January 7: In the Disney comics magazine Topolino, the first chapter of The Search for the Zodiac Stone!: An Epic Yarn of Mice and Ducks!, written by Bruno Sarda and drawn by Massimo De Vita and Franco Valussi, appears in print for the first time. The story, in 12 chapters, is considered the longest Disney comic ever published and its issue lasts the whole year. It involves all the principal characters of the Donald and Mckey universes and sees the debut of Paperinik’s nemesis Spectrus.[1]
March 16: Jan Bucquoy launches the Belgian weekly magazine Dol/Belge, which is so outrageous in slandering media celebrities, the Belgian royal family, the Pope, politicians and other high officials that within a few weeks issues are confiscated and stores refuse to sell copies. Bucquoy then transforms it into a genuine comics magazine featuring reprints of his older porn parodies. The magazine will last merely a year.[3]
April 6: The unfinished Blake and Mortimer story, The 3 Formulas of Professor Sato: Mortimer vs. Mortimer, made before Edgar P. Jacobs' death, is published posthumously, completed by Bob de Moor.[4]
Spider-Man #1, the start of the "Torment" storyline, marked Todd McFarlane's first major outing on a series as a writer/artist.[7][8] The issue would become the best selling comic book so far and be the first major step to the rise of the superstar creators and the formation of Image Comics.
May 31: William Timym, also known as Tim, Austrian-British animator and comics artist (The Boss, Caesar, Bengo the Boxer, Wuff, Tuff and Snuff, Bim, Bam and Boom, Oh, Johnny!, Bleep and Booster), dies at age 87.[28]
June
June 23: Howard Boughner, American comics artist (Mac, Hold Everything, writer of Penny and Dotty Dripple, assisted on Dumb Dora and Wash Tubbs), dies at age 81.[29]
June 30: Jacques Lob, French comics artist (Ténébrax, Blanche Epiphanie, Submerman, Superdupont), dies at age 67.[30]
July
July 17: George Waiss, American animator and comics artist (Disney comics), dies at age 83.[31]
October 14: Art Huhta, American comics artist (Dinky Dinkerton, Wild Rose, assisted on Mescal Ike, Lolly Gags and The Nebbs), dies at age 88.[39]
October 29: François Gianolla, Belgian poet, playwright, cartoonist, illustrator, musician, caricaturist and comics artist (Fred, Mile et Bob), dies at age 83.[40]
October 31: Roger Price, American humorist, writer, publisher and cartoonist (creator of droodles), dies at age 72.
Specific date in October unknown: Dan DeCarlo Jr., American comic artist (Archie Comics), dies at age 52 from stomach cancer. [41]
December
December 21: Susi Weigel, Austrian illustrator, comics artist and animator (worked for Unsere Zeitung), dies at age 76.[42]
December 30: Tony Abruzzo, American comics artist (made romance comics for National Periodicals (later DC Comics), dies at age 74.[43]
Cram, Belgian cartoonist (De Weyfelaers, Jan Pech), dies at age 51 or 52.[45]
Marcel Dehaye, Belgian journalist, novelist, comics writer and chief editor of Tintin (1959-1965), dies at age 82 or 83.
Nicholas, aka Nick Firfires, American illustrator and comics artist (made realistically drawn comics for Disney and the celebrity comic based on Gene Autry), dies at age 72 or 73.[46]
^Cowsill, Alan (2012). "1990s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.). Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. Dorling Kindersley. p. 184. ISBN978-0756692360. Todd McFarlane was at the top of his game as an artist, and with Marvel's release of this new Spidey series he also got the chance to take on the writing duties. The sales of this series were nothing short of phenomenal, with over 2.5 million copies eventually printing, including special bagged editions and a number of variant covers.
^Saffel, Steve (2007). "Mutant Menace". Spider-Man the Icon: The Life and Times of a Pop Culture Phenomenon. Titan Books. p. 173. ISBN978-1-84576-324-4. Marvel knew a good thing when they saw it, and the adjectiveless Spider-Man received Marvel's most aggressive launch in company history...the initial press run was 2.35 million, and 500,000 additional copies were printed to meet demand.
