1952 in comics

Events and publications

January

• January 3: Hussein Amin Bikar establishes the Egyptian children's comics magazine Sindibad.
• January 10: André Franquin's Starter makes its debut.
• January 31: In a Spirou et Fantasio story by André Franquin the Marsupilami makes his debut.
• Astonishing #8 - Atlas Comics
• Phantom Stranger #1
• Rex the Wonder Dog #1

  February

• February 2: Crockett Johnson's Barnaby comes to an end.
• February 23: The first issue of the British comics magazine Lion is published. It will last until 18 May 1974.
• Astonishing #9 - Atlas Comics
• Men Adventures #12 - Atlas Comics
• Patsy and Hedy #1 - Atlas Comics
• Shock SuspenStories #1 - EC Comics
• Strange Tales #5 - Atlas Comics
• The Thing! #1 - Charlton Comics
• Young Men on the Battlefield #13 - Atlas Comics

  March

• March: In Carl Barks' Donald Duck story Statuesque Spendthrifts Duckburg's founder Cornelius Coot makes his debut.
• March 3: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Lucy van Pelt makes her debut.
• March 31: In Al Capp's Li'l Abner Abner and Daisy Mae marry, a feat that even becomes a cover story in Time.
• Astonishing #10 - Atlas Comics
• Astonishing #11 - Atlas Comics
• Young Men on the Battlefield #14 - Atlas Comics

  April

• April 8: The Piet Pienter en Bert Bibber story De Stalen Zeemeermin starts running in Het Handelsblad. Halfway the story, the new main cast member Susan makes her debut.
• Astonishing #12 - Atlas Comics
• Battlefield #1 - Atlas Comics
• Men Adventures #13 - Atlas Comics
• Strange Tales #6 - Atlas Comics

  May

• May 1: In Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge story Gladstone's Terrible Secret inventor Gyro Gearloose makes his debut.
• Astonishing #13 - Atlas Comics
• Sensation Comics #109 cancelled by DC Comics

  June

• Astonishing #14 - Atlas Comics
• Battlefield #2 - Atlas Comics
• Journey into Mystery #1 - Atlas Comics
• Men Adventures #14 - Atlas Comics
• Strange Suspense Stories #1 - Fawcett Comics
• Strange Tales #7 - Atlas Comics
• Young Men on the Battlefield #15 - Atlas Comics

  July

• Astonishing #15 - Atlas Comics
• Space Adventures #1 - Charlton Comics
• Strange Tales #8 - Atlas Comics

  August

• August 8: Roberto Renzi and Giorgio Rebuffi's Tiramolla makes its debut.
• Astonishing #16 - Atlas Comics
• Battlefield #3 - Atlas Comics
• Journey into Mystery #2 - Atlas Comics
• Men Adventures #15 - Atlas Comics
• Our Army at War #1 - DC Comics
• Strange Tales #9 - Atlas Comics
• Young Men on the Battlefield #16 - Atlas Comics

  September

• September 11: Peyo's medieval comic strip series Johan, initially published in other magazines since 1947, makes its debut in a redesigned version in Spirou. The initially blond-haired Johan becomes dark-haired.
• September 19: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Linus van Pelt makes his debut.
• Astonishing #17 - Atlas Comics
• Strange Tales #10 - Atlas Comics

  October

• October/November: The first issue of Mad is published by Harvey Kurtzman and William M. Gaines.
• October 5: The final episode of Will Eisner's The Spirit appears in papers.
• October 25: The first issue of the Dutch Disney comics weekly Donald Duck is published.
• Astonishing #18 - Atlas Comics
• Battlefield #4 - Atlas Comics
• G.I. Combat #1 - DC Comics
• Journey into Mystery #3 - Atlas Comics
• Men Adventures #16 - Atlas Comics
• Strange Tales #11 - Atlas Comics
• Young Men on the Battlefield #17 - Atlas Comics

  November

• November 16: Marc Sleen's Oktaaf Keunink makes its debut. It will run until 4 April 1965.
• November 24: Nicholas P. Dallis and Dan Heilman's Judge Parker makes its debut.
• November 26: Willy Vandersteen's Suske en Wiske story De Dolle Musketiers is first published in the newspapers. Halfway the story, which by then already 1953, Jerom makes his debut.
• November: The first issue of the American Disney comics monthly Donald Duck is published.
• Astonishing #19 - Atlas Comics
• Battlefield #5 - Atlas Comics
• Star Spangled War Stories #1 - DC Comics
• Strange Tales #12 - Atlas Comics

  December

• December 24: Willy Vandersteen's Bessy makes its debut in La Libre Belgique.
• December 31: Giorgio Rebuffi's Trottolino makes its debut. It will run until August 1990.
• Astonishing #20 - Atlas Comics
• Battlefield #6 - Atlas Comics
• Journey into Mystery #4 - Atlas Comics
• Men Adventures #17 - Atlas Comics
• Strange Tales #13 - Atlas Comics
• Young Men on the Battlefield #18 - Atlas Comics

  Specific date unknown

• Marion Hull Hammel takes over the comics series Goofus and Gallant and changes the protagonists from elves into real children.
• Arthur Horner launches Colonel Pewter.

  Deaths

March

• March 25: Egon von Tresckow, aka Tres, German animator, illustrator, comics artist and caricaturist, dies at age 45.
• March 27: Georgi Atanasov, Bulgarian illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 48.

  May

• May 9: Chick Gordon, British comics artist, dies at age 67 or 68.

  July

• July 1: Jimmy Bancks, Australian comics artist, dies at age 63 from a heart attack.
• July 9: Kemp Starrett, American comics artist, dies at age 62.

  August

• 25 August: Ola Fogelberg, Finnish comics artist, passes away at age 58.

  September

• September 13: George Brenner, American comics artist, dies at age 38.
• September 22: H. T. Webster, American comics artist, dies at age 67.

  October

• October 11: Jean Dupuis, Belgian comics publisher, passes away at age 76.

  November

• November 26: Edward Ambrose Dyson, Australian cartoonist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 43.

  December

• Specific date in December unknown: Harold A. McGill, Canadian comics artist, dies at age 75 or 76.

  Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

• Detective Chimp in The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4, created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino - DC Comics
• Firefly, in Detective Comics #184, created by France Herron and Dick Sprang - DC Comics
• Phantom Stranger in Phantom Stranger #1, created by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Sy Barry - DC Comics
• Rex the Wonder Dog in The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #1, created by Robert Kanigher and Alex Toth - DC Comics

  Other publishers

• Gyro Gearloose, in "Gladstone's Terrible Secret," Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #140
• Robot Archie, in Lion #1
• Thun'da, in Thun'da #1
• Uncle Scrooge, in Four Color Comics #386

  Newspaper strips

• Linus van Pelt, in Peanuts
• Lucy van Pelt, in Peanuts