1979 in comics

Notable events of 1979 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events

Year overall

• Due to weak sales numbers from 1978,[1] during the course of the year Marvel Comics cancels a number of ongoing titles: Black Panther; Captain Marvel; Godzilla, King of the Monsters; Howard the Duck; The Human Fly; The Invaders; John Carter, Warlord of Mars; Kid Colt Outlaw; Marvel Triple Action; and Rawhide Kid.
• The "Demon in a Bottle" storyline, by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and John Romita, Jr., runs through Iron Man (issues #120–128, March–November).
• Alien: The Illustrated Story, a comics adaptation of Alien, by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson, published by Heavy Metal.
• In Turnhout, Belgium the first edition of the Stripgids Festival is organized by Jan Smet.[2][3][4]

January

• January 6: The first episode of Pat Mills and Joe Colquhoun's Charley's War is prepublished in Battle Picture Weekly and will run until October 1986.
• January 24: The Mighty World of Marvel, with issue #330, changes its name to Marvel Comic. (Marvel UK)

February

• February 20: Kees Kousemaker and his wife Evelien publish Wordt Vervolgd. Stripleksikon der Lage Landen, the follow-up to their earlier comics encyclopaedia Strip voor Strip (1979).[5]

March

• IPC Magazines launches Tornado, a short-lived weekly British comic published for 22 issues.
• The Human Fly, with issue #19, is cancelled by Marvel.

April

• April 9: The first episode of Vahan Shirvanian's No Comment is published. [6]
• Kid Colt Outlaw (1949 series), with issue #225, canceled by Marvel.
• The reprint title Marvel Triple Action, with issue #47, is cancelled by Marvel.

May

• May 19: A statue of Suske en Wiske, designed by René Rosseel, is revealed at the Antwerp Zoo. [7]
• Frank Miller takes over from Gene Colan as regular penciler on Daredevil with issue #158.
• Vince Colletta resigns as art director of DC Comics.
• Rawhide Kid, with issue #135, canceled by Marvel.
• Captain Marvel, with issue #62, cancelled by Marvel.
• Howard the Duck (vol. 1), with issue #31, canceled by Marvel.
• Black Panther, with issue #15, cancelled by Marvel.

Summer

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

July

• World of Krypton – #1 of 3, by DC Comics. The first official limited series, 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 and Howard Chaykin.[8]
• With issue #24, Marvel cancels Godzilla, King of the Monsters.
• July 25: Marvel UK publishes the final weekly issue (#352) of Marvel Comic.

August

• With issue #70, Marvel publishes the final issue of The Tomb of Dracula, ending writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan's uninterrupted six-year run on the title.
• August 25: IPC Magazines merged two comic books 2000 AD and Starlord and Tornado into "2000 AD and Tornado".

September

• September 17: Jaap Vegter receives the Stripschapprijs. [9]
• All-Out War #1: a new war title in the Dollar Comics format is launched by DC Comics with a September/October cover date.
• The Best of DC #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 and John Byrne, begins in Uncanny X-Men #125 (running through issue #128).
• Marvel Comic, with issue #353, becomes a monthly title and is renamed Marvel Superheroes. (Marvel UK)
• The Invaders, with issue #41, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The first edition of the Helsinki Comics Festival is organized in Helsinki, Finland.[10]
• For Better or For Worse, by Lynn Johnston, debuts, distributed by Universal Press Syndicate.

October

• October 1: Hergé's Tintin and Snowy receive a statue in Uccle. [11]
• Action Comics #500: 68-pages, "The Life Story of Superman," by Martin Pasko, Curt Swan, and Frank Chiaramonte.
• 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.

December

• December: The final issue of the Dutch adult comics magazine Gummi/De Ballooen is published.[12]

Deaths

January

• January 8: Victor Hubinon, Belgian comics writer (Buck Danny, Redbeard), dies from a heart attack at the age of 59.[13]

February

• February 9: Daniël Jansens, Belgian comics writer (Bessy, Lombok, Bakelandt, Kramikske), dies from a heart attack at the age of 47.
• February 15: Roy d'Ami, Italian comics writer, artist and founder of the Studio Creazioni d'Ami, passes away at age 55.[14]
• February 22: John Coleman Burroughs, American illustrator and comics artist (John Carter of Mars, David Innes of Pellicudar), dies at age 65. [15]

March

• March 24: Ole Lund Kirkegaard, Danish novelist and illustrator (Gummi Tarzan), freezes to death at age 38.

April

• April 29: Hardie Gramatky, American novelist, comics artist and animator (inked Mickey Mouse, ghosted Captain Kidd Jr. and Ella Cinders), dies at age 72. [16]

June

• June 25: Dave Fleischer, American animator, film producer and director (Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye), dies of a stroke at age 84.

July

• July 4: Pagsilang Rey Isip, Filipino-American comics artist, painter, photographer and musician, passes away at age 68 from a heart attack. [17]
• July 19: Paul Bransom, American comics artist, illustrator and painter (The Latest News from Bugville), dies at age 94.[18]

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.[19]
• August 15: Walter Berndt, American comics artist (Smitty), passes away at age 80.[20]
• August 26: Mika Waltari, Finnish novelist and comics writer (wrote for Asmo Alho [21]), dies at age 70. [22]

September

• September 26: Carl Grubert, American comics artist (The Berrys), dies at age 68.[23]
• September 12: Les Clark, American animator (Disney Studios), dies at age 71.[24]

October

• October 16: René Brantonne, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 76.[25]
• October 30: Oscar Conti, aka Oski, Argentine cartoonist, caricaturist, animator and comics artist (Cascabel, The True History of the Indies), dies at age 65. [26]

November

• November 2: Walter Bell, British comics artist (continued Weary Willy and Tired Tim and Casey's Court, made celebrity comics for Film Fun), dies at age 86.
• November 5: Al Capp, American comics artist (Li'l Abner, Abbie an' Slats, Long Sam), dies at age 70.[27]
• November 22: Hugh McNeill, British comics artist (Ping the Elastic Man, Pansy Potter, Winnie the Witch, Jack and Jill), passes away at age 68.[28]
• November 23: Eugène Gire, French comics artist (Cap'tain Vir de Bor), dies at age 73.[29]
• November 30: Dick Huemer, American animator (Disney Studios) and comics writer (The Adventures of Buck O'Rue,[30] True Life Adventures [31]), passes away at age 81.

Specific date unknown

• Garrett Price, American comics artist, cartoonist and illustrator (White Boy (later renamed Skull Valley), dies at age 81 or 82.[32]
• Carlos Laffond, Spanish comics artist (Thierry Le Chevalier, illustrated L'Oncle Paul), dies at age 49 or 50. [33]

Conventions

• April 6–8: MiamiCon II (Holiday Inn, Miami, Florida) — first iteration of the show since 1975; guests include Stan Lee[34]
• June: Houstoncon (Houston, Texas) — guests include George Pérez and Walter Koenig
• 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 I (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City)
• July 14–15: Comic Art Convention II (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• July 20–22: Chicago Comicon (Pick-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois) — special guests: Mike W. Barr 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 (Downtown Atlanta Sheraton, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests include John Byrne, Dave Sim
• August: FantaCon '80 (The Egg convention center, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York) — first annual Albany-area horror and comic book convention, hosted by FantaCo Enterprises publisher Thomas Skulan[35]
• August 1–5: San Diego Comic-Con (Convention and Performing Arts Center and U.S. Grant Hotel, San Diego, California) — 6,000 attendees; official guests: Kelly Freas, Mike Jittlov, Harvey Kurtzman, Victor Moscoso, Nestor Redondo, Marshall Rogers, John Romita Sr., Mort Walker, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman
• August 11-12: Comicon '79 (British Comic Art Convention 11) (London) — sponsored by Valhalla Books of Ilford, and organized by Ian Starling, Neville Ferris, and Ian Knox; guest of honor: Jim Starlin[36]
• August 31–September 2: U.K. Comic Art & Fantasy Convention (Hotel Metropole, National Exhibition Centre; Birmingham, England) — guest of honor: Jim Steranko; other guests include Dez Skinn and Dave Gibbons; presentation of the Eagle Awards
• September: OrlandoCon (Orlando, Florida) — guests include Will Eisner, C. C. Beck, Bob Cummings, Kirby Grant, and Jack Rosen
• November 24–26: Creation '79 (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) — guests include Tom Savini; admission: $6/day[37]

Awards

Eagle Awards

Presented in 1980 for comics published in 1979:

• Roll of Honor: Jack Kirby
• Favourite Writer: Chris Claremont
• Favourite Comicbook Artist: John Byrne
• Favourite Inker: Terry Austin
• Favourite Comic Book (Drama): Uncanny X-Men
• Favourite Comic Book (Humor): Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan
• Favourite New Comic Title: Howard the Duck
• Favorite Single Comic Book Story: "Demon in a Bottle," Iron Man #s 120-128, by David Michelinie, John Romita, Jr., and Bob Layton
• Favourite Continued Comic Story: X-Men #125-128, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
• Best Comicbook Cover: The Avengers #185, by George Pérez
• Favourite Team: X-Men
• Favourite Character: Wolverine
• Favourite Supporting Character: Wolverine
• Favourite Villain: Magneto
• Character Most Worthy of Own Title: Warlock
• Favourite Title (UK): Starburst, edited by Dez Skinn

First issues by title

DC Comics

The Best of DC — Digest size title

Release: September /October

All-Out War — Dollar Comics title

Release: September /October Editor: Murray Boltinoff

Time Warp — Dollar Comics title

Release: October /November Editor: Jack C. Harris

Marvel Comics

Amazing Adventures vol. 3

Release: December. Reprinting the original X-Men title.[38]

Doctor Who Magazine

Release: October 11 by Marvel UK.

Hulk Comic

Release: March 7 by Marvel UK. Editor: Dez Skinn.

Man-Thing vol. 2

Release: November. Writer: Michael Fleisher. Artists: Jim Mooney and Bob Wiacek.

Marvel Spotlight vol. 2

Release: July. Editor: Roger Stern.

Micronauts

Release: January. Writer: Bill Mantlo. Artist: Michael Golden.

Rom: Spaceknight

Release: December. Writer: Bill Mantlo. Artist: Sal Buscema.

Shogun Warriors

Release: February. Writer: Doug Moench. Artist: Herb Trimpe.

Tales to Astonish vol. 2

Release: December. Reprinting edited versions of the 1968 Sub-Mariner title.[38]

Independent titles

Battle of the Planets

Release: June by Gold Key Comics. Writer: Gary Poole. Artist: Win Mortimer.

Best Buy Comics

Release February by Apex Novelties. Writers and Artists: Robert Crumb 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 #253
• Carl Draper, in Superman #331
• Green Fury, in Super Friends #25
• Firebug, in Batman #318
• Lucius Fox, in Batman #307[39]
• Maxie Zeus, in Detective Comics #483

Marvel Comics

• El Aguila, in Power Man and Iron Fist #58
• Alpha Flight, in Uncanny X-Men #120
  • Aurora
  • Northstar
  • Sasquatch
  • Shaman
  • Snowbird
• Black Cat, in The Amazing Spider-Man #194
• Dire Wraith, in Rom #1
• Followers of the Light, in Shogun Warriors #1
• Justin Hammer, in Iron Man #120
• H.E.R.B.I.E., in Fantastic Four #209
• Kroton (Cyberman), in Doctor Who Weekly #5 (Marvel UK)
• Cassandra Lang (as "Cassie Lang"), in Marvel Premiere #47
• Scott Lang, in The Avengers #181; as Ant-Man II in Marvel Premiere #47
• Lady Lotus, in Invaders #37
• Night Raven, in Hulk Comic #1 (Marvel UK)
• Quasar, in The Incredible Hulk #234
• Proteus, in Uncanny X-Men #125
• Rom, in Rom: Spaceknight #1
• Schizoid Man, in Spectacular Spider-Man #36
• Shadow King, in Uncanny X-Men #117 (January)
• Screaming Mimi, in Marvel Two-in-One #54
• Vampiro, in The Mighty Thor #290 (December)
• War Machine, in Iron Man #118
• Debra Whitman, in The Amazing Spider-Man #196
• Mariko Yashida, in Uncanny X-Men #118

Notes

1. "Marvel Trims Line Again," The Comics Journal #45 (March 1979), p. 11.
2. Meesters, Gert (2010). "De internationalisering van de Vlaamse strip". Praagse perspectieven (in Dutch). Jaargang 6: 118–119. OCLC 85724716. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
3. (in Dutch)Turnhout, Belgium.be
4. (in Dutch)Strip Turnhout 2005: Een nieuwe start, Gva.be
5. "The History of Lambiek (1975-1980)".
6. "Vahan Shirvanian". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
7. "Het statige standbeeld - Suske en Wiske no. 169". suskeenwiske.ophetwww.net. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
8. McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, eds. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. The worldwide success of Superman: The Movie motivated [DC] to publish more Superman-related titles. With that, editor E. Nelson Bridwell oversaw a project that evolved into comics' first official limited series - World of Krypton...Featuring out-of-this-world artwork from Howard Chaykin, [Paul] Kupperberg's three-issue limited series explored Superman's homeworld.
9. "Leidsch Dagblad | 17 september 1979 | pagina 23". Historische Kranten, Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
10. "Suomen sarjakuvaseura ry - In english". www.sarjakuvaseura.fi. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
11. "Hergé". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
12. "Gummi/De Balloen". www.lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
13. "Victor Hubinon". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
14. "Roy D'Ami". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
15. "John Coleman Burroughs". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
16. "Hardie Gramatky". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
17. "Pagsilang Rey Isip". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
18. "Paul Bransom". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
19. "Emmerich Huber". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
20. "Walter Berndt". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
21. "Asmo Alho". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
22. http://www.mikawaltariseura.fi/ Mika Waltari Society (in Finnish)
23. "Carl Grubert". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
24. "Les Clark". IMDb. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
25. "René Brantonne". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
26. "Oski". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
27. "Al Capp". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
28. "Hugh McNeill". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
29. "Eugène Gire". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
30. "Paul Murry". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
31. "George Wheeler". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
32. "Garrett Price". lambiek.net. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
33. https://www.lambiek.net/artists/l/laffond_carlos.htm
34. Ashton, Bill. "POW! Comic Book Buffs Swoop Into Town for a 3-Day Bash," Miami Herald (1979).
35. Green, Roger. "FantaCon 2013: the Tom Skulan interview," "Information Without The Bun," TimeUnion.com (Feb. 7, 2013).
36. Comicon '79 program (1979).
37. Shenker, Israel. "Comic-Book Fans Gather for 'Creation '79'; The Hand Is the Ticket," New York Times (Nov. 25, 1978).
38. During this period, Marvel published a number of reprint titles.
39. McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 180 "Batman #307 (January 1979) Writer Len Wein and artist John Calnan introduced Bruce Wayne's new executive, Lucius Fox, in this issue of Batman."