1982 in comics

Events and publications

January

• 29-31 January: During the Angoulême International Comics Festival Claire Bretécher becomes the first woman to win the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême.
• Warren Publishing suspends publication.
• DC Comics Presents #41 features an insert previewing the new Wonder Woman creative team of writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan as well as an update of the character's costume.
• House of Mystery #300: "Special Thrill-Filled 300th Issue," edited by Karen Berger.
• Phantom Zone #1, by Steve Gerber, Gene Colan, and Tony DeZuniga; published by DC Comics.
• Marvel Super-Heroes, with issue #105, cancelled by Marvel.
• "Apocalypse War" Judge Dredd storyline begins in 2000 AD.
• The seventh issue of Jan Bucquoy's Belgian adult comics magazine Spetters focuses on Hergé in a direct reaction to the trial against Filip Denis' porn parody Tintin in Switzerland. The entire issue is deliberately made to offend Hergé in the crudest possible way and defend the freedom of speech. This is a turning point in the career of Bucquoy who will focus more and more on provocative stunts.

  February

• The Flash #306 began a Doctor Fate backup series by writer Martin Pasko and artist Keith Giffen which ran through issue #313.
• The New Teen Titans #16 features an insert previewing the upcoming Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! series by Roy Thomas and Scott Shaw.
• Savage She-Hulk, with issue #25, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The final issue of Jan Bucquoy's Belgian adult comics magazine Spetters is published.

  March

• The debut of Alan Moore's new, darker Marvelman in Warrior #1.
• The debut of Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta in Warrior #1.
• Justice League of America #200: 76-page anniversary issue, "A League Divided". The double-sized issue was a "jam" featuring a story written by Gerry Conway, a framing sequence drawn by George Pérez, and chapters drawn by Pat Broderick, Jim Aparo, Dick Giordano, Gil Kane, Carmine Infantino, Brian Bolland, and Joe Kubert. Bolland's chapter gave the artist his "first stab at drawing Batman."
• DC's horror-suspense anthology Secrets of Haunted House ceases publication with issue #46.
• Flash Gordon, with issue #37, is cancelled by the Gold Key Comics imprint Whitman Comics.
• March 27: Britain's weekly Eagle comic relaunched by IPC Media in a mostly photonovel format.

  April

• April 25: The final episode of Vahan Shirvanian's No Comment is published.
• Daredevil #181 — Bullseye fatally stabs Elektra.
• The long-running British series The Trigan Empire ceases publication with the cancellation of Look and Learn with issue #1042.

  May

• May 2: The final episode of Frank O'Neal's Short Ribs is published.
• May 3: In a Frank and Ernest gag by Bob Thaves a line about Hollywood actor Ginger Rogers' dance talent is published. The quote will eventually become one of the most often repeated descriptions about Rogers in non-fiction publications.
• To help raise money for his lawsuit against Marvel Comics for ownership of Howard the Duck, Steve Gerber brings out his own Destroyer Duck from Eclipse Comics.
• Fantastic Four Roast a one-shot written by Fred Hembeck is published by Marvel Comics.
• DC's long-running weird/horror anthology The Unexpected ceases publication with issue #222.
• Ghosts, with issue #112, is cancelled by DC.
• The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, with issue #72, is cancelled for the second time by Charlton.

  June

• The first issue of the French comics magazine Psikopat is published. It will run until 2019.
• Fantagraphics publishes the Hernandez brothers 's Love & Rockets anthology.
• Marvel begins publishing the Hasbro-licensed series , which would sell over 200,000 copies and out-sell Superman and the X-Men.
• Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1, by Mark Gruenwald, John Romita, Jr., and Bob Layton; published by Marvel Comics.
• The two-issue "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!" storyline by creative team Roger Stern, John Romita, Jr., and Jim Mooney begins in The Amazing Spider-Man #229.
• Silver Surfer one-shot scripted by Stan Lee, plotted and penciled by John Byrne, and inked by Tom Palmer is published by Marvel Comics.

  July

• The New Teen Titans #21 features an insert previewing the upcoming Night Force series by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan.
• The Penguin Books imprint Plume releases Creepshow, a graphic novella based on the 1982 horror movie Creepshow.
• The Marvel UK storyline "Jaspers' Warp" begins in Marvel Superheroes #387

  August

• August 2: In Montréal, Canada, comics store Komico is opened.
• The Legion of Super-Heroes storyline "The Great Darkness Saga" begins with issue #290 .
• Marvel Superheroes, with issue #388, is cancelled by Marvel UK; it replaced in all but name by The Mighty World of Marvel.
• The first episode of Massimo Mattioli's Squeak the Mouse is published.

  September

• September 17: Marten Toonder wins the Stripschapprijs. The Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdiensten is given to Nico Noordermeer.
• Marvel's Wolverine four-issue mini-series, by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, begins.
• Marvel's Hercules: Prince of Power four-issue mini-series, by Bob Layton, begins.
• The Marvel/DC intercompany crossover The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans, by Chris Claremont, Walt Simonson, and Terry Austin.

  October

• Norristown, Pennsylvania-based begins publishing with the release of the black-and-white anthology title Primer #1.
• With issue #251, DC again revives Blackhawk volume 1, which ran from 1944 to 1968, and then from 1976 to 1977.
• Josie and the Pussycats is cancelled by Archie Comics with issue #106.
• Justice League of America #207 and All-Star Squadron #14 feature the beginning of the "Crisis on Earth-Prime" crossover between the two titles. The storyline continues into Justice League of America #208 and All-Star Squadron #15 in November and concludes in Justice League of America #209 in December.
• October 10 - Illustrator Ben Krefta is born

  November

• Jim Starlin's Dreadstar, the first title published by Marvel's creator-owned imprint Epic Comics, begins.
• Canadian publisher Vortex Comics makes its entrée into the comics world with its anthology Vortex
• Marvel's The Vision and the Scarlet Witch four-issue mini-series, by Bill Mantlo, Rick Leonardi, Ian Akin and Brian Garvey, begins.

  December

• December 2: Pierre Makyo and Alain Dodier's Jérôme K. Jérôme Bloche debuts in Spirou.
• December 20: Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira debuts in Young Magazine
• DC publishes its first tailored direct market offering: the first of 12 issues of Camelot 3000, Mike W. Barr & Brian Bolland's future-set tale of King Arthur. It is widely recognized as the first "maxi-series".
• Detective Comics #521: Green Arrow becomes the backup feature.
• DC publishes the first issue of its three-issue Masters of the Universe mini-series
• Charlton Bullseye, with issue #10, canceled by Charlton.

  Specific date unknown

• San Diego-based independent publisher Pacific Comics makes a strong push in the marketplace, following Jack Kirby's Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers with four new ongoing titles, Starslayer, Ms. Mystic, Twisted Tales, and Alien Worlds, featuring such established talents as Neal Adams and Mike Grell.
• To stem the flow of creators defecting to companies such as First Comics, Pacific Comics, and Eclipse Comics, DC Comics begins offering royalties to artists and writers of regular newsstand comics that sell more than 100,000 copies; Marvel soon follows suit with its creator-owned imprint Epic Comics. Launched by editor-in-chief Jim Shooter as a spin-off of the successful Epic Illustrated magazine, the Epic imprint allows creators to retain control and ownership of their properties. Co-edited by Al Milgrom and Archie Goodwin, the imprint also allows Marvel to publish a mature line of comics oriented toward an older audience. Epic titles are printed on higher quality paper than typical Marvel comics, and are only available via the direct market.
• Marvel debuts its Marvel Graphic Novels series, releasing five trade paperbacks over the course of the year: The Death of Captain Marvel, Elric: The Dreaming City, Dreadstar, The New Mutants, and .
• Marvel publishes its first limited series titles: Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions, Wolverine, Hercules: Prince of Power, and The Vision and the Scarlet Witch.
• After 41 years as a publisher, Harvey Comics ceases publishing.
• After ten years as a publisher, Spire Christian Comics ceases publishing original titles.
• Attempting to create synthesis for two Warner Communications subsidiaries, DC Comics teams up with Atari Inc. to publish Atari Force, storylines for Atari home console games. The comics are packed in with the games Defender, Berzerk, Star Raiders, Phoenix, and Galaxian.
• DC cancels its last three suspense/horror anthologies, The Unexpected, Ghosts, and Secrets of Haunted House.
• With the demise of New Media/Irjax, Steve Geppi takes over their warehouses and distribution centers and founds Diamond Comic Distributors; 14 years later the company would become the sole major comics distributor
• Independent publisher Paragon Publications changes its name to Americomics.
• Eric Schreurs' Joop Klepzeiker makes its debut in De Nieuwe Revu.

  Exhibitions and shows

• September 17–October 9: Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, Graham Gallery, New York City — curated by Georgia Riley

  Conventions

• Katy-Kon 2 — 2nd convention dedicated to Katy Keene
• March 27–28: Dimension Convention — dedicated to the artists and writers who created EC Comics
• June: Heroes Convention — First annual staging of the multigenre convention. Official guests: George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, Mike Zeck, Butch Guice, Romeo Tanghal
• June 5–6: Colorado Comic Art Convention II — guests include Jim Payne, Michael Golden, and Bob Layton
• June 10–13: Fantasy Fair — inaugural show; guest: Philip José Farmer
• July 3–5: Comic Art Convention — admission: $7/day; $15/weekend
• July 8–11: San Diego Comic-Con — 5,000 attendees; official guests: Carl Barks, Terry Beatty, Brian Bolland, Max Allan Collins, Will Eisner, Mike Grell, Chuck Jones, Hank Ketcham, Walter Koenig, Frank Miller, Arn Saba, Leonard Starr, Ken Steacy, Robert Williams
• July 16–18: Chicago Comicon
• August 13–15: Atlanta Fantasy Fair — official guests include Frank Miller, Ray Harryhausen, Will Eisner, Philip Jose Farmer, Forrest J Ackerman, Bob Burden, Mike W. Barr, Dick Giordano, Brad Linaweaver, Somtow Sucharitkul, Len Wein, and musical guests Axis
• August 21–22: Anaheim comic convention — guests include George Pérez and Michael Golden
• September: OrlandoCon — guests include C. C. Beck
• September 11–12: Houston comic convention — guests include Chris Claremont, Michael Golden, and David Prowse
• September 25–26: Comicana 82 — produced by Fantasy Domain and Comic Showcase; special guest Frank Miller
• October: Minneapolis Comic-Con — guests & attendees include C. C. Beck, Joe Staton, Carol Kalish, Chris Claremont, Denis Kitchen, Joel Thingvall, Catherine Yronwode, Greg Howard, and Reed Waller
• October 23–24: Encounter 6
• November: Mid-Ohio Con

  Deaths

January

• January 2: Fred Harman, American comics artist, passes away at age 79.
• January 8: Ray Thompson, American comics artist and illustrator, dies at the age of 76.
• January 13: Walter Pogge van Ranken, German novelist and comics writer, dies at age 68.
• January 15: Wally Bishop, American cartoonist, dies at age 77.
• January 19: Charles Plumb, American comics artist, dies at age 81.
• January 29: John Liney, American comics artist, dies at age 69 or 70.

  February

• February 3: Arent Christensen, Norwegian comics artist, dies at age 87.
• February 13: Gluyas Williams, American comics artist, dies at age 93.
• February 18: Jan Rot, Dutch illustrator, caricaturist, songwriter, poster, advertising and comics artist, dies at age 89.
• February 27: Carlo Bisi, Italian comics artist, dies at age 91.

  March

• March 28: Dave Sheridan, American comics artist, dies at age 38 or 39.

  April

• April 2: Birger Malmborg, Swedish comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 72.
• April 13: Sam Glankoff, aka Glan, American comics artist, dies at age 87.
• April 23: Georges Beuville, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 80.

  May

• May 11: Jan Dirk van Exter, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 66.

  June

• June 4: Henning Dahl Mikkelsen, aka Mik, Danish comics artist, dies at age 67 from a heart attack.
• June 10: Karel Links, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 66.
• June 30: Abner Dean, American cartoonist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 72.

  July

• July 2: Jack Bogle, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 81.
• July 6: Warren Tufts, American comics artist and animator, dies at the age of 56.
• July 9: Jehan Sennep, French illustrator, caricaturist, journalist and occasional comics artist, passes away at age 88.
• July 25: Harold Foster, American comics artist dies at the age of 89.

  August

• August 15: Ernie Bushmiller, American comics artist, dies at age 76.
• August 18: Carlos Botelho, Portuguese painter, illustrator, caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 82.

  September

• September 7: José Cabrero Arnal, Spanish-French comics artist, dies at the age of 73.
• September 12: Gian Giacomo Dalmasso, Italian comics writer, dies at age 75.
• September 13: Reed Crandall, American comics artist, dies at age 65.
• September 16: Courtney Dunkel, American comics artist, dies at age 79.
• September 23: Gene Day, Canadian comics artist dies of a coronary while crossing a street. He is only around 30 years old.
• September 29: Marcel Turin, aka Mat, French comics artist, dies at age 86.

  October

• October 3: Noel Sickles, American comics artist and illustrator, passes away at age 72.

  November

• November 8: Marco de Gastyne, French film director, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 93.
• November 29: Robert Fuzier, French comics artist, dies at age 83.

  Specific date unknown

• Carl Lyon, Australian comics artist, dies at age 78 or 79.
• Dan Noonan, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 71.
• H.E. Pease, British comics artist, passes away at age 73 or 74.
• Eric Roberts, British comics artist, passes away at age 72.

  Awards

Eagle Awards

• Best Story: V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
• Best New Book: Teen Titans, by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez
• Character Most Worthy of Own Title: Judge Anderson, 2000 AD
• Best Comics Writer: Alan Moore, V For Vendetta
• Favourite Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz
• Best UK Title: Warrior, edited by Dez Skinn
• Favourite Artist : Brian Bolland

  First issues by title

DC Comics

Limited series

Marvel Comics

Limited series

Pacific Comics

Other publishers

Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

• Ambush Bug in DC Comics Presents #52
• Arion in The Warlord #55
• Komand'r in New Teen Titans #22
• Brother Blood in New Teen Titans #21
• Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! in New Teen Titans #16
• Ch'p in Green Lantern #148
• Firehawk in Firestorm #01
• Global Guardians in DC Comics Presents #46
• Hamilton Hill, in Detective Comics #511
• Frances Kane in New Teen Titans #17
• The Monitor, in New Teen Titans #21
• Plastique in The Fury of Firestorm #07
• The Psions in New Teen Titans #4
• Terra in New Teen Titans #26
• Ryand'r in Tales of the New Teen Titans #04
• Adrian Chase in New Teen Titans #23
• Myrra Rhodes in Weird War Tales #110
• Black Bison in Firestorm #01
• X'Hal in New Teen Titans #24
• Alexander Luthor in DC Comics Presents Annual #01
• Baron Winters in New Teen Titans #21
• Rubberduck in New Teen Titans #16
• Invisible Kid in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #01
• Salaak in Green Lantern #149
• Captain Carrot in New Teen Titans #16
• Fastback in New Teen Titans #16
• Chameleon Girl in Legion of Super-Heroes #287
• Rising Sun in DC Comics Presents #46
• Helen Alexandros in Wonder Woman #288
• Michael Beldon in New Teen Titans #20
• Mirage in Detective Comics #511
• Thunderlord in DC Comics Presents #46
• Aristides Demetrios in DC Comics Presents #46
• Lydea Mallor in Legion of Super-Heroes #290
• Wanda Wayland in Justice League of America #203
• Joseph Carny in Justice League of America #203
• Mona Taylor in Justice League of America #203
• Jack of Spades in Justice League of America #203
• Jack Gold in New Teen Titans #21
• Vanessa van Helsing in New Teen Titans #21
• Donovan Caine in New Teen Titans #21
• in New Teen Titans #22
• Bushmaster in DC Comics Presents #46
• Alley-Kat-Abra in New Teen Titans #16
• Yankee Poodle in New Teen Titans #16
• Lord Damyn' in New Teen Titans #24

  Marvel Comics

• The Acanti in Uncanny X-Men #156
• Arcanna, in The Defenders #112
• The Brood in Uncanny X-Men #155
• Cloak and Dagger in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64
• Luna, in Fantastic Four #240
• Marada, the She-Wolf, in Epic Illustrated #10
• New Mutants, in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants
• * Cannonball
• * Danielle Moonstar
• * Sunspot
• * Wolfsbane
• Nuke, in The Defenders #112
• Power Princess, in The Defenders #112
• Monica Rambeau in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16
• Sikorsky in Uncanny X-Men #156
• Obadiah Stane, in Iron Man #163
• William Stryker in '
• Varnae in Bizarre Adventures #33
• Vermin in Captain America #272
• Vertigo, in Marvel Fanfare #1
• Yukio' in Wolverine'' #2

  Other titles

• Grendel in Primer #2, published by
• Groo the Wanderer in Destroyer Duck #1, published by Eclipse Comics
• Marvelous Maureen, in Pep Comics #383, published by Archie Comics
• Ms. Mystic in Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #3, published by Pacific Comics
• Rocketeer in Starslayer #2, published by Pacific Comics
• The Warpsmiths in Warrior Summer Special #4, published by Quality Communications