1979 in comics

Years in comics
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Notable events of 1979 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events[edit | edit source]

Year overall[edit | edit source]

The "Demon in a Bottle" storyline, by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and John Romita, Jr., runs through Iron Man (issues #120–128, March–November).
Alien: The Illustrated Story, a comics adaptation of Alien, by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson, published by Heavy Metal.

January[edit | edit source]

January 24: The Mighty World of Marvel, with issue #330, changes its name to Marvel Comic. (Marvel UK)

March[edit | edit source]

IPC Magazines launches Tornado, a short-lived weekly British comic published for 22 issues.
The Human Fly, with issue #19, is cancelled by Marvel.

April[edit | edit source]

Kid Colt Outlaw (1949 series), with issue #225, canceled by Marvel.
The reprint title Marvel Triple Action, with issue #47, is cancelled by Marvel.

May[edit | edit source]

Frank Miller takes over from Gene Colan as regular penciler on Daredevil with issue #158.
Vince Colletta resigns as art director of DC Comics.
Rawhide Kid, with issue #135, canceled by Marvel.
Captain Marvel, with issue #62, cancelled by Marvel.
Howard the Duck (vol. 1), with issue #31, canceled by Marvel.
Black Panther, with issue #15, cancelled by Marvel.

June[edit | edit source]

June 13: Alan Moore's first mainstream comic work appears in the Marvel UK title Hulk Comic #15, with the five-part "The Incredible Hulk" story featuring Dr. Scarabeus (with penciller Paul Neary and inker David Lloyd).^[1]

Summer[edit | edit source]

DC Special Series #17 — DC Special Series returns after it had gone on hiatus in Fall 1978.

July[edit | edit source]

World of Krypton – #1 of 3, by DC Comics. The first official limited series, this three-issue "mini-series" was originally slated for Showcase #104-106 to coincide with the premiere of Superman: The Movie. The storyline was rescheduled for Showcase #110-112 when the film's release date was delayed; but ultimately, Showcase was cancelled after issue #104. Finally, the material is revised and released as a limited series by Paul Kupperberg and Howard Chaykin.^[2]
With issue #24, Marvel cancels Godzilla, King of the Monsters.
July 25: Marvel UK publishes the final weekly issue (#352) of Marvel Comic.

August[edit | edit source]

With issue #70, Marvel publishes the final issue of The Tomb of Dracula, ending writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan's uninterrupted six-year run on the title.

September[edit | edit source]

All Out War #1: a new war title in the Dollar Comics format is launched by DC Comics with a September/October cover date.
The Best of DC #1: a reprint anthology title in the digest format is launched by DC Comics with a September/October cover date.
"The Proteus Saga", by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, begins in Uncanny X-Men #125 (running through issue #128).
Marvel Comic, with issue #353, becomes a monthly title and is renamed Marvel Superheroes. (Marvel UK)
The Invaders, with issue #41, is cancelled by Marvel.

October[edit | edit source]

Action Comics #500: 68-pages, "The Life Story of Superman," by Martin Pasko, Curt Swan, and Frank Chiaramonte.
Star*Reach, with issue #18, publishes its final issue.
Time Warp #1: a new science-fiction anthology in the Dollar Comics format is launched by DC Comics with an October/November cover date.
With issue #28, Marvel cancels John Carter, Warlord of Mars.

December[edit | edit source]

Rom, #1 by Marvel Comics.

Conventions[edit | edit source]

June: Houstoncon (Houston, Texas) — guests include George Pérez and Walter Koenig
June 7–10: D-Con '79 (Dallas, Texas) — Larry Lankford's revival of D-Con after a hiatus; antecedent to Lankford's later Dallas Fantasy Fair
June 30–July 1: Comic Art Convention I (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City)
July 14–15: Comic Art Convention II (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
July 20–22: Chicago Comicon (Pick-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois) — special guests: Mike W. Barr and John Byrne; first year that Joe Sarno is not one of the show’s organizers, leaving the duties to Larry Charet and Bob Weinberg
August: FantaCon (The Egg convention center, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York) — first annual Albany-area horror and comic book convention hosted by FantaCo Enterprises publisher Thomas Skulan
August 1–5: San Diego Comic-Con (Convention and Performing Arts Center and U.S. Grant Hotel, San Diego, California) — 6,000 attendees; official guests: Kelly Freas, Mike Jittlov, Harvey Kurtzman, Victor Moscoso, Nestor Redondo, Marshall Rogers, John Romita Sr., Mort Walker, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman
August 31–September 2: Comicon '79 (British Comic Art Convention 11) (Hotel Metropole, National Exhibition Centre; Birmingham, England) — eleventh annual "U.K. Comic Art & Fantasy Convention;" guest of honor: Jim Steranko; other guests include Dez Skinn and Dave Gibbons; presentation of the Eagle Awards
September: OrlandoCon (Orlando, Florida) — guests include Will Eisner, C. C. Beck, Bob Cummings, Kirby Grant, and Jack Rosen
November 24–26: Creation '79 (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) — guests include Tom Savini; admission: $6/day^[3]

Awards[edit | edit source]

Eagle Awards[edit | edit source]

Presented in 1980 for comics published in 1979:

Roll of Honor: Jack Kirby
Favourite Writer: Chris Claremont
Favourite Comicbook Artist: John Byrne
Favourite Inker: Terry Austin
Favourite Comic Book (Drama): Uncanny X-Men
Favourite Comic Book (Humor): Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan
Favourite New Comic Title: Howard the Duck
Favorite Single Comic Book Story: "Demon in a Bottle," Iron Man #s 120-128, by David Michelinie, John Romita, Jr., and Bob Layton
Favourite Continued Comic Story: X-Men #125-128, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Best Comicbook Cover: The Avengers #185, by George Pérez
Favourite Team: X-Men
Favourite Character: Wolverine
Favourite Supporting Character: Wolverine
Favourite Villain: Magneto
Character Most Worthy of Own Title: Warlock
Favourite Title (UK): Starburst, edited by Dez Skinn

First issues by title[edit | edit source]

DC Comics[edit | edit source]

The Best of DC — Digest size title

Release: September /October

All Out War — Dollar Comics title

Release: September /October Editor: Murray Boltinoff

Time Warp — Dollar Comics title

Release: October /November Editor: Jack C. Harris

Marvel Comics[edit | edit source]

Amazing Adventures vol. 3

Release: December. Reprinting the original X-Men title.^[4]

Doctor Who Magazine

Release: October 11 by Marvel UK.

Hulk Comic

Release: March 7 by Marvel UK. Editor: Dez Skinn.

Man-Thing vol. 2

Release: November. Writer: Michael Fleisher. Artists: Jim Mooney and Bob Wiacek.

Marvel Spotlight vol. 2

Release: July. Editor: Roger Stern.

Micronauts

Release: January. Writer: Bill Mantlo. Artist: Michael Golden.

Rom: Spaceknight

Release: December. Writer: Bill Mantlo. Artist: Sal Buscema.

Shogun Warriors

Release: February. Writer: Doug Moench. Artist: Herb Trimpe.

Tales to Astonish vol. 2

Release: December. Reprinting edited versions of the 1968 Sub-Mariner title.^[4]

Independent titles[edit | edit source]

Battle of the Planets: Release: June by Gold Key Comics. Writer: Gary Poole. Artist: Win Mortimer.

Best Buy Comics: Release February by Apex Novelties. Writers and Artists: Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky

Starblazer: Release: April by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd..

Initial appearances by character name[edit | edit source]

DC Comics[edit | edit source]

Blok, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #253
Carl Draper, in Superman #331
Fire, in Super Friends #25
Firebug, in Batman #318
Lucius Fox, in Batman #307^[5]
Maxie Zeus, in Detective Comics #483

Marvel Comics[edit | edit source]

El Aguila, in Power Man and Iron Fist #58
Alpha Flight, in Uncanny X-Men #120
- Aurora
- Northstar
- Sasquatch
- Shaman
- Snowbird
Black Cat, in The Amazing Spider-Man #194
Dire Wraith, in Rom #1
Followers of the Light, in Shogun Warriors #1
Justin Hammer, in Iron Man #120
H.E.R.B.I.E., in Fantastic Four #209
Kroton (Cyberman), in Doctor Who Weekly #5 (Marvel UK)
Cassandra Lang (as "Cassie Lang"), in Marvel Premiere #47
Scott Lang, in The Avengers #181; as Ant-Man II in Marvel Premiere #47
Lady Lotus, in Invaders #37
Night Raven, in Hulk Comic #1 (Marvel UK)
Quasar, in Incredible Hulk #234
Proteus, in Uncanny X-Men #125
Rom, in Rom: Spaceknight #1
Schizoid Man, in Spectacular Spider-Man #36
Shadow King, in Uncanny X-Men #117 (January)
Screaming Mimi, in Marvel Two-in-One #54
Vampiro, in The Mighty Thor #290 (December)
War Machine, in Iron Man #118
Debra Whitman, in The Amazing Spider-Man #196
Mariko Yashida, in Uncanny X-Men #118

Notes[edit | edit source]

↑ Dr Scarabeus profile
↑ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. The worldwide success of Superman: The Movie motivated [DC] to publish more Superman-related titles. With that, editor E. Nelson Bridwell oversaw a project that evolved into comics' first official limited series - World of Krypton...Featuring out-of-this-world artwork from Howard Chaykin, [Paul] Kupperberg's three-issue limited series explored Superman's homeworld.
↑ Shenker, Israel. "Comic-Book Fans Gather for 'Creation '79'; The Hand Is the Ticket," New York Times (Nov. 25, 1978).
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 During this period, Marvel published a number of reprint titles.
↑ McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 180 "Batman #307 (January 1979) Writer Len Wein and artist John Calnan introduced Bruce Wayne's new executive, Lucius Fox, in this issue of Batman."

[1] Dr Scarabeus profile

[2] McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. The worldwide success of Superman: The Movie motivated [DC] to publish more Superman-related titles. With that, editor E. Nelson Bridwell oversaw a project that evolved into comics' first official limited series - World of Krypton...Featuring out-of-this-world artwork from Howard Chaykin, [Paul] Kupperberg's three-issue limited series explored Superman's homeworld.

[3] Shenker, Israel. "Comic-Book Fans Gather for 'Creation '79'; The Hand Is the Ticket," New York Times (Nov. 25, 1978).

[reprint-4] 4.0 ^4.1 During this period, Marvel published a number of reprint titles.

[5] McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 180 "Batman #307 (January 1979) Writer Len Wein and artist John Calnan introduced Bruce Wayne's new executive, Lucius Fox, in this issue of Batman."

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