1939 in comics

Events and publications

January

• Ace Comics #22 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #8 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #34 - National Allied Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #5 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #23 - National Allied Publications
• Feature Funnies #16 - Comic Favorites, Inc.
• More Fun Comics #39 - National Periodical Publications

  February

• Ace Comics #23 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #9 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #35 - National Allied Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #6 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #24 - National Allied Publications
• Feature Funnies #17 - Comic Favorites, Inc.
• More Fun Comics #40 - National Periodical Publications

  March

• Ace Comics #24 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #10 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #36 - National Allied Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #7 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #25 - National Allied Publications
• Feature Funnies #18 - Comic Favorites, Inc.
• More Fun Comics #41 - National Periodical Publications

  April

• 6-7 April: Fox Publications is sued by DC Comics over their comics character Wonder Man who plagiarizes their Superman. Fox loses their case and is forced to discontinue the comic strip.
• Ace Comics #25 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #11 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #37 - National Allied Publications
• All-American Comics #1 - All-American Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #8 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #26 - National Allied Publications
• Feature Funnies #19 - Comic Favorites, Inc.
• More Fun Comics #42 - National Periodical Publications
• Movie Comics #1 - National Periodical Publications

  May

• May 20: In Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse comic strip the villain Phantom Blot makes his debut.
• Ace Comics #26 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #12 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #38 - National Allied Publications
• All-American Comics #2 - All-American Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #9 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #27 - National Allied Publications - First appearance of Batman
• Feature Funnies #20 - Comic Favorites, Inc.
• More Fun Comics #43 - National Periodical Publications
• Movie Comics #2 - National Periodical Publications

  June

• Ace Comics #27 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #13 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #39 - National Allied Publications
• All-American Comics #3 - National Allied Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #10 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #28 - National Allied Publications
• Feature Comics #21 - Quality Comics
• More Fun Comics #44 - National Periodical Publications
• Movie Comics #3 - National Periodical Publications
• Superman #1, cover dated Summer - National Periodical Publications

  July

• Ace Comics #28 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #14 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #40 - National Allied Publications. In this issue Gardner Fox, Bert Christman, Ogden Whitney and Creig Flessel's The Sandman makes his debut.
• All-American Comics #4 - All-American Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #11 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #29 - National Allied Publications. In this issue Gardner Fox introduces Batman's utility belt in Batman by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
• Feature Comics #22 - Quality Comics
• More Fun Comics #45 - National Periodical Publications
• Movie Comics #4 - National Periodical Publications
• The Magic Comic #1 - D. C. Thomson & Co.
• In Wonderworld Comics #3 Will Eisner and Jerry Iger's The Flame makes his debut.

  August

• Ace Comics #29 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #15 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #41 - National Allied Publications
• All-American Comics #5 - All-American Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #12 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #30 - National Allied Publications
• Feature Comics #23 - Quality Comics
• More Fun Comics #46 - National Periodical Publications
• Movie Comics #5 - National Periodical Publications
• Mystery Men Comics #1 - Fox Feature Syndicate - First appearance of Blue Beetle
• Smash Comics #1 - Quality Comics

  September

• Newspaper strip Ben Bowyang by Alex Gurney begins publication
• Ace Comics #30 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #16 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #42 - National Allied Publications
• All-American Comics #6 - All-American Publications
• Amazing Man Comics #5 - Centaur Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #13 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #31 - National Allied Publications. In this issue Gardner Fox introduces the Batarang in Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
• Feature Comics #24 - Quality Comics
• Four Color Series 1 #1 - Dell Publishing
• * First comic-book appearance of Dick Tracy, who was already a popular feature in newspaper comics since 1931.
• More Fun Comics #47 - National Periodical Publications
• Movie Comics #6, last issue - National Periodical Publications
• Mutt and Jeff #1 - National Periodical Publications
• Mystery Men Comics #2 - Fox Feature Syndicate
• Smash Comics #2 - Quality Comics
• Superman #2, cover dated Fall - National Periodical Publications

  October

• October 15: Dorothy Urfer and Virginia Krausmann's Annibelle ends its run after a decade of publication.
• October: Russell Keaton's Flyin' Jenny makes its debut. It will run until 1946.
• Ace Comics #31 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #17 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #43 - National Allied Publications
• All-American Comics #7 - All-American Publications
• Amazing Man Comics #6 - Centaur Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #14 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #32 - National Allied Publications
• Feature Comics #25 - Quality Comics
• Four Color Series 1 #2 - Dell Publishing
• Marvel Comics #1 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #48 - National Periodical Publications
• Mystery Men Comics #3 - Fox Feature Syndicate
• Smash Comics #3 - Quality Comics

  November

• Ace Comics #32 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #18 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #44 - National Allied Publications
• All-American Comics #8 - All-American Publications
• Amazing Man Comics #7 - Centaur Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #15 - Centaur Publications
• Blue Beetle #1 - Fox Feature Syndicate
• Detective Comics #33 - National Allied Publications
• Double Action Comics #1 — National Allied Publications. Released only in New York City newsstands, Double Action Comics was most likely an “ashcan”, a limited-run publication produced simply to register the title. It had a black-and-white cover, with the contents pulled from Action Comics #2.
• Feature Comics #26 - Quality Comics
• More Fun Comics #49 - National Periodical Publications
• Mystery Men Comics #4 - Fox Feature Syndicate
• Smash Comics #4 - Quality Comics
• Superman #3 - National Allied Publications - Winter Issue

  December

• Ace Comics #33 - David McKay Publications
• Action Comics #19 - National Allied Publications
• Adventure Comics #45 - National Allied Publications
• All-American Comics #9 - All-American Publications
• Amazing Man Comics #8 - Centaur Publications
• Amazing Mystery Funnies #16 - Centaur Publications
• Detective Comics #34 - National Allied Publications
• Double Action Comics #1 - National Periodical Publications
• Feature Comics #27 - Quality Comics - In this issue Will Eisner and Lou Fine's Doll Man makes his debut.
• Marvel Mystery Comics #2 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #50 - National Periodical Publications
• Mystery Men Comics #5 - Fox Feature Syndicate
• Smash Comics #5 - Quality Comics
• Will Eisner leaves the comics studio Eisner & Iger.

  Specials

• New York World's Fair #1 - National Periodical Publications
• Mutt & Jeff #1 - All-American Comics

  Specific date unknown

• The first episode of Arthur Warden's Tuffy and his Magic Tail is published.
• Lev Gleason founds the comic book company Lev Gleason Publications.
• A boom year for the burgeoning American comic book industry, as Archie Comics, Fawcett Comics, Fox Feature Syndicate, Lev Gleason Publications, Marvel Comics/Timely Comics, Nedor Comics, and Quality Comics all begin publishing.
• The Serbian comic strip Zigomar by writer Branko Vidić and artist Nikola Navojev begins publication.

  Deaths

January

• January 18: Carl E. Schultze, American comics artist, passes away at age 72.
• January 20: Victor Bergdahl, Swedish animator and comics artist , dies at age 60.

  June

• June 28: Joz De Swerts, Belgian illustrator, political cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 49.

  July

• July 4: Louis Wain, British painter and illustrator, dies at age 78.
• July 25: A.E. Hayward, American comics artist, passes away at age 55.

  August

• August 14: T.E. Powers, American comics artist, dies at the age of 69.

  September

• September 8: Elie Smalhout, Dutch graphic artist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 49.
• September 29: Luc Lafnet, aka Davine, Visnet, O. Lucas, Pol, Luc, Belgian-French comics artist, dies at age 40 from pancreatic cancer.

  October

• October 10: Benjamin Rabier, French comics artist, illustrator, animator and advertising artist, passes away at age 74.
• October 12: Llorenç Brunet i Torroll, Spanish caricaturist, painter and comics artist, dies at age 67.

  November

• November 22: Walter Hoban, American comics artist, passes away at age 49.

  December

• December 18: Bruno Liljefors, Swedish painter and comics artist, dies at age 79.

  Specific date unknown

• Paul Augros, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 58.
• Louis de Lajarrige, French illustrator, painter, comics artist and writer, dies at age 66.
• E. Nicolson, French illustrator and comics artist, passes away at an unknown age.

  First issues by title

• All-American Comics cover dated April, published by All-American Publications
• Amazing Man Comics cover dated September, published by Centaur Publications. Issues #1 through 4 were not published.
• Double Action Comics cover dated December, published by National Periodical Publications. The first issue was an ashcan copy, published but not distributed or sold.
• Fantastic Comics, cover-dated December, published by Fox Feature Syndicate
• Four Color Series 1 published by Dell Publishing
• Marvel Comics cover dated October, published by Timely Comics
• Movie Comics cover dated April, published by National Periodical Publications
• Mutt & Jeff cover dated Summer, published by All-American Comics
• Mystery Men Comics cover dated August, published by Fox Feature Syndicate
• New York World's Fair published by National Periodical Publications
• Silver Streak Comics cover dated December, published by Rhoda Publications
• Smash Comics cover dated August, published by Quality Comics
• Superman cover dated Summer, published by National Periodical Publications
• The Magic Comic cover dated July, published by D. C. Thomson & Co.

  Renamed titles

• Feature Comics renamed Feature Funnies as of the June cover date.
• Marvel Comics renamed Marvel Mystery Comics as of the December cover date.

  Initial appearances by character name

• Batman in Detective Comics #27, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, published by National Allied Publications
• Bozo the Iron Man in Smash Comics #1, created by George Brenner, published by Quality Comics.
• Commissioner Gordon in Detective Comics #27 created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, published by National Allied Publications
• Dan Garret in Mystery Men Comics #1, created by Charles Nicholas, published by Fox Feature Syndicate.
• Doctor Death in Detective Comics #29, created by Bob Kane, published by National Periodical Publications
• Doll Girl in Feature Comics #27, created by Will Eisner, Published by Quality Comics.
• Doll Man in Feature Comics #27, created by Will Eisner, Published by Quality Comics.
• Human Torch in Marvel Comics #1 created by Carl Burgos, published by Timely Comics
• Invisible Hood in Smash Comics #1, created by Art Pinajian, published by Quality Comics.
• Monk in Detective Comics #31, created by Gardner Fox and Bob Kane, published by National Periodical Publications
• Namor The Sub-Mariner in Marvel Comics #1 created by Bill Everett, published by Timely Comics
• Sandman in New York World's Fair Comics #1, created by Gardner Fox and Bert Christman, published by National Periodical Publications.
• Ultra-Humanite in Action Comics #13, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, published by National Periodical Publications.
• Ultra-Man in All-American Comics #8, created by Jon L. Blummer, published by National Periodical Publications