1953 in comics

Events and publications

Year overall

• National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications is settled out of court; Fawcett agrees to quit using the Captain Marvel character(s) and pay DC Comics the sum of $400,000.[1] Subsequently, Fawcett leaves the comics publishing business.
• Tut le Blanc's comic strip An Altar Boy Named Speck begins syndication

January

• January 9: Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Hugo Pratt's Sergeant Kirk makes its debut in the comics magazine Misterix.

February

• February 7: The first issue of the British comics magazine The Topper is published, which will run until 15 September 1990. In its first issue David Law's Beryl the Peril makes its debut.
• February 23: The Nero story De Ring van Petatje by Marc Sleen is first published in the newspapers. Halfway the story Petatje makes her debut.
• February 24: Byron Aptosoglou publishes Mikrós Íros (The Little Hero), which will run until 18 June 1968. [2]
• February 25: The Flemish children's magazine Pum-Pum becomes a supplement of the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. It will run until 11 January 1967.[3]

March

• March 9: Elliott Caplin and Stan Drake's The Heart of Juliet Jones makes its debut. It will run until 1 January 2000.
• Al Gordon's art career begins with Trojan Comics' Attack! #6 and Beware #14.
• Jumbo Comics (1938 series), with issue #167, canceled by Fiction House.

April

• April 1: The fourth issue of Mad Magazine features Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood's classic Superman parody Superduperman. This is the first specific comic book parody in Mad and strikes a nerve among readers. The previously low-selling Mad now finally becomes a best-seller.[4]
• April 18: Barrie Appleby's Roger the Dodger makes its debut in The Beano.
• April 30: The first issue of Chez Nous Junior, a junior supplement to the Belgian magazine Chez Nous and a French-language version of the Dutch-language magazine Ons Volkske is published. In the first issue Tibet's Chick Bill makes its debut, albeit in a funny animal comic strip version. The cast will be humanized two years later. [5]
• Master Comics, with issue #133, canceled by Fawcett.

May

• Rolf Kauka's Fix and Foxi makes its debut.[6]

June

• Whiz Comics, with issue #155, canceled by Fawcett.
• Captain Marvel Jr., with issue #118, canceled by Fawcett.

July

• Lorna the Jungle Girl, issue #1, created by Don Rico and Werner Roth.

August

• August 29: Mars Ravelo's Bondying makes its debut.

September

• September 12: The final issue of the British comics magazine Illustrated Chips is published and merges with Film Fun.
• September 19: Paddy Brennan's General Jumbo makes its debut in The Beano.
• September 22: The passing of H. T. Webster also means the end of his long-running comic strip Timid Soul, better known under the name of its protagonist, Casper Milquetoast.[7]
• The British comics magazine Comic Cuts is disestablished and merges with Knockout.
• The first issue of Little Dot is published, in which Richie Rich makes his debut.
• Joe Kubert and Norman Maurer's Tor makes its debut.

October

• 1 October: The first issues of the Dutch children's and comics magazines Okki and Taptoe are published. The magazines will run until 2016.[8]
• 10 October: Leo Baxendale's Little Plum makes its debut in The Beano.[9]

November

• Captain Marvel Adventures (1941 series), with issue #150, canceled by Fawcett Comics.
• Hopalong Cassidy, with issue #85, canceled by Fawcett Comics.
• Two-Gun Kid (1948 series), with issue #11, revived by Marvel.
• Weird Fantasy, with issue #22, merges with Weird Science to become Weird Science-Fantasy (EC Comics)

December

• December 4: The Spirou and Fantasio story La Turbotraction is first prepublished in Spirou. Halfway the story Seccotine the journalist makes her debut.
• December 19: Leo Baxendale's Minnie the Minx makes its debut in The Beano.[9]
• December 23: Willy Vandersteen's gag comic 't Prinske debuts in Tintin.[10]
• The long-running comics series Waddles is discontinued. Ray Carlson and Carol Hager had continued it since 1945.[11]

Deaths

January

• January 5: Ramiz Gökçe, Turkish comics artist (Tombul Teyze and Sıska Dayı), dies at age 52.[12]
• January 12: Wilfred R. Cyr, American comics artist (Cabin Boy Exploits of Eve), passes away at age 73.[13]
• January 23:
  • Raymond De La Nezière, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 85.[14]
  • Albert Hahn Jr., Dutch illustrator, caricaturist and comics artist (made text comics for De Notenkraker), dies at age 68.[15]

February

• February 14: Mary Bergman, wife of cartoonist Billy DeBeck and establisher of the annual Billy De Beck Awards, dies in a plane crash.[16]

April

• April 18: Frank Reynolds, British cartoonist and illustrator (The Bristlewoods), dies at age 67.[17]

May

• May 5: Dick Dorgan, American comics artist (Kid Dugan, Colonel Gilfeather, continued You Know Me, Al), dies at age 60.[18]

June

• June 20: Émile-Joseph Pinchon, French comics artist (Bécassine), dies at age 72.[19]

July

• July 24: Eelco Harmsen van der Beek, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (Flipje van Tiel), dies at age 56.[20]
• July 31: Kornel Makuszyński, Polish novelist and comics writer (Koziołek Matołek), dies at age 69.

October

• October 2: Les Forgrave, American comics artist (Big Sister) and writer (Aladdin Junior, Secrets of Magic), passes away at age 71.[21]
• October 21: George Kerr, American comics artist and illustrator (Santa Claus Funnies), dies at age 84.[22]

November

• November 29: Karl Arnold, German painter, caricaturist and comics artist (made various comics for Simplicissimus), dies at age 70.[23]
• November 29: Milt Gross, American comics artist (He Done Her Wrong, Count Screwloose), passes away at age 58.[24]

December

• December 17: Stephen Slesinger, American radio, film and TV producer and comics writer (Red Ryder, King of the Royal Mounted), dies at age 51.
• December 25: William Haselden, British caricaturist, cartoonist and comics artist (The Sad Experiences of Big and Little Willie), dies at age 81.[25]

First issues by title

Atlas Comics/Marvel Comics

• Bible Tales for Young Folk
• Buck Duck
• Crazy
• Homer Hooper
• Little Lizzie
• Lorna the Jungle Queen
• Menace (Mar.)
• Monkey and the Bear, The
• Patsy and her Pals
• Secret Story Romances
• Speed Carter, Spaceman
• Wendy Parker Comics

Other publishers

• Atomic Mouse (Mar.) — Charlton Comics
• Classics Illustrated Junior (Oct.) — Gilberton
• Little Dot (Sept.) — Harvey Comics
• Princess Knight, by Osamu Tezuka, first serialized in Kodansha's Shōjo Club (Jan.)
• The Topper #1 (Feb. 7) - D.C. Thomson and Co.
• Uncle Scrooge (Dec.) — Dell Comics

Renamed titles

Atlas Comics/Marvel Comics

• Battle Brady #10 renamed from Men in Action
• Bible Tales for Young People #3 renamed from Bible Tales for Young Folk
• Combat Casey #6 renamed from War Combat
• Miss America #50 renamed from Miss America Magazine
• Young Men #21 renamed from Young Men on the Battlefield
• Young Men in Action #24 renamed from Young Men

Other publishers

• United States Marines #7-11 renamed from Fighting Leathernecks - Toby Press

Initial appearances by character name

DC Thomson & Co.

• Beryl the Peril, in The Topper #1 (Feb. 7)
• General Jumbo, in The Beano #583 (19 Sept.)
• Little Plum, in The Beano #586 (10 Oct.)
• Minnie the Minx, in The Beano #596 (19 Dec.)
• Roger the Dodger, in The Beano #561 (18 Apr.)

Other publishers

• Atomic Mouse, in Atomic Mouse #1 (Charlton Comics, Mar.)
• Captain 3-D, in Captain 3-D #1 (Harvey Comics, Dec.)
• Captain Harlock, in Adventures of a Honeybee
• Little Lotta, in Little Dot #1 (Harvey Comics, Sept.)
• Richie Rich, in Little Dot #1 (Harvey Comics, Sept.)
• Ringo Kid, in The Ringo Kid Western #1 (Atlas Comics, Aug.)
• Superduperman, in Mad #4 (EC, Apr./May)
• Zombie, in Menace #5 (Atlas Comics, July)

References

1. "The World's Mightiest Mortal & Big Red Cheese". The Museum of Comic Book Advertising. Retrieved June 17, 2005.
2. "Byron Aptosoglou". lambiek.net. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
3. KOUSEMAKER, Kees en Evelien, "Wordt Vervolgd- Stripleksikon der Lage Landen", Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, Utrecht, Antwerpen, 1979, page 195
4. "Wallace Wood". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
5. https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/tibet.htm
6. "Rolf Kauka". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
7. "H. T. Webster". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
8. "Okki, Jippo en Taptoe". www.lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
9. "Leo Baxendale". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
10. "Willy Vandersteen". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
11. "Ray & Carol Carlson". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
12. "Ramiz Gökçe". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
13. "Wilfred R. Cyr". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
14. "Raymond De La Nezière". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
15. "Albert Hahn Jr". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
16. "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
17. "Frank Reynolds". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
18. "Dick Dorgan". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
19. "Émile-Joseph Pinchon". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
20. "Eelco Harmsen van Beek". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
21. "Les Forgrave". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
22. "George Kerr". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
23. "Karl Arnold". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
24. "Milt Gross". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
25. "William Kerridge Haselden". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 12, 2020.