Years in comics

Before the 1900s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940s
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950s
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020s
2020 2021 2022 2023
v t e

Notable events of 1954 in comics.

Events and publications

Publishers Comic Media, Fiction House, Star Publications, and Youthful go out of business.

February

February 3: A controversial cartoon by Leslie Illingworth in Punch shows a visibly old and tired Winston Churchill behind his desk. It instantly causes outrage and scandal.^[1]
February 13: Leo Baxendale's The Bash Street Kids makes its debut in The Beano, but is still named When the Bell Rings in this period. It will receive its definitive title on 11 November 1956.^[2]
February 27: The first issue of the British comics magazine Jack and Jill is published. It will run until 29 June 1985.
Hopalong Cassidy, with issue #86, revived by DC Comics, taking over the numbering of the Fawcett Comics series.^[3]
The first issue of the American comics magazine Panic is published.

March

March 1: The Billy DeBeck Awards are renamed the Reuben Awards.
March 4: Jijé's Jerry Spring makes its debut.^[4]
March 20: Marten Toonder's Koning Hollewijn makes its debut. It will run until 26 June 1971.^[5]
March 20: First issue of the British comics magazine Swift is published. It will run until 2 March 1963.
Atlas Comics publishes Lorna, the Jungle Girl #6 (renamed from Lorna, the Jungle Queen)
The secret of Atlantis, by Carl Barks, on Uncle Scrooge.

April

April 14: Raymond Macherot's Chlorophylle makes its debut.^[6]
April 19: German-American psychiatrist Fredric Wertham publishes his treatise Seduction of the Innocent.^[7] The book warns that comic books are a negative form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. A minor bestseller, it alarms parents, teachers and moral guardians and galvanized them to campaign for comics censorship.
April 21–22: United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings on the comic book industry.
In Italy, Avventure nel West, by Edizioni Audace (Bonelli), series reprinting Italian Western comics, makes its debut.

May

May 1: The 11th issue of Mad Magazine is published, featuring Basil Wolverton's iconic parody of the Beautiful Girl of the Month on the cover.^[8]
May 16: In Italy, the first issues of Albi della rosa (reprints of Disney comics, aimed to the youngest readers) and Albi del falco (adventures of Superman, renamed Nembo Kid, and later also of the other DC heroes) are published by Mondadori. The second magazine, lasted till 1970, makes superheroes comics popular in Italy, even if the original stories are often heavily manipulated or censored.
In Gilbert, relative genius by Bill Wright, Gilbert, the savant Goofy’s nephew, makes his debut.

June

June 1: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Linus Van Pelt is first seen with his security blanket.^[9]
June 4: Further meeting of United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency
June 24: In the Johan story Le Lutin du Bois aux Roches, prepublished in Spirou the character Pirlouit (Peewit) makes his debut. The series will eventually change its name to Johan and Peewit.
Tralla La, a Scrooge McDuck story by Carl Barks, published in Uncle Scrooge #6.
The first issue of the Belgian children's magazine Bimbo is published. It will run until February 1956.

July

July 13: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Pig-Pen makes his debut.^[9]

August

August 8: The final episode of Jungle Jim is published.^[10]

September

September 4: The last issue of the Dutch comics magazine Grabbelton is published, a supplement of De Katholieke Illustratie.^[11]
September 11: The first issue of the British comics magazine Tiger is published. It will last until 30 March 1985.^[12]
September 11: Frank S. Pepper and Joe Colquhoun's Roy of the Rovers makes its debut in Fleetway's Tiger
September 30: The first stories of Daisy Duck’s diary by Dick Moores are published. In the following years, the series will be prosecuted by several American and Italian authors.
Formation of the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) and the Comics Code Authority (CCA)
Atlas Comics publishes Crime Fighters Always Win #11 (renamed from Timely's Crimefighters)
The first issue of the Croatian children's magazine Modra lasta is published.
Carl Barks publishes his Uncle Scrooge story The Seven Cities of Cibola.

October

October 3: Il Grande Blek by Giovanni Sinchetto, Dario Guzzon and Pietro Sartoris, also known as trio EsseGesse, makes its debut.^[13]
October 16: The first issue of the British comics magazine Playhour is published. It will run until 15 August 1987.
October 18: Mort Walker and Dik Browne's Hi and Lois makes its debut.^[14]^[15]
October: Brad Anderson's Marmaduke makes its debut.
Matt Murphy and Rex Maxon's Turok makes his debut. In 1956 the character will receive his own comic book series.^[16]

November

November 17: Albert Weinberg's Dan Cooper makes its debut.^[6]
November 25: Mitacq's La Patrouille des Castors makes its debut.
The Haunt of Fear, with issue #28 (November/December cover date), canceled by EC Comics.

December

December 22: Hergé's Tintin story The Calculus Affair is prepublished in Tintin. Halfway the story the obnoxious neighbour Jolyon Wagg makes his debut, as does the running gag of Cutts the Butcher .^[17]
Kodansha publishes Nakayoshi.
The Vault of Horror, with issue #40 (December 1954/January 1955 cover date), canceled by EC Comics.
Chamber of Chills, with issue #26, canceled by Harvey Comics.
The Mysterious Stone Ray by Carl Barks, on Uncle Scrooge.

Specific date unknown

The first episode of Roland Davies' Roddy the Road Scout is published.^[18]
In the Kapitein Rob story De Speurtocht van de Vrijheid by Pieter J. Kuhn Kapitein Rob marries Paula. Due to negative reception, the character was later made single again.^[19]

Births

February

February 24: Greg LaRocque, American comic book artist (The Flash, Legion of Super-Heroes, Spider-Man).^[20]

April

April 22: David A. Trampier, American illustrator and comics artist (Wormy), (d. 2014).

June

June 9: George Pérez, American comic book artist (The Avengers, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Teen Titans) and writer, (d. 2022).^[21]
June 28: Benoît Sokal, Belgian comics artist (Inspector Canardo), (d. 2021).^[22]

July

July 4: Ota, Brazilian comics writer, comics artist, cartoonist and publisher (Os Birutas, worked for the Brazilian edition of Mad Magazine), (d. 2021).^[23]

September

September 19: Garry Leach, British comic book artist (Judge Dredd, Tharg's Future Shocks, Dan Dare), (d. 2022).^[24]

November

November 2: Brian Augustyn, American comic book editor and writer (The Flash, Gotham by Gaslight, Imperial Guard), (d. 2022).^[25]

Deaths

January

January 4: Jimmy McMenamy (aka Jimmy Mack), American comics artist (Dotty Dripple, Good Joe, assisted on Dinky Dinkerton, Secret Agent 6 7/8, continued Big Sister), dies at age 41.^[26]^[27]
January 7:
- Bruno Angoletta, Italian illustrator and comics artist (Marmittone, Calogero Sorbara, Centerbe Ermete), dies at age 64.^[28]
- Albertine Randall, aka Albertine Randall Wheelan, American illustrator and comics artist (The Dumbunnies), dies at age 90.^[29]

February

February 21: Roland Coe, American comics artist (Crosstown Cartoons, His Nibs), dies at age 46.^[30]

May

May 5: Lou Hanlon, American comic artist (G-Man), dies at age 71. ^[31]

July

July 16: Attilio Mussino, Italian comics artist and illustrator (Bilbolbul, Gian Saetta, Schizzo, Dorotea and Salomone), dies at age 76.^[32]

August

Specific date unknown: Lou Ferstadt, Ukrainian-American muralist painter, comics artist (Bouncer) and comics studio founder (Ferstadt Studios), dies at age 53.^[33]

September

September 7: Bud Fisher, American comics artist (Mutt and Jeff), dies at age 69.^[34]
September 27: Hy Mayer, German-American political cartoonist, comic artist and animator (made prototypical comics), dies at age 86. ^[35]