This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "1977 in comics" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

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 2024
v t e

Notable events of 1977 in comics.

Events

Year overall

Wendy and Richard Pini establish WaRP Graphics.
Jan and Dean Mullaney establish Eclipse Comics.
The United Kingdom's Eagle Awards are established.
Ciao magazine is launched.

January

January 3: Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.'s The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper comic strip makes its debut.^[1] The storyline of the first strip is that Doctor Doom is coming to address the United Nations.^[2]
January 9: In the Goofy story The Weregoof's Curse!, by Romano Scarpa, Plottigat makes his debut.
Our Army at War #300: "300th Hill," by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. (DC Comics)
With issue #6 (January//February issue), DC cancels Four Star Spectacular.
Toward the Terra by Keiko Takemiya debuts in Asahi Sonorama's Gekkan Manga Shōnen magazine.
The Italian magazine Alter Linus changes its headline in Alter alter.

February

February 10: HUMO publishes Zappa in Zoeloeland, a comic strip by Kamagurka, with text written by rock musician Frank Zappa.^[3]
February 15: Merho's De Kiekeboes makes its debut.^[4]
February 26: The first issue of the British comics magazine 2000 AD is published. It also introduces Pat Mills' Tharg the Mighty.
February 27: Mummy fearest, by Romano Scarpa, on Topolino.
With issue #258, DC cancels Tarzan, a title it acquired from Gold Key Comics in 1972 (and continued the Gold Key numbering).
With issue #250, DC suspends publishing Blackhawk, which ran from 1944 to 1968, and was revived in 1976.
Star Spangled War Stories, with issue #204 (February/March ), canceled by DC.
With issue #33, Marvel cancels the black-and-white magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.
Planet of the Apes, with issue #29, is cancelled by Marvel.
Ka-Zar vol. 2, with issue #20, is cancelled by Marvel.
The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor, with issue #24, canceled by Gold Key.

Spring

Doc Savage: Man of Bronze, with issue #8, is cancelled by Curtis Magazines (Marvel Comics).

March

March 5: Judge Dredd debuts in the second issue of 2000 AD with the story "Judge Whitey", written by Peter Harris and drawn by Mike McMahon.
March 13: The final episode of James Childress' Conchy is published.
March 15: The first episode of Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosinski's Thorgal is published in Tintin.^[5]
March 17: The Belgian comics magazine Spirou publishes a supplement with more mature content: Le Trombone Illustré. It will run for seven months, until 20 October 1977, before the conventional editors feel it doesn't really fit within their family friendly public image. In its first issue André Franquin's Idées Noires (Franquin's Last Laugh) and Frédéric Jannin and Thierry Culliford's Germain et nous... make their debut.^[6]
March 19: The final episode of Phil Collins' Leonardo is published.^[7]
March 22: In Tintin (Belgian edition), the first chapter of the Thorgal story The sorceress betrayed, by Jean Van Hamme and Grzegor Rosinski is published, which marks the debut of the Thorgal series.
House of Mystery #251 and The Superman Family #182 became the first DC Comics series in the 80-page Dollar Comics format, consisting of 64 pages of new stories.^[8]
With issue #302, DC changes the title of Our Army at War to Sgt. Rock.
G.I. Combat #200: "The Tank That Died Twice," by Robert Kanigher and Sam Glanzman.
Kobra, with issue #7, is cancelled by DC.
Werewolf by Night, with issue #43, is cancelled by Marvel.
National Periodical Publications changed its name to DC Comics, Inc.
First number of Skorpio’s Italian edition, by Eura publishing house.

April

April 12: Marvel publish the first issue of Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin's adaptation of Star Wars.
April 18: The first episode of Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas' Sam and Silo is published.^[9]^[10]
April 30: The Judge Dredd storyline "The Robot Wars" begins in 2000 AD (running through June 18).
The first issue of Heavy Metal is published, the English-language version of Métal Hurlant.
G.I. Combat #201 and World's Finest Comics #244 change to the Dollar Comics format.^[8] Backup features in World's Finest Comics include Green Arrow, Black Canary,^[11] Wonder Woman, and the Vigilante.
Two-Gun Kid, with issue #136, is cancelled by Marvel.
Marvel Spotlight, with issue #33, is cancelled by Marvel.
The first issue of the underground comix magazine Rip Off Comix is published.
In Alter alter, the first chapter of Le straordinarie avventure di Penthotal (Penthotal's extraordinary adventure) by the underground cartoonist Andrea Pazienza is published. A surreal diary of a young cartoonist departed between his artistic vocation and the political consciousness, a transparent alter ego of the author. The series will run until 1981^[12]

May

May: The first issue of the Dutch adult comics magazine Gummi/De Balloen is published. It will last until December 1979.^[13]
May 7: The final episode of Vic Neill's Wee Ben Nevis is published in The Beano.
May 21: The spin-off series Gnasher's Tale, starring Gnasher, debuts in The Beano, drawn by David Sutherland. It will run up until 1986. ^[14]
May 28–30: The final Detroit Triple Fan Fair is organized in Detroit, Michigan, once the oldest regular comic book convention in the world.^[15]^[16]
The final episode of Sandro Angiolini's Vartan is published.
With issue #205, DC changes the title of Star Spangled War Stories to The Unknown Soldier.

June

June 3:
- The death of Australian comics author Syd Nicholls also means the end of the comic strip Fatty Finn, which has run since 1923.
- In L’europeo the first chapter of Favola di Venezia (Venetian fable), by Hugo Pratt is prepublished.
June 12: Hergé and Andy Warhol meet after Warhol made three silkscreen portraits of Hergé.^[17]
DC Comics raises the price of its standard comic book from 30 to 35 cents.
Challengers of the Unknown is revived by DC Comics with issue #81 (June/July cover date; continued from 1958 series); storyline picks up from Super-Team Family issues #8–10.
Secrets of Haunted House revived with issue #6 (June/July issue) after a 17-month hiatus (DC Comics).
With issue #5, DC cancels Ragman.
The first issue of Cannibale (Cannibal) is published, a satirical and Dadaist magazine, edited by Stefano Tamburini.

July

July 9:
- The final issue of the British comics magazine Sparky is published, as it merges with The Topper.
- Dutch comic artist Peter Pontiac publishes his acclaimed autobiographical comic The Amsterdam Connection in issue # of the Dutch magazine Gummi. The story deals with his personal drug use. ^[18]
With issue #231, Marvel UK changes the title of the weekly magazine Super Spider-Man and the Titans to Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain, now featuring new Captain Britain stories (as well as The Amazing Spider-Man reprints).
Iron Man #100: "Ten Rings To Rule the World!" by Bill Mantlo, George Tuska, and Mike Esposito.
With issue #12, DC revives The New Gods (now called Return of the New Gods), continuing the numbering from the 1971 series.
With issue #126, DC cancels Young Love (1960 series), picked up from Prize Comics in 1963.
With issue #7, Marvel publishes the final issue of Logan's Run.

August

August 23: The Flemish comics magazine Patskrant, a weekly children's supplement of the newspapers Het Nieuwsblad, De Standaard, Het Handelsblad, De Gentenaar and De Landwacht, changes its name to the Stipkrant. It will run until September 2000.
With issue #94 (August /September cover date), DC revives Showcase, continuing the numbering from the 1956 series, which ceased publishing in 1970.
With issue #57, DC revives Aquaman, continuing the numbering from the 1962 series, which ceased publishing in 1971.
With issue #230, DC cancels Superboy (at this point titled Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes).
With issue #29, DC cancels DC Special (1968 series).
With issue #12 (August /September cover date), DC cancels Hercules Unbound.
With issue #12, Marvel cancels The Inhumans.
With issue #12, Marvel cancels the anthology title Marvel Presents.

September

September 13: The first episode of Jeff MacNelly's Shoe is published.
September 24: The first issue of the short-lived British comics magazine Plug is published. It will run until 1979.
The first episode of David A. Trampier's Wormy is published. It will run until 1988.
With issue #19, DC revives Mister Miracle (1971 series), which had gone on hiatus in 1974.
With issue #10, Marvel publishes the final issue of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In this month's issue of Pif Gadget André Chéret kills off his character Rahan. The issue sells 1,5 million copies, but two issues later Rahan is already back from the dead.^[19]

October

October 7: The first edition of the Flemish comics prize Bronzen Adhemar is held in Turnhout. The winner is Hector Leemans, creator of the newspaper comic Bakelandt.
October 22: The first issue of the British comics magazine Cheeky Weekly is published, in which Reg Parlett's Mustapha Million makes its debut.^[20]
October 24: Bill Hoest's Agatha Crumm makes its debut and will run until 1996.^[21]
With issue #10, Marvel cancels Omega the Unknown.
With issue #8, DC cancels Starfire.

November

November 3: The first episode of Kamagurka's Bert is published in Humo.^[22]
November 13: The final episode of Al Capp's Li'l Abner is published, drawing the series to a close after being in syndication since 1934.^[23]
November 22: After a long interval, Bob De Moor's Cori, de Scheepsjongen (Cori, Le Moussaillon) makes its comeback in Tintin. ^[24]
Following rival DC's lead, Marvel Comics raises the price of its standard comic book from 30 to 35 cents.
With issue #18, DC cancels Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter.

December

December 31: The final issue of the Flemish children's magazine Ohee is published, supplement of the newspaper Het Volk.^[25]
Dave Sim's Cerebus the Aardvark makes its debut and is published independently under the name Aardvark-Vanaheim.
John Byrne and Terry Austin begin their acclaimed run as X-Men penciller/inker team with issue #108 of the title.
With issue #8 (December 1977/January 1978 cover date), DC cancels Isis.
In the story The Blackbeard's thaler, by Guido Martina and Massimo De Vita, Jeeves makes his debut.

Specific date unknown

The first episode of Matt Groening's Life in Hell is published.^[26]
The Dutch comics magazine Tante Leny Presenteert receives the Stripschapprijs.^[27]
Alfredo Chiappori starts his historical-educational comic series Storie d'Italia. ^[28]
Animation director Chuck Jones launches a newspaper comic Crawford. The series will last only six months, halfway 1978. ^[29]

Births

Deaths

January

January 1: Alexander Saroukhan, Armenian-Egyptian cartoonist and caricaturist, dies at age 78.^[30]^[31]
January: Bob Brown, American comics artist (co-creator of Space Ranger, long-time penciller of Challengers of the Unknown), dies at age 62.^[32]
January 22: James Childress, American comics artist and cartoonist (Conchy), commits suicide at age 35.^[33]
January 24: John Rosenberger, American comics artist and painter (Girls' Romances, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane, The Superman Family), dies at age 58.^[34]

February

February 1: Edmond Hamilton, American science fiction and comic writer (Space Ranger, DC Comics), dies at age 72.
February 11: Ben Batsford, American comics artist (Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy, Billy's Uncle, continued Doings of the Duffs, Little Annie Rooney and The Boomers (aka Frankie Doodle), dies at age 83.^[35]
February 16: Frank Engli, American animator and comics artist, letterer and colorist (On the Wing, Rocky the Stone Age Kid, Looking Back, assisted Dumb Dora, coloured and lettered Terry and the Pirates, Male Call, Steve Canyon, Scorchy Smith), dies at age 70.^[36]
February 21: John Hubley, American animator, film director and comics artist (Mr. Magoo, Zuckerkandl!) dies at age 62.
Specific date unknown: Irving Spector, American animator and comics artist (Coogy, Little Lionel, Punchy the Black Crow), dies at age 62.^[37]

March

March 20: Han Krug, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (Juffrouw Snater, Het Avontuur van Knor-Knor), dies at age 86.^[38]
March 23: Ed Dobrotka, American comics artist (continued Superboy, Lois Lane, co-creator of the Toyman), dies at age 69.^[39]
March 31: Alexey Komarov, Russian painter, sculptor, cartoonist, illustrator, poster artist and comics artist (Every Woman Should Know How To Raise A Child Properly), dies at age 97.^[40]

April

April: Paul Gustavson, American comics writer and artist (The Human Bomb, The Angel), dies at age 60.^[41]
April 8: Jean Cézard, French comics artist (Arthur le fantôme justicier), dies at age 53.^[42]

May

May 25:
- Christian Kittilsen, Norwegian illustrator and comics artist (Grane), dies at age 70.^[43]
- Frans Mandos, Dutch painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 67.^[44]

June

June 3: Syd Nicholls, Australian comics artist (Fatty Finn), falls from his apartment balcony and dies at age 80.^[45]
June 6: Joseph Musial, American comics writer (Flash Gordon), artist (continued The Katzenjammer Kids, assisted on Barney Google, Blondie, Bringing Up Father,...) and author (The Career Guide for Cartoonists), dies at age 72.^[46]
June 10: Wood Cowan, American comics artist (worked on Vivian the Vamp, Them Were the Days, Mom 'n' Pop, Oh, Diana, Our Boarding House, Sissy), dies at age 90.^[47]
June 16: Stan Cross, American-Australian comics artist (Wally and the Major, The Potts), dies at age 88.^[48]

July

July 5: Theo Funke Küpper, Dutch comics artist (De Verstrooide Professor), dies at age 72.^[49]
July 8: Roy Crane, American comics artist (Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, Buz Sawyer), dies at age 75.^[50]
July 9: Alfred Georges Pavis, French painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 91.^[51]
Specific date unknown: Milt Stein, American animator and comics artist (Supermouse), commits suicide at age 56.^[52]

August

August 1: Bernard van Vlijmen, Dutch painter, graphic artist, illustrator and comics artist (created occasional comics for Ons Eigen Tijdschrift), dies at age 81.^[53]
Specific date unknown: August: Louis Cazeneuve, Argentine comics artist (co-creator of Red Raven), dies at age 68 or 69.^[54]

September

September 5: Tatsuo Yoshida, Japanese manga artist and animator (Speed Racer), dies at age 45 from liver cancer.^[55]
September 7: Alexis, French comics artist (Al Crane, Cinémastock, Superdupont, Le Transperceneige), dies at age 30 of a ruptured aneurysm.^[56]
September 16: Rie Cramer, Dutch illustrator, novelist and comics artist (published text comics in Zonneschijn and Doe Mee), dies at age 89.^[57]
September 29: Bob McKimson, American animator, illustrator and comics artist (Looney Tunes), dies at age 66 from a heart attack.^[58]

October

October 5: Jotie T'Hooft, Belgian poet and comics artist (Jesus Superstar), commits suicide by a drug overdose at age 21.^[59]
October 12: Antoon Heckenrath, Belgian comics artist (De Wonderlijke Reis van Jan Knap, In de Greep van de Octopus), dies at age 70.^[60]
October 28:
- Ratip Tahir Burak, Turkish comics artist and editorial cartoonist, dies at age 72 or 73.^[61]
- Miguel Mihura, Spanish playwright and comics artist, dies at age 72.^[62]

November

November 4: Mingo, Spanish comics artist (Don Tibucio, Don Lucas, Sandalio), dies at age 34 or 35.^[63]
November 5: René Goscinny, French comics writer (Astérix, Lucky Luke, Oumpah-pah, Le Petit Nicolas, Iznogoud), artist, magazine publisher, chief editor (Pilote and animation director, dies at age 51.^[64]
November 26: Nikol Dimitriadis, Greek-German comics artist (worked for Mosaik magazine, Rolf Kauka), dies at age 68.^[65]

December

December 11:
- Giovanni Bissietta, A.K.A. Giuseppe Fontanelli, Italian painter, illustrator and comics artist (early unlicensed Italian comics based on Mickey Mouse), dies at age 66 or 67.^[66]
- Victor Weixler, Austrian illustrator and comic artist (Bobby, der Grosse Sportsmann), dies at age 94. ^[67]
December 15: John Verpoorten, American comics inker and Marvel Comics production manager, dies at age 37.^[68]

Specific date unknown

Robert Baldwin, also known as Rupe, American comics artist and cartoonist (Freddy), dies at age 72 or 73.^[69]
Alberto Cognigni, Argentine comics artist (Negrazón and Chaveta), dies at age 44 or 45.^[70]
John Gee, American illustrator and comics artist (The Timbertoes), dies at age 81 or 82.^[71]
Walter Hofmann, aka Von Waldl, German caricaturist and comics artist (worked for Nazi publications during World War II), dies at age 71 or 72.^[72]
Moma Markovic, Serbian-Canadian comics artist (Stojadin, Rista Sportista), dies at age 74 or 75.^[73]
Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Argentine journalist and comics writer (El Sargento Kirk, Ernie Pike, El Eternauta, Mort Cinder) mysteriously disappears, presumed arrested and murdered by soldiers of President Jorge Rafael Videla's regime.^[74]
Jack Pamby, British comics artist, dies at age 68 or 69.^[75]
Gottfried Spachholz, German comics artist (propaganda comics for the DDR magazine Berliner Zeitung), dies at age 70 or 71.^[76]
Peter Sutherland, British comics artist (continued Alf Tupper), dies at age 55 or 56.^[77]
Wu Yun, Chinese comics artist, dies at age 54 or 55.^[78]

Exhibitions and shows

There were many TV shows based on comics in 1977, featuring Spider-Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, and Wonder Woman.

Conventions

Columbus Comic Book Convention (Columbus, Ohio) — guests include Jim Steranko, Bob Layton, and Mike Nasser
Dayton Comic Book Convention (Convention Center, Dayton, Ohio) — produced by Dayton retailer The Dragon's Lair
January 30: Comicove 6 (Holiday Inn, Paramus, New Jersey) — official guest: Vince Colletta^[79]
March 11–13: Starcon '77 (Airport Holiday Inn, Buffalo, New York)^[79]
May 28–30: Detroit Triple Fan Fair (Troy Hilton, Troy, MI) — dubbed the "Detroit Triple Fan Fair (in Exile)"; guests include Chuck Jones, Ray Harryhausen^[16]
June: Houstoncon (Houston, Texas) — guests include Frank Brunner, Spanky McFarland, Jock Mahoney, George Takei, Forrest J Ackerman, and Roy Rogers
July 1–5: Comic Art Convention (Hotel Sheraton, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — 10th annual show, first time in Philadelphia. Guests of honor: John Stanley and Bernie Wrightson; other guests include Roy Thomas, Wendy Pini, Linda Behrle,^[80] Barry Windsor-Smith, Frank Thorne, Frank Brunner, and Jeff Jones
July 20–24: San Diego Comic-Con (El Cortez Hotel, San Diego, California) — 4,000+ attendees; official guests: Carl Barks, C. C. Beck, Walter Gibson, Robert A. Heinlein, Michael Kaluta, Jack Kirby, B. Kliban, Joe Kubert, Harvey Kurtzman, Stan Lynde, Alex Niño, Trina Robbins, and Bill Scott
July 29–31: Konvention of Alternative Komix "KAK 77" (Air Galleries, London, England, UK) — 2nd annual underground comix event, produced by Arts Lab Press and Hunt Emerson^[81]
July 29–30: Toronto Triple Fan Fair a.k.a. "Fan Fair 4" (Carleton Inn, Toronto, ON, Canada) — Guests of Honour: Philip José Farmer and Andrew I. Porter
August 1: Comic Mart Liverpool I (Bluecoat Chambers concert hall, Liverpool, UK) — 10th edition of the show, sponsored by Zephyr Magazines^[82]
August 5–7: Chicago Comicon (Pick-Congress Hotel, 520 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Illinois) — produced by Joe Sarno, Mike Gold, and Bob Weinberg; guests include Stan Lee, Jenette Kahn,^[83] Chester Gould, and Howard Chaykin^[84]
August 12–14: Atlanta Comics & Fantasy Fair (Dunfey's Royal Coach, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests include Jenette Kahn, Dick Giordano, Kenneth Smith, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko
September: OrlandoCon (Orlando, Florida) — guests include Ralph Dunagin and Scorchy Smith's Edmund Good
September 3–4: Comicon '77 (British Comic Art Convention) (Bloomsbury Centre Hotel, London, England) — organized by Rob Barrow; presentation of the first annual Eagle Awards^[85]^[86]
September 10–11: Lancaster Comic Art Convention "Frazetta '77" (Penn Stroud Hilton Inn, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) — produced by Chuck Miller and Charlie Roberts; guests include Harvey Kurtzman, Will Eisner, Jerry Robinson, Burne Hogarth, Bernie Wrightson, Steve Hickman, Michael Kaluta, Charles Vess, Ian Ballantine, Betty Ballantine, and Ken Kelley^[87]
October 8: Comic Mart Liverpool II (Bluecoat Chambers concert hall, Liverpool, UK) — featured a The Adventures of Superman radio show airing, as well as viewings of the Batman and Adventures of Captain Marvel serials^[88]
October 15–16: Newcon '77 (New England Comic Art Convention) (Sheraton-Boston Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts)^[89]
November 25–27: Creation Comic Book & Pop Culture Convention (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) — guests include George Pérez; admission: $5/day^[90]

Awards

Eagle Awards

Presented in 1978 for comics published in 1977:

Favourite Writer: Steve Englehart
Favourite Artist: Neal Adams
Favourite Inker: Terry Austin
Favourite Comic Book (Dramatic): Uncanny X-Men
Favorite Comic Book (Humor): Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan
Favourite Black and White Magazine: Savage Sword of Conan
Favourite Single Story: "The Final Threat," Avengers Annual #7, by Jim Starlin
Favourite Continued Story: Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2, by Jim Starlin
Favourite Group or Team: Uncanny X-Men
Favourite Character: Batman
Favourite Supporting Character: Pip the Troll
Favourite Villain: Thanos
Favourite Comic (UK): 2000 AD (Fleetway)
Favourite Editor (UK): Dez Skinn, for MAD magazine
Roll of Honour: Steve Englehart