelist. Claremont is best known for his 16-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Clarem ...

, American comic book writer (''

'', ''

John Carter, Warlord of Mars ''John Carter, Warlord of Mars'' is a comics series published from 1977 by American company Marvel Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman (writer) and Gil Kane (penciller), it was based on the Barsoom series of Edgar Rice Burroughs and featured the epon ...

'').

Specific date unknown

Zyx The Zygii (, ''Zygoí'') or Zygians were described by Strabo as a nation to the north of Colchis. He wrote: ''And on the sea lies the Asiatic side of the Bosporus, or the Syndic territory. After this latter, one comes to the Achaei and the Zyg ...

, Canadian cartoonist and comics artist (''Sombre Vilain''), (d.

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

). *

Elliot S. Maggin Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin (born 1950), is an American writer of comic books, film, television, and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s. He is ...

, American writer (''

Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as Detective Comics Inc., which later merged into National ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

'').

Deaths

May

* May 18: Jenö Jeney, Hungarian illustrator, editorial cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 75. * Specific date unknown: Mario Silva Ossa, aka Coré, Chilean illustrator and comics artist (''Quentin el Aventurero''), dies at age 37.

June

* June 7: W.O. Wilson, South African-American comic artist (''The Richleigh Family'', ''The Wish Twins'', ''Madge the Magician's Daughter''), dies at age 84.

July

* July 9: Salvador Bartolozzi, Spanish illustrator, theatrical set designer, comics artist (''Pipo y Pipa'', ''Pinocho contra Chapete'') and publisher (founder of the children's magazine Pinocho), dies at age 68. * July 26:

Eduard Thöny Eduard Thöny (9 February 1866 - 26 July 1950) was a German caricaturist and illustrator known for his work for the journal ''Simplicissimus'', to which he was invited to contribute by Albert Langen. Born in Brixen, he studied at the arts academ ...

, Austrian-German cartoonist, dies at age 84.

August

* August 1: Raoul Thomen, Belgian-French comics artist (''Marius'', comics based on

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

), dies at age 83.

October

* October 2: J. Carlos, Brazilian comics artist (''Lamparina'', ''Juquinha'', ''Almofadinha & Melindrosa''), dies of a brain stroke at age 66. * October 9: Harry Moyer, A.K.A. Hy Moyer, Canadian comics artist (''Nothing But The Truth'', ''Java Bean''), dies in a car accident at age 65 or 66.

Specific date unknown

* Fred Nankivel, American illustrator and comics artist (''Sing Sing Sid'', ''Uncle Mun''), dies at age 63 or 64. * Charles W. Saalberg, American illustrator and comics artist (''The Ting-Lings''), dies at age 84 or 85.

First issues by title

*'' Collana Zenit'', cover dated June 28, by Edizioni Audace (

Sergio Bonelli Sergio Bonelli (2 December 1932 – 26 September 2011) was an Italian comic book writer and publisher. He is best known as the creator of '' Zagor'' (1961) and ''Mister No'' (1975), as well as a comics publisher through the publishing house S ...

) – collection of

made in Italy. *''Foodini'' (March) Helnit Publishing *

, cover dated December, by

and

Russ Heath Russell Heath Jr. (September 29, 1926 – August 23, 2018) was an American artist best known for his comic book work, particularly his DC Comics war stories and his 1960s art for ''Playboy'' magazine's " Little Annie Fanny" feature. He also prod ...

, published by

*'' Quatre aventures de Spirou et Fantasio'' by

, Dupuis * ''

'' cover dated August–September, published by

Initial appearances by character name

Akim An ''akim'' (, , әкімдер / ''äkimder''; ; , ) is the head of a local government in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. ''Akim'' is derived from the Arabic word '' hakim'', which means "ruler" or "governor". Definitions Kazakhstan In Kazakhs ...

, in ''Akim il figlio della giungla'' #1 (February), created by Roberto Renzi and Augusto Pedrazza, Edizioni Tomasina. *

Deadshot Deadshot is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer David Vern Reed and artist Lew Sayre Schwartz based on a concept from Bob Kane, the character first appeared in ''Batman (comic book), Batman ...

in ''

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 ...

'' #59 (June), created by

David Vern Reed David Vern Reed (born David Levine; 13 December 1914 – 11 August 1994), was an Americans, American writer, best known for his work on the ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' comic book during the 1950s in a run that included a revamp of the Batpla ...

and

Lew Schwartz Lewis Sayre Schwartz ( ; July 24, 1926 – June 18, 2011) was an American comic book artist, advertising creator and filmmaker, credited as a ghost artist for Bob Kane on DC Comics ''Batman'' from 1946-47 through 1953, and with writer David ...

–

King Faraday King Faraday is a fictional secret agent featured in DC Comics. Faraday first appeared in ''Danger Trail'' #1 (August 1950), and was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino. Faraday's last appearance in the 1950s was in ''World's Finest C ...

in ''

Danger Trail King Faraday is a fictional secret agent featured in DC Comics. Faraday first appeared in ''Danger Trail'' #1 (August 1950), and was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino. Faraday's last appearance in the 1950s was in ''World's Finest C ...

'' #1 (July), created by

Robert Kanigher Robert Kanigher (; June 18, 1915 – May 7, 2002)Social Security Death Index, social security #116-07-5117. was an American comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over ...

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 ...

–

, in ''Kinowa'' #1 (May), created by

and

, Editoriale Dardo. . *

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in ''

'' #62 (December), created by

Bill Finger Milton "Bill" Finger (February 8, 1914 – ) was an American comic book writer who co-created the DC Comics character Batman with Bob Kane. Despite making major (sometimes, signature) contributions as an innovative writer, visionary mythos/world ...

and

Dick Sprang Richard W. Sprang (July 28, 1915 – May 10, 2000)Richard Sprang
United States

...

–

Lana Lang Lana Lang is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is a ''Superman'' supporting character and love interest of the teenage Clark Kent. She was created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela ...

in ''

Superboy Superboy is an identity used by several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series ...

'' #10 (September), created by

and John Sikela –

in ''Marvel Boy'' #1 (December), created by

and

–

References

{{Reflist