1969 in comics
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Notable events of 1969 in comics. See also List of years in comics.
This is a list of comics-related events in 1969.
Events[edit | edit source]
Year overall[edit | edit source]
- Paragon Publications established in Longwood, Florida, by Bill Black.
- Tower Comics goes out of business.
- George Klein, long-time Superman inker, dies in his fifties from cirrhosis of the liver, six months after getting married.[1]
January[edit | edit source]
- Sub-Mariner #9: First appearance of the Serpent Crown.
February[edit | edit source]
- The Golden Age character Phantom Stranger makes his first Silver Age appearance in Showcase #80.
- Flash Gordon (1966 series), with issue #12, is picked up by Charlton Comics, taking over from the defunct King Comics.
March[edit | edit source]
- Strange Adventures, with issue #217, becomes a reprint title. (DC Comics)
April[edit | edit source]
- House of Mystery #179, "The Man Who Murdered Himself" was the first professional comic work by artist Bernie Wrightson.[2]
June[edit | edit source]
- DC Comics raises the price of its typical comic from 12 cents to 15 cents.
July[edit | edit source]
- Long-time DC Comics logo designer and letterer Ira Schnapp dies at age 76.
August[edit | edit source]
- Marvel Comics follows DC's lead and raises the price of its typical comic from 12 cents to 15 cents.
September[edit | edit source]
- The Brave and the Bold #85, Artist Neal Adams updated Green Arrow's visual appearance by designing a new costume for the character in The Brave and the Bold #85 (August -September 1969).[3]
- Classics Illustrated cartoonist Alex Blum dies at age 80.
October[edit | edit source]
- The Marvel Comics reprint title Marvel Collectors' Item Classics, with issue #23, becomes Marvel's Greatest Comics.
December[edit | edit source]
- Metal Men, with issue #41 (December 1969/January 1970 cover-date), suspends publishing. (The title is revived in 1973 as a reprint book, the goes on hiatus until 1976.) (DC Comics)
Conventions[edit | edit source]
- Comicon '69 (British Comic Art Convention 2) (Waverley Hotel, London, England) — organized by Bram Stokes, Frank Dobson, and Steve Moore; guests include Steve Parkhouse and Barry Smith[4]
- Houstoncon (Houston, Texas)
- St. Louis World SF Convention (St. Louis, Missouri)
- Triple Fan Fair (Detroit, Michigan) — guests include Ed Hamilton, Leigh Brackett, and Al Williamson
- July 4–6: Comic Art Convention (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) — first official Comic Art Convention, produced by Phil Seuling; guest of honor: Hal Foster; other guests and attendees include Gil Kane, Roy Thomas, Gray Morrow, John Buscema, Al Williamson, Jeff Jones, Don McGregor, Richard Marschall;[5] Al Milgrom, Alan Weiss, Angelo Torres, Archie Goodwin, Arvell Jones, Bill Devine, Bill Pearson, Bob Lewis, Carole Seuling, Dick Giordano, Gary Brown, Gary Groth, Gary Via, Greg Potter, Hal Foster, Irene Vartanoff, Jerry Bails, Joe Sinnott, John Fantucchio, John Verpoorten, Len Wein, Mark Hanerfeld, Martin Greim, Marv Wolfman, Mary Skrenes, Phil Seuling, Rich Buckler, Richard "Grass" Green, Sal Trapini, Tom Fagan, and Woody Gelman; attendees pay $3.50 for a three-day ticket, with daily passes at $1.50.[6] Admittance free with a hotel room rental, which costs $15-and-up per day.[6]
Awards[edit | edit source]
- Ronald Michaud receives the Advertising and Illustration Award from the National Cartoonist Society.
Alley Awards[edit | edit source]
- Presented July 1969 at the Comic Art Convention
Best Comic Magazine Section
- Best Adventure Title — Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics)
- Best Fantasy/SF/Supernatural Title - Doctor Strange (Marvel Comics)
- Best Western Title - Bat Lash (DC Comics)
- Best War Title - Star Spangled War Stories (DC Comics)
- Best Humor Title - Archie (Archie Comics)
- Best Romance Title - Young Love (DC Comics)
- Best Reprint Title - Marvel Super-Heroes (Marvel Comics)
Professional Work
- Best Editor - Dick Giordano (DC Comics)
- Best Writer - Roy Thomas
- Best Pencil Artist - Neal Adams
- Best Inking Artist - Tom Palmer
- Best Cover - Captain America #113, by Jim Steranko
- Best Full-Length Story - "...And Who Shall Mourn for Him?," by Stan Lee, John Buscema & Sal Buscema, The Silver Surfer #5 (Marvel Comics)
- Best Feature Story - "At the Stroke of Midnight," by Jim Steranko, Tower of Shadows #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Hall of Fame - "Deadman", by Neal Adams (DC Comics)
Special Awards
- Carmine Infantino, "who exemplifies the spirit of innovation and inventiveness in the field of comic art".
- Joe Kubert, "for the cinematic storytelling techniques and the exciting and dramatic style he has brought to the field of comic art".
- Neal Adams, "for the new perspective and dynamic vibrance he has brought to the field of comic art".
Popularity Poll
- Best Adventure Hero Strip - The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Comics)
- Best Adventure Group Strip - Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics)
- Best Supporting Character - Rick Jones (The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, and Captain America) (Marvel Comics)
- Best Villain - Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four) (Marvel Comics)
- Strip Most Needing Improvement - Superman (DC Comics)
Newspaper Strip Section
- Best Adventure or Human Interest Strip - Prince Valiant, by Hal Foster
- Best Humor Strip or Panel - Peanuts, by Charles Schulz
- Hall of Fame - Tarzan, by Burne Hogarth
Fan Activity Section
- Best Limited Reproduction Fanzine - Newfangles by Don & Maggie Thompson
- Best Unlimited Reproduction Fanzine - The Comic Reader
- Best Fan Artist - John Fantucchio
- Best Comic Strip Writer - Mark Hanerfeld
- Best Fan Project - 1969 New York ComiCon
First issues by title[edit | edit source]
DC Comics[edit | edit source]
- Release: January /February Editor: Dick Giordano.
- Release: October Editor: Julius Schwartz.
- Release: May–June. Editor: Joe Orlando.
- Release: February /March : Editor: Joe Orlando.
Marvel Comics[edit | edit source]
- Release: October. Editor: Stan Lee.
- Release: September Editor: Stan Lee.
Other publishers[edit | edit source]
- Release: by Max Bunker Press. Writer: Max Bunker. Artist: Magnus.
- Release: December by Archie Comics.
- Release: May by Archie Comics.
- Release: May by Gold Key Comics.
- Release: February 1 by East Village Other. Editor: Vaughn Bodé
- Creator: Jaroslav Němeček
Canceled titles[edit | edit source]
DC Comics[edit | edit source]
- Bat Lash, with issue #7 (October /November )
- Beware the Creeper, with issue #6 (March /April )
- Secret Six, with issue #7 (April /May)
Marvel Comics[edit | edit source]
- Not Brand Echh, with issue #13 (May)
- Doctor Strange, with issue #183 (November )
Other publishers[edit | edit source]
- T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, with issue #20 (November )
Initial appearance by character name[edit | edit source]
DC Comics[edit | edit source]
- Abel, in DC Special #4 (July–September )
- Jason Bard, in Detective Comics #392 (October )
- Black Canary (Dinah Lance), in Justice League of America #75 (November ) — ret-con
- Mindgrabber Kid, in Justice League of America (vol. 1) #70 (March )
- Nightmaster, in Showcase #82 (May)
- Superman (Earth-Two), in Justice League of America #73 (August )
- Tala, in Phantom Stranger vol. 2, #4 (November –December )
Marvel Comics[edit | edit source]
- Controller, in Iron Man vol. 1, #12 (April )
- Digger, in Tower of Shadows #1 (September )
- Falcon, in Captain America #117 (September )
- Father Set, in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #9 (January )
- Vanessa Fisk, in The Amazing Spider-Man #70 (March )
- Frankenstein's Monster, Silver Surfer #7 (August )
- Galaxy Master, in The Incredible Hulk #111 (January )
- Glob, in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #121 (November )
- Grandmaster, in The Avengers #69 (October )
- Guardians of the Galaxy, by Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January )
- Havok, in Uncanny X-Men #54 (March )
- Hyperion, in The Avengers #69 (October )
- Larry Trask, in Uncanny X-Men #57 (June)
- Living Monolith, in Uncanny X-Men #54 (March )
- Machinesmith (Starr Saxon), in Daredevil #49 (February )
- Man Mountain Marko, in The Amazing Spider-Man #73 (June)
- Man-Ape, in The Avengers #62 (March )
- Midas, in Iron Man #17 (September )
- Naga, in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #9 (January )
- Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond), in The Avengers #69 (October )
- Prowler, in The Amazing Spider-Man #78 (November )
- Sauron, in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #60 (September )
- Savage Land Mutates
- Amphibius, in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #62 (November )
- Barbarus, in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #62 (November )
- Brainchild, in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #62 (November )
- Gaza, in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #62 (November )
- Lorelei, in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #63 (December )
- Lupo, in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #62 (November )
- Piper, in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #62 (November )
- Silvermane, in The Amazing Spider-Man #73 (June)
- Doctor Spectrum, in The Avengers #69 (November )
- Speed Demon, in The Avengers #70 (November )
- Stingray, in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #19 (November )
- Super-Patriot, in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #13 (July)
- Titanium Man, in Tales of Suspense #69 (September )
- Undying Ones, in Doctor Strange vol. 1, #183 (November )
- Viper, in Captain America #110 (February )
- Whizzer II (James Sanders), in The Avengers #69 (October )
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Interview with Pat Sekowsky, Alter Ego #33 (February 2004), pp. 5-20.
- ↑ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1960s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
"The Man Who Murdered Himself" in House of Mystery was...the first DC story illustrated by Berni Wrightson (who left the "e" off his first name to distinguish himself from a famous diver.
- ↑ McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 134: "Artist Neal Adams targeted the Emerald Archer for a radical redesign that ultimately evolved past the surface level...the most significant aspect of this issue was Adams' depiction of Oliver Queen's alter ego. He had rendered a modern-day Robin Hood, complete with goatee and mustache, plus threads that were more befitting an ace archer."
- ↑ Skinn, Dez. "Early days of UK comics conventions and marts," DezSkinn.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2013.
- ↑ Groth, Gary. "Editorial: Con Games," The Comics Journal #76 (Oct. 1, 1982), pp. 4-6.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The 1969 Comic Art Convention Progress Report