1939 in comics

• The first episode of Arthur Warden's Tuffy and his Magic Tail is published.[7]
• Lev Gleason founds the comic book company Lev Gleason Publications.^[8]
• A boom year for the burgeoning American comic book industry, as
  Nedor Comics, and Quality Comics
  all begin publishing.
• The Serbian comic strip
  Zigomar by writer Branko Vidić and artist Nikola Navojev begins publication.^[9]

• March 27: Jo Teodorescu, Romanian illustrator and comics artist (Aventurile profesului Parbriz), (d. 2014).^[10]

April

• April 10: Shinji Mizushima, Japanese manga artist (Yakyū-kyō no Uta, Dokaben, Abu-san), (d. 2022).^[11]

Deaths

January

• January 18: Carl E. Schultze, American comics artist (Foxy Grandpa), dies at age 72.^[12]
• January 20: Victor Bergdahl, Swedish animator and comics artist (Kapten Grogg), dies at age 60.^[13][14]

June

• June 28: Joz De Swerts, Belgian illustrator, political cartoonist and comics artist (worked for Zonneland), dies at age 49.^[15]

July

• July 4: Louis Wain, British painter and illustrator (illustrations starring anthropomorphic cats), dies at age 78.^[16]
• July 25: A.E. Hayward, American comics artist (
  Somebody's Stenog), dies at age 55.^[17]

• August 14: T.E. Powers, American comics artist (Our Moving Pictures, Mr. Nobody Holme), dies at the age of 69.[18]

September

• September 8: Elie Smalhout, Dutch graphic artist, illustrator and comics artist (made text comics for De Notenkraker), dies at age 49.^[19]
• September 29: Luc Lafnet, aka Davine, Visnet, O. Lucas, Pol, Luc, Belgian-French comics artist (Bizouk et Pélik, Zizette, assisted on
  Spirou et Fantasio, Bibor et Tribar), dies at age 40 from pancreatic cancer.^[20]

• October 10: Benjamin Rabier, French comics artist, illustrator, animator and advertising artist (Gédéon, Tintin-Lutin, designed La Vache Qui Rit), dies at age 74.^[21]
• October 12: Llorenç Brunet i Forroll, Spanish caricaturist, painter and comics artist, dies at age 67.^[22]
• October 18: Carl Olof Petersen, Swedish illustrator, painter and comics artist, dies at age 59.^[23]

November

• November 22: Walter Hoban, American comics artist (Jerry on the Job), dies at age 49.^[24]

December

• December 18: Bruno Liljefors, Swedish painter and comics artist, dies at age 79.^[25]

Specific date unknown

• Paul Augros, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 58.^[26]
• Louis de Lajarrige, French illustrator, painter, comics artist and writer, dies at age 66.^[27]
• E. Nicolson, French illustrator and comics artist (Les Aventures du Chien Brownie, Bambochard et Trémolo), dies at an unknown age.^[28]

First issues by title

• All-American Comics (April, All-American Publications)
• Amazing Man Comics (September, Centaur Publications
  ) Issues No. 1 through 4 were not published.
• ashcan copy
  , published but not distributed or sold.
• Fantastic Comics (December, Fox Feature Syndicate)
• Four Color (Dell Publishing)
• Marvel Comics (October, Timely Comics)
• National Periodical Publications
  )
• Mutt & Jeff (Summer, All-American Comics
  )
• Mystery Men Comics (August, Fox Feature Syndicate)
• National Periodical Publications
  )
• Silver Streak Comics (December, Rhoda Publications
  )
• Smash Comics (August, Quality Comics)
• Star Comics Volume 2 (February, Centaur Publications)
• Star Ranger Funnies Volume 2 (January, Centaur Publications)
• National Periodical Publications^[1]
  )
• D. C. Thomson & Co.
  )
• Wonder Comics (May, Fox Feature Syndicate)