Notable events of 1957 in comics.

Publications and events

January

* January 7: **

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. ...

and Frank Roberge's ''Mrs. Fitz's Flats'' makes its debut. It will run until 1972. ** Belgian cartoonist Pil publishes the first gag of his long-running comic series ''Meneerke Peeters'', which will run until 1983. * ''

Four Color Comics ''Four Color'', also known as ''Four Color Comics'' and ''Dell Four Color'', is an American comic book anthology series published by Dell Comics between 1939 and 1962. The title is a reference to the four basic colors used when printing comic ...

'' #762 (

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 ...

) — cover-titled " The Sharkfighters." The 34-page story, by an unknown writer, was penciled and inked by

John Buscema John Buscema ( ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, ; December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...

. *First issue of the monthly magazine Almanacco di Topolino (

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 ...

almanac), edited by

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 ...

February

* February 2:

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 ...

's ''

Gaston Lagaffe ''Gaston'' is a Belgian gag-a-day comic strip created in 1957 by the Belgian cartoonist André Franquin in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine '' Spirou''. The series, serving as a spin-off of the magazine's primary series ''Spirou et Fantasio ...

'' makes his debut in '' Spirou''. He first appears in its pages without any explanation. After a few weeks Spirou finally asks him who he is, but only finds out his name. Gaston then evolves into its own gag comic, which will run until 1997. * February 4:

Mell Lazarus Melvin Lazarus (May 3, 1927 – May 24, 2016) was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of two comic strips, '' Miss Peach'' (1957–2002) and '' Momma'' (1970–2016). Additionally, he wrote two novels. For his comic strip ''Pauline ...

' ''

Miss Peach ''Miss Peach'' was a syndicated comic strip created by American cartoonist Mell Lazarus. It ran for 45 years, from February 4, 1957, to September 8, 2002. Format and style The daily strips often contained only a single panel. The format was ...

'' makes its debut. It will run until 8 September 2002. *February 10:

Leonard Starr Leonard Starr (October 28, 1925 – June 30, 2015) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist, and advertising artist, best known for creating the newspaper comic strip ''Mary Perkins, On Stage, On Stage'' and reviving ''Little Orphan Annie'' ...

's ''

Mary Perkins, On Stage ''Mary Perkins, On Stage'' (originally titled simply ''On Stage'') is an American newspaper comic strip by Leonard Starr for the Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate. It ran from February 10, 1957, to September 9, 1979, with the switch to the ...

'' makes its debut. * The final issue of the Dutch comics magazine ''Ketelbinkie Krant'' is published, which is named ''Kapitein Rob's Vrienden'' outside

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

March

*March 10: 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 ...

'' the story ''The quest for Tarzan'', 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 appears in print, which marks the only appearance of the jungle man Gaffy, brother of

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 ...

. *March 25: In ''

'' 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 ''Donald Duck and

the Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, and published in book form in 1846. It is one of his most popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers'' (184 ...

'' 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

Luciano Bottaro Luciano Bottaro (16 November 1931 – 25 November 2006) was an Italian comic book artist. He was influenced by Otto Messmer's ''Felix the Cat'', Winsor McCay's '' Little Nemo in Slumberland'', Frederick Burr Opper's '' Happy Hooligan'', Rudolp ...

first appears in print. It's a parody of the eponymous

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

novel. The same year Martina also creates parodies of ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' and ''

Tartarin of Tarascon ''Tartarin of Tarascon'' () is an 1872 in literature, 1872 novel written by the French author Alphonse Daudet. Synopsis The Provençal town of Tarascon is so enthusiastic about hunting that no game lives anywhere near it, and its inhabitants res ...

'', always with

as protagonist. *March 28: The first issue of the Italian comics magazine ''

Il Giorno dei Ragazzi ''Il Giorno dei Ragazzi'' was a weekly comic supplement magazine of the Italian newspaper '' Il Giorno'', published between 1957 and 1968. History and profile The comic magazine debuted on 28 March 1957. It was originally intended as the Italian ...

'' is published. In the first issue Benito Jacovitti's '' Cocco Bill'' makes its debut.

April

* April 18: In '' Spirou'' the ''

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 ...

'' story '' The Dalton Cousins'', by

René Goscinny René Goscinny (; ; 14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was a French comic editor and writer, who created the ''Asterix, Astérix'' comic book series with illustrator Albert Uderzo. Born in France to a Jewish family from Poland, he spent his chil ...

and

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 ...

starts off, which brings back The Daltons, recurring adversaries of

. The lonesome cowboy had already faced the historical

Dalton gang The Dalton Gang was a group of outlaws in the American Old West during 1890–1892. It was also known as The Dalton Brothers because three of its members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank and train robberies. During an attempted doub ...

in ''Hors-la-loi'' (1951), but murdered them. By bringing their identical cousins back into the stories Morris could keep using these characters. In the same issue of the magazine, first chapter of '' Le Voyageur du Mésozoïque'', by Franquin. * In the Argentine magazine '' Frontera'' the first episode of ''Ticonderoga'', by Héctor G. Oesterheld and

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 ...

kicks off, a serial set in the

French and Indian war The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

May

* May 8:

Maurice Maréchal Maurice Maréchal (3 October 1892 – 19 April 1964) was a French classical cellist. Maurice Maréchal was born in Dijon at the home of his parents, Jules Jacques Maréchal, an employee for Posts and Telegraphs, and Martha Justine Morier. Afte ...

's '' Prudence Petitpas'' makes her 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 ...

''. * Héctor Germán Oesterheld and

's '' Ernie Pike'' makes its debut on the first issue of the magazine '' Hora Cero''

June

* June 2: The final episode of Barbara Shermund's cartoon feature ''Shermund's Sallies'' is published, which will run in

Pictorial Review The ''Pictorial Review'' was an American women's magazine published from 1899 to 1939. Based in New York, the ''Pictorial Review'' was first published in September 1899. The magazine was originally designed to showcase dress patterns of German ...

until 2 June 1957. * June 12:

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 ...

's ''

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 ...

'' makes its debut in ''

''. *June 15: The first issue of ''Collana Audace'' rolls from the presses ( Edizioni Audace), featuring the adventures of the Indian hero Kociss. *

American News Company American News Company (ANC) was a magazine, newspaper, book, and comic book distribution company founded in 1864 by Sinclair Tousey, which dominated the distribution market in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th ce ...

goes out of business, causing a huge shakeup in the publishing industry, forcing many comic book publishers and small magazine publishers out of business.

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 ...

is forced to switch distribution to

Independent News Independent News Co. was a magazine and comic book distribution business owned by National Periodical Publications, the parent company of DC Comics. Independent News distributed all DC publications, as well as those of a few rival publishers, ...

, owned by

National Periodical 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 ...

, owner of Atlas' rival,

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 ...

. Because of this, Atlas is constrained as to its publishing output for the next decade (including the early years of its successor,

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 ...

). *''Land of the Pygmy Indians,'' 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 ...

, on ''

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 ...

.'' *

Frank Jacobs Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work in '' Mad'', to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a ve ...

's first article is printed in ''

Mad Magazine ''Mad'' (stylized in all caps) is an American humor magazine which was launched in 1952 and currently published by DC Comics, a unit of the DC Entertainment subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. ''Mad'' was founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman an ...

''. He'll become their longest-running scriptwriter, publishing his final article in October 2014.

July

* The '' Donald Duck.'' story ''Forbidden Valley'' by

first appears in print. * In Italy the first issue of ''Soldino'' (Bianconi) rolls from the press, starring the adventures (written by

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 ...

) of the baby king Soldino and his tutor Nonna Abelarda.

August

* August 3: The final episode of Stephen Dowling and Frank Dowling's ''Ruggles'' is published. * August 5: **

Reg Smythe Reginald Smyth (10 July 1917 – 13 June 1998) was a British cartoonist who created the popular, long-running ''Andy Capp'' comic strip. Early life and military service He was born in Hartlepool, County Durham, England, the son of Richard ...

's ''

Andy Capp ''Andy Capp'' is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, seen in the ''Daily Mirror'' and the ''Sunday Mirror'' newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a panel (comics), single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four ...

'' makes its debut. ** The first episode of Jack Dunkley's ''The Larks'' is printed. The series will run until 1985. ** ''Pat l’irlandese'' (Pat the Irishman), by Aurelio Galeppini and

Gian Luigi Bonelli Giovanni Luigi Bonelli (22 December 1908 – 12 January 2001) was an Italian comic book author and publisher, best remembered as the co-creator of '' Tex Willer'' in 1948, together with artist Aurelio Galleppini. Career Bonelli was born in Mila ...

is first published, which marks the debut of the Irish boxer Pat Mac Ryan, who becomes a helper of

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 ...

. * The first issue of

Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman (; October 3, 1924 – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and editor. His best-known work includes writing and editing the parodic comic book ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' from 1952 until 1956, and writing the ...

's humor magazine ''

Humbug A humbug is a person or object that behaves in a deceptive or dishonest way, often as a hoax or in jest. The term was first described in 1751 as student slang, and recorded in 1840 as a "nautical phrase". It is now also often used as an exclamat ...

'' is published. It will run until 1958. * '' Showcase'' #9,

Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...

is featured in a tryout for her own series. * '' Marvel Tales'' (vol. 1), with issue #159, canceled by Timely. * '' Western Kid'', with issue #17, canceled by Atlas. * The ''

'' story ''Uncle Scrooge Goes to Disneyland'' with Carl Barks' ''The Fantastic River Race'' is launched.

September

* September 4: Héctor Germán Oesterheld and

Francisco Solano López Francisco Solano López Carrillo (24 July 1827 or 1826 – 1 March 1870) was a Paraguay, Paraguayan statesman, Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician who served as President of Paraguay between 1862 and 1870, of which he serve ...

' '' Il Eternauta'' (''The Eternaut'') makes its debut. * September 9:

Abel Santa Cruz Abel Santa Cruz (1915 – February 4, 1995, in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine screenwriter who is credited for writing nearly 130 films spanning seven decades of Argentine cinema. Santa Cruz first wrote the script for a film, ''Un Señor mucamo ...

and

Alberto Breccia Alberto Breccia (April 15, 1919 – November 10, 1993) was a Uruguayan-born Argentine artist and cartoonist. His son Enrique Breccia and daughter Patricia Breccia are also comic book artists. Comic book author Frank Miller considers Breccia a ...

's '' Pancho López'' makes its debut. * September 10:

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 ...

's '' Tom Poes'' story ''De Kiekvogel'' is first published. Halfway the story Anne-Marie Doddel, Olivier B. Bommel's love interest, makes her debut. * September 14: The final episode of Stanley Link's newspaper comic ''The Dailys'' is first published. *September 19: ''Donald the milkman'' by

is refused by Western Printing, because judged too violent; the story will be published only in 1974 in a Dutch magazine. * '' Wild Western'', with issue #57, canceled by Atlas. * ''

Ringo Kid The Ringo Kid is a fictional Western character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. His comic book series was originally released by the company's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. The character is depicted as having a Ca ...

'', with issue #21, canceled by Atlas. * '' Outlaw Kid'', with issue #19, canceled by Atlas. * ''

Rawhide Kid The Rawhide Kid (real name: Johnny Bart, originally given as Johnny Clay) is a fictional Old West cowboy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted a ...

'', with issue #17, canceled by Atlas. (The title would be revived three years later by Marvel, continuing the numbering.) * The ''

'' story ''The Mines of King Solomon'' first appears in print.

October

*October 10: In the Italian Disney magazine ''

'' ''The Return of

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...

'' by

, with

Jiminy Cricket Jiminy Cricket is the Disney version of the Talking Cricket, a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'', which Walt Disney adapted into the animated film '' Pinoc ...

as guest star s first published. *October 16:

Dino Attanasio Dino Attanasio (real name Edoardo Attanasio, born 8 May 1925) is a Belgian comics writer. Biography Attanasio was born in Milan. After studies at the Academy of Arts of Milan, Dino Attanasio started to work in illustration and animation in th ...

's '' Signor Spaghetti'' makes its debut in ''

''. * October 21:

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 ''

The Adventures of Nero ''The Adventures of Nero'' or ''Nero'' was a Belgium, Belgian comic strip drawn by Marc Sleen and the name of Nero (comic book character), its main character. The original title ranged from ''De Avonturen van Detective Van Zwam, Detectief Van Z ...

'' story ''De Granaatslikker'' is first published in the newspapers. Halfway the story Abraham Tuizentfloot makes his debut. *October 24: Benito Jacovitti's character, the journalist Tom Ficcanaso (Nosy Tom), makes his debut in ''

Il giorno dei ragazzi ''Il Giorno dei Ragazzi'' was a weekly comic supplement magazine of the Italian newspaper '' Il Giorno'', published between 1957 and 1968. History and profile The comic magazine debuted on 28 March 1957. It was originally intended as the Italian ...

''. * October 28: Charles M. Schulz' ''

It's Only a Game ''It's Only a Game'' was a sports-and-game-oriented comics panel by Charles M. Schulz, creator of ''Peanuts''. Stephen D. Becker, ''Comic Art In America''. New York : Simon and Schuster, 1959, (p.159, 366) This panel feature ran for 14 months, f ...

'' makes its debut and will run until 11 January 1959. * The first issue of '' Hot Stuff the Little Devil'', created by Warren Kremer and first published in ''Hot Stuff'' is published. * The first issue of the magazine ''Bunny'' is published in Italy, which introduces the

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 ...

comics in the country.

November

* November 3: The first episode of ''

'' is published. Originally drawn by Charles M. Schulz, later by Jim Sasseville, it will run until 1959. *November 7: in '' Spirou'', first chapter of '' Le juge'', by Goscinny and

. *November 10'':'' In the Italian Disney comics magazine ''

'', ''The Flying Scott'' by

is first published. *November 19: The first issue of the Belgian comics magazine ''Samedi-Jeunesse'' is published, which will run until November 1976. *November 27 : in '' Spirou'', first chapter of '' Vacances sans histoire'' by '' Andrè Franquin''. * November 28: The first episode of ''

Hergé's Adventures of Tintin ''Hergé's Adventures of Tintin'' () is the first animated television series based on Hergé's popular comic book series, ''The Adventures of Tintin''. The series was produced by Belvision Studios and first aired in 1957. After two books were ...

'' airs on television by

Ray Goossens Ray Goossens (26 October 1924 – 10 December 1998) was a Belgian artist, animator, writer, and director best known for creating the cartoon character Musti. Biography Ray Goossens was born in Merksem, Belgium in 1924. Interested in animation ...

and animation studio

Belvision Raymond Leblanc (; 22 May 1915 – 21 March 2008) was a Belgian comic book publisher, film director and film producer, best known for publishing works such as ''The Adventures of Tintin'' by Hergé and '' Blake and Mortimer'' by Edgar P. Jac ...

. This is the first hand-drawn animated TV adaptation of the comics series ''

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 ...

''. * ''Sagmore Springs Hotel,'' by

appears 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 ...

December

* December 24:

creates the Christmas comic ''

Le Petit Noël Noël, or Le Petit Noël, is the main character of an eponymous Belgian comics series, and a secondary character of ''Spirou et Fantasio''. His name means "Christmas" in French. The series ''Noël'' was created in 1957 by André Franquin and Ji ...

'' in '' Spirou''. * December 28: The final issue of the British

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 ...

weekly ''

Mickey Mouse Weekly ''Mickey Mouse Weekly'' is a 1936–1957 weekly British tabloid Disney comics magazine, the first British comic with full colour photogravure printing. It was launched by Willbank Publications and later continued by Odhams Press. The comics we ...

'' is published. * In Italy the first issue of ''I classici di Walt Disney'' (Walt Disney's classics,

) is published, a reprint of the best stories which appeared earlier in ''

'', and '' Tom & Jerry'' (Bunny).

Specific date unknown

Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921 – April 10, 2023) was an American cartoonist. He was notable for his work in the satire, satirical magazine ''Mad (magazine), Mad'', including his trademark feature, the Mad Fold-in, ''Mad'' F ...

's ''Tall Tales'' makes its debut. *

Pál Pusztai Pál Pusztai ( ; September 4, 1919 – September 11, 1970) was a Hungary, Hungarian graphic artist and cartoonist. Pusztai is remembered for his comic strip "Jucika" (1957–1970), which gained a strong internet following in the late 2010s ...

's ''

Jucika ''Jucika'' (, ) is a Hungarian comic strip, made by Pál Pusztai from 1957 until his death in 1970. Its title character is a young, attractive woman who gets into a variety of different situations, often risqué and suggestive. The comic ofte ...

'' makes its debut and will run until his death in 1970.

Births

January

* January 17:

Ann Nocenti Ann "Annie" Nocenti (; born January 17, 1957) is an American journalist, filmmaker, teacher, comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work at Marvel in the late 1980s, particularly a four-year stint as the editor of ''Uncanny X-Men' ...

, American comic book writer and editor (

). * January 27:

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 ...

, American comic book writer ('' Daredevil'', ''

The Dark Knight Returns ''The Dark Knight Returns'' (alternatively titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'' but originally titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight'') is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller ...

'').

March

* March 14:

Mike DeCarlo Mike DeCarlo (born March 14, 1957) is an American comics artist. He is best known for his work for DC Comics in the 1980s inking the artwork of such artists as George Pérez, Greg LaRocque, Keith Giffen, and Jim Aparo. DeCarlo has worked on va ...

, American comic book artist (''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

'').

July

* July 10:

Gerard Jones Gerard Jones (born July 10, 1957) is an American writer, known primarily for his non-fiction work about American entertainment media, and his comic book scripting, which includes co-creating the superhero Prime for Malibu Comics, and writing for ...

, American comic book writer (''

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

'', ''

Justice League 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 the ...

'', ''

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The character, wh ...

'').

August

* August 21:

Tignous Bernard Jean-Charles Verlhac (21 August 1957 – 7 January 2015), known by the pseudonym Tignous (, from ), was a French cartoonist. He was a long-time staff cartoonist for the French satirical magazine ''Charlie Hebdo''. On 7 January 2015, Tig ...

, French cartoonist (''

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 ...

'') (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 ...

)

Deaths

January

* January 5:

Clarence Gray Clarence Gray (November 14, 1901 – January 5, 1957) was an American comic strip artist, best known for drawing the science fiction adventure strip ''Brick Bradford'' for more than two decades.Sara W Duke,''Biographical sketches of cartoonist ...

, American comics artist (''

Brick Bradford ''Brick Bradford'' is a science fiction comic strip created by writer William Ritt, a journalist based in Cleveland, and artist Clarence Gray. It was first distributed on August 21, 1933 by Central Press Association, a subsidiary of King Feature ...

''), dies at age 56. * January 25: Harry J. Tuthill, American comics artist ('' The Bungle Family''), dies at age 71.

February

* February 5:

Ben Hardaway Joseph Benson Hardaway (May 21, 1895 – February 5, 1957) was an American storyboard artist, animator, voice actor, gagman, writer and director for several American animation studios during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He was sometim ...

, American animator (''

'', namegiver of ''

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...

''), dies at age 61.

March

* March 1: A.C. Hutchison, American comics artist and animator (''Major Sunshine and Colonel Grouch'', ''Mrs. Economy'', ''Luke Whoozis''), dies at age 72. * March 20: Arthur Lewis, American comics artist (continued ''Nervy Nat''), dies at age 84. * March 25: Ed Smalle, Canadian-American comics artist (''Récit Authentiques'', comics for Chesler Comics and Funnies Inc.), dies at age 45. * March 28:

Jack Butler Yeats Jack Butler Yeats RHA (29 August 1871 – 28 March 1957) was an Irish artist. Born into a family of impoverished Anglo-Irish landholders, his father was the painter John Butler Yeats, and his brother was the poet W. B. Yeats. Jack B. was bo ...

, Irish painter, illustrator and comics artist. (''Chubb-Lock Holmes''), dies at age 85.

April

* April 17: Juan Martinez Buendia, aka Tínez, Spanish comics artist (contributed to '' TBO'', ''Los Grandes Inventos de TBO''), dies at age 64 or 65. * April 23: Guido Fantoni, Italian comics artist (''Cartouche'', made Italian versions of ''

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...

'', ''

Mandrake the Magician ''Mandrake the Magician'' is a Comic strip syndication, syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk before he created ''The Phantom''.Ron Goulart, ''The Encyclopedia of American Comics''. New York: Facts on File, 1990. . pp. 91, 249 ...

'' and ''

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'' ...

''), dies at age 64. * April 30: Jacques Souriau, French comics artist (''Jean et Jeanette''), dies at age 80.

May

* May 10: Henry C. Kiefer, American comics artist (drew realistically drawn adaptations of literary classics for

Fiction House Fiction House was an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books that existed from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was founded by John B. "Jack" Kelly and John W. Glenister.Saunders, David"JACK BYRNE (1902-1972),"Field Guide to Wild American P ...

and ''

Classics Illustrated ''Classics Illustrated'' is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as '' Les Misérables'', ''Moby-Dick'', ''Hamlet'', and '' The Iliad''. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication ...

''), dies at age 67.

June

* June 6: Andrew A. Munch, American comics artist (continued ''Mac''), dies at age 48. * June 17: J.R. Williams, Canadian comics artist (''

Out Our Way ''Out Our Way'' was an American single-panel comic strip series by Canadian-American comic strip artist J. R. Williams. Distributed by Newspaper Enterprise Association, the cartoon series was noted for its depiction of American rural life an ...

''), dies at age 69.

July

* July 16: Louis Biedermann, American illustrator (the comics characters cross-over book ''All The Funny Folks''), dies at age 82.

September

* September 7: Jan Lutz, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 69. * September 15: Jos Verdegem, Belgian painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 60. * September 24: Harry Paschall, American bodybuilder, columnist and comics artist (''Bosco''), dies at age 60.

October

* October 11: Edmond François Calvo, French comics artist ('' La Bête est Mort''), dies at age 65. * October 14: Reginald Heade, British comics artist (worked for magazines like ''

Knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

'' and ''Comet''), dies at age 55 or 56. * October 26: Lawson Wood, British painter, illustrator, designer and comics artist (''Gran'pop''), dies at age 79.

December

* December 14:

Josef Lada Josef Lada (born 17 December 1887 in Hrusice, Bohemia – 14 December 1957 in Prague, buried at Olšany Cemetery) was a Czech painter, illustrator, cartoonist and writer. Pioneer of the Czech comicbook tradition and founder of the “Czech m ...

, Czech painter, illustrator, comics artist and writer (''Mikeš the cat'', ''

The Good Soldier Švejk ''The Good Soldier Švejk'' () is an unfinished satirical dark comedy novel by Czech writer Jaroslav Hašek, published in 1921–1923, about a good-humored, simple-minded, middle-aged man who appears to be enthusiastic to serve Austria-Hungary i ...

''), dies at age 69. * December 22:

Robert Zuppke Robert Carl Zuppke (July 2, 1879 – December 22, 1957) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Illinois—now known as the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign–from 1913 until 1941, compili ...

, American football coach and comics writer (''Ned Brant''), dies at age 78. * December 23: Maurice Cuvillier, French comics artist and illustrator (''Zimbo et Zimba'', ''Perlin et Pinpin'', '' Sylvain et Sylvette''), dies at age 60. * December 24: Stanley Link, American comics artist ('' Tiny Tim'', '' Ching Chow'', ''The Dailys''), dies at age 62 or 63.

Specific date unknown

* Ad Carter, American comics artist (''Our Friend Mush'', ''

Just Kids ''Just Kids'' is a memoir by Patti Smith, published on January 19, 2010, documenting her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe. "I didn't write it to be cathartic," she noted. "I wrote it because Robert asked me to… Our relationship w ...

'', ''Nicodemus O'Malley''), dies at age 71 or 72.

First issues by title

Charlton Comics

* ''

Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...

'' (November)

Marvel Comics

*'' Adventures of Homer Ghost'' (June) *'' The Black Rider Rides Again'' (September) *''

Commando Adventures A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

'' (June) *'' A Date with Patsy'' (September) *'' Hedy Wolfe'' (August) *'' The Kid from Dodge City'' (July) *'' The Kid from Texas'' (June) *'' Marvin Mouse'' (September) *'' Navy Tales'' (January) *''

Nellie the Nurse Nelly (born 1974) is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. Nelly or Nellie may also refer to: Places * Nellie, Ohio, an American village * Nellie, Assam, a town in Nagaon district * Nelly Island, Antarctica * Nelly Island, Berm ...

'' *''

Showgirls ''Showgirls'' is a 1995 erotic drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven, written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Rachins, and Gina Ravera. The film focuses on an ambi ...

'' (June) *'' Six-Gun Western'' (January) *'' Western Trails'' (May) *'' Willie the Wise Guy''

Renamed titles

Marvel Comics

*'' Dexter the Demon'' #7 — renamed from '' Melvin the Monster'' *'' G.I. Tales'' #4 — renamed from '' Sgt. Barney Barker'' *'' Marines at War'' #1-8 — renamed from '' Tales of the Marines'' (

) *'' Kid Slade, Gunfighter'' #5 — renamed from '' Matt Slade, Gunfighter'' *'' Navy Action'' #15 — renamed from '' Sailor Sweeney'' *'' Sherry the Showgirl'' #5 — renamed from ''

'' * ''

'' #4 renamed from '' Sherry the Showgirl'' *'' Tales of the Marines'' #4 — renamed '' Marines at War'', renamed from '' Devil-Dog Dugan'' (

)

Initial appearance by character name

— ''Masked Raider'' #6 (Charlton, February) *

Captain Cold Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in '' Showcase'' #8 (June 1957). In his comic book appearances, ...

in '' Showcase'' #8 (June), created by John Broome 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 ...

Challengers of the Unknown The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces. The characters' provenance is ...

in '' Showcase'' #6 (February), created by

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 ...

Professor Milo Professor Achilles Milo is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Publication history Professor Achilles Milo first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #247 and was created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff. ...

in ''

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 ...

'' #247 (September), 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

Sheldon Moldoff Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff (; April 14, 1920 – February 29, 2012) was an Americans, American comics artist best known for his early work on the DC Comics characters Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" (unc ...

* Professor Potter — ''

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from September–October 1954 until March 1974, spanning a total of 163 issues. Featuring the adventures of Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, it contai ...

'' #22 (DC, August) *

Signalman A signalman is a rank who makes signals using flags and light. The role has evolved and now usually uses electronic communication equipment. Signalmen usually work in rail transport networks, armed forces, or construction (to direct heavy equi ...

in ''

'' #112 (December), created by

and

* Ralph Kendall, by Héctor G. Oesterheld and Arturo del Castillo.

References

{{reflist

Publications and events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Specific date unknown

Births

January

March

July

August

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

September

October

December

Specific date unknown

First issues by title

Charlton Comics

Marvel Comics

Renamed titles

Marvel Comics

Initial appearance by character name

See also

References