1992 in comics

Events and publications

Year overall

• New publishers Black Eye Productions, African Prince Productions, Defiant Comics, Approbation Comics, Full Bleed Studios, and Image Comics enter the marketplace; Image explodes onto the scene, releasing eight ongoing and limited series, starting with Youngblood in April; followed by Spawn in May; Savage Dragon in July; and Brigade, Shadowhawk, and WildC.A.T.S. in August.
• Time Warner companies decided to drop the word "Inc.", including DC Comics.

  January

• Adventures of Captain America #4, the final issue of the limited series

  February

• Captain Confederacy vol. 2, #4, the final issue of the limited series

  March

• March 24: The final issue of the iconic British satirical magazine Punch, which was renowned for its cartoons, is published. It will be briefly revived between 1996 and 2002.
• Batman #475: Introduction of Renee Montoya.
• Hook #4, the final issue of the bi-weekly mini-series

  April

• Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics is first prepublished.
• The Amazing Spider-Man #361: First full appearance of Carnage.

  May

• Captain America #400: 80-page giant; double gatefold cover; flip-book with a reprint of Avengers #4 on the opposite side.
• Uncanny X-Men #300: 68-page giant featuring "Legacies," by Scott Lobdell, John Romita Jr., and Dan Green.
• Namor the Sub-Mariner #26 – Jae Lee makes his Marvel Comics' debut.

  June

• The first edition of the bi-annual Dutch comics festival Stripdagen Haarlem is organized in Haarlem by Joost Pollmann.

  July

• Amazing Heroes, the long-running industry magazine published by Fantagraphics, folds after 203 issues.
• Introduction of James Rhodes as War Machine in Iron Man #282.
• Adventures of the Thing #4, the final issue of the mini-series featuring reprints from Marvel Two-In-One
• Defenders of Dynatron City #6, the final issue of the video game adaptation

  August

• Savage Sword of Conan #200: "Barbarians of the Border," by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Ernie Chan.
• The Amazing Spider-Man #365: Special 30th Anniversary issue with a hologram on the cover. A backup story, "I Remember Gwen" drawn by John Romita
• The Pirates of Dark Water #9, the final issue of the Hanna-Barbera fantasy animated series adaptation

  September

• Peter Laird founds the Xeric Foundation, which awards self-published grants to comics creators.
• With #37, Legends of the Dark Knight changes its title to .
• Cops: The Job #4, the final issue of the mini-series

  October

• October 9: The Words & Pictures Museum of Fine Sequential Art, founded by Kevin Eastman, opens its doors in Northampton, Massachusetts.
• October 15: During the Stripdagen Hein de Kort wins the Stripschapprijs. Comics collector, publisher and store owner Hans Matla and his wife Franny win the Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdienste.
• Batman: Sword of Azrael #1: Introduction of Azrael, who would later become Batman during the storyline.
• Dinosaurs, a Celebration #4, the final issue of the mini-series
• Warlock vol. 2, #6, the final issue of the limited series

  November

• November 18: In Superman #75 Superman dies, seemingly permanently. The news attracts a lot of media coverage outside the comics world.
• November 21: The final issue of the British comics magazine The Victor is published.
• Cable—Blood and Metal #2, the final issue of the limited series
• Infinity War #6, the final issue of the limited series

  December

• The Incredible Hulk reaches issue #400. The Hulk battles the Leader.
• The Punisher/Captain America: Blood and Glory #3, the final issue of the limited series

  Deaths

January

• January 8: Aubrey Collette, Sri Lankese comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 81.
• January 15: Walter Clinton, American animator and comics artist, died at age 85.
• January 25: Guido Buzzelli, Italian comics artist, dies at age 64.
• January 27: Jacques Devos, Belgian comics artist, died at age 67.

  February

• February 10: George Henderson, Canadian comics store owner, dies at age 63.
• February 14: Alex Lovy, American animator and comics artist, passes away at age 78.
• Jan Bucquoy is sued by Hergé's estate for making a pornographic parody of Tintin titled La Vie Sexuelle de Tintin. He later wins his case.

  March

• March 12: Hans G. Kresse, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 70.
• March: Yvonne Hutton, British comics artist, passes away three months after having had a car accident.

  May

• May 27: Machiko Hasegawa, Japanse comics artist, dies at age 72.
• May 31: Walter Neugebauer, Yugoslavian comics artist, dies at age 71.

  June

• June 3: William Gaines, American comics publisher, dies at age 70.
• June 6: Martin Goodman, American comics publisher, dies at age 84.
• June 11: Todd Loren, American comics writer, editor, and publisher, is murdered at aged 32.

  July

• July 5: Alcides Aguiar Caminha, aka Carlos Zéfiro, Brazilian songwriter and comics artist, dies at age 70.
• July 9: Bertil Wilhelmsson, Swedish comics artist, passes away at age 65.
• July 12: Al Gabriele, American comics artist, dies at age 75.
• July 30: Joe Shuster, Canadian-American comics artist, dies at age 78.

  August

• August 8: Lynn Karp, American animator and comics artist, passes away at age 82.
• August 25: Jan Gerhard Toonder, Dutch writer, poet and comics writer, passes away at age 78.
• August 26: Bob de Moor, Belgian comics artist, passes away at age 66.
• August 30: Jeanne Hovine, Belgian comedian and comics artist, dies at age 104.

  September

• September 25: Jaap Beckmann, Dutch illustrator, art critic and comics artist, passes away at age 88.
• September 27: Zhang Leping, Chinese comics artist and animator, dies at the age of 91.

  November

• November 9: Jacques Naret, French teacher, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 80.
• November 28: Co Egelie, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 87.
• November 30: Miguel Ambrosio Zaragoza, aka Ambros, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 79.

  December

• December 5: Arturo Del Castillo, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 67.
• December 17: Horst von Möllendorff, German comics artist, cartoonist and animator, dies at age 86.
• December 23: Vilhelm Hansen, Danish comics artist, dies at age 92.
• December 24: Peyo, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 64.
• December : Mike Matthews, British comics artist, passes away.

  Specific date unknown

• Fred Abranz, American comics artist and animator, dies at age 81 or 82.
• Stan Asch, American comics artist, dies at age 79 or 80.
• Arturo Cazeneuve, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 71 or 72.
• Tetsuji Fukushima, Japanese comics artist and mangaka, dies at age 77 or 78.
• Bernardo Leporini, Italian comics artist, dies at age 87 or 88.
• Bob MacLeod, American comics artist, dies at age 85 or 86.
• Nick Nichols, American comics artist, dies at age 81 or 82.
• Sam Rosen, American comics letterer dies.
• Pax Steen, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 77 or 78.
• Irvin Steinberg, American comics artist, dies at age 85 or 86.

  Exhibitions and shows

• September 13–November 7: — Political Satire by Oliver Harrington — examples of Harrington's comic strip character Bootsie, as well as his magazine cartoons
• October 9, 1992 – January 5, 1993: Words & Pictures Museum grand opening exhibition, featuring Mike Ploog, Jack Kirby, Bill Sienkiewicz, Paul Mavrides, Gilbert Shelton, John Severin, Mark Martin, and Wally Wood
• October 26–December 11: — Illusions: Ethnicity in American Cartoon Art — examination of racial and ethnic stereotypes in cartoons from the past 150 years

  Conventions

• January: CAPTION – inaugural event
• January 4–5: Great Eastern Comic Book Convention
• January 23–26: Angoulême International Comics Festival
• March 14–15: GlasCAC — 3rd annual Glasgow edition of the UKCAC; official guests include creators from the "Deadline Mini-Tour": Nick Abadzis, Rachel Ball, Philip Bond, Glyn Dillon, D'Israeli, Evan Dorkin, Jamie Hewlett, Alan Martin, Shaky 2000, and Si Spencer
• April 12: International Seattle Comic Convention – guests include Martin Nodell
• May 9: Ramapo Comic Con VI — guests include Brian Augustyn, Rick Bryant, Mike Carlin, Dave Cockrum, Denys Cowan, Evan Dorkin, David Chelsea, Ken Gale, Ron Garney, Jack C. Harris, Fred Hembeck, Dennis Janke, Ray Lago, Elaine Lee, Mike Leeke, Luke McDonnell, Bob McLeod, Fabian Nicieza, Jerry Ordway, Bob Pinaha, Richard Pini, Wendy Pini, Jordan Raskin, Adrienne Roy, Jim Salicrup, Kurt Schaffenberger, Joe Staton, Anthony Tollin, Mercy Van Vlack, John Workman, Bernie Wrightson, and Jim Shooter
• June: Heroes Convention — guests include Joe Quesada
• June 20–21: Atlanta Fantasy Fair — official guests include Peter David
• July 4–6: Chicago Comicon – special guests Rob Liefeld, Mark Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Jim Valentino, and Whilce Portacio
• July 12: Great Eastern Conventions – special guest Dave Sim
• July 17–19: Dragon Con – 6,100 attendees
• August 7–9: Dallas Fantasy Fair — 5,500 attendees; official guests include Archie Goodwin, John Byrne, Sergio Aragonés, Peter Bagge, Neal Barrett, Jr., Steve Bissette, Bob Burden, Steven Butler, Dan Clowes, Mike Collins, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Steve Erwin, Mark Finn, Brad W. Foster, Josh Alan Friedman, Kerry Gammill, Dick Giordano, Alan Grant, Gary Groth, Bo Hampton, Ray Harryhausen, Tex Henson, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Walt Holcombe, Jaxon, Shane Johnson, Kelley Jones, Gil Kane, Larry King, Denis Kitchen, Rick Klaw, Harvey Kurtzman, Michael Lark, John Lucas, Dean Mullaney, Martin Nodell, Nina Paley, Butch Patrick, Tom Peyer, Michael Price, Don Ivan Punchatz, Joe Riley, Nina Romberg, Jeff Rovin, Mark Schultz, Julius Schwartz, Gilbert Shelton, Lewis Shiner, Ivan Stang, Kenneth Smith, Chris Sprouse, David Tosh, James Vance, Martin Wagner, Reed Waller, Wayno, Shannon Wheeler, Mack White, Sidney Williams, Al Williamson, John Wooley, Kate Worley, and Catherine Yronwode
• August 13–16: Comic-Con International – convention coincides with publication of DC's The Death of Superman. Guests of the show include Roger Stern, John Byrne, and Jim Shooter
• September 19–20: UKCAC92 — 8th annual edition; guests include John Romita, Jr., Chris Claremont, David Mazzucchelli, Steve Bissette, Mike Mignola, Tom Veitch, Evan Dorkin, Paul Kupperberg, Dave Gibbons, Alan Grant, Peter Milligan, Mike Collins, John McCrea, Lew Stringer, John Beeston, Stephen Sampson, Jamie Hewlett, Doug Braithwaite, Richmond Lewis, Arthur Ranson, Mark Buckingham, Andrew Wildman, and Paul Johnson
• October 30–31: Festival of Cartoon Art — guests include Mell Lazarus, David Hendin, Jim Borgman, Mort Drucker, Nicole Hollander, Mike Konopacki, Buck Brown, Lee Lorenz
• November 1: Great Eastern Conventions – special guest Dave Sim
• December 13: Great Eastern Conventions – special guest Dave Sim

  Awards

First issues by title

DC Comics

• '
• '
• Darkstars

  Dark Horse Comics

• Dark Horse Comics
• Next Men
• Robocop vs. Terminator

  Image Comics

Kodansha

Marvel Comics

Limited series

Independent titles

Canceled titles by publisher

DC Comics

• Starman, with issue #45

  Last Gasp

• Wimmen's Comix, with issue #17

  Marvel Comics

• ALF, with issue #50
• , with issue #3
• Captain Planet and the Planeteers, with issue #12
• The Destroyer, with vol. 3, #4
• Original Ghost Rider Rides Again, with issue #7
• James Bond Jr., with issue #12
• Kid 'n Play, with issue #9
• Metropol, with issue #12
• NFL SuperPro, with issue #12
• RoboCop, with #23
• Spider-Man Saga, with issue #4
• The Toxic Avenger, with issue #11
• The Transmutation of Ike Garuda, with issue #2