1979 In Comics
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Notable events of 1979 in comics.


Events


January

* January 6: The first episode of
Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfath ...
and
Joe Colquhoun Joe Colquhoun (7 November 1926 – 13 April 1987) was a British comics artist best known for his work on '' Charley's War'' in ''Battle Picture Weekly''. He was also the first artist to draw ''Roy of the Rovers''. Biography Born in Harrow, Midd ...
's '' Charley's War'' is prepublished in ''
Battle Picture Weekly ''Battle Picture Weekly'' (at various times also known as ''Battle and Valiant'', ''Battle Action'', ''Battle Action Force'', ''Battle'' and ''Battle with Storm Force'') was a British weekly boys' war comic published by IPC Magazines from 8 ...
'' and will run until October 1986. * January 17: In '' Il Male'', the demented space adventurer Joe Galaxy makes his debut in a two-strip story (''Joe Galassia e le perfide Lucertole di Callisto IV'') by Massimo Mattioli. * January 24: In issue #330 ''
The Mighty World of Marvel ''The Mighty World Of Marvel'' (commonly shortened to ''MWOM'') was a British comic book series published first by Marvel UK and then by Panini Comics. Debuting on 30 September 1972, it was the first title published by Marvel UK and ran until 19 ...
'', changes its name to ''
Marvel Comic 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 ...
''. (
Marvel UK Marvel UK was an imprint (trade name), imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint United States of America, US-produced stories for the United Kingdom, British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British cr ...
) * January 28: In ''
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 ...
'', ''Una tequila señor'' by Giuliano Longhi and Renato Polese marks the debut of the West Angels, a trio of easy-going bounty-hunters. * The final ''
Asterix ''Asterix'' ( or , "Asterix the Gauls, Gaul"; also known as ''Asterix and Obelix'' in some adaptations or ''The Adventures of Asterix'') is a Franco-Belgian comics, French comic album book series, series about a Gaulish village which, thanks ...
'' story written 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 ...
, ''
Asterix in Belgium ''Asterix in Belgium'' () is the twenty-fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (story) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It is noted as the last Asterix story from Goscinny, who died during its production. Plot summ ...
'', drawn by
Albert 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 ...
is published. It also ran in ''
Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...
'' as a serial.


February

* February 20:
Kees Kousemaker Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch direct market, comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ). His son Boris Kousemaker has been the owner since 2007. From 1968 to 2015, it was loc ...
and his wife Evelien publish ''Wordt Vervolgd. Stripleksikon der Lage Landen'', the follow-up to their earlier comics encyclopaedia ''Strip voor Strip'' (1979). * February 22: In '' Spirou'', the first chapter of the ''
Yoko Tsuno ''Yoko Tsuno'' is a comics album series created by the Belgian writer Roger Leloup published by Dupuis in '' Spirou'' magazine since its debut in 1970. Through thirty volumes, the series tell the adventures of Yoko Tsuno, a female electrical e ...
'' story '' La lumiere d’Ixo'', by
Roger Leloup Roger Leloup (; born 17 November 1933) is a Belgian comic strip artist, novelist, and a former collaborator of Hergé, who would rely upon him to create detailed, realistic drawings and elaborate decoration for ''The Adventures of Tintin''.
, is published. * February 26: In ''
Pif Gadget ''Pif Gadget'' (also simply known as ''Pif'') was a French comics magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its readership peaked in the early 1970s. Predecessors ''Pif'' has its origins in ''Le Jeune Patriote'', a yout ...
'', ''Les Robinsons de la Terre'' (''The Planet Earth’s Robinson'') by Roger Lécureux and
Alfonso Font Alfonso Font (born 28 August 1946) is a Spanish comic book artist. Biography Alfonso Font was born in Barcelona, Spain. He began his comics career in the 1960s as apprentice in the local Editorial Bruguera studio, working mostly at western, war, ...
makes its debut. * First issue of ''Cliff'' (Editoriale Corno), by
Luciano Secchi Max Bunker, pen name of Luciano Massimiliano Secchi (born 24 August 1939), is an Italian comic book writer, and publisher, best known as the co-author of '' Alan Ford''. Bunker's career started in 1960 when he co-founded, together with his broth ...
; the series, a sort of Italian version of
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 (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
, lasts just 16 numbers.


March

* March 6: 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 ...
'', the first chapter 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 ...
'' story ''
L' Enfant Grec L' (L + apostrophe), or Lʼ (L + modifier apostrophe) may represent: * an abbreviated form of a French definite article * the compose key sequence for Ĺ (L + acute accent) * palatalised ''l'', in Slavic notation It looks similar to: * Ľ (L ...
'' (''The Greek children'') by Jacques Martin, is published. * March 7: In the TV show ''SuperGulp'',
Bonvi Bonvi, pen name of Franco Bonvicini (31 March 1941 – 10 December 1995) was an Italian comic book artist, creator of the comic strips ''Sturmtruppen'' and ''Nick Carter (comics), Nick Carter''. Biography Bonvicini was born either in Parma or in ...
's
Marzolino Tarantola Marzolino Tarantola is the title character of an Italian comic series created by Bonvi. The comics debuted in 1979, published in the magazines ''Il Corriere dei Piccoli'' and ''TV Sorrisi e Canzoni''; at the same time a series of animation short ...
makes his debut. * March 23 : 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 ...
'' the first chapter 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 ...
'' story ''Le Fantome de l’alchimiste'' (''The alchimist’s ghost'') 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
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 ...
is published. * March 28: ''Corrier Boy'' (the former '' Corriere dei ragazzi'') changes its headline in ''Corrier Boy serie music'' and furtherly reduces the comics’ space. *
IPC Magazines TI Media Ltd. (formerly International Publishing Company, IPC Magazines Ltd, IPC Media and Time Inc. UK) was a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year. Most of it ...
launches ''
Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
'', a short-lived weekly British comic published for 22 issues. * '' The Human Fly'', with issue #19, is cancelled by Marvel. * In ''
Metal hurlant A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. These properties are all associated with having electrons available at the Fermi level, as against non ...
'', '' Exterminator 17'', by
Jean-Pierre Dionnet Jean-Pierre Dionnet (; born 25 November 1947) is a French comics writer and TV presenter. He has also worked as an editor-in-chief (in ''Métal Hurlant''), journalist, editor, film producer/distributor, and blogger. He was the co-founder of the c ...
and
Enki Bilal Enki Bilal (born Enes Bilal; born 7 October 1951) is a French comic book creator and film director. Biography Early life Bilal was born in Belgrade, PR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, to a Czech mother, Ana, who came to Belgrade as child from Karlovy ...
is first published.


April

* April 9: The first episode of
Vahan Shirvanian Vahan Shirvanian (February 10, 1925, in Hackensack, New Jersey – January 30, 2013, in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey) was an American cartoonist, best known for his comic strip ''No Comment''. He received the National Cartoonist Society The Nation ...
's ''No Comment'' is published. * April 15: The final episode of '' The Captain and the Kids'' is published. Originally drawn by
Rudolph Dirks Rudolph Dirks (February 26, 1877 – April 20, 1968) was one of the earliest and most noted comic strip artists, well known for ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' (later known as ''The Captain and the Kids''). Dirks was born in Heide, Germany, to Joha ...
, it was continued by his son John Dirks since 1962. * ''
Kid Colt Outlaw ''Kid Colt, Outlaw'' is a comic book title featuring the character Kid Colt originally published by Atlas Comics beginning in 1948 and later Marvel Comics. Publication history Kid Colt and his horse Steel first appeared in ''Kid Colt'' #1 (Aug ...
'' (
1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...
series), with issue #225, canceled by Marvel. * The reprint title '' Marvel Triple Action'', with issue #47, is cancelled by Marvel. * ''La nuit des rapaces'' (The raptors’ night), first ''
Jeremiah Jeremiah ( – ), also called Jeremias, was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the Book of Jeremiah, book that bears his name, the Books of Kings, and the Book of Lamentations, with t ...
''’s album by Herman Huppen (published by Fleurus). * First issue of the magazine '' Maxmagnus'' (Corno).


May

* May 5: David Sutherland introduces Dennis' pet pig Rasher in ''
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher ''Dennis the Menace and Gnasher'' (originally titled ''Dennis the Menace'' and currently titled ''Dennis and Gnasher'') is a long-running comic strip in the British children's comic book, comic ''The Beano'', published by DC Thomson, of Dundee. ...
''. * May 15: 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 ...
'', the first chapter of the ''Jonathan'' story ''Douniacha, il y a longtemps…'' (''Douniacha, long time ago'') by Cosey is published. * May 19: A statue of ''
Suske en Wiske ''Spike and Suzy'' (British title), ''Willy and Wanda'' (American title) or ''Luke and Lucy'' (in a 2009 film and video game) (, ) is a Belgian comics series created by the comic book creator, comics author Willy Vandersteen. It was first publis ...
'', designed by René Rosseel, is revealed at the
Antwerp Zoo Antwerp Zoo () is a zoo in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, located next to the Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. It is the oldest animal park in the country, and one of the oldest in the world, established on 21 July 1843. History Since its ...
. *
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 from
Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...
as regular penciler on '' Daredevil'' with issue #158. *
Vince Colletta Vincente Colletta (October 15, 1923 – June 3, 1991)Vincent Colletta
resigns as art director of
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 ...
. * ''
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 #135, canceled by Marvel. * '' Captain Marvel'', with issue #62, cancelled by Marvel. * ''
Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber, based very loosely on his college friend Howard Tockman, and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck firs ...
'' (vol. 1), with issue #31, canceled by Marvel. * ''
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
'', with issue #15, cancelled by Marvel. * In '' Il mago,'' ''Piombo di mancia'' (Tip lead) by
Vittorio Giardino Vittorio Giardino (born December 24, 1946) is an Italian comic artist. Biography Giardino was born in Bologna, where he graduated in electrical engineering in 1969. At the age of 30, he decided to leave his job and devote himself to comics. Two ...
; debut of the Bolognese private eye Sam Pezzo.


June

* June 6: 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 ...
'', the first chapter 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, ...
'' story ''Les Trois Vieillards du pays d'Aran'' (The three old men from 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 ...
is published. * June 17: The final episode of the weekly political-satirical gag comic spin-off of
Jean Tabary Jean Tabary (5 March 1930 – 18 August 2011) was a French comics artist. Biography Tabary was born in Stockholm and made his comics debut with ''Richard et Charlie'' published in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine '' Vaillant'' on 5 November ...
's ''
Iznogoud ''Iznogoud'' (; from "is no good" pronounced with a French accent) is a French comics series featuring an eponymous character, created by the comics writer René Goscinny and comics artist Jean Tabary. The comic series chronicles the life and ...
'' is printed in the Sunday newspaper Journal du Dimanche. * June 21: In '' Spirou'', the first chapter of the ''
Spirou & 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 '' Des haricots partout'' by Jean Claude Fournier is published. * First issue of ''Il Paperino d’oro'' (The golden
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 ...
), published 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 ...
; reprints of the classic stories 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 ...
. * In ''Alterlinus'', ''La lunga notte'' (The long night), by
Sergio Toppi Sergio Toppi (11 October 1932 – 21 August 2012)Sharaz-de, inspired by ''
One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' (, ), is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights'', from the first English-language edition ( ...
.'' * In ''Super Goofy'', ''The Day a Knight Was Born'', by Del Connel and
Pete Alvarado Peter J. Alvarado Jr. (February 22, 1920 – December 27, 2003) was an American animation and comic book artist. Alvarado's animation career spanned almost 60 years. He was also a prolific contributor to Western Publishing's line of comic books. ...
; debut of the Mighty Knight, Middle-age version of Super Goofy. * ''Cico story'', by Guido Nolitta and
Gallieno Ferri Gallieno Ferri (21 March 1929 – 2 April 2016) was an Italian comic book artist and illustrator. He was born in Genoa. In 1960 Ferri met writer Sergio Bonelli and they created the comic book ''Zagor (comics), Zagor''. Ferri illustrated Zagor fr ...
; first album fully dedicated to the Zagor’s Mexican partner. * In Italy, first issue of ''Storie blu'' (Blue stories, Ediperiodici), anthological magazine of sci-fi and erotic comics.


Summer

* ''
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 ...
'' #17 — ''DC Special Series'' returns after it had gone on hiatus in Fall 1978.


July

* ''
World of Krypton ''World of Krypton'' is an American three-issue comic book limited series written by Paul Kupperberg and penciled by Howard Chaykin. It was the comics industry's first limited series, which addressed DC's problem of newly launched ongoing series ...
'' – #1 of 3, by DC Comics. The first official
limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
, this three-issue "mini-series" was originally slated for '' Showcase'' #104-106 to coincide with the premiere of '' Superman: The Movie''. The storyline was rescheduled for ''Showcase'' #110-112 when the film's release date was delayed; but ultimately, ''Showcase'' was cancelled after issue #104. Finally, the material is revised and released as a limited series by
Paul Kupperberg Paul Kupperberg (; born June 14, 1955) is an American writer and comics editor. He is currently a writer and executive editor at Charlton Neo Comics and Pix-C Webcomics, and a contributing author with Crazy 8 Press. Formerly, he was an editor for ...
and
Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an Americans, American comics artist, comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett an ...
. * With issue #24, Marvel cancels '' Godzilla, King of the Monsters''. * ''La resa dei conti'' (The showndown), 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 ...
, last episode of ''
La compagnia della forca LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...
''. * In ''
Marvel Two-in-one ''Marvel Two-in-One'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring Fantastic Four member the Thing in a different team-up each issue. Publication history Original series The concept of teaming the Thing with a differen ...
'' 53, the story arc Project Pegasus begins. * July 25:
Marvel UK Marvel UK was an imprint (trade name), imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint United States of America, US-produced stories for the United Kingdom, British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British cr ...
publishes the final weekly issue (#352) of ''
Marvel Comic 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 ...
''. * July 26: In the German magazine ''Zack'', the parody Western series ''Silas Finn'' by the Italian authors
Tiziano Sclavi Tiziano Sclavi (born 3 April 1953) is an Italian comic book author, journalist and writer of several novels. Sclavi is most famous as creator of the comic book ''Dylan Dog'' in 1986, for Italian publishing house Sergio Bonelli Editore. More than ...
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 ...
is published.


August

* With issue #70, Marvel publishes the final issue of ''
The Tomb of Dracula ''The Tomb of Dracula'' is an American horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces. On rare ...
'', ending writer
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 artist
Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...
's uninterrupted six-year run on the title. * In the story ''
Mister No ''Mister No'' is an Italian comic book, first published in Italy in Spring 1975 by Sergio Bonelli Editore. The character Mister No was created by writer Sergio Bonelli artist Gallieno Ferri. Bonelli published under the pseudonym Guido Nolitta. ...
va alla guerra'' (Mr. No goes to war), by Guido Nolitta and
Gallieno Ferri Gallieno Ferri (21 March 1929 – 2 April 2016) was an Italian comic book artist and illustrator. He was born in Genoa. In 1960 Ferri met writer Sergio Bonelli and they created the comic book ''Zagor (comics), Zagor''. Ferri illustrated Zagor fr ...
, the true name of the character (Jerry Drake) is revealed. * In ''
Pif Gadget ''Pif Gadget'' (also simply known as ''Pif'') was a French comics magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its readership peaked in the early 1970s. Predecessors ''Pif'' has its origins in ''Le Jeune Patriote'', a yout ...
'', debut of two adventure series: ''Ayak'', by Jean Ollivier and
Eduardo Teixeira Coelho Eduardo Teixeira Coelho (January 4, 1919 in Angra do Heroísmo – May 31, 2005) was a Portuguese comic book artist best known for his adventure series '' Ragnar le Viking''. In some of his early work he used the pseudonym Martin Sievre. Born i ...
, set in the Klondike Gold rush, with an
arctic wolf The Arctic wolf (''Canis lupus arctos''), also known as the white wolf, polar wolf, and the Arctic grey wolf, is a Subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of grey wolf native to the High Arctic tundra of Canada's Queen Elizabeth Islands, from Me ...
as protagonist, and ''Marine fille de pirate'' (The pirate’s daughter) by Francois Corteggiani and Pierre Tranchand. * August 19: 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 ...
'', ''Topolino e l’enigma di Mu'', by Massimo De Vita; debut of Prof. Zachary Zapotec. *August 25: IPC Magazines merged two comic books 2000 AD and Starlord and Tornado into "2000 AD and Tornado".


September

* September: The Indian comics magazine ''
Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...
'' is launched. Inside the first issue,
Ajit Ninan Ajit Ninan (May 15, 1955 – 8 September 2023) was an Indian political cartoonist, best known for drawing the ''Centrestage'' series of cartoons in ''India Today'' magazine and ''Ninan's World'' in the Times of India. Ajit Ninan was born to ...
's detective comic '' Detective Moochhwala'' makes its debut. * September 9: ''
For Better or For Worse ''For Better or For Worse'' is a Canadian comic strip by Lynn Johnston that ran originally from 1979 to 2008 chronicling the lives of the Patterson family and their friends, in the town of Milborough, a fictional suburb of Toronto, Ontario. Now ...
'', by
Lynn Johnston Lynn Johnston (born May 28, 1947) is a Canadian cartoonist and author, best known for her newspaper comic strip '' For Better or For Worse''. She was the first woman and first Canadian to win the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award. ...
, debuts, distributed by
Universal Press Syndicate Universal Press Syndicate (UPS), a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, was an independent press syndicate. It distributed lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger ...
. * September 17:
Jaap Vegter Jacob Cornelis (Jaap) Vegter (21 June 1932, Voorburg - 14 January 2003, The Hague) was a Dutch cartoonist. He was the winner of the 1979 Stripschapprijs The Stripschapprijs is a Dutch prize awarded to List of comic creators, comic creators for t ...
receives 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 ...
. * '' All-Out War'' #1: a new war title in the
Dollar Comics Dollar Comics was a line of DC Comics comic book publications issued from 1977 to 1983 and revived in 2019. The 1977-1983 line included the titles '' The Superman Family'', ''House of Mystery'', ''G.I. Combat'', ''World's Finest Comics'', ''Batman F ...
format is launched by DC Comics with a September/October cover date. * ''
The Best of DC ''The Best of DC'' is a digest size comics anthology published by DC Comics from September–October 1979 to April 1986. The series ran for 71 issues and while it primarily featured reprints of older comic books, it occasionally published new st ...
'' #1: a reprint anthology title in the digest format is launched by DC Comics with a September/October cover date. * " The Proteus Saga", by
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 ...
and John Byrne, begins 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 ...
'' #125 (running through issue #128). * ''
Marvel Comic 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 ...
'', with issue #353, becomes a monthly title and is renamed '' Marvel Superheroes''. (Marvel UK) * ''
The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasi ...
'', with issue #41, is cancelled by Marvel. * The first edition of the
Helsinki Comics Festival Helsinki Comics Festival is an annual free cultural event in Helsinki, Finland. It has become the largest comics event in North-Europe. The festival is typically held in early September. The festival has been organized by the Finnish Comics Socie ...
is organized in
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
, Finland. * ''Calibro 45'', by Ennio and Vladimiro Missaglia ( Daim Press); first album of the short-lived western series ''Judas'', * In the fall issue of '' Co-Evolution Quarterly'',
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 ...
's one-shot comic ''
A Short History of America "A Short History of America" is a 1979 comic by American cartoonist Robert Crumb, first published by ''CoEvolution Quarterly'' and later reprinted that same year in ''Snoid Comics'' by Kitchen Sink Press. The work depicts the transformation of t ...
'' is printed.


October

* October 1:
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 ...
's ''
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 ...
and Snowy'' receive a statue in
Uccle Uccle (French language, French, ) or Ukkel (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the southern part of the region, it ...
. * January 6: The final episode of
Kees Stip Cornelis Jan (Kees) Stip (Veenendaal, August 25, 1913 – Winschoten, June 27, 2001) was a Dutch people, Dutch epigram poet. He wrote under many pseudonyms, most notably ''Trijntje Fop'' and ''Chronos''. Biography Stip studied classical languages ...
and Nico Visscher's newspaper gag-a-day comic ''In de Wolken'' is published. * October 6: In ''The
Louisville Times ''The Louisville Times'' was a newspaper that was published in Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1884 by Walter N. Haldeman, as the afternoon counterpart to ''The Courier-Journal'', the dominant morning newspaper in Louisville and the common ...
'', the first episode of
Don Rosa Keno Don Hugo Rosa (), known as Don Rosa (born June 29, 1951), is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his comics about Scrooge McDuck and other Disney comics, Disney characters. Many of his stories are built on characters an ...
’s '' Captain Kentucky'' is published. * October 21: In ''
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 ...
'', the first chapter of the
Dino Battaglia Dino Battaglia (1 August 1923 – 4 October 1983) was an Italian comics artist, noted for a distinctive and expressive style, best known for his visual adaptations of classic novels. In 1946 Dino Battaglia became part of the so-called Group of V ...
’s comics adaptation of ''
Gargantua and Pantagruel ''The Five Books of the Lives and Deeds of Gargantua and Pantagruel'' (), often shortened to ''Gargantua and Pantagruel'' or the (''Five Books''), is a pentalogy of novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais. It tells the advent ...
'' is published. * ''
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 ...
'' #500: 68-pages, "The Life Story of Superman," by
Martin Pasko Martin Joseph "Marty" Pasko (born Jean-Claude Rochefort; August 4, 1954– May 10, 2020) was a Canadian comic book writer and television screenwriter. Pasko worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his superhero stories for DC Com ...
,
Curt Swan Douglas Curtis Swan (February 17, 1920 – June 17, 1996) was an American comics artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans call the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 195 ...
, and
Frank Chiaramonte Francisco Chiaramonte (June 5, 1942 – January 28, 1983) was an American comic book artist best known as an inker for DC Comics and Marvel Comics from 1972 to 1982. Biography Born in Cuba, Frank Chiaramonte emigrated to the United States in 196 ...
. * '' Star*Reach'', with issue #18, publishes its final issue. * ''Time Warp'' #1: a new science-fiction anthology in the Dollar Comics format is launched by DC Comics with an October/November cover date. * With issue #28, Marvel cancels ''
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 ...
''. * In the Argentine magazine ''El pendulo'' the first episode of the series ''Las puertitas del senor Lopez'', 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 Altuna Horacio Altuna (born November 24, 1941) is an Argentina, Argentine comics artist. Biography Altuna was born in Córdoba, Argentina, Córdoba. He began working in the comics world in 1965 for the publisher Editorial Columbia. His first character ...
is published.


December

* December 21: In VSD, the first chapter of ''Le magot des Dalton'' (''The Daltons’ swag'') 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 Vicq is published. Vicq succeeds the late Goscinny as
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 ...
’s writer. * The final issue of the Dutch adult comics magazine ''Gummi/De Ballooen'' is published. * In '' Linus'', the first strip of Sergio Staino’s
Bobo Bobo may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Comic strips * ''Bobo'' (Belgian comics) * ''Bobo'' (Italian comics) * ''Bobo'' (Swedish comics) Fictional characters * Bobo the Bear, in ''The Muppets'' series * Professor Bobo, from ''My ...
appears.


Specific date unknown

* Due to weak sales numbers from 1978, during the course of the year
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 ...
cancels a number of ongoing titles: ''
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
''; '' Captain Marvel''; '' Godzilla, King of the Monsters''; ''
Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber, based very loosely on his college friend Howard Tockman, and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck firs ...
''; '' The Human Fly''; ''
The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasi ...
''; ''
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 ...
''; ''
Kid Colt Outlaw ''Kid Colt, Outlaw'' is a comic book title featuring the character Kid Colt originally published by Atlas Comics beginning in 1948 and later Marvel Comics. Publication history Kid Colt and his horse Steel first appeared in ''Kid Colt'' #1 (Aug ...
''; '' Marvel Triple Action''; and ''
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 ...
''. * The " Demon in a Bottle" storyline, by
David Michelinie David Michelinie (; born May 6, 1948) is an American comic book writer best known for scripting Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and ''Iron Man'' and the DC Comics feature Superman in ''Action Comics''. Among the characters he created or ...
,
Bob Layton Bob Layton (born September 25, 1953) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics titles such as ''Iron Man (comic book), Iron Man'' and ''Hercules (Marvel Comics), Hercules'', and for co-fo ...
, and John Romita, Jr., runs through ''
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 ...
'' (issues #120–128, March–November). * '' Alien: The Illustrated Story'', a comics adaptation of '' Alien'', by Archie Goodwin and
Walt Simonson Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' ''Thor'' from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned ...
, published by Heavy Metal. * In
Turnhout Turnhout () is a Belgium, Belgian Municipalities in Belgium, municipality and city located in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of Antwerp (province), Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the city of Turnhout proper. ...
, Belgium the first edition of the Stripgids Festival is organized by Jan Smet.Turnhout
Belgium.be
Strip Turnhout 2005: Een nieuwe start
Gva.be
* Belgian comic artist
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 ...
is knighted in the
Order of Leopold II The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgiu ...
. * Comic artist
Gary Panter Gary Panter (born December 1, 1950) is an American cartoonist, illustrator, painter, designer and part-time musician. Panter's work is representative of the post- underground, new wave comics movement that began with the end of '' Arcade: The Com ...
publishes the
Rozz Tox Manifesto The Rozz Tox Manifesto is a 1979 essay by visual artist Gary Panter in which Panter rejects the notion of the artist as Bohemianism, bohemian; instead, an artist is encouraged to work within capitalism to reach a larger market. Effects on culture ...
, in which he encourages
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
artists to infiltrate the
mainstream media In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large Mass media, mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Noam Chomsky, Choms ...
.


Births


March

* March 27:
Mia Ikumi was a Japanese manga artist best known for being the illustrator of ''Tokyo Mew Mew'', a manga series she created with Reiko Yoshida. Her first manga story ''The Sleeping Princess of Berry Forest'' was written when she was just 18 years old. ...
, Japanese manga artist (''
Tokyo Mew Mew is a Japanese manga series created and written by Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Mia Ikumi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from September 2000 to February 2003, with its chapters ...
'', ''
Super Doll Licca-chan is a Japanese anime television series based on the Licca-chan fashion doll, which ran on TV Tokyo in 1998–1999. Kodansha also serialized a manga based on the anime series in its monthly manga magazine ''Nakayoshi''. The story follows an o ...
''), (d.
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
).


November

* November 22: Jeremy Dale, American comics artist ('' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero''), (d.
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
).Pitts, Lan (November 5, 2014)
"Skyward Creator Jeremy Dale Dead at 34"
Newsarama ''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US. Hi ...
.


Deaths


January

* January 8:
Victor Hubinon Victor Hubinon (26 April 1924 – 8 January 1979) was a Belgian comic-book artist, best known for the series '' Buck Danny'' and '' Redbeard''. Biography Victor Hubinon was born in Angleur, Belgium, in 1924.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Victor Hu ...
, Belgian comics writer (''
Buck Danny ''Buck Danny'' is a Franco-Belgian comics series about a military flying ace and his two sidekicks serving (depending on the plots) in the United States Navy or the United States Air Force. The series is noted for its realism both in the drawings ...
'', ''
Redbeard Redbeard or Red Beard may refer to: People * Frederick Barbarossa (Redbeard), another name for Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor (1122–1190) * Oruç Reis or Redbeard (''Barbarossa'') (1474–1518), Ottoman naval commander * Hayreddin Barbarossa o ...
''), dies from a heart attack at age 59.


February

* February 9: Daniël Jansens, Belgian comics writer (''
Bessy The Berliner Elektronenspeicherring-Gesellschaft für Synchrotronstrahlung m. b. H. (''English'': Berlin Electron Storage Ring Society for Synchrotron Radiation), abbreviated BESSY, is a research establishment in the Adlershof district of Berlin. ...
'', ''Lombok'', '' Bakelandt'', '' Kramikske''), dies from a heart attack at age 47. * February 15: Roy d'Ami, Italian comics writer, artist and founder of the Studio Creazioni d'Ami, dies at age 55. * February 22:
John Coleman Burroughs John Coleman Burroughs (February 28, 1913 – February 22, 1979) was an American illustrator known for his illustrations of the works of his father, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Life Burroughs was born in Chicago, the son of Edgar Rice Burroughs, cre ...
, American illustrator and comics artist (''
John Carter of Mars John Carter of Mars is a fictional Virginian soldier who acts as the initial protagonist of the Barsoom stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs. A veteran of the American Civil War, he is transported to the planet Mars, called Barsoom by its inhabit ...
'', ''David Innes of Pellicudar''), dies at age 65.


March

* March 24:
Ole Lund Kirkegaard Ole Lund Kirkegaard (29 July 1940, in Aarhus – 24 March 1979) was a Danish writer of children's and youth literature, as well as a teacher. He mainly wrote about the interactions between adults and children. The main character in his books is u ...
, Danish novelist and illustrator ('' Gummi Tarzan''), freezes to death at age 38.


April

* April 29:
Hardie Gramatky Bernhard August "Hardie" Gramatky, Jr. (April 12, 1907 – April 29, 1979) was an American painter, writer, animator, and illustrator. In a 2006 article in ''Watercolor Magazine'', Andrew Wyeth named him as one of America's 20 greatest watercol ...
, American novelist, comics artist and animator (inked ''
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 ...
'', ghosted '' Captain Kidd Jr.'' and ''
Ella Cinders ''Ella Cinders'' is an American syndicated comic strip created by writer Bill Conselman and artist Charles Plumb. Distributed for most of its run by United Feature Syndicate, the daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page fol ...
''), dies at age 72.


May

* May 10:
Louis Paul Boon Lodewijk Paul Aalbrecht (Louis Paul) Boon (15 March 1912, in Aalst, Belgium, Aalst – 10 May 1979, in Erembodegem) was a Belgian writer of novels, poetry, pornography, columns and art criticism in Flemish dialects, Flemish. He was also a painter. ...
, Belgian novelist, poet and comic writer (scripted ''Proleetje & Fantast'', drawn by Maurice Roggeman ), dies at age 67.


June

* June 25:
Dave Fleischer Dave Fleischer (; July 14, 1894 – June 25, 1979) was an American film director and producer who co-owned Fleischer Studios with his older brother Max Fleischer. He was a native of New York City. Biography Early life and career Fleisch ...
, American animator, film producer and director (''
Koko the Clown Koko the Clown is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer. His first appearance as the main protagonist in ''Out of the Inkwell'' (1918–1929), a major animated series of the silent era. Throughout the series, he goes on many adven ...
'', ''
Betty Boop Betty Boop is a cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Max Fleischer. She originally appeared in the '' Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pic ...
'', ''
Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Paul Bransom, American comics artist, illustrator and painter (''The Latest News from Bugville''), dies at age 94.


August

* August 10: Emmerich Huber, German comics artist (''Das Neueste von Onkel Jup'', ''Hans und Lottchen'', ''Meine Lustige Fibel'', ''Die Himmelswerkstatt'', ''Bei Tüddelwitt im Zwergenwald'', ''Bilderbogen von Emmerich Huber'', ''Familie Kindermann''), illustrator and advertising artist, dies at age 75. * August 15:
Walter Berndt Walter Berndt (November 22, 1899, – August 15, 1979) was an American cartoonist known for his comic strip ''Smitty (comic strip), Smitty'', which he drew for 50 years. Biography Bernt's job as an office boy at the ''New York Journal'' , wh ...
, American comics artist (''
Smitty Smitty may refer to: People * Smitty (rapper), American rapper * Smitty the Jumper (1898–1995), American parachutist and skydiver H. Truesdell Smith * Big Bad Smitty (1940–2002), American blues guitar player and singer born John H. Smith * ...
''), dies at age 80. * August 26:
Mika Waltari Mika Toimi Waltari (; 19 September 1908 – 26 August 1979) was a Finnish writer, best known for his best-selling novel ''The Egyptian'' (). He was extremely productive. Besides his novels he also wrote poetry, short stories, crime novels, plays, ...
, Finnish novelist and comics writer (wrote for Asmo Alho ), dies at age 70.


September

* September 12:
Les Clark Leslie James Clark (November 17, 1907 – September 12, 1979) was an American animator and the first of Disney's Nine Old Men, joining Walt Disney Productions in 1927. Early life Les Clark was born in Ogden, Utah in 1907, the eldest of 12 ch ...
, American animator (
Disney Studios The Walt Disney Studios is a major division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company best known for housing its multifaceted film studio divisions. Founded on October 16, 1923, and based mainly at the namesake s ...
), dies at age 71. * September 20: Erich Gold, AKA Goltz, AKA Eric Peters, Austrian-American caricaturist, political cartoonist, comic writer and artist (''
Abbott & Costello Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in t ...
'' comics, ''
Elsie the Cow Elsie the Cow is a cartoon cow developed as a mascot for the Borden Dairy Company in 1936 to symbolize the "perfect dairy product". Since the demise of Borden in the mid-1990s, the character has continued to be used in the same capacity for the ...
'' comics), dies at age 80. * September 26: Carl Grubert, American comics artist (''
The Berrys ''The Berrys'' was a family comic strip drawn by Carl Grubert and distributed by Field Newspaper Syndicate. It ran from October 30, 1942, until December 28, 1974. A 1934 alumnus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of ...
''), dies at age 68.


October

* October 16: René Brantonne, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 76. * October 30:
Oscar Conti Oscar "Oski" Conti (191430 October 1979) was a prominent Argentine cartoonist and humorist. Life and work Oscar Esteban Conti was born in Buenos Aires in 1914. Enrolling at the National Fine Arts School, he helped finance his studies by creating ...
, aka Oski, Argentine cartoonist, caricaturist, animator and comics artist (''Cascabel'', ''The True History of the Indies''), dies at age 65.


November

* November 2: Walter Bell, British comics artist (continued ''Weary Willy and Tired Tim'' and ''Casey's Court'', made
celebrity comics Celebrity comics are comics based on the fame and popularity of a celebrity.De Weyer, Geert, "België gestript",Standaard Uitgeverij, 2014. They are a byproduct of merchandising around a certain media star or franchise and have existed since the ma ...
for ''
Film Fun ''Film Fun'' was a British celebrity comics comic book that ran from (issues dates) 17 January 1920 to 15 September 1962, when it merged with '' Buster'', a total of 2,225 issues. There were also annuals in the forties and fifties. As the title ...
''), dies at age 86. * November 5:
Al Capp Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip ''Li'l Abner'', which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (w ...
, American comics artist (''
Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' was a satirical American comic strip that appeared in multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies living in the impoverished fictional mountain village of Dogpatch, ...
'', '' Abbie an' Slats'', '' Long Sam''), dies at age 70. * November 22: Hugh McNeill, British comics artist ('' Ping the Elastic Man'', ''
Pansy Potter Pansy Potter is a British comic strip character from the magazine ''The Beano''. She first appeared in ''Pansy Potter the Strong Man's Daughter'' issue 21 in 1938, and was first illustrated by Hugh McNeill. Character background As ''The Beano ...
'', '' Winnie the Witch'', ''
Jack and Jill "Jack and Jill" (sometimes "Jack and Gill", particularly in earlier versions) is a traditional English nursery rhyme. The Roud Folk Song Index classifies the commonest tune and its variations as number 10266, although it has been set to severa ...
''), dies at age 68. * November 23: Eugène Gire, French comics artist (''Cap'tain Vir de Bor''), dies at age 73. * November 30:
Dick Huemer Richard Huemer (January 2, 1898 – November 30, 1979) was an American animator in the Golden Age of American animation, Golden Age of Animation. Career While as an artist-illustrator living in the Bronx, New York City, Huemer first began his ...
, American animator (
Disney Studios The Walt Disney Studios is a major division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company best known for housing its multifaceted film studio divisions. Founded on October 16, 1923, and based mainly at the namesake s ...
) and comics writer ('' The Adventures of Buck O'Rue'', ''
True Life Adventures ''True-Life Adventures'' is a series of short and full-length nature documentary films released by Walt Disney Productions between the years 1948 and 1960. The first seven films released were thirty-minute shorts, with the subsequent seven films ...
'' ), dies at age 81.


December

* December 20:
Leslie Illingworth Leslie Gilbert Illingworth (2 September 1902 – 20 December 1979) was a Welsh political cartoonist best known for his work for the ''Daily Mail'' and for becoming the chief cartoonist at the British satirical periodical '' Punch''. Early histo ...
, British cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 77.


Specific date unknown

* Garrett Price, American comics artist, cartoonist and illustrator (''White Boy'', later renamed ''Skull Valley''), dies at age 81 or 82. * Carlos Laffond, Spanish comics artist (''Thierry Le Chevalier'', illustrated '' L'Oncle Paul''), dies at age 49 or 50.


Conventions

* April 6–8: MiamiCon II (Holiday Inn, Miami, Florida) — first iteration of the show since 1975; guests include
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 ...
* June: Comicon (Australia) (
RMIT The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (abbreviated as RMIT University) is a public research university located in the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia., section 4(b) Established in 1887 by Francis Ormond, it is the seventh-o ...
,
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, Australia) — first Australian comic book convention * June:
Houstoncon Houstoncon was an annual multi-genre fan convention which was held between 1967 and 1982 in Houston, Texas. Houstoncon started out as a member of the Southwesterncon series of regional conventions, but eventually became an independent con. Most H ...
(Houston, Texas) — guests include
George Pérez George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' and ''The Avengers (c ...
and
Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid-1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in '' Star Trek: The Original ...
* June: World of Comics — guests include
Jim Steranko James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comics artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, Illusionist, magician, publisher and film production illustrator. His most famous comic book work was with th ...
* June 7–10: D-Con '79 (Dallas, Texas) — Larry Lankford's revival of D-Con after a hiatus; antecedent to Lankford's later Dallas Fantasy Fair * June 30–July 1:
Comic Art Convention The Comic Art Convention (CAC) was an American comic book fan convention held annually New York City, New York, over Independence Day weekend from 1968 through 1983, except for 1977, when it was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 1978 to 19 ...
I (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) * July 14–15:
Comic Art Convention The Comic Art Convention (CAC) was an American comic book fan convention held annually New York City, New York, over Independence Day weekend from 1968 through 1983, except for 1977, when it was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 1978 to 19 ...
II (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) * July 20–22:
Chicago Comicon Fan Expo Chicago (formerly Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, and commonly known as the Chicago Comicon), is a comic book convention held during the summer in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. It was ...
(Pick-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois) — special guests:
Mike W. Barr Mike W. Barr (born May 30, 1952) is an American writer of comic books, mystery novels, and science fiction novels. Barr has written for every one of the first four incarnations of ''Star Trek: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Tr ...
and John Byrne; first year that Joe Sarno is not one of the show's organizers, leaving the duties to Larry Charet and Bob Weinberg * August:
Atlanta Fantasy Fair The Atlanta Fantasy Fair (AFF) was a multigenre convention which took place once each summer in Atlanta, Georgia from 1975 to 1995. Organized by A.C.F.F., Ltd., the convention was a nonprofit entity designed to promote the fantasy genre in the A ...
(Downtown Atlanta Sheraton, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests include John Byrne,
Dave Sim Dave Sim (born 17 May 1956) is a Canadian cartoonist and publisher, known for his comic book ''Cerebus the Aardvark, Cerebus'', his artistic experimentation, his advocacy of self-publishing and creators' rights, and his controversial political an ...
* August: FantaCon '80 ( The Egg convention center,
Empire State Plaza The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza (known commonly as the Empire State Plaza, and also as the South Mall or Albany Mall) is a complex of several state government buildings in downtown Albany, New York, Albany, New York. The ...
, Albany, New York) — first annual Albany-area horror and comic book convention, hosted by
FantaCo Enterprises FantaCo Enterprises is an American comic book store and publishing company founded and created by Thomas Skulan and based in Albany, New York. As a publisher, FantaCo was known for its idiosyncratic line-up of mostly black-and-white titles, incl ...
publisher Thomas Skulan * August 1–5:
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
(Convention and Performing Arts Center and U.S. Grant Hotel, San Diego, California) — 6,000 attendees; official guests:
Kelly Freas Frank Kelly Freas (August 27, 1922 – January 2, 2005) was an American people, American artist known for his work in science fiction and fantasy, with a career spanning more than 50 years. He was known as the "Dean of Science Fiction Artists" ...
,
Mike Jittlov Mike Jittlov (born June 8, 1948) is an American animator and the creator of short films and one feature-length film using forms of special effects animation, including stop-motion animation, rotoscoping, and pixilation. He is best known for th ...
,
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 ...
,
Victor Moscoso Victor Moscoso (born July 28, 1936) is a Spanish–American artist best known for producing psychedelic rock posters, advertisements, and underground comix in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s. He was the first of the rock poster artists of ...
,
Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995)Nestor P. Redondo
at the
Marshall Rogers William Marshall Rogers III (January 22, 1950 – March 24, 2007),William Marshall Rogers III
,
John Romita Sr. John Victor Romita (; January 24, 1930 – June 12, 2023) was an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including Mary Jane Watson, the Punisher, Kingpin ...
,
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. ...
,
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine (character), Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel sup ...
, and
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 ...
* August 11–12: Comicon '79 (London) British Comic Art Convention 11 (Rembrandt Hotel, Thurloe Place, London) — sponsored by Valhalla Books of Ilford, and organized by Ian Starling, Neville Ferris, and Ian Knox; guests include
Jim Starlin James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, an ...
(guest of honor),
Paul Neary Paul Neary (18 December 1949 – 10 February 2024) was a British comic book artist, writer and editor. His first work was for Warren Publishing in the 1970s before working with Dez Skinn at Marvel UK as well as work for '' 2000 AD''. He later ...
,
Dez Skinn Derek Graham "Dez" Skinn (born 4 February 1951) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', 10 June 2005. Accessed 14 August 2010WebCitation archive is a British comic and magazine editor, and author of a number of ...
* August 31–September 2: Comicon '79 (Birmingham) U.K. Comic Art & Fantasy Convention (Hotel Metropole,
National Exhibition Centre The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, England, near to Birmingham and Solihull. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International rail ...
; Birmingham, England) — produced by Colin Campbell/Biytoo Books; guests include
Jim Steranko James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comics artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, Illusionist, magician, publisher and film production illustrator. His most famous comic book work was with th ...
(guest of honor),
Marshall Rogers William Marshall Rogers III (January 22, 1950 – March 24, 2007),William Marshall Rogers III
, Terry Austin,
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 ...
,
Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an Americans, American comics artist, comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett an ...
,
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine (character), Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel sup ...
,
Joe Staton Joe Staton ( born January 19, 1948) is an American comics artist and writer. He co-created the Bronze Age Huntress (Helena Wayne), as well as the third Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Kilowog and the Omega Men for DC Comics. He was the artist o ...
,
Dez Skinn Derek Graham "Dez" Skinn (born 4 February 1951) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', 10 June 2005. Accessed 14 August 2010WebCitation archive is a British comic and magazine editor, and author of a number of ...
, 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 ...
; presentation of the
Eagle Awards The Eagle Awards were a series of British awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's seminal boys' comic ''Eagle'', the awards were launched in ...
* September:
OrlandoCon OrlandoCon, also known as O'Con, was a long-running comic book and comic strip fan convention which was held annually between 1974 and 1994 in Orlando, Florida. The first comics convention held in the Orlando area, OrlandoCon billed itself as the ...
(Orlando, Florida) — guests include
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 ...
, C. C. Beck,
Bob Cummings Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as '' The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and '' Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in ...
,
Kirby Grant Kirby Grant (November 24, 1911 – October 30, 1985), born Kirby Grant Hoon Jr., was a long-time B movie and television actor, mostly remembered for having played the title role in the Western-themed adventure television series '' Sky King''. B ...
, and
Jack Rosen Jack Rosen (born 1949) is an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, and activist. He is chairman of the American Jewish Congress and chairman of the American Council for World Jewry. He is the Chairman of New York real estate firm Rosen ...
* November 24–26: Creation '79 (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) — guests include
Tom Savini Thomas Vincent Savini (born November 3, 1946) is an American prosthetic makeup artist, actor, stunt performer and film director. He is known for his makeup and special effects work on many films directed by George A. Romero, including ''Martin ( ...
; admission: $6/day * December 15: " Christmas Con" (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — guests include
Rick Marschall Richard "Rick" Marschall (born February 3, 1949) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', June 10, 2005. Accessed January 10, 2011. . is an American writer, editor, and comic strip historian, described by ''Bostoni ...


Awards


Eagle Awards The Eagle Awards were a series of British awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's seminal boys' comic ''Eagle'', the awards were launched in ...

''Presented in
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
for comics published in 1979:'' * Roll of Honor:
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 ...
* Favourite Writer:
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 ...
* Favourite Comicbook Artist: John Byrne * Favourite Inker: Terry Austin * Favourite Comic Book (Drama): ''
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 ...
'' * Favourite Comic Book (Humor): ''
Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber, based very loosely on his college friend Howard Tockman, and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck firs ...
'', by
Steve Gerber Stephen Ross Gerber (; September 20, 1947 – February 10, 2008) was an American comic book writer and creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck. Other works include '' Man-Thing'', ''Omega the Unknown,'' ''Marvel Spotlight ...
and
Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...
* Favourite New Comic Title: ''
Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber, based very loosely on his college friend Howard Tockman, and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck firs ...
'' * Favorite Single Comic Book Story: " Demon in a Bottle," ''
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 ...
'' #s 120–128, by
David Michelinie David Michelinie (; born May 6, 1948) is an American comic book writer best known for scripting Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and ''Iron Man'' and the DC Comics feature Superman in ''Action Comics''. Among the characters he created or ...
, John Romita, Jr., and
Bob Layton Bob Layton (born September 25, 1953) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics titles such as ''Iron Man (comic book), Iron Man'' and ''Hercules (Marvel Comics), Hercules'', and for co-fo ...
* Favourite Continued Comic Story: ''
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 ...
'' #125-128, by
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 ...
and John Byrne * Best Comicbook Cover: ''
The Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
'' #185, by
George Pérez George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' and ''The Avengers (c ...
* Favourite Team:
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 ...
* Favourite Character:
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
* Favourite Supporting Character:
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
* Favourite Villain:
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
* Character Most Worthy of Own Title:
Warlock A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives '' warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver". The term came to apply special ...
* Favourite Title (UK): ''
Starburst MicroPro International Corporation was an American software company founded in 1978 in San Rafael, California. They are best known as the publisher of WordStar, a popular early word processor for personal computers. History Founding and early su ...
'', edited by
Dez Skinn Derek Graham "Dez" Skinn (born 4 February 1951) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', 10 June 2005. Accessed 14 August 2010WebCitation archive is a British comic and magazine editor, and author of a number of ...


First issues by title


DC Comics

''
The Best of DC ''The Best of DC'' is a digest size comics anthology published by DC Comics from September–October 1979 to April 1986. The series ran for 71 issues and while it primarily featured reprints of older comic books, it occasionally published new st ...
'' —
Digest size Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine, but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately . It is also a and format, similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes evolved from the printing ...
title : ''Release'': September /October '' All-Out War'' —
Dollar Comics Dollar Comics was a line of DC Comics comic book publications issued from 1977 to 1983 and revived in 2019. The 1977-1983 line included the titles '' The Superman Family'', ''House of Mystery'', ''G.I. Combat'', ''World's Finest Comics'', ''Batman F ...
title : ''Release'': September /October ''Editor'':
Murray Boltinoff Murray Boltinoff (January 3, 1911 – May 6, 1994) was an American writer and editor of comic books who worked for DC Comics from the 1940s to the 1980s, in which role he edited over 50 different comic book series. Biography A graduate of Ne ...
''
Time Warp Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, and film. The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularized in H. G. Wells' ...
'' —
Dollar Comics Dollar Comics was a line of DC Comics comic book publications issued from 1977 to 1983 and revived in 2019. The 1977-1983 line included the titles '' The Superman Family'', ''House of Mystery'', ''G.I. Combat'', ''World's Finest Comics'', ''Batman F ...
title : ''Release'': October /November ''Editor'':
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 ...


Marvel Comics

''
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 : ''Release'': December. Reprinting the original ''
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 ...
'' title.During this period, Marvel published a number of reprint titles. ''
Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...
'' : ''Release'': October 11 by
Marvel UK Marvel UK was an imprint (trade name), imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint United States of America, US-produced stories for the United Kingdom, British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British cr ...
. ''
Hulk Comic ''Hulk Comic'' (later ''The Incredible Hulk Weekly'') was a black-and-white Marvel UK comics anthology published under the editorship of Dez Skinn starting in 1979. Publication history After starring for many years in the Marvel UK flagship tit ...
'' : ''Release'': March 7 by
Marvel UK Marvel UK was an imprint (trade name), imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint United States of America, US-produced stories for the United Kingdom, British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British cr ...
. ''Editor'':
Dez Skinn Derek Graham "Dez" Skinn (born 4 February 1951) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', 10 June 2005. Accessed 14 August 2010WebCitation archive is a British comic and magazine editor, and author of a number of ...
. ''
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 : ''Release'': November. ''Writer'':
Michael Fleisher Michael Lawrence Fleisher (November 1, 1942 — February 2, 2018) was an American writer known for his DC Comics of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly for the characters Spectre and Jonah Hex. Biography Early life and career Fleisher was raise ...
. Artists:
Jim Mooney James Noel Mooney (August 13, 1919 – March 30, 2008) was an Americans, American comics artist best known for his long tenure at DC Comics and as the signature artist of Supergirl, as well as a Marvel Comics inker and Spider-Man artist, both ...
and
Bob Wiacek Bob Wiacek (born January 7, 1953) is an American comic book artist and writer, working primarily as an inker. Wiacek has inked over such pencilers as Carmine Infantino on ''Star Wars'', Paul Smith and John Romita Jr. on ''The Uncanny X-Men'', ...
. ''
Marvel Spotlight ''Marvel Spotlight'' is a comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book. It stood out from Marvel's other try-out books in that most of the featured characters made their first appearance in the series. The series or ...
'' vol. 2 : ''Release'': July. ''Editor'':
Roger Stern Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist. Biography Early career In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' (''Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfo ...
. ''
Micronauts Micronauts is a North American science fiction toyline manufactured and marketed by Mego from 1976 to 1980. The ''Micronauts'' toyline was based on and licensed from the '' Microman'' toyline created by Japanese-based toy company Takara in 1974 ...
'' : ''Release'': January. ''Writer'':
Bill Mantlo William Timothy Mantlo (born November 9, 1951) is an American comic book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics. He is best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: '' Micronauts'' and '' R ...
. ''Artist'': Michael Golden. '' Rom: Spaceknight'' : ''Release'': December. ''Writer'':
Bill Mantlo William Timothy Mantlo (born November 9, 1951) is an American comic book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics. He is best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: '' Micronauts'' and '' R ...
. ''Artist'':
Sal Buscema Sal Buscema ( ; born Silvio Buscema, , on January 26, 1936) is an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he had a ten-year run as artist of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk'' and an eight-year run as art ...
. '' Shogun Warriors'' : ''Release'': February. ''Writer'':
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 ...
. ''Artist'':
Herb Trimpe Herbert William Trimpe (; May 26, 1939 – April 13, 2015) was an American comics artist and occasional writer, best known as the seminal 1970s artist on '' The Incredible Hulk'' and as the first artist to draw for publication the character Wol ...
. ''
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 : ''Release'': December. Reprinting edited versions of the
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
'' Sub-Mariner'' title.


Independent titles

;''
Battle of the Planets ''Battle of the Planets'' is an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series ''Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972). Of the 105 original ''Gatchaman'' episodes, 85 were used in the ''Battle of the Planets'' adaptation, produced by Sandy Fra ...
'' : ''Release'': June by
Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984. History Gold Key Comics was created in 1962, when its ...
. ''Writer'': Gary Poole. ''Artist'':
Win Mortimer James Winslow "Win" Mortimer (May 1, 1919 – January 11, 1998) Note: The Marvel Comics 1978 Calendar merchandise lists Mortimer's birth date as June 23 and ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' lists it as May 23 per was a Canadian comic book and comic stri ...
. ;'' Best Buy Comics'' :''Release'' February by
Apex Novelties The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex ...
. ''Writers and Artists:''
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 ...
and Aline Kominsky ;'' Starblazer'' : ''Release'': April by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.


Initial appearances by character name


DC Comics

* Blok, in ''
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes The 1958 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes (also called the original/Preboot Legion) is a fictional superhero team in the 31st century of the . The team is the first incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was followed by the Legion of ...
'' #253 *
Carl Draper Beatriz Da Costa Reep Daggle Dagon Dan the Dyna-Mite Dan the Dyna-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Danny Dunbar was the star pupil of Thomas N. Thomas, a high school chemistry and phys ...
, in ''
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 ...
'' #331 * Green Fury, in ''
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 ...
'' #25 * Firebug, 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 ...
'' #318 *
Lucius Fox Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that supply ...
, 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 ...
'' #307McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 180 "''Batman'' #307 (January 1979) Writer Len Wein and artist
John Calnan John Calnan (February 26, 1932 – December 27, 2016) was an American comics artist best known as the co-creator of Lucius Fox with writer Len Wein. Early life John Calnan graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. One of hi ...
introduced Bruce Wayne's new executive, Lucius Fox, in this issue of ''Batman''."
*
Maxie Zeus Maximilian "Maxie" Zeus is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as a minor enemy of Batman. He is depicted as a mentally ill former history professor who is obsessed with Greek mythology and believes ...
, 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 ...
'' #483


Marvel Comics

*
El Aguila EL, El or el may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * El, a character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit * Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fictional character in the TV series ''Stranger Things'' * El, fami ...
, in ''
Power Man and Iron Fist ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' (originally ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' then ''Luke Cage, Power Man'') was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the superheroes Power Man and Iron Fist. Publication history ''Hero ...
'' #58 *
Alpha Flight Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member Wolv ...
, 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 ...
'' #120 **
Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
**
Northstar Northstar may refer to: * Polaris, a star Arts and entertainment * Northstar (band), an emo band from Alabama * Northstar (rap group), a rap group affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan * "Northstar", a 2019 song by XXXTentacion from the album '' Bad ...
**
Sasquatch Bigfoot (), also commonly referred to as Sasquatch (), is a large, hairy Mythic humanoids, mythical creature said to inhabit forests in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.Example definitions include: *"A large, hairy, manlike ...
**
Shaman Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
** Snowbird *
Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...
, in ''
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 ...
'' #194 *
Dire Wraith The Dire Wraiths are a fictional extraterrestrial species appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing. The Dire Wraiths are the main opponents of Rom the Space Knight. Publication history The Dire Wraiths firs ...
, in ''
Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
'' #1 * Followers of the Light, in '' Shogun Warriors'' #1 *
Justin Hammer Justin Hammer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a villainous entrepreneur, head of Hammer Industries and a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man. He is the ...
, 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 ...
'' #120 * H.E.R.B.I.E., in ''
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 ...
'' #209 *
Kroton (Cyberman) Kroton is a fictional character who appeared in the ''Doctor Who Magazine'' comic strip based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was a companion of the Eighth Doctor. The character is separate from th ...
, in '' Doctor Who Weekly'' #5 (Marvel UK) *
Cassandra Lang Cassandra "Cassie" Lang is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie and John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Marvel Premiere'' #47 (April ...
(as "Cassie Lang"), in ''
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 ...
'' #47 *
Scott Lang Ant-Man (Scott Edward Harris Lang) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie, Bob Layton and John Byrne, Scott Lang first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #181 (March 1979) ...
, in ''
The Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
'' #181; as Ant-Man II in ''
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 ...
'' #47 *
Lady Lotus La Lunatica Lactuca the Knower Lactuca the Knower is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''Planet-Size X-Men'' #1 (August 2021), created by Gerry Duggan and Pepe Larraz. ...
, in ''
Invaders ''InVader'' is the fourth album by Finnish glam metal band Reckless Love, released on 4 March 2016 through Spinefarm Records. Track listing All songs written by Olli Herman, Pepe Reckless, and Ikka Wirtanen, unless otherwise noted. Reception Wr ...
'' #37 *
Night Raven Night Raven is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character appears primarily in Marvel UK Comics, a division of Marvel Comics. Night Raven first appeared in ''Hulk Comic'' #1 (March 7, 1979 in ...
, in ''
Hulk Comic ''Hulk Comic'' (later ''The Incredible Hulk Weekly'') was a black-and-white Marvel UK comics anthology published under the editorship of Dez Skinn starting in 1979. Publication history After starring for many years in the Marvel UK flagship tit ...
'' #1 (Marvel UK) *
Quasar A quasar ( ) is an extremely Luminosity, luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. The emission from an AGN is powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole with a mass rangi ...
, in ''
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 ...
'' #234 *
Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus ( ; ) is an early prophetic sea god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" (''hálios gérôn''). Some who ascribe a specific domain to Prote ...
, 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 ...
'' #125 *
Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
, in '' Rom: Spaceknight'' #1 * Schizoid Man, in ''
Spectacular Spider-Man ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is a comic book and magazine series starring Spider-Man and published by Marvel Comics. Following the success of Spider-Man's original series, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', Marvel felt the character could support ...
'' #36 *
Shadow King The Shadow King (Amahl Farouk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily as an enemy of the X-Men. His nemesis is the X-Men's leader, Professor X, while he also figures into the backstory of the X-M ...
, 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 ...
'' #117 (January) * Screaming Mimi, in ''
Marvel Two-in-One ''Marvel Two-in-One'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring Fantastic Four member the Thing in a different team-up each issue. Publication history Original series The concept of teaming the Thing with a differen ...
'' #54 *
Vampiro Ian Richard Hodgkinson (born May 31, 1967), better known by his ring name Vampiro, is a Canadian retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He currently works for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He also worked for Lucha Underground ...
, in ''
The Mighty Thor ''Thor'', or ''The Mighty Thor'', is the name of several comic book titles featuring the character Thor and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original ''Thor'' comic book series which debuted in 1966. Publication history The Marvel C ...
'' #290 (December) *
War Machine War Machine (Col. James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie, John Byrne, and Bob Layton as a supporting character for Iron Man, he first appeared i ...
, 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 ...
'' #118 * Debra Whitman, in ''
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 ...
'' #196 * Mariko Yashida, 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 ...
'' #118


Notes

{{Reflist