1977 in comics

Events

Year overall

• Wendy and Richard Pini establish WaRP Graphics.
• Jan and Dean Mullaney establish Eclipse Comics.
• The United Kingdom's Eagle Awards are established.
• Ciao magazine is launched.

  January

• January 3: Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.'s The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper comic strip makes its debut. The storyline of the first strip is that Doctor Doom is coming to address the United Nations.
• January 9: in the story The Weregoof's Curse!, by Romano Scarpa, Plottigat makes his debut.
• Our Army at War #300: "300th Hill," by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert.
• With issue #6, DC cancels Four Star Spectacular.
• Toward the Terra by Keiko Takemiya debuts in Asahi Sonorama's Gekkan Manga Shōnen magazine.
• The Italian magazine Alter Linus changes its headline in Alter alter.

  February

• February 15: Merho's De Kiekeboes makes its debut.
• February 26: The first issue of the British comics magazine 2000 AD is published. It also introduces Pat Mills' Tharg the Mighty.
• February 27: Mummy fearest, by Romano Scarpa, on Topolino.
• With issue #258, DC cancels Tarzan, a title it acquired from Gold Key Comics in 1972.
• With issue #250, DC suspends publishing Blackhawk, which ran from 1944 to 1968, and was revived in 1976.
• Star Spangled War Stories, with issue #204, canceled by DC.
• With issue #33, Marvel cancels the black-and-white magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.
• Planet of the Apes, with issue #29, is cancelled by Marvel.
• Ka-Zar vol. 2, with issue #20, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor, with issue #24, canceled by Gold Key.

  Spring

• Doc Savage: Man of Bronze, with issue #8, is cancelled by Curtis Magazines.

  March

• March 5: Judge Dredd debuts in the second issue of 2000 AD with the story "Judge Whitey", written by Peter Harris and drawn by Mike McMahon.
• March 13: The final episode of James Childress' Conchy is published.
• March 15: The first episode of Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosinski's Thorgal is published in Tintin.
• March 17: The Belgian comics magazine Spirou publishes a supplement with more mature content: Le Trombone Illustré. It will run for seven months, until 20 October 1977, before the conventional editors feel it doesn't really fit within their family friendly public image. In its first issue André Franquin's Idées Noires and Frédéric Jannin and Thierry Culliford's Germain et nous... make their debut.
• March 19: The final episode of Phil Collins' Leonardo is published.
• March 22: on Tintin, first chapter of The sorceress betrayed, by Jean Van Hamme and Grzegor Rosinski, debut story of Thorgal
• House of Mystery #251 and The Superman Family #182 became the first DC Comics series in the 80-page Dollar Comics format, consisting of 64 pages of new stories.
• With issue #302, DC changes the title of Our Army at War to Sgt. Rock.
• G.I. Combat #200: "The Tank That Died Twice," by Robert Kanigher and Sam Glanzman.
• Kobra, with issue #7, is cancelled by DC.
• Werewolf by Night, with issue #43, is cancelled by Marvel.
• National Periodical Publications changed its name to DC Comics, Inc.
• First number of Skorpio’s Italian edition, by Eura publishing house.

  April

• April 18: The first episode of Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas' Sam and Silo is published.
• April 30: The Judge Dredd storyline "The Robot Wars" begins in 2000 AD.
• The first issue of Heavy Metal is published, the English-language version of Métal Hurlant.
• G.I. Combat #201 and World's Finest Comics #244 change to the Dollar Comics format. Backup features in World's Finest Comics include Green Arrow, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, and the Vigilante.
• Two-Gun Kid, with issue #136, is cancelled by Marvel.
• Marvel Spotlight, with issue #33, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The first issue of the underground comix magazine Rip Off Comix is published.
• On Alter alter, first chapter of Le straordinarie avventure di Penthotal by the underground cartoonist Andrea Pazienza, lasting till 1981; it's the surreal diary of a young cartoonist departed between his artistic vocation and the political engagement, a transparent alter ego of the author.

  May

• May: The first issue of the Dutch adult comics magazine Gummi/De Balloen is published. It will last until December 1979.
• May 7: The final episode of Vic Neill's Wee Ben Nevis is published in The Beano.
• May 28-30: The final Detroit Triple Fan Fair is organized in Detroit, Michigan, once the oldest regular comic book convention in the world.
• The final episode of Sandro Angiolini's Vartan is published.
• With issue #205, DC changes the title of Star Spangled War Stories to The Unknown Soldier.

  June

• June 3:
• * The death of Australian comics author Syd Nicholls also means the end of the comic strip Fatty Finn, which has run since 1923.
• * In L’europeo the first chapter of Favola di Venezia, by Hugo Pratt is prepublished.
• June 12: Hergé and Andy Warhol meet after Warhol made three silkscreen portraits of Hergé.
• DC Comics raises the price of its standard comic book from 30 to 35 cents.
• Challengers of the Unknown is revived by DC Comics with issue #81 ; storyline picks up from Super-Team Family issues #8–10.
• Secrets of Haunted House revived with issue #6 after a 17-month hiatus.
• With issue #5, DC cancels Ragman.
• First number of Cannibale, satirical and Dadaist magazine, directed by Stefano Tamburini. The review, near to the movement of 1977, hosts the most talented Italian alternative cartoonists, as Andrea Pazienza and Tanino Liberatore.

  July

• July 9: The final issue of the British comics magazine Sparky is published, as it merges with The Topper.
• With issue #231, Marvel UK changes the title of the weekly magazine Super Spider-Man and the Titans to Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain, now featuring new Captain Britain stories.
• Iron Man #100: "Ten Rings To Rule the World!" by Bill Mantlo, George Tuska, and Mike Esposito.
• With issue #12, DC revives The New Gods, continuing the numbering from the 1971 series.
• With issue #126, DC cancels Young Love, picked up from Prize Comics in 1963.
• With issue #7, Marvel publishes the final issue of Logan's Run.

  August

• August 23: The Flemish comics magazine Patskrant, a weekly children's supplement of the newspapers Het Nieuwsblad, De Standaard, Het Handelsblad, De Gentenaar and De Landwacht, changes its name to the Stipkrant. It will run until September 2000.
• With issue #94, DC revives Showcase, continuing the numbering from the 1956 series, which ceased publishing in 1970.
• With issue #57, DC revives Aquaman, continuing the numbering from the 1962 series, which ceased publishing in 1971.
• With issue #230, DC cancels Superboy.
• With issue #29, DC cancels DC Special.
• With issue #12, DC cancels Hercules Unbound.
• With issue #12, Marvel cancels The Inhumans.
• With issue #12, Marvel cancels the anthology title Marvel Presents.

  September

• September 13: The first episode of Jeff MacNelly's Shoe is published.
• September 24: The first issue of the short-lived British comics magazine Plug is published. It will run until 1979.
• The first episode of David A. Trampier's Wormy is published. It will run until 1988.
• With issue #19, DC revives Mister Miracle, which had gone on hiatus in 1974.
• With issue #10, Marvel publishes the final issue of .
• In this month's issue of Pif Gadget André Chéret kills off his character Rahan. The issue sells 1,5 million copies, but two issues later Rahan is already back from the dead.

  October

• October 22: The first issue of the British comics magazine Cheeky Weekly is published, in which Reg Parlett's Mustapha Million makes its debut.
• October 24: Bill Hoest's Agatha Crumm makes its debut and will run until 1996.
• With issue #10, Marvel cancels Omega the Unknown.
• With issue #8, DC cancels Starfire.

  November

• November 3: The first episode of Kamagurka's Bert is published in Humo.
• November 13: The final episode of Al Capp's Li'l Abner is published, drawing the series to a close after being in syndication since 1934.
• Following rival DC's lead, Marvel Comics raises the price of its standard comic book from 30 to 35 cents.
• With issue #18, DC cancels Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter.

  December

• December 31: The final issue of the Flemish children's magazine Ohee is published, supplement of the newspaper Het Volk.
• Dave Sim's Cerebus the Aardvark makes its debut and is published independently under the name Aardvark-Vanaheim.
• John Byrne and Terry Austin begin their acclaimed run as X-Men penciller/inker team with issue #108 of the title.
• With issue #8, DC cancels Isis.
• In the story The Blackbeard's thaler, by Guido Martina and Massimo De Vita, Jeeves makes his debut.

  Specific date unknown

• The first episode of Matt Groening's Life in Hell is published.
• The Dutch comics magazine Tante Leny Presenteert receives the Stripschapprijs.

  Deaths

January

• January 1: Alexander Saroukhan, Armenian-Egyptian cartoonist and caricaturist, dies at age 78.
• January: Bob Brown, American comics artist, dies at age 62.
• January 22: James Childress, American comics artist and cartoonist, commits suicide at the age of 35.
• January 24: John Rosenberger, American comics artist and painter, passes away at the age of 58.

  February

• February 1: Edmond Hamilton, American science fiction writer and comics writer, dies at age 72.
• February 11: Ben Batsford, American comics artist, dies at age 83.
• February 16: Frank Engli, American animator and comics artist, letterer and colorist, dies at age 70.
• February 21: John Hubley, American animator, film director and comics artist dies at the age of 62.
• Specific date unknown: Irving Spector, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 62.

  March

• March 20: Han Krug, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 86.
• March 23: Ed Dobrotka, American comics artist, dies at age 69.
• March 31: Alexey Komarov, Russian painter, sculptor, cartoonist, illustrator, poster artist and comics artist, dies at age 97.

  April

• April: Paul Gustavson, American comics writer and artist, dies at age 60.
• April 8: Jean Cézard, French comics artist, dies at age 53.

  May

• May 25:
• * Christian Kittilsen, Norwegian illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 70.
• * Frans Mandos, Dutch painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 67.

  June

• June 3: Syd Nicholls, Australian comics artist, falls from his apartment balcony and dies at the age of 80.
• June 16: Stan Cross, American-Australian comics artist, dies at age 88.

  July

• July 5: Theo Funke Küpper, Dutch comics artist, dies at the age of 72.
• July 8: Roy Crane, American comics artist, dies at age 75.
• July 9: Alfred Georges Pavis, French painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 91.
• Specific date unknown: Milt Stein, American animator and comics artist, commits suicide at age 56.

  August

• August 1: Bernard van Vlijmen, Dutch painter, graphic artist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 81.
• Specific date unknown: August: Louis Cazeneuve, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 68 or 69.

  September

• September 5: Tatsuo Yoshida, Japanese manga artist and animator, dies at age 45 from liver cancer.
• September 7: Alexis, French comics artist, dies at age 30 of a ruptured aneurysm.
• September 16: Rie Cramer, Dutch illustrator, novelist and comics artist, passes away at age 89.
• September 29: Bob McKimson, American animator, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 66 from a heart attack.

  October

• October 5: Jotie T'Hooft, Belgian poet and comics artist, commits suicide by a drug overdose at age 21.
• October 12: Antoon Heckenrath, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 70.
• October 28: Miguel Mihura, Spanish playwright and comics artist, dies at age 72.

  November

• November 4: Mingo, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 34 or 35.
• November 5: René Goscinny, French comics writer artist, magazine publisher, passes away at age 68.

  December

• December 11: Giovanni Bissietta, aka Giuseppe Fontanelli, Italian painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 66 or 67.
• Specicic date unknown: December: John Verpoorten, American comics inker and Marvel Comics production manager, dies at age 37.

  Specific date unknown

• Robert Baldwin, also known as Rupe, American comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 72 or 73.
• Wood Cowan, American comics artist, dies at age 80 or 81.
• John Gee, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 81 or 82.
• Walter Hofmann, aka Von Waldl, German caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 71 or 72.
• Moma Markovic, Serbian-Canadian comics artist, dies at age 74 or 75.
• Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Argentine journalist and comics writer mysteriously disappears, presumed arrested and murdered by soldiers of President Jorge Rafael Videla's regime.
• Jack Pamby, British comics artist, dies at age 68 or 69.
• Gottfried Spachholz, German comics artist, dies at age 70 or 71.

  Exhibitions and shows

Conventions

• Columbus Comic Book Convention — guests include Jim Steranko, Bob Layton, and Mike Nasser
• Dayton Comic Book Convention — produced by Dayton retailer The Dragon's Lair
• January 30: Comicove 6 — official guest: Vince Colletta
• March 11–13: Starcon '77
• May 28–30: Detroit Triple Fan Fair — dubbed the "Detroit Triple Fan Fair "; guests include Chuck Jones, Ray Harryhausen
• June: Houstoncon — guests include Frank Brunner, Spanky McFarland, Jock Mahoney, George Takei, Forrest J Ackerman, and Roy Rogers
• July 1–5: Comic Art Convention — 10th annual show, first time in Philadelphia. Guests of honor: John Stanley and Bernie Wrightson; other guests include Roy Thomas, Wendy Pini, Linda Behrle, Barry Windsor-Smith, Frank Thorne, Frank Brunner, and Jeff Jones
• July 20–24: San Diego Comic-Con — 4,000+ attendees; official guests: Carl Barks, C. C. Beck, Walter Gibson, Robert A. Heinlein, Michael Kaluta, Jack Kirby, B. Kliban, Joe Kubert, Harvey Kurtzman, Stan Lynde, Alex Niño, Trina Robbins, and Bill Scott
• July 29–31: Konvention of Alternative Komix — 2nd annual underground comix event
• July 29–30: Toronto Triple Fan Fair a.k.a. "Fan Fair 4" — Guests of Honour: Philip José Farmer and Andrew I. Porter
• August 5–7: Chicago Comicon — produced by Joe Sarno, Mike Gold, and Bob Weinberg; guests include Stan Lee, Jenette Kahn, Chester Gould, and Howard Chaykin
• August 12–14: Atlanta Comics & Fantasy Fair — official guests include Jenette Kahn, Dick Giordano, Kenneth Smith, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko
• September: OrlandoCon — guests include Ralph Dunagin and Scorchy Smith's Edmund Good
• September 3–4: Comicon '77 — organized by Rob Barrow; presentation of the first annual Eagle Awards
• September 10–11: Frazetta '77 — guests include Harvey Kurtzman, Will Eisner, Jerry Robinson, Burne Hogarth, Bernie Wrightson, Steve Hickman, Michael Kaluta, Charles Vess, Ian Ballantine, Betty Ballantine, and Ken Kelley
• October 15–16: Newcon '77
• November 25–27: Creation Comic Book & Pop Culture Convention — guests include George Pérez; admission: $5/day

  Awards

[Eagle Awards]

• Favourite Writer: Steve Englehart
• Favourite Artist: Neal Adams
• Favourite Inker: Terry Austin
• Favourite Comic Book : Uncanny X-Men
• Favorite Comic Book : Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan
• Favourite Black and White Magazine: Savage Sword of Conan
• Favourite Single Story: "The Final Threat," Avengers Annual #7, by Jim Starlin
• Favourite Continued Story: Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2, by Jim Starlin
• Favourite Group or Team: Uncanny X-Men
• Favourite Character: Batman
• Favourite Supporting Character: Pip the Troll
• Favourite Villain: Thanos
• Favourite Comic : 2000 AD
• Favourite Editor : Dez Skinn, for MAD magazine
• Roll of Honour: Steve Englehart

  First issues by title

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Independent publishers

Hakusensha

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Baron Blitzkrieg, in World's Finest Comics #246
• Black Lightning, in Black Lightning #1
• Celsius, in Showcase #94
• Joshua Clay, in Showcase #94
• Dawnstar, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #226
• Doctor Phosphorus, in Detective Comics #469
• Cal Durham, in Adventure Comics #452
• Faora, in Action Comics #471
• Godiva, in Super Friends #7
• Golden Glider, in Flash #250
• Gravedigger, in Men of War #01
• Huntress, in DC Super Stars # 17
• Icemaiden, in Super Friends #09
• Impala, in Super Friends #07
• Infinite Man, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #233
• Jack O'Lantern, in Super Friends #08
• Owlwoman, in Super Friends #07
• El Papagayo, in Jonah Hex #02
• Patty Spivot, in DC Special Series #01
• Peter Gambi, in Black Lightning #01
• Professor Ojo, in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #16
• Quakemaster, in DC Special #28
• Rising Sun, in Super Friends #08
• Scalphunter in Weird Western Tales #39
• Seraph, in Super Friends #07
• Shade, the Changing Man, in Shade, the Changing Man #01
• Silver St. Cloud, in Detective Comics #470
• Sklarian Raiders, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #233
• Pulsar Stargrave, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #223
• Tasmanian Devil, in Super Friends #07
• Rupert Thorne, in Detective Comics #469
• Tuatara, in Super Friends #08
• Valentina Vostok, in Showcase #94
• Tobias Whale, in Black Lightning #01

  Marvel Comics

• Aqueduct, in Ghost Rider #23
• Aries , in The Defenders #49
• Bereet, in The Rampaging Hulk #1
• Bushmaster, in Iron Fist #15
• Constrictor, in The Incredible Hulk #212
• Deathbird, in Ms. Marvel #9
• Devil-Slayer, in Marvel Spotlight #33
• Doctor Bong, in Howard the Duck #15
• Dreadknight, in Iron Man #102
• Dyna-Mite / Destroyer, in Invaders #14
• Celestials
• * Dreaming Celestial, in The Eternals #18
• * Eson the Searcher, in The Eternals #9
• * Hargen the Measurer, in The Eternals #9
• * Jemiah the Analyzer, in The Eternals #7
• * Nezarr the Calculator, in The Eternals #9
• * One Above All, in The Eternals #7
• * Oneg the Prober, in The Eternals #9
• * Tefral the Surveyor, in The Eternals #7
• * Ziran the Tester, in The Eternals #18
• Eternals
• * Aginar, in The Eternals #11
• * Delphan Brothers, in The Eternals #11
• * Druig, in The Eternals #11
• * Forgotten One, in The Eternals #13
• * Sigmar, in The Eternals #17
• * Sprite, in The Eternals #9
• * Kingo Sunen, in The Eternals #11
• * Uni-Mind, in The Eternals #12
• * Valkin, in The Eternals #11
• * Zarin, in The Eternals #11
• Henry Peter Gyrich, in Avengers #165
• Human Fly , in Human Fly #1
• Imperial Guard, in X-Men #107
• * Astra
• * Electron
• * Fang
• * Flashfire
• * Guardian
• * Magique
• * Mentor
• * Neutron
• * Nightside
• * Oracle
• * Pulsar
• * Scintilla
• * Smasher
• * Starbolt
• * Titan
• Jocasta, in Avengers #162
• Killer Shrike, in The Rampaging Hulk #1
• Lightmaster, in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #3
• Machine Man, in ' #8
• Malice, in Ghost Rider vol. 2, #25
• Paragon / Kismet, in The Incredible Hulk Annual #6
• Ringer, in Defenders #51
• Rocket Racer, in The Amazing Spider-Man #172
• Sabretooth, in Iron Fist #14
• Nicholas Scratch, in Fantastic Four #185
• Sphinx, in Nova #6
• Spider-Woman , in Marvel Spotlight #32
• Spirit of '76, in The Invaders #14
• Starjammers, in X-Men #107
• * Ch'od, in X-Men #104
• * Corsair, in X-Men #104
• * Hepzibah, in X-Men #107
• * Raza Longknife, in X-Men #107
• Swarm, in Champions #14
• Warrior Woman, in Invaders #16
• Will O' Wisp, in The Amazing Spider-Man #167
• Arnim Zola', in Captain America'' #208

  Other titles

• Rico Dredd, in 2000 AD prog 30
• Judge Dredd, in 2000 AD #2
• Judge Giant, in 2000 AD prog 27
• Judge Goodman, in 2000 AD #2
• Alvar Mayor, a Peruvian mestizo involved in the Spanish conquest, by Carlos Trillo and Enrique Breccia, in Skorpio.
• Petra Cherie, by Attilio Micheluzzi, in Il giornalino
• Bill Savage, in 2000 AD #1
• Tharg the Mighty, in 2000 AD #1
• Thorgal, by Jean Van Hamme and Grzegor Rosinski, in Tintin
• Micromino, an angelic outcast child, by Toni Pagot, in Il giornalino.
• Ken Parker, by Giancarlo Berardi and Ivo Milazzo
• Cerebus the Aardvark, in Cerebus #1