1950 in comics

Events and publications

Year overall

• In the movies, Destination Moon is the first color science fiction film, and the first big budget science fiction film since Things to Come in 1936. DC Comics is quick to pick up on the renewed interest of the public in science fiction, and a still from Destination Moon is cover of the new science fiction comic book Strange Adventures, soon joined by a companion book Mystery in Space.
• EC Comics is at the height of their all-too-brief trajectory, with science fiction comics Weird Science and Weird Fantasy.
• Dell Comics publishes a large number of Western comics, dedicated to celebrities such as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry.
• The comic strip reprint comics, which had started the comic book phenomenon, are disappearing. Ace Comics, Magic Comics, and King Comics end their long runs. Attempts to bring out single character comic strip reprints, such as Flash Gordon, Steve Canyon, and Terry and the Pirates fold after short runs.

  January

• January 30 – first episode of Mickey Mouse, Eega Beeva and the Moook treasure by Bill Walsh and Floyd Gottfredson; the story, published at the height of the cold war, is overtly anticommunist and shows the villain Peg-Leg Pete as a Soviet officer.

  February

• February 9: Marc Sleen's version of De Lustige Kapoentjes makes its debut in t Kapoentje.
• February 20': Elliot Caplin and John Cullen Murphy's Big Ben Bolt makes its debut.
• Captain America's Weird Tales #75 - Timely Comics -
• Venus #8 - Timely Comics

  March

• March 16: Barry Appleby's The Gambols makes its debut.
• March 23: in Tintin magazine, first chapter of , by Edgar P. Jacobs.
• Cancellation of Syd Shores and Stan Lee's Tex Taylor, with issue #9, canceled by Atlas.
• Black Rider debuts with issue #8, taking over the numbering of Western Winners — Atlas Comics
• Cowboy Romances #3 - Timely Comics - Renamed to Young Men
• True Western #2 - Timely Comics - Renamed to True Adventures

  April

• April 1: The Nero story De Hoed van Geeraard de Duivel is first published in the newspapers. Halfway the story the main cast member Madam Pheip makes her debut.
• April 8: Marc Sleen's Doris Dobbel makes its debut.
• April 14: The first issue of the British comics magazine Eagle is published. It will run until 1994. In its first issue Frank Hampson's Dan Dare makes its debut.
• Crypt of Terror debuts with issue #17, continuing the numbering of Crime Patrol — EC Comics
• The Vault of Horror debuts with issue #12, continuing the numbering of War Against Crime — EC Comics
• Trail of the unicorn, by Carl Barks.
• Topolino e I grilli atomici – by Guido Martina and Angelo Bioletto, on Topolino; story of demented humor, where Mickey Mouse and Goofy meet the seven dwarfs.

  May

• Andrea Lavezzolo and EsseGesse's Kinowa makes its debut.
• Weird Fantasy debuts with issue #13, continuing the numbering of A Moon, A Girl... Romance — EC Comics
• True Adventures #3 - Timely Comics - Renamed to Men's Adventures
• Venus #9 - Timely Comics

  June

• After having received a letter of complaint from Hilda Terry in October 1949 the National Cartoonists Society allows female cartoonists too as members. Terry, Barbara Shermund and Edwina Dumm are the first women to become members of their society.
• Cancellation of Gian Giacomo Dalmasso and Ingam 's Pantera Bionda.
• Wild about flowers, by Carl Barks
• Young Men #4 - Timely Comics

  July

• July 27: Bob De Moor's Barelli makes his debut.

  August

• August 25: in the album The blood pact, Tex Willer marries the Indian squaw Lylith.
• Men's Adventures #4 - Timely Comics
• Strange Adventures #1 - DC Comics

  September

• September 4: Mort Walker's Beetle Bailey makes its debut. Though the original comic strip is set at college and will only be set at a military base in March 1951.
• September 5: The Nero story Moea Papoea is first published in the newspapers. Halfway the story the main cast member Petoetje makes his debut.
• September 7: Hergé falls into a clinical depression and goes on a rest cure to Switzerland. For 18 months no new The Adventures of Tintin episodes appear in the eponymous Tintin magazine.
• September 14: In the Donald Duck story A Financial Fable by Carl Barks Scrooge McDuck is seen swimming in his money for the first time.
• September 15: The first issue of the Dutch comics magazine Grabbelton is published, a supplement of De Katholieke Illustratie. it will last until 4 September 1954.
• Young Men #5 - Timely Comics

  October

• Tales from the Crypt debuts with issue #20, continuing the numbering of Crypt of Terror — EC Comics
• October 2: Charles Schulz' Peanuts appears for the first time in seven US newspapers. In the first episode Charlie Brown makes his debut.
• October 4: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts the character Snoopy makes its debut.
• October 14: The first issue of the Belgian Disney comics magazine Mickey Magazine is published. It will run until September 1959.
• October 19: The Spirou et Fantasio story Il y a un sorcier à Champignac by André Franquin with Jean Darc is prepublished in Spirou and marks the debut of the Count of Champignac.

  November

• November 13: Jack Kent's King Aroo makes its debut.
• November 27: Dick Brooks's The Jackson Twins makes its debut.
• Men's Adventures #5 - Timely Comics

  December

• Marvel Boy #1 - Timely Comics
• Young Men #6 - Timely Comics

  Deaths

May

• Specific date unknown: Mario Silva Ossa, aka Coré, Chilean illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 37.

  July

• July 9: Salvador Bartolozzi, Spanish illustrator, theatrical set designer, comics artist and publisher, dies at age 68.
• July 26: Eduard Thöny, Austrian-German cartoonist, dies at age 84.

  August

• August 1: Raoul Thomen, Belgian-French comics artist, dies at age 83.

  October

• October 2: J. Carlos, Brazilian comics artist, dies of a brain stroke at age 66.

  Specific date unknown

• Fred Nankivel, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 63 or 64.
• Charles W. Saalberg, American illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 84 or 85.

  First issues by title

• Collana Zenit, cover dated June 28, by Edizioni Audace – collection of Western comics made in Italy.
• Marvel Boy, cover dated December, by Stan Lee and Russ Heath, published by Timely Comics
• Quatre aventures de Spirou et Fantasio by André Franquin, Dupuis
• Strange Adventures cover dated August–September, published by DC Comics.

  Initial appearances by character name

• Akim, in Akim il figlio della giungla #1, created by Roberto Renzi and Augusto Pedrazza, Edizioni Tomasina.
• Deadshot in Batman #59, created by David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz - DC Comics
• King Faraday in Danger Trail #1, created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino - DC Comics
• Kinowa, in Kinowa #1,, created by Andrea Lavezzolo and EsseGesse, Editoriale Dardo. .
• Knight in Batman #62, created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang - DC Comics
• Lana Lang in ''Superboy #10, created by Bill Finger and John Sikela - DC Comics
• Marvel Boy in Marvel Boy #1, created by Stan Lee and Russ Heath - Timely Comics