This is a list of

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

-related events in 1978.

Events

Year overall

* DC suffers the

DC Implosion The "DC Explosion" and "DC Implosion" were two events in 1978 – the first an official marketing campaign, the second a sardonic reference to it – in which DC Comics expanded their roster of publications, then abruptly cut it back. The DC Explos ...

, the abrupt cancellation of more than two dozen ongoing and planned titles, including ''

All Star Comics ''All Star Comics'' is an American comic book series from All-American Publications, one of three companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. While the series' cover-logo trademark reads ''All St ...

'', ''

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...

'', '' House of Secrets'', ''

Our Fighting Forces ''Our Fighting Forces'' is a war comics anthology series published by DC Comics for 181 issues from 1954–1978. Publication history ''Our Fighting Forces'' began with an October–November 1954 cover date. Writer-editor Robert Kanigher's w ...

'', ''

Showcase Showcase or vitrine may refer to: *Cabinet (furniture) *Display case Music * ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961 * ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...

'', and '' The Witching Hour''. The vast majority of the books leave uncompleted story lines (most of which are later wrapped up in other titles). * Archie Goodwin resigns as

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

editor-in-chief, replaced by

Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...

(who will hold the post until mid-

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

). * Underground publisher the

Print Mint The Print Mint, Inc. was a major publisher and distributor of underground comix based in the San Francisco Bay Area during the genre's late 1960s-early 1970s heyday. Starting as a retailer of psychedelic posters, the Print Mint soon evolved into ...

stops publishing comics. * "

The Korvac Saga Korvac is the name of a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appears in '' Giant-Size Defenders'' #3 (Jan. 1975) and was created by Steve Gerber and Jim Starlin. Publication history Michael Ko ...

" story arc, written by

and

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 o ...

, with art 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 (co ...

and

David Wenzel David T. Wenzel (; born November 22, 1950) is an illustrator and children's book artist. He is best known for his graphic novel adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's ''The Hobbit''. Career Wenzel's first ambition had been to work for one of the big anim ...

, runs through ''

The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

'', beginning in issue #167 (February) and running through issue #177 (November) * "

The Cursed Earth "The Cursed Earth" is the second extended storyline of the British science fictional comics character Judge Dredd. It appeared in '' 2000 AD'', and was the first Dredd storyline to exceed twenty episodes. Written mostly by Pat Mills, this story a ...

Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977), which is a British weekly anthology Comic book, comic. He is the ...

storyline runs in '' 2000 AD'' (May – October)

January

* ''

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

'' #100: Double-size special featuring ''

'',

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...

Black Canary The Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics: Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. The original version was created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and ...

, and

Air Wave Air Wave is the name of three superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first two were active in the Golden Age of Comic Books (albeit the second Air Wave had only one appearance). The third appears in comics in ...

. (DC Comics). * The first episode of ''L’uomo di Tsushima'' (The man of Tsushima) by

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''. Biography Bonvicini was born either in Parma or Modena, in the Emilia R ...

is published, a retelling of the famous battle as seen by

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

, for the series ''Un uomo un’avventura'' (

Bonelli Bonelli is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Antonia Paula de la Resurreccion Bonelly (1786–1870), colonial woman of East Florida * Aurelio Bonelli (c.1569 – after 1620), Italian composer, organist and painter * ...

February

* February 2: Belgian comics artist

Maurice Tillieux Maurice Tillieux (7 August 1921 – 2 February 1978) was a Belgians, Belgian writer and comic artist. He is regarded by many as a major figure of post-World War II, war Belgian comics. Early life Maurice Tillieux was born in Huy in 1921. At f ...

is killed in a car crash. * The first issue of the Belgian comics magazine ''

À Suivre ''À Suivre'' or ''A SUIVRE'' (English translation: "To Be Continued") was a Franco-Belgian comics magazine published from February 1978 to December 1997 by the Casterman publishing house. Along with the comic book magazines ''Spirou (magazine), ...

'' is published. It will run until December 1997. ** In the first issue of A Suivre the first chapter of

Jean-Claude Forest Jean-Claude Forest (11 September 1930 – 30 December 1998) was a French writer and illustrator of comics and the creator of character Barbarella. Biography Jean-Claude Forest was born in Le Perreux-sur-Marne, a Paris suburb and graduated f ...

and

Jacques Tardi Jacques Tardi (; born 30 August 1946) is a French comic artist. He is often credited solely as Tardi. Biography Tardi was born on 30 August 1946 in Valence, Drôme. After graduating from the École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon and the Éco ...

's ''Ici Même'' (''Just Here'') makes its debut. * ''

Detective Comics ''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 best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...

'' #475, "The Laughing Fish" by

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early li ...

Marshall Rogers William Marshall Rogers III (January 22, 1950 – March 24, 2007),William Marshall Rogers III

, and Terry Austin. (DC Comics) * February 8: Marvel UK publish ''

Star Wars Weekly ''Star Wars'' comics have been produced by various comic book publishers since the debut of the 1977 film ''Star Wars''. Marvel Comics launched its original series in 1977, beginning with a six-issue comic adaptation of the film and running for ...

'' in a black-and-white anthology format.

March

* 2 March: 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 eng ...

'' episode ''La fille du vent'', 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. * 21 March: In ''

Pilote Cover of the first ''Pilote'' issue #0 ''Pilote'' () was a French comic magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major French or Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such as ''Astérix'', '' ...

'', the first chapter of the '' Valérian'' story '' Heroes of the Equinox'' by

Pierre Christin Pierre Christin (; born 27 July 1938) is a French comics creator and writer. Biography Christin was born at Saint-Mandé in 1938. After graduating from the Sorbonne, Christin pursued graduate studies in political science at SciencesPo and bec ...

and Jean-Claude Mezieres is published. * In the second issue of ''

Benoît Sokal Benoît Sokal (28 June 1954 – 28 May 2021) was a Belgian comic artist and video game developer, best known for his comics series ''Inspector Canardo'', and the ''Syberia'' adventure game franchise. Biography Benoît Sokal was born in Brussel ...

's ''

Inspector Canardo Inspector Canardo is a comics series created by the Belgian artist Benoît Sokal. He was named after the French noun ''canard'', which means "duck". History Sokal created the character Inspector Canardo after graduating from Institut Saint-Lu ...

'' makes its debut. *

Dennis O'Neil Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...

and

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Supe ...

' comic book ''

Superman vs. Muhammad Ali ''Superman vs. Muhammad Ali'' is an oversize celebrity comic book published by DC Comics in 1978. The 72-page book features Superman teaming up with the heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali to defeat an alien invasion of Earth, a story in whi ...

'' is published, in which

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

meets boxing champion

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

April

*18 April: In the ''

Le journal de Tintin ''Tintin'' (french: Le Journal de Tintin; nl, Kuifje) was a weekly Franco-Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century. Subtitled ''"The Magazine for the Youth from 7 to 77"'', it was one of the major publications of the Fra ...

'', the first chapter of the second ''

Thorgal ''Thorgal'' is a fantasy adventure Franco-Belgian comics series by Belgian writer Jean Van Hamme and Polish graphic artist Grzegorz Rosiński. Debuting in 1977, it has incorporated elements of Norse mythology, the legend of Atlantis as well as ...

'' story '' The island of frozen seas'' by

Jean Van Hamme Jean, knight 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''. Biogr ...

and

Grzegorz Rosiński Grzegorz Rosiński (born 3 August 1941) is a Polish comic book artist. He is best known for providing the artwork for the series ''Thorgal''. Early life Grzegorz Rosiński was born in Stalowa Wola in 1941.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Rosinski". In Be ...

is published. *20 April: In '' Spirou'', the first chapter of ''

Kodo le tyran ''Kodo le tyran'' ("Kodo the Tyrant"), written and drawn by Fournier, is the twenty-eighth album of the ''Spirou et Fantasio'' series, and the author's eighth, following the Spirou retirement of André Franquin André Franquin (; 3 January 1 ...

'', by

Jean-Claude Fournier Jean-Claude Fournier (; born 21 May 1943, Paris), known simply as Fournier, is a French cartoonist best known as the comic book artist who handled ''Spirou et Fantasio'' in the years 1969-1979. Biography In 1965, Fournier approached André Franqu ...

is published. *''

Claw the Unconquered Claw is a sword and sorcery superhero in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Claw the Unconquered'' #1 (June 1975), in which he was created by writer David Michelinie and designed by artist Ernie Chan. Similar in many ways ...

'', with issue #10 (April /May), is revived by DC after an 18-month hiatus. * '' Power Man'', with issue #50, changes its name to ''

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 ''He ...

''.

May

*14-21 May: In ''

Topolino ''Topolino'' (from the 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. It is currently published by Panini ...

'', ''The planetary wars'', by

Guido Martina Guido Martina (9 February 1906 – 6 May 1991) was an Italian comic writer, documentarist and author. Martina is well known for his Disney comics stories, including the first of the "" story "L'inferno di Topolino", and the creation of Paperinik ...

and

Giovan Battista Carpi Giovan Battista Carpi (; November 16, 1927 – March 8, 1999) was a prolific Italian comics artist, illustrator, and teacher from Genoa. Carpi worked mainly for Disney comics, mostly on books featuring Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck, although he ...

, a spoof of ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'', is published. * May 19: Scripps Company merges its two syndication arms,

Newspaper Enterprise Association The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary news ...

and

United Feature Syndicate United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along wit ...

(established by Scripps in 1919), to form United Media Enterprises. *''

'' #100: "Awesome Anniversary Edition! 60 Sensational Super-Stars" — featuring almost every character who ever appeared in ''Showcase'' — 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 D ...

Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...

, and

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 of t ...

. *

IPC Magazines TI Media (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 its tit ...

publishes the first issue of the short-lived comics magazine '' Starlord''

June

* Continuing the " DC Explosion," the company increases its titles' page counts to 25 story pages and increases the price of a typical comic from 35 cents to 50 cents. * ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

'' #300: "The Last Batman Story—?", by David V. Reed,

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 w ...

, and

Dick Giordano Richard Joseph Giordano (; July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics. Early li ...

. * ''

Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as ''Garfield'', it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, his human ...

'', by Jim Davis is launched on June 19 in 41 newspapers. * In the magazine ''Cannibale''

RanXerox ''RanXerox'' is an Italian science fiction graphic novel series by Stefano Tamburini and Tanino Liberatore, two Italian artists who had worked on such magazines as ''Cannibale'' and ''Frigidaire''. Conceived as a bizarre antihero, RanXerox was a m ...

Tanino Liberatore Gaetano Liberatore (born 12 April 1953), better known as Tanino Liberatore, is an Italian comics author and illustrator. His best known fictional character is RanXerox. Life and work Born in Quadri (province of Chieti), Liberatore went to high s ...

makes its debut.

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 ...

'' #15 — "I Now Pronounce You Batman and Wife!", marriage of Batman and

Talia al Ghul Talia al Ghul ( ar, تاليا الغول; ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The character was created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Bob Brown, and fir ...

, by Dennis O'Neil, Michael Golden, and

. See also '' Batman: Son of the Demon''

July

* 4 July : In '' Tintin magazine'', the first chapter of the ''Jonathan'' story ''L'Espace bleu entre les nuages'' (The blue space amongst the clouds) by Cosey, the fifth episode of the series, is published.

August

* The

takes hold, as the company cancels 4 ongoing titles, ''

'', ''

Mister Miracle Mister Miracle (Scott Free) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #1 (April 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. Publication history Mister Miracle debuted in ...

'', and ''

Shade, the Changing Man Shade, the Changing Man is a comic book character created by Steve Ditko for DC Comics in 1977. The character was Shade, the Changing Man (Vertigo), later adapted by Peter Milligan and Chris Bachalo in one of the first Vertigo Comics, Vertigo ...

''. * Fledgling publisher

Eclipse Comics Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was ...

releases '' Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species'', by

Don McGregor Donald Francis McGregor (born June 15, 1945) is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics; he is the author of one of the first graphic novels. Early life Don McGregor was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where he w ...

and

Paul Gulacy Paul Gulacy (; born August 15, 1953) is an American comics artist best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 '' Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species'', ...

, considered one of the industry's first "

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

s". * With issue #10 '' The Rampaging Hulk'' changes its title to '' The Hulk!'', and goes from black-and-white to color (

Curtis Magazines Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French ''courtois'') which derived from the Spanish Cortés (of which Cortez is a variation) and the Portuguese and Gali ...

Fall

* ''

'' #16 — "The Last Bounty Hunter!", death of Jonah Hex, by

Michael Fleisher Michael Lawrence Fleisher (November 1, 1942 — February 2, 2018) was an Americans, American writer known for his DC Comics of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly for the characters Spectre (DC Comics character), Spectre and Jonah Hex. Biography ...

and

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

. ''DC Special Series'' goes on hiatus after this issue and is revived in Summer 1979.

September

* September 7: The first episode of

Frank Pé Frank Pé, often signing solely as Frank (15 July 1956) is a Belgian comic book artist, best known for ''Broussaille'' and ''Zoo''. Biography Frank Pé was born in Ixelles in 1956.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Frank". In België gestript, pp. 112-113 ...

's ''Broussaille'' is published in '' Spirou''. * September 30:

Martin Lodewijk Martinus Spyridon Johannes Lodewijk (born 30 April 1939) is a Dutch comics writer and cartoonist, and advertising adviser. Martin Lodewijk was born in Rotterdam. He dropped out of high school in 1957, and started drawing cartoons, notably of spac ...

receives the

Stripschapprijs The Stripschapprijs is a Dutch prize awarded to 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 considered the most import ...

. * Suffering from the

, the company cancels 8 ongoing titles, ''

'', '' Battle Classics'', ''

Black Lightning Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...

'', ''

Doorway to Nightmare Madame Xanadu is a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur''. The character was played by Jeryl Prescott in ...

'', '' Dynamic Classics'', '' Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth'', ''

'', and ''

''. In addition, DC cuts back comic story pages to 17, and the typical cover price to 40 cents. *

Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was originally an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated this way from 1962 to 1984. Currently, Gold Key Comics is owned b ...

, with issue #19, picks up ''

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

'' (

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

series) from

Charlton Comics Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...

, which had stopped publishing the title in 1970. * After many delays, DC releases ''

All-New Collectors' Edition ''Limited Collectors' Edition'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1972 to 1978. It usually featured reprints of previously published stories but a few issues contained new material. The series was published in an overs ...

'' #C-56, featuring the story ''

''. * In ''

'', the first chapter of ''

The black order brigade ''The Black Order Brigade'' (1979; also published as ''The Ranks of the Black Order''; french: Les Phalanges de l'Ordre Noir is a political thriller graphic novel written by Pierre Christin and illustrated by Enki Bilal. Plot outline A fascist ...

'' by

and

Enki Bilal Enki Bilal (born Enes Bilal; born 7 October 1951) is a French comic book creator, comics artist and film director. Biography Early life Bilal was born in Belgrade, PR Serbia, Yugoslavia, to a Czech mother, Ana, who came to Belgrade as child from ...

is published.

October

* The

forces the company to cancel 6 more ongoing titles, '' Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'', '' House of Secrets'', ''

Secrets of Haunted House ''Secrets of Haunted House'' was a horror-suspense comics anthology series published by American company DC Comics from 1975 to 1978 and 1979 to 1982. Publication history The series began in April–May 1975. Like its predecessor ''Secrets of S ...

'', ''

Star Hunters A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth ma ...

'', '' Steel: The Indestructible Man'', and '' The Witching Hour''. *

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) was no ...

's graphic novel ''

A Contract with God ''A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Will Eisner published in 1978. The book's short story cycle revolves around poor Jewish characters who live in a tenement in New York City. Eisner pro ...

'' is published by Baronet Books. An early landmark of the

form. *

's " Signal From Space" storyline begins in '' Spirit Magazine'' #19 (continuing through issue #26, October

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

). * In ''

'',

Milo Manara Maurilio Manara (; born 12 September 1945), known professionally as Milo Manara, is an Italian comic book writer and artist. Career After architecture and painting studies, he made his comics debut in 1969 drawing for ''Genius'', a Fumetti neri s ...

's '' HP and Giuseppe Bergman'', is first published. *October 14: IPC Magazines merged two comic books: 2000 AD and Starlord into "2000 AD and Starlord". *October 15: The Dutch comics organisation ''

Het Stripschap Het or HET may refer to: Science and technology * Hall-effect thruster, a type of ion thruster used for spacecraft propulsion * Heavy Equipment Transporter, a vehicle in the US Army's Heavy Equipment Transport System * Hobby–Eberly Telescope, ...

'' holds a dinner to celebrate their 10th anniversary. During the event one of their guests,

Dick Matena Dick Matena (born 24 April 1943) is a Dutch comics writer and cartoonist. He has also published under the pseudonyms A. den Dooier, John Kelly and Dick Richards. He has made several kinds of comics, from humor comics to erotic comics, but is bes ...

, starts making a scene while drunk. The incident will become legendary afterwards. *

Diane Noomin Diane Robin Noomin ( Rosenblatt, May 13, 1947 – September 1, 2022) was an American comics artist associated with the underground comics movement. She is best known for her character DiDi Glitz, who addresses transgressive social issues such as ...

releases the collective comic book ''Lemme Outa Here! Growing Up Inside the American Dream'', published by Print Mint.

November

* November 22: In Belgium the ''Vlaamse Onafhankelijke Stripgilde'' (''Flemish Independent Comics Guild'') is founded, with cartoonist Eddy Ryssack as their first president. * ''

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...

'' #200: Double-sized anniversary issue, "When Titans Clash!" by

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, and DC Comics's '' The New Te ...

Keith Pollard Keith Pollard (; born January 20, 1950) is an American comic book artist. Originally from the Detroit area, Pollard is best known for his simultaneous work on the Marvel Comics titles ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Fantastic Four'', and ''Thor (Ma ...

, and

Joe Sinnott Joseph Leonard Sinnott (; October 16, 1926 June 25, 2020) was an American comic book artist. Working primarily as an inker, Sinnott is best known for his long stint on Marvel Comics' ''Fantastic Four'', from 1965 to 1981 (and briefly in the la ...

. (Marvel Comics) *''L’uomo delle nevi'' (The

snowman A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture of a man often built in regions with sufficient snowfall and is a common winter tradition. In many places, typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs of different sizes with some additional ...

), by

Alfredo Castelli Alfredo Castelli (born 26 June 1947) is an Italian comic book artist and writer. Biography Born in Milan, Castelli began his comic book career at an early age, creating the strip '' Scheletrino'', a humor series for Italian comic book ''Diabolik' ...

and

, for the series ''Un uomo un’avventura'' (

). * In '' Il mago'' Soviet secret agent Ivan Timbrovic by Massimo Cavezzali makes his debut. *First volume of the ''Storia d’Italia a fumetti di Enzo Biagi'' (

Enzo Biagi Enzo Biagi (; 9 August 1920 – 6 November 2007) was an Italian journalist, writer and former partisan. Life and career Biagi was born in Lizzano in Belvedere, and began his career as a journalist in Bologna. In 1952, he worked on the screenpla ...

’s History of Italy in comics), drawn by some of the best Italian cartoonists (

Sergio Toppi Sergio Toppi (11 October 1932, Milan – 21 August 2012, Milan)Dino Battaglia Dino Battaglia (1 August 1923 – 4 October 1983) was an Italian comic 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 Ven ...

December

*''Kamillo Kromo'', book for children by

Francesco Tullio Altan Francesco Tullio Altan (born 30 September 1942) is an Italian comics artist and satirist. Biography He was born in Treviso, the son of Friulan anthropologist Carlo Tullio Altan. He studied at the University IUAV of Venice, but halted his studi ...

. *

Art Spiegelman Art Spiegelman (; born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman on February 15, 1948) is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel ''Maus''. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines ''Arcade (comics maga ...

creates ''Ed Head'', published in

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

on an irregular basis until November 1981.

Births

Deaths

January

* January 1:

Don Freeman Don Freeman (August 11, 1908 – February 1, 1978) was an American painter, printmaker, cartoonist, and an illustrator and writer of children's books. He was active from the 1930s to the 1970s and often used Times Square as the backdrop of his m ...

, American comics artist, painter, illustrator and children's novelist (''

Corduroy Corduroy is a textile with a distinctively raised "cord" or wale texture. Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between them. Both velvet and corduroy derive from fu ...

''), passes away at age 61. * January 9: Tijs Dorenbosch, Dutch comics artist (''Sjefke Schrober'', ''Henkie van 't Grijze Nest'', ''Pieternel'', ''Heintje Hups en Honkie''), dies at age 66. * January 18:

Clark Haas Clark S. Haas, Jr. (July 21, 1919 – January 18, 1978) was a cartoonist and, from 1957 to 1965, owner of Cambria Studios, which produced the limited animation series '' Clutch Cargo'' (1959). Career Before working professionally in cartoons ...

, American comics artist, animator and animation producer (''Sunnyside'', assisted on ''

Buz Sawyer ''Buz Sawyer'' is a comic strip created by Roy Crane.Ron Goulart, ''The Funnies : 100 Years of American Comic Strips''. Holbrook, Mass. : Adams Pub, 1995. (pp. 149-50) Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it had a run from November 1, 1943 to ...

'' and ''

Tim Tyler's Luck ''Tim Tyler's Luck'' is an adventure comic strip created by Lyman Young, elder brother of '' Blondie'' creator Chic Young. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, the strip ran from August 13, 1928, until August 24, 1996. Characters and story ...

''), dies at age 58.

February

* February 1: Roland Kohlsaat, German illustrator and comics artist (''Jimmy das Gummipferd'', ''Julios Abenteuerliche Reisen''), dies at age 64. * February 2:

, Belgian comics artist (''Félix'', ''

Gil Jourdan Gil Jourdan is a Belgian detective comic strip created by Maurice Tillieux. It is a combination of mystery, adventure and humour. Origin and premise In 1956 the Belgian comic magazine '' Héroïc Albums'' ceased publication. ''Felix'', the adve ...

''), dies in a car accident at age 56. * February 5: Frans Van Immerseel, Belgian painter, caricaturist, cartoonist, illustrator and comics artist (''De Lotgevallen van Janssens''), dies at age 68. * February 7: Enrique Rapela, Argentine comics artist (''Cirilo El Audaz''), dies at age 67. * February 9: **

Woody Gelman Woodrow Gelman (1915 – February 9, 1978) was a publisher, cartoonist, novelist and an artist-writer for both animation and comic books. As the publisher of Nostalgia Press, he pioneered the reprinting of vintage comic strips in quality hardcove ...

, American animator, comics artist, novelist and publisher (''The Dodo and the Frog'', co-creator of ''

Bazooka Joe Bazooka Joe is a comic strip character featured on small comics included in individually wrapped pieces of Bazooka bubble gum. He wears a black eyepatch, lending him a distinctive appearance. He is one of the more recognizable American advertisin ...

''), dies of a stroke at age 62. ** Warren King, American comics artist ('' The Firefly''), passes away at age 62. * February 19: Gisela Zimmermann, German comics artist (continued ''Digedags'' and ''Abrafaxe''), dies at age 65 of heart failure. * February 21: Pol Dom, Belgian-Dutch illustrator, sculptor, caricaturist and comic artist (made comics for the jam factory De Betuwe), dies at age 92. * February 28: Glenn Chaffin, American comics writer (''

Tailspin Tommy ''Tailspin Tommy'' was an air adventure comic strip about a youthful pilot, "Tailspin" Tommy Tomkins (sometimes spelled Tompkins). Originally illustrated by Hal Forrest and initially distributed by John Neville Wheeler's Bell Syndicate and the ...

''), passes away at age 80.

March

* March 3: Frank Fogarty, American comics artist (''Mr. & Mrs.'', continued ''Clarence''), dies at age 80. * March 8: Tjeerd Bottema, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (''Er Was Eens Een Oud Vrouwtje''), dies at age 94. * March 30: István Köpeczi Bócz, Hungarian poster designer, costume designer, illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 58.

April

* April 9:

Elmer Woggon Elmer Woggon (November 4, 1898 – April 1978), who signed his art Wog, was the creator of an early newspaper comic strip that eventually developed into the long-running '' Steve Roper and Mike Nomad''. Biography Born and raised in Toledo, ...

, American comics artist (''Big Chief Wahoo (

Steve Roper and Mike Nomad ''Steve Roper and Mike Nomad'' was an American adventure comic strip that ran (under various earlier titles) from November 23, 1936, to December 26, 2004. Originally ''Big Chief Wahoo'', the focus and title character of the strip changed over t ...

)''), dies at age 79. * April 14: André Beautemps, Belgian comics writer and artist (''Michael Logan''), dies at age 29. * April 29: Louis Zansky, American comics artist (worked for

Classics Illustrated ''Classics Illustrated'' is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as ''Les Misérables'', ''Moby-Dick'', ''Hamlet'', and ''The Iliad''. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication in 1 ...

), dies at age 57.

May

* May 11:

Clinge Doorenbos Clinge is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Hulst, and lies about 28 km southwest of Bergen op Zoom. Clinge is located on the Dutch-Belgian border and joins with the Belgian town of De Klinge, in ...

, Dutch comedian, singer, songwriter, children's novelist, poet, journalist and comics writer (''Flippie Flink'' ), passes away at age 93. * May 17:

Mort Weisinger Mortimer Weisinger (; April 25, 1915 – May 7, 1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' ''Superman'' during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books. He also co-created such features a ...

, American comics editor (''

'', co-creator of ''

'', ''

'' and ''

Johnny Quick Johnny Quick are two fictional DC Comics characters, each with the power of superhuman speed. The first was a superhero who first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #71 (September 1941) during the Golden Age. The other was a supervillain, an evil ve ...

''), dies at age 63. * May 27:

Jo Spier Joseph Eduard Adolf Spier (26 June 1900 – 21 May 1978) was a popular Dutch artist and illustrator. Life Jo Spier was born in Zutphen, the Netherlands. From 1924 to 1939 Jo Spier worked for the newspaper ''De Telegraaf'' where he created humor ...

, Dutch illustrator and cartoonist, passes away at age 77.

June

* June 22: William Reusswig, American illustrator and comics artist (made comic adaptations of novels), dies at age 75.

July

* July 5:

Paul Cuvelier Paul Cuvelier (22 November 1923 – 5 July 1978) was a Belgian comics artist best known for the comic series '' Corentin'', published by Le Lombard, which first appeared in the first issue of ''Tintin'' magazine. Biography Paul Cuvelier was born ...

, Belgian comics artist and painter ('' Corentin'', ''Epoxy''), dies at age 54.

August

* August 1: Geoffrey William Backhouse, British illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 74.

September

* September 9:

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

, American cartoonist (''Shermund's Sallies''), dies at age 79.

October

* October 4: Sezgin Burak, Turkish comics artist ('' Tarkan''), passes away at age 43. * October 10:

J.R. Bray John Randolph Bray (August 25, 1879 – October 10, 1978) was an American animator, cartoonist, and film producer. Early life John Randolph Bray was born in Addison, Michigan on August 25, 1879, to Methodism, Methodist Presbyterian minister Edw ...

, American animator and comics artist (''Singing Sammy'', ''Mr. O.U. Absentmind'', ''

Colonel Heeza Liar Colonel Heeza Liar is the star of the second animated series featuring a recurring character and the first featuring a recurring character created specifically for an animated film. Sidney Smith's Old Doc Yak appeared in 3 lost films in 1913 bef ...

''), dies at the age of 99.

November

* November 8:

Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...

, American painter and illustrator (made a few sequential illustrations in his career), dies at the age of 84. * November 20: Tom Okamoto, aka Tom Oka, aka Tom Mako, Japanese-American animator and comics artist (''Deems'', ''Little Brave'', continued ''Li'l Neebo''), dies at age 62. * November 21: Orhan Ural, Turkish comics artist (''Pazar Ola Hasan Bey''), dies at age 64 or 65.

December

* December 4: Brian Lewis, British illustrator, comics artist and animator ('' The Suicide Six'', continued '' Jet Ace Logan''), dies at age 49. * December 6: Dick Dreux, aka Rod Draga, Dutch novelist, radio writer and comics artist (''Raket-Ridders''), dies at age 65. * December 28: Hi Mankin, American comics artist (the

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

newspaper comic, ''

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

'' comics, assisted on ''

The Adventures of Smilin' Jack ''The Adventures of Smilin' Jack'' is an aviation comic strip that first appeared October 1, 1933, in the ''Chicago Tribune'' and ended April 1, 1973. After a run of 40 years, it was the longest-running aviation comic strip. The strip was created ...

'', ''

Bringing Up Father ''Bringing Up Father'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George McManus. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it ran for 87 years, from January 2, 1913, to May 28, 2000. The strip was later titled ''Jiggs and Maggie'' (or ''M ...

'', ''

Dotty Dripple ''Dotty Dripple'' was an American gag-a-day comic strip, originally started by Jeff Keate & Jim McMenamy on June 26, 1944, but was taken over by Buford Tune on October 16, and continued for the next thirty years. The strip was distributed by Publi ...

''), passes away at age 51 or 52 from a heart attack. * December 31: Arsène Brivot, French comics artist and illustrator (''Jojo Richissime''), dies at age 80. * December 31:

Basil Wolverton Basil Wolverton (July 9, 1909 – December 31, 1978)
at the

Mad Magazine Mad, mad, or MAD may refer to: Geography * Mad (village), a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia * Mád, a village in Hungary * Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, by IATA airport code * Mad River (disambiguation), several r ...

'', '' Powerhouse Pepper''), dies at age 69. * Specific date unknown: Jacques Gagnier, Canadian caricaturist, comics artist, children's book illustrator and cartoonist (''La Vie en Images''), dies at age 61.

Specific date unknown

* Aldo De Amicis, Italian comics artist (worked for Il Vittorioso), dies at age 74 or 75. * Al Fago, American comics artist (''

Atomic Mouse Atomic Mouse is a talking animal superhero created in 1953 by Al Fago for Charlton Comics. Publication history Created by writer-artist Al Fago, Atomic Mouse debuted in Charlton Comics' ''Atomic Mouse'' #1 (cover-dated March 1953).Atomic Rabbit'', ''

Timmy the Timid Ghost Timmy the Timid Ghost is a fictional comic book ghost, whose adventures were published by Charlton Comics. Publication history Timmy the Timid Ghost first appeared as a minor character in an Atomic Mouse story, "3-D Crime Wave" by Al Fago, in ''A ...

''), dies at age 73 or 74. *

Frank Fogarty Frank Fogarty (1887-1978)
''Lambiek's Comiclopedia''. Accessed Dec. 23, 2017. was an American

* Henry Le Monnier, French illustrator and comics artist (made various realistic adventure comics), dies at age 84 or 85.

Conventions

* Lancaster Comic Art Convention (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) — produced by Chuck Miller and Charlie Roberts * Summer:

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 ...

(Dunfey's Royal Coach, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests included

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

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, and ...

Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an American 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 and Al Parker. Early life ...

Jim Steranko James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator. His most famous comic book work was with the 1960s superspy feature " ...

* June:

Houstoncon Houstoncon was an annual multi-genre fan convention which was held between 1967 and 1982 in Houston, Texas. The founders of Houstoncon were Roy Bonario and Marc Schooley; Houston area entrepreneur Ed Blair, Jr. was also a key member of the organi ...

(Houston, Texas) — guests include

Frankie Thomas Frank Marion Thomas Jr. (April 9, 1921 – May 11, 2006), was an American actor, author and bridge-strategy expert who played both lead and supporting roles on Broadway, in films, in post-World War II radio, and in early television. He was ...

Kirk Alyn Kirk Alyn (born John Feggo Jr.; October 8, 1910 – March 14, 1999) was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play the DC Comics character Superman in live-action for the 1948 movie serial ''Superman'' and its 1950 sequel ''At ...

Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...

Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...

Jenette Kahn Jenette Kahn (; born May 16, 1947) is an American comic book editor and executive. She joined DC Comics in 1976 as publisher, and five years later was promoted to president. In 1989, she stepped down as publisher and assumed the title of editor ...

Frank Brunner Frank Brunner (born February 21, 1949) is an American comics artist and illustrator best known for his work at Marvel Comics in the 1970s. Early life Brunner attended Manhattan's High School of Art and Design. He was in the same graduating class ...

Ray Harryhausen Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation". His works include the animation for '' Might ...

Greg Jein Greg Jein (born October 31, 1945 in Los Angeles, USA; died May 22, 2022) was a Chinese American model designer who created miniatures for use in the special effects portions of many films and television series, beginning in the 1970s. Jein was no ...

Kerry Gammill Kerry Gammill (born April 26, 1954) is an American artist who has worked in the fields of comic books, special effects, storyboards, and character designs. As a comic book artist, he is best known for his work on ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' ...

, Jim Newsome, and Paula Crist * July 2–5:

Comic Art Convention The Comic Art Convention 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 1979, w ...

I (Americana Hotel, New York City) * July 8–9:

II (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) * July 14–16:

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 tr ...

(Pick-Congress Hotel, 520 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) — 3rd annual convention under that name * July 26–30:

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...

(El Cortez Hotel, San Diego, California) — show reaches attendance mark of 5,000 for the first time. Official guests:

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

Shary Flenniken Shary Flenniken (born 1950) is an American editor-writer-illustrator and underground cartoonist. After joining the burgeoning underground comics movement in the early 1970s, she became a prominent contributor to '' National Lampoon'' and was one ...

Alan Dean Foster Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts. Career ''Star Wars'' Foster was the ghos ...

Gardner Fox Gardner Francis Cooper Fox (May 20, 1911 – December 24, 1986) was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. He is estimated to have written more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC ...

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:' ...

Burne Hogarth Burne Hogarth (born Spinoza Bernard Ginsburg, December 25, 1911 – January 28, 1996) was an American artist and educator, best known for his work on the ''Tarzan'' newspaper comic strip and his series of anatomy books for artists. Early life ...

Bob Kane Robert Kane (born Robert Kahn ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created Batman (with Bill Finger) and most early related characters for DC comics. He was inducted into the comi ...

Gray Morrow Dwight Graydon "Gray" Morrow (March 7, 1934 – November 6, 2001).e., the Gilberton Company, publisher of the ''Classics Illustrated'' comic-book series of literary adaptations], and I was given a script. One thing led to another and I was soo ...

, Clarence Nash, Clarence "Ducky" Nash,

Grim Natwick Myron "Grim" Natwick (' Nordveig; August 16, 1890 – October 7, 1990) was an American artist, animator, and film director. Natwick is best known for drawing the Fleischer Studios' most popular character, Betty Boop. Background Born in Wis ...

Wendy Pini Wendy Pini ''née'' Fletcher, (born June 4, 1951) and Richard Pini (born July 19, 1950) are the husband-and-wife team responsible for creating the well-known '' Elfquest'' series of comics, graphic novels and prose works. They are also known a ...

Frank Thorne Benjamin Franklin Thorne (June 16, 1930 – March 7, 2021
at the Boris Vallejo Boris Vallejo (born January 8, 1941) is a Peruvian-American painter who works in the science fiction, fantasy, and erotica genres. His hyper-representational paintings have appeared on the covers of numerous science fiction and fantasy fiction ...

* July 29–30: Comicon '78 (British Comic Art Convention) (Bloomsbury Centre Hotel, London, England) — "10th anniversary special;" guests include

(guest of honor),

Jim Salicrup Jim Salicrup (; born May 29, 1957) is an American comic book editor, known for his tenures at Marvel Comics and Topps Comics. At Marvel, where he worked for twenty years, he edited books such as ''The Uncanny X-Men'', ''Fantastic Four'', ''Avenger ...

, Duffy Vohland,

Brian Bolland Brian Bolland (; born 26 March 1951)Salisbury, Mark, ''Artists on Comic Art'' (Titan Books, 2000) , p. 11 is a British comics artist. Best known in the United Kingdom as one of the definitive Judge Dredd artists for British comics anthology '' 2 ...

John Bolton John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as the 26th United Stat ...

, Brian Lewis, Trevor Goring,

Dez Skinn Derek "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 books o ...

, 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 Man ...

; 2nd annual presentation of the

Eagle Awards The Eagle Awards were a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by United Kingdom, UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's ''Eagle (British comics), Eagle'' comic, they were l ...

* September:

OrlandoCon OrlandoCon, also known as O'Con, was a long-running comic book fan convention which was held annually between 1974 and 1996 in Orlando, Florida. The first comic book convention held in the Orlando area, OrlandoCon billed itself as a "Central Florid ...

(Orlando, Florida) — guests include

Bob Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, director, producer and puppeteer. He was best known for his work on the '' Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the television shows '' ...

Les Turner Leslie Turner (December 25, 1899 - March 2, 1988) was an American cartoonist and writer who produced the adventures of ''Captain Easy'' for more than three decades. Biography Early life and education Born in Cisco, Texas, Turner grew up fro ...

Ralph Dunagin Raymond Ralph Dunagin Jr. (June 19, 1937 – June 24, 2020) was an American cartoonist for the ''Orlando Evening Star'' and the ''Orlando Sentinel'' from 1961 to 2001. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice. Early life and education Dunag ...

C. C. Beck Charles Clarence Beck (June 8, 1910 – November 22, 1989) was an American cartoonist and comic book artist, best known for his work on Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel (today known as Shazam!) at Fawcett Comics and DC Comics. Early li ...

Edmund Good Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings an ...

Bill Black William Patton Black Jr. (September 17, 1926 – October 21, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader who is noted as one of the pioneers of rock and roll. He played in Elvis Presley's early trio. Black later formed Bill Black's Combo. Ear ...

Morris Weiss Morris S. Weiss (August 11, 1915 – May 18, 2014) was an American comic book and comic strip artist and writer. Active from the 1930s through the mid-1970s, he created the teen-comedy character "Margie" for Timely Comics, the 1940s predecessor ...

, Ralph Kent,

Bill Crooks William Crooks (12 April 1908 – December 1986) was manager of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngatapa, Gisborne, New Zealand from 1967 to 1974. For the previous forty years he was the assistant of William Douglas Cook, founder of the arboretum. Engla ...

, and

Zack Mosley Zack Terrell Mosley (December 12, 1906 - December 21, 1993) was an American comic strip artist best known for the aviation adventures in his long-running ''The Adventures of Smilin' Jack'' which ran in more than 300 newspapers from 1933 to 1973. ...

* September 2–3: Albany Comic Con (Turf Inn,

Colonie, New York Colonie is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. It is the most-populous suburb of Albany, and is the third-largest town in area in Albany County, occupying approximately 11% of the county. Several hamlets exist within the town. ...

) — tentative guest list included

, and

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

* September 2–3: Comicon II (British Comic Art Convention II) (Imperial Hotel, Birmingham, UK) — Guest of honor:

Dave Cockrum David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Mystique, as well as the antiheroine Black Cat. Cockrum was ...

(did not show), other guests:

Paul Neary Paul Neary (born 1949) is 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 became editor-in-chief of Mar ...

Hunt Emerson Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

Chris Welch Chris Welch (born 12 November 1941) is an English music journalist, critic, and author who is best known for his work from the late 1960s as a reporter for ''Melody Maker'', ''Musicians Only'', and ''Kerrang!''. He is the author of over 40 mu ...

Sallis, Ed. "Fan-Things," ''BEM'' #21 (Nov. 1978), p. 10. * November 13–15: OAF SF & Nostalgia Show 1978 (Tradewinds Show, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) * November 17–19: Delaware Valley Comicart Consortium Third Annual Convention Honoring Women in Comics (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — guests included Paty, Mary Jo Duffy,

, and Bill Ward * November 24–26: Creation '78 (Statler Hilton, New York City) — guests include John Byrne,

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 Wolver ...

Bob Larkin Bob Larkin (born July 10, 1949) is an American comics artist primarily known for his painted covers for Marvel Comics' magazine-format titles Marvel Magazines in the 1970s and early 1980s and for his 32 painted covers on the Bantam Books paperba ...

John Romita, Sr. John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine (character), Wolverine. He was indu ...

, John Romita, Jr.,

Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...

Rudy Nebres Rodolfo D. Nebres (born January 14, 1937) is a Filipino comics artist who has worked mostly as an inker in the American comic book industry. Known for his lush, detailed inklines, Nebres' most prolific period was in the late 1970s and the 1980s. ...

, and

Tom Yeates Thomas Yeates (born January 19, 1955) is an American comic strip and comic book artist best known for illustrating the comic strips ''Prince Valiant'' and ''Zorro'' and for working on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Career Thomas Yea ...

* December 1–3: Wintercon '78 (Tradewinds Hotel, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) * December 29: Albany Comic Con II (Albany, New York)

Awards

Eagle Awards The Eagle Awards were a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by United Kingdom, UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's ''Eagle (British comics), Eagle'' comic, they were l ...

''Presented in

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

for comics published in 1978:'' * Roll of Honour:

American section

* Favourite Writer:

Chris Claremont Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...

* Favourite 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 X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the X ...

''Letters page, ''

'' #119 (March 1979). (

) * Favourite New Comics Title:

Micronauts Micronauts is a North American science fiction toyline manufactured and marketed by Mego Corporation, Mego from 1976 to 1980. The ''Micronauts'' toyline was based on and licensed from the ''Microman'' toyline created by Japanese-based toy compan ...

* Favourite Single Story: "Mindgames", ''

'' #111, by

and John Byrne * Best Continuing Story: "

", in ''

'' #167, 168, 170–177, written by

and

, with art by

and

* Favourite Cover: '' Master of Kung Fu'' #67, by

* Favourite Team:

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

* Favorite Supporting Character:

Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...

* 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 His Own Title:

Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...

* Favourite Specialist Comics Publication: ''

Comic Media News Richard Burton is a British comic publisher and editor who had a lengthy career at IPC Magazines. While an assistant editor at '' 2000 AD'', he became known to readers as Tharg the Mighty's bumbling assistant Burt, who appeared in a number of s ...

U.K. section

* Favourite Writer: T.B. Grover * Favourite Artist:

* Favourite Comic: '' 2000 AD'' (Fleetway) * Favourite Character:

First issues by title

DC Comics

'' Army at War'' : ''Release'': November. ''Editor'':

. (Immediately cancelled as a victim of the

.) '' Battle Classics'' : ''Release'': September/October. ''Writer'':

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

. ''Artist'':

Joe Kubert Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Poland, Polish-born Americans, American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkm ...

. (Immediately cancelled as a victim of the

.) ''

DC Comics Presents ''DC Comics Presents'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four ''Annual''s. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring back ...

'' : ''Release'': July. ''Writer'':

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 ...

. ''Artists'':

José Luis García-López José Luis García-López (born March 26, 1948) is a Spanish-Argentine comics artist who works in the United States, particularly in a long-running relationship with DC Comics. In addition to his storytelling art, he has been responsible for produ ...

and

Dan Adkins Danny L. AdkinsDanny L. Adkins
at the Social Security Death Index via FamilySearch.org. Retrieved December ...

. ''

'' : ''Release'': January/February. ''Writer'':

. ''Artist'':

Val Mayerik Val Mayerik (born March 29, 1950) is an American comic book and commercial artist, best known as co-creator of the satiric character ''Howard the Duck'' for ''Marvel Comics''. Biography Early life and career Val Mayerik was born in Youngstown, ...

. '' Dynamic Classics'' : ''Release'': September/October. ''Editor'':

Cary Burkett Cary Burkett is an American radio broadcaster and former comic book writer best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Nemesis with artist Dan Spiegle. Biography Cary Burkett attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned a BFA deg ...

. (Reprint title immediately cancelled as a victim of the

.) '' Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' : ''Release'': March. ''Writer'':

Gerry Conway Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, t ...

. ''Artist'':

. '' Steel: The Indestructible Man'' : ''Release'': March. ''Writer'':

. ''Artists'':

Don Heck Donald L. HeckDonald L. Heck
at the Social Security Death Index. Retrieved on Septembe ...

and

Joe Giella Joe Giella (born June 27, 1928)
at the Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved February 11, 2012
Devil Dinosaur Devil Dinosaur is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as resembling an enormous, crimson colored ''Tyrannosaurus''-like theropod dinosaur. Created by Jack Kirby, the chara ...

'' : ''Release'': April. ''Writer/Artist'':

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...

. ''

Machine Man Machine Man (also known as Aaron Stack, Mister Machine and serial number Z2P45-9-X-51 or X-51 for short) is an android superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Jack Kirby for '' 2001: A ...

'' : ''Release'': April. ''Writer/Artist'':

. ''

Man From Atlantis ''Man from Atlantis'' is a short-lived American science fiction/fantasy television series that ran for 13 episodes on the NBC network during the 1977–78 season, following four television films that had aired earlier in 1977. Ratings success by ...

'' : ''Release'': February. ''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 ''Ro ...

. ''Artists'':

Tom Sutton Thomas F. Sutton (April 15, 1937 – May 1, 2002) He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from high school in 1955, and worked on art projects while stationed at Fort D.A. Russell (Wyoming), Fort Francis E. Warren, near Laramie, Wyom ...

and

Sonny Trinidad Celso L. "Sonny" Trinidad (died November 23, 2009) was a Filipino comics artist who worked in the Filipino and American comic book industries. In the U.S., he is mostly known for his work for Marvel Comics in the mid–1970s. Career Trinidad bega ...

. ''

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional Character (arts), characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and original version is Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Jessica Drew (later impersonated by Veranke), the second ve ...

'' : ''Release'': April. ''Writer'':

. ''Artists'':

Carmine Infantino Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creat ...

and

Tony DeZuniga Antony de Zuñiga (November 8, 1932 – May 11, 2012) who worked primarily under the name Tony DeZuniga, was a Filipino comics artist and illustrator best known for his works for DC Comics. He co-created the fictional characters Jonah Hex and ...

Other publishers

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

'' : ''Release'': June by

Warren Publishing Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren (publisher), James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades. Magazines published by Warren include ''After Hours (magazin ...

. ''Editor'':

Bill DuBay William Bryan Dubay (January 11, 1948 – April 15, 2010William Bryan Dubay

Anarchy Comics ''Anarchy Comics'' is a series of underground comic books published by Last Gasp between 1978 and 1987, as part of the underground comix subculture of the era. Edited by Jay Kinney (#1-3) and Paul Mavrides (#4), regular contributors to ''Anarchy C ...

'' : ''Release'': by

Last Gasp Last Gasp or The Last Gasp may refer to * Last Gasp (publisher) * ''Last Gasp'' (''Inside No. 9''), a TV episode * ''The Last Gasp Impaled is a death metal band from Oakland, California. The band's name is a backronym, standing for "Immoral M ...

. ''Editor'':

Jay Kinney Jay Kinney (born 1950) is an American author, editor, and former underground cartoonist. Kinney has been noted for "adding new dimensions to the political comic" in the underground comix press of the 1970s and '80s. Kinney was a member, along wi ...

. ''

'' magazine : ''Release'': February by

Casterman Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in comic books and children's literature. The company is based in Brussels, Belgium. History The company was founded in 1780 by Donat-Joseph Casterman, an editor and bookseller or ...

. '' Elfquest'' : ''Release'': August by

WaRP Graphics WaRP Graphics, later Warp Graphics, is an alternative comics publisher best known for creating and being the original publisher of the '' Elfquest'' comic book series. It was created and incorporated in 1977 by Wendy and Richard Pini. The company ...

. ''Writers'':

and

Richard Pini Wendy Pini ''née'' Fletcher, (born June 4, 1951) and Richard Pini (born July 19, 1950) are the husband-and-wife team responsible for creating the well-known ''Elfquest'' series of Comic book, comics, graphic novels and prose works. They are al ...

. ''Artist'':

. ''

Il Male ''Il Male'' (meaning ''Evil'' in English) was an Italian satirical magazine published in Rome, Italy, between 1978 and 1982. History and profile ''Il Male'' was first published in February 1978 as a biweekly tabloid format political satire magaz ...

'' ''Release'': February 7, Director : Vincino. ''

Misty Misty may refer to: Music * ''Misty'' (Ray Stevens album), an album by Ray Stevens featuring the above song * ''Misty'' (Richard "Groove" Holmes album), an album by Richard "Groove" Holmes featuring the above song * ''Misty'' (Eddie "Lockjaw" ...

'' : ''Release'': February 4 by

Fleetway Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies that merg ...

. '' Starlord'' : ''Release'': May 13 by

IPC Media TI Media (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 its tit ...

Canceled titles

DC Comics

* ''

'', with issue #74 (September/October) * ''

'', with issue #63 (August/September) * '' Army at War'', with issue #1 (November ) * ''

Batman Family A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist. Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable suppo ...

'', with issue #20 (November ) — folded into the newly reformatted DC Dollar Comic ''

'' * '' Battle Classics'', with issue #1 (September/October) * ''

'', with issue #11 (September/October) * ''

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

'', with issue #87 (June/July) * ''

'', with issue #12 (August/September) * ''

DC Super Stars ''DC Super Stars'' was a comics anthology series published by DC Comics from March 1976 to February 1978. Starting off as a reprint title, it finished its run with original stories. Publication history The tagline "The Line of DC Super-Stars" wa ...

'', with issue #18 (January /February ) * ''

'', with issue #5 (September/October) — folded into the DC Dollar Comic '' The Unexpected'' * '' Dynamic Classics'', with issue #1 (September/October) * '' Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'', with issue #5 (October/November) * '' Freedom Fighters'', with issue #15 (July/August) * '' House of Secrets'', with issue #154 (October/November) * '' Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth'', with issue #59 (September/October) * ''

Karate Kid ''The Karate Kid'' is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in the '' Karate Kid'' franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue and ...

'', with issue #15 (July/August) * ''

Metal Men The Metal Men are a group of superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...

'', with issue #56 (February /March ) * ''

'', with issue #25 (August ) * ''

'', with issue #181 (September/October) * '' Return of The New Gods'', with issue #19 (July/August) — the numbering had continued from the ''

New Gods The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in ''New Gods'' ...

'' 1971 series, which itself had been cancelled in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

. * ''

Secret Society of Super Villains Secret Society of Super Villains (SSoSV) is a DC Comics title that debuted in May–June 1976. The series presented a group of DC's supervillains, mostly foes of the Justice League of America. The series was cancelled with issue #15 in July 1978, ...

'', with issue #15 (June/July) * ''

'', with issue #14 (October/November) — revived a year later, however, with issue #15; the title continues until issue #46 in March

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

. * ''

'', with issue #9 (August/September) * '' Shazam!'', with issue #35 (May/June) — folded into the DC Dollar Comic '' World's Finest'' * ''

'', with issue #104 (September ) — the numbering had continued from the first volume of ''Showcase'', which itself had been cancelled in

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

. * ''

'', with issue #7 (October/November) * '' Steel: The Indestructible Man'', with issue #5 (October/November) * ''

Super-Team Family ''Super-Team Family'' is a comic book anthology series published by DC Comics from 1975 to 1978 that lasted for 15 issues. It included a mix of original and reprinted stories. Publication history ''Super-Team Family'' began publication with an O ...

'', with issue #15 (March/April) — the basic concept is reborn a few months later with the July debut of ''

'' * ''

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

'', with issue #53 (February ) * ''

Welcome Back, Kotter ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class called the "Sweathogs." Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the series ...

'', with issue #10 (March/April) * '' The Witching Hour'', with issue #85 (October ) — folded into the DC Dollar Comic '' The Unexpected''

Marvel Comics

* ''

The Champions ''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on ITV ...

'', with issue #17 (January) * ''

Devil Dinosaur Devil Dinosaur is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as resembling an enormous, crimson colored ''Tyrannosaurus''-like theropod dinosaur. Created by Jack Kirby, the chara ...

'', with issue #9 (December) * ''

The Eternals The Eternals are a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by Jack Kirby, making their first appearance in ''The Eternals'' #1 (July 1976). In the Marvel U ...

'', with issue #19 (January) * ''

Kull the Destroyer Kull of Atlantis or Kull the Conqueror is a fictional character created by writer Robert E. Howard. The character was more introspective than Howard's subsequent creation, Conan the Barbarian, whose first appearance was in a re-write of a rejec ...

'', with issue #29 (October) * ''

Marvel Classics Comics ''Marvel Classics Comics'' was an American comics magazine which ran from 1976 until 1978. It specialized in adaptations of literary classics such as ''Moby-Dick'', ''The Three Musketeers'', and ''The Iliad''. It was Marvel Comics' attempt to pick ...

'', with issue #36 (December)

Other publishers

* ''

Bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...

'', with issue #147 ( D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, December ) — merged with ''

Warlord A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...

'' * ''

Ghostly Haunts ''Ghostly Haunts'' was an American horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1971 to 1978. The book was "hosted" by Winnie the Witch, a " moddish" blue-skinned witch. ''Ghostly Haunts'' was part of a wave of ne ...

'', with issue #58 (April, Charlton) * '' Krazy'', with issue #79 (IPC, April 15) — merged with ''

Whizzer and Chips ''Whizzer and Chips'' was a British comics magazine that ran from 18 October 1969 to 27 October 1990, when it merged with the comic '' Buster''. As with most comics of the time, ''Whizzer and Chips'' was dated one week ahead of the day it actua ...

'' * ''

The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves ''The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves'' was an American supernatural- anthology comic book published by Charlton Comics, often featuring stories by writer-artist Steve Ditko. The eponymous Dr. M. T. Graves was a fictional character who hosted the sto ...

'', with issue #65 (Charlton, May) — the title picks up again with issue #66 in May

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

* '' Starlord'', with issue #22 (

, October 7)

Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

* Harold Jordan, in ''

'' #48 (January) *

Cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...

, in ''

Weird Western Tales ''Weird Western Tales'' is a Western genre comics anthology published by DC Comics from June–July 1972 to August 1980. It is best known for featuring the adventures of Jonah Hex until #38 (Jan.–Feb. 1977) when the character was promoted to hi ...

'' #48 (September /October ) *

Commander Steel Commander Steel (also known as Captain Steel, Citizen Steel and Sergeant Steel) is the name of three superheroes appearing in comics by the American publisher DC Comics, all members of the same family. The first Steel appeared in ''Steel, The ...

, in '' Steel, the Indestructible Man'' #01 *

Count Vertigo Count Vertigo is a supervillain created by Gerry Conway, Trevor Von Eeden and Vince Colletta as an enemy of Black Canary and later Green Arrow in the DC Comics DC Universe, Universe. Count Vertigo is the last descendant of the royal family that ru ...

, ''

World's Finest Comics ''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...

'' #251 *

Doctor Mist Doctor Mist is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He was created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon, first appearing in a cameo in ''Super Friends'' #12 (June–July 1978). Hailing from the mythical realm of Kor, Nommo was a powe ...

, 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 ...

'' #12 * Fadeaway Man, in ''

'' #479 *

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

, in '' Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #01 *

Martin Stein Martin Stein is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is commonly associated with, and sometimes is, the superhero Firestorm. Stein has made several appearances in DC-related media, such as the Arrowve ...

, in '' Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #01 * Ronald Raymond, in '' Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #01 *

Killer Frost Killer Frost is a name used by several female supervillains and superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics: Crystal Frost, Louise Lincoln, and Caitlin Snow. Each different individual in the DC Universe assuming the Killer Frost p ...

, in '' Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #03 *

Madame Xanadu Madame Xanadu is a comic book mysticism, mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Lady of the Lake, Nimue, the magician (fantasy), sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Thomas Malory, Sir Thomas Malory's ''Le Mo ...

, in ''

'' #01 (February) *

Madame Zodiac Madame Zodiac is a fictional character, a comic book witch published by DC Comics. She debuted in ''Batman Family'' #17 (April 1978), and was created by Bob Rozakis and Don Heck. Publication history Madame Zodiac first appears in ''Batman Family ...

, in ''

'' #17 *

Multiplex Multiplex may refer to: * Multiplex (automobile), a former American car make * Multiplex (comics), a DC comic book supervillain * Multiplex (company), a global contracting and development company * Multiplex (assay), a biological assay which measu ...

, in '' Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #02 *

Ultraa Ultraa is a DC Comics character, originally the first superhuman on Earth Prime. The original first appeared in ''Justice League of America'' #153 (April 1978), he was created by Gerry Conway and George Tuska. The current Ultraa first appeared in ...

, in ''

Justice League of America The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...

'' #153 *Jed Rikane, in ''

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...

'' #240 (June) * Preston Payne, in ''

'' #477 (June) *

Odd Man (comics) The Odd Man is a fictional comic book hero created by Steve Ditko. The character was intended to first appear in ''Shade, the Changing Man'' #9 but instead first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #487 in December 1979. Fictional character biograph ...

, in ''

Cancelled Comic Cavalcade The "DC Explosion" and "DC Implosion" were two events in 1978 – the first an official marketing campaign, the second a sardonic reference to it – in which DC Comics expanded their roster of publications, then abruptly cut it back. The DC Explos ...

'' #02 (September)

Marvel Comics

Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

, in ''

Marvel Team-Up ''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...

'' #65 (January) * Big Wheel, in ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...

'' #182 *

Bethany Cabe Bethany Cabe, also known as Iron Woman, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, the character made her first appearance in ''Iron Man'' #117 (Dec. 1978). Sh ...

, in ''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...

'' #117 *

Carrion Carrion () is the decaying flesh of dead animals, including human flesh. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures, c ...

, 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 ...

'' #25 *

, in ''

'' #1 (April) * Vindicator (later Guardian), in ''

'' #109 * Hoder, in ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...

'' #274 *

Hypno-Hustler The Hypno-Hustler is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A feature film centered around the character is in development, as a part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe. Donald Glover is cast in the lead r ...

, in ''

'' #24 *

Kiber the Cruel This is a list of '' Black Panther'' supporting characters. Family tree of T'challa , - , style="text-align: left;", Notes: Immediate Family * T'Chaka: T'Challa's father and former King of Wakanda. He was killed by Ulyss ...

, in ''

Black Panther A black panther is the 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 rosettes are also present. They have been d ...

'' #11 (September) *

Moon-Boy Moon-Boy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is best known as the constant companion of Devil Dinosaur. Publication history Being primarily a supporting character to Devil Dinosaur, Moon-B ...

, in ''

'' #1 (April) * Moonstone, 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 a ...

'' #228 * Mystique, in ''

Ms. Marvel Ms. Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was originally conceived as a female counterpart to Captain Marvel. Like Captain Marvel, most of the bearers of the Ms. M ...

'' #16 *

Ben Urich Benjamin "Ben" Urich is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character usually appears in comic books featuring Daredevil and Spider-Man. Urich is a chain-smoking, tough-as-nails investigative jo ...

, ''

Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superher ...

'' #153 *

Virako The Eternals are a fictional race of cosmic beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The following is a list of known Eternals in the Marvel Universe. Characters Earth The following Eternals reside on Earth: * Ikaris ...

, in ''

Annual'' #7 * Wendell Vaughn (Marvel Man), in ''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

'' #217 (January)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1978 In Comics