1981 in comics

Events and publications

January

• Capital Comics makes its entree into publishing with the release of Nexus #1.
• Frank Miller takes over full writing duties on Daredevil with issue #168, and creates Elektra.
• "Days of Future Past" storyline debuts in Uncanny X-Men #141.
• The reprint title Marvel's Greatest Comics, with issue #96, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The reprint title Amazing Adventures vol. 3, with issue #14, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The reprint title Tales to Astonish vol. 2, with issue #14, is cancelled by Marvel.

  February

• Jenette Kahn becomes president of DC Comics, succeeding Sol Harrison. Kahn retained the title of publisher, which she had held since 1976.
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #272 features an insert previewing the upcoming "Dial H for Hero" series in Adventure Comics by Marv Wolfman and Carmine Infantino.

  March

• March 8: The final episode of Stan Lynde's Rick O'Shay is published.
• March 17: In a widely mediatized event Hergé finally meets his old Chinese friend Zhang Chongren again in Brussels, whom he hadn't seen again for almost half a century. Zhang was the inspiration for the Tintin character Chang Chong-Chen. Hergé's longing to see his old friend again inspired the story Tintin in Tibet.
• March 19: The first episode of Raoul Cauvin and Philippe Bercovici's Les Femmes en Blanc is published in Spirou.
• Robert Crumb launches the American adult comics magazine Weirdo, which will run until 1993.
• Marvel takes notice of the growing direct market and produces a title specifically for comic shops — Dazzler #1 sells 400,000 copies.
• Marvel Preview, with issue #25, changes its name to Bizarre Adventures and becomes an official Marvel Comics publication.
• Detective Comics #500: 84 pages, 7 different anniversary stories by several well-known creators, including television writer Alan Brennert and Walter B. Gibson, best known for his work on the pulp fiction character The Shadow.
• "The Exaggerated Death of Ultra Boy" story arc begins in DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes #273. Written by Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, and Paul Levitz, with pencils by Jimmy Janes and Steve Ditko, the story arc concludes in Legion of Super-Heroes #282.
• Mystery in Space, with issue #117, is cancelled by DC Comics.
• Captain Canuck, with issue #14, is cancelled by Comely Comix.
• John Byrne and Terry Austin leave The Uncanny X-Men with issue 143 being their last.

  April

• Jan Bucquoy launches the Belgian adult comics magazine Spetters. It will last until 1982.

  May

• May 8: The first issue of Eclipse Magazine is published by Dean and Jan Mullaney. It will run until January 1983.
• Master of Kung Fu #100: "Red of Fang and Claw, All Love Lost," by Doug Moench, Mike Zeck, and Gene Day.
• Ghosts #100 : Edited by Jack C. Harris.
• With issue #66, Charlton revives The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, cancelled in May 1978.

  June

• June 15: Doug Marlette's Kudzu makes its debut. It will run until 2007.
• June 26: In Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County Opus the Penguin makes his debut.
• Weird War Tales #100
• Final issue of The Hulk! published by Curtis Magazines.
• Debut of the comics industry magazine Amazing Heroes.

  July

• Superman and Spider-Man, "The Heroes and the Holocaust," a DC/Marvel intercompany crossover.
• Man-Thing vol. 2, with issue #11, is cancelled by Marvel.
• John Byrne begins his 62-issue run as writer/artist on Fantastic Four with issue #232.

  August

• DC's The Flash reaches its 300th issue and celebrates its 25th anniversary.
• Justice League of America #193 features an insert previewing the upcoming All-Star Squadron series by Roy Thomas and Rich Buckler.
• Final issue of Marvel Premiere published by Marvel Comics
• With issue #47, DC cancels Super Friends.
• "Doomquest" storyline debuts in Iron Man #149
• The Warlord #48 features an insert previewing the upcoming Arak, Son of Thunder series by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón.

  Fall

• DC Special Series #27 — Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk, an intercompany crossover between DC and Marvel Comics. This marks the final issue of DC Special Series, a catch-all series primarily for one-shots of different formats, released on an irregular schedule.

  September

• September 20: Jean Dulieu wins the Stripschapprijs. Patty Klein, Annemieke and Har van Fulpen win The Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdiensten.
• September 21: Guy Gilchrist and Brad Gilchrist's newspaper comic based on The Muppet Show is published for the first time and in more than 80 countries across the world on the same simultaneous date. An exceptional event.
• September 24: Kamagurka and Herr Seele's Cowboy Henk makes its debut.

  October

• The Defenders #100: Double-sized issue written by J.M. DeMatteis.
• "Block Mania" storyline begins in 2000 AD.

  November

• November 2: Steve Bell's political comic strip If debuts in The Guardian.
• Jinty merges with Tammy.
• Pacific Comics makes its entree into publishing with the release of Jack Kirby's Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1
• The reprint title Marvel Super Action, with issue #37, is cancelled by Marvel.

  December

• December 17: Stéphane Colman and Stephen Desberg's Billy the Cat makes its debut in Spirou.
• Specific date unknown: Bill and Steve Schanes establish Pacific Comics.

  Specific date unknown

• Norman Dog starts his long-running comics series Bad Habits.

  Deaths

February

• February 16: William Edwin Pidgeon, Australian comics artist, dies at age 72, from complications of a traffic accident.
• February 20: Enzo Magni, aka Ingam, Italian comics artist, dies at age 76.
• February 22: Michael Maltese, American screenwriter and comics writer, dies at age 73 from cancer.
• February 25: Arne Ungerman, Danish painter and comics artist, dies at age 78.
• February 29: Carlo Bisi, Italian comics artist, passes away at age 91.

  March

• March 10: Jack Oleck, American novelist and comics writer dies at age 67.
• March 17: Emile Mercier, Australian comics artist, dies at age 79.
• March 31: Cees van de Weert, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 63.

  April

• April 23: Vivie Risto, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 78.
• April 24: Howard Purcell, American comics artist, passes away at age 62.

  May

• May 7: Jaap Veenendaal, aka Javé, Dutch comics artist, painter and illustrator, dies at age 77.
• May 12: Henry Formhals, American comics artist, dies at age 72.
• May 25: George Clark, American comics artist, passes away at age 78.

  June

• June 7: Arnold Molenaar, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 76.
• June 11: Eppo Doeve, Indonesian-Dutch illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 73.
• June 19: Lotte Reiniger, German film director and animator, dies at age 82.

  July

• July 17: Odd Harrong, Norwegian comedian, singer and comics artist, dies at age 68.

  August

• August 25: Guillermo Cardoso, Mexican comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 59.
• August 27: Fred Fox, American screenwriter, gag writer, comics writer and artist, dies at age 79.

  September

• September 2: Andrija Maurović, Montenegrin-Croatian comics artist passes away at age 80.

  October

• October 12: Lawrence Lariar, American comics artist, writer, novelist, editor and cartoonist, dies at age 72.
• October 14: Jim Raymond, American comics artist, dies at age 64.

  November

• November 2: Wally Wood, American comics artist commits suicide at age 54.
• November 12: Ralph Heimdahl, American animator and comics artist, passes away at age 72.
• November 18: Fredric Wertham, German psychologist and author of the anti-comics book Seduction of the Innocent which paved the way for the Comics Code censorship, dies at age 86.
• November 26: Lou Visser, Dutch comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 70.

  December

• December 1: Russ Manning, American comics artist, dies at age 52.
• Harry "A" Chesler, American comics entrepreneur, dies at age 83.
• George Swanson, American comics artist, dies at age 93 or 94.

  Specific date unknown

• Ferdinand Bis, Croatian comics artist, dies at age 70 or 71.
• Freddie Chaplain, British comics writer, dies at age 67 or 68.
• Noel Cook, New Zealand-Australian comics artist, passes away at age 84 or 85.
• Ester Gill, Swedish comics artist, passes away at age 87 or 88.
• Sam Leff, American comics artist, dies at age 64 or 65.
• Jim Raymond, American comics artist, dies at age 63 or 64.

  Exhibitions and shows

Conventions

• Comicon '81 — 14th annual edition
• May 3: Colorado Comic Art Convention — official guests include Kirk Alyn and John Severin
• June 27–28: Creation Convention — guests include Stan Lee, Bob Wiacek, Terry Austin, and Savage Sword of Conan artist Kenneth Morris
• July 3–5: Comic Art Convention — special guest of honor George Pérez; other official guests include Burne Hogarth, Harvey Kurtzman, Howard Chaykin, Gil Kane, and Art Spiegelman
• July 3–5: Multicon 81 — guests include John Byrne, L. B. Cole, Jim Engel, Chuck Fialla, Mike McQuay, John Wooley, and Ron Wolfe
• July 17–19: Chicago Comicon
• July 23–26: San Diego Comic Con — 5,000 attendees; official guests: Jerry Bails, Dave Berg, L. B. Cole, Jim Fitzpatrick, Dick Giordano, Bil Keane, Julius Schwartz, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Dave Sim
• August: Atlanta Fantasy Fair — official guests include Al Williamson, Michael Whelan, Bob Burden, Mike Jittlov
• September: OrlandoCon — guests include C. C. Beck
• September 19–20: FantaCon '81
• November 14: Mid-Ohio Con — special guest of honor: John Byrne
• December 5–6: Greater Cincinnati Comic and Card Convention — special guest Bob Layton

  Awards

Eagle Awards

• Best New Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz
• Roll of Honour: Roy Thomas
• Favourite Artist : Mick Austin

  First issues by title

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Other publishers

Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

• All-Star Squadron in Justice League of America #193
• Arak in The Warlord #48
• Bushmaster, in Super Friends #45
• Electrocutioner, in Batman #331
• Danette Reilly, in Justice League of America #193
• Fearsome Five in New Teen Titans #3
• * Gizmo
• * Mammoth
• * Psimon
• * Shimmer
• Omega Men in Green Lantern #141
• *Broot
• *Demonia
• *Harpis
• *Kalista
• *Nimbus
• *Primus
• *Tigorr
• Plasmus, in New Teen Titans #14
• Houngan, in New Teen Titans #14
• Trigon, in New Teen Titans #05
• Nekron, in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #02
• Mari McCabe, in Action Comics #521
• Angela Roth, in New Teen Titans #03
• Andrew Bennett, in House of Mystery #290
• Neutron, in Action Comics #525
• Arisia Rrab, in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #01
• Mary, Queen of Blood, in House of Mystery #290
• Angela Hawkins III, in New Teen Titans #14
• Typhoon, in The Flash #294
• Warp, in New Teen Titans #14
• Rod Reilly, in All-Star Squadron #01
• Auron, in Green Lantern #141

  Marvel Comics

• Arlok, in What If? #27
• Astron, in What If? #27
• Avalanche, in Uncanny X-Men #141
• Elektra, in Daredevil #168
• Hybrid, in Rom #17
• Mad Jim Jaspers, in Marvel Superheroes #377, published by Marvel UK
• Pyro, in Uncanny X-Men #141
• Rogue, in Avengers Annual #10
• Siryn, in Spider-Woman #37
• Stick in Daredevil #176

  Other publishers

• Rogue Trooper in 2000 AD. #228, published by IPC Media
• Syzygy Darklock in The Price, published by Eclipse Comics
• Thrud the Barbarian in the British fanzine Arken Sword
• Zanardi in the Italian anthology Frigidaire