1980 in comics

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 1980 in comics.

Events and publications

Year overall

• Big Rapids Distribution, a major Midwestern comics distributor, goes under, and two former employees (John Davis and Milton Griepp), form Capital City Distribution, headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Notable alternative titles
  Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman
  , all make their debuts.
• "The Dark Phoenix Saga" runs in X-Men #129–138 (January–October), by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Terry Austin (Marvel Comics).
• "Wanted: Santa Claus – Dead or Alive!" the first Batman story drawn by Frank Miller is published in DC Special Series #21 (Spring 1980)^[1]
• "Metamorphosis Odyssey", a long-running storyline by Jim Starlin, runs in Epic Illustrated.
• Curtis Magazines
  , its black-and-white magazine imprint.
• FantaCo Enterprises, which began as a retailer in 1978, begins publishing comics, starting with Fred Hembeck's The Hembeck Series.
• In the Netherlands the first edition of the comics festival Stripdagen is organized by the Dutch comics appreciation society Het Stripschap.^[2]
• In Worcester, Massachusetts, Paul Howley opens the comics store That's Entertainment.^[3]

January

• 19 January. In Action Deluxe, the first chapter of Domu A child's dream, by Katsushiro Otomo.
• The Amazing Spider-Man #200: "The Spider and the Burglar," by Marv Wolfman, Stan Lee (script, page 47), Keith Pollard, and Jim Mooney. (Marvel Comics)
• Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1949 series) (originally titled Superboy
  ).
• La vie passionnée de Thérèse d'Avila (The passionate life of
  Le nouvel Observateur
  , biography of the Spanish saint, humorous and irreverent without being profane.
• La fille sous la dunette (The girl under the poop deck), by François Bourgeon, first album of the sea adventure series Le passagers du vent.
• Nez cassè (Broken nose) by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud, first album of the “fugitive Blueberry” trilogy.
• Premieres chasses (First hunting) – by Derib.

February

• "
  IPC Media
  )
• First issue of the Italian magazine Totem, specialized in French fantasy and sci-fi comics but hosting also Milo Manara's Giuseppe Bergman.^[4]

March

• Detective Comics, with issue #488, resumes monthly publication. (DC Comics)
• With issue #26, DC cancels Men of War (1977 series).
• Superboy Spectacular #1, DC's first direct sales-only title.^[5][6]
• First issue of the Italian edition of 1984.

April

• April 30: The first episode of Peter Pontiac's punk comic Gaga is printed. The series will run until 1988. ^[7]
• L’enfant grec (The Greek child), by Jacques Martin
  .

• Terrore dal sesto pianeta (Terror from the sixth planet) – by Guido Nolitta and Gallieno Ferri, one of the best Zagor's sagas, mixing western and sci-fi; the hero has to fight again his nemesis, the mad doctor Hellingen, and his allies the evil aliens Akronians.^[8]

June

• June 14: The first gag of Toon van Driel's De Stamgasten is printed in Algemeen Dagblad. ^[9]
• First issue of the Italian magazine I grandi classici Disney, reprinting Disney comics; the first number contains the 1974 saga Il mistero del totem decapitato (The headless totem's mystery)
• Asterix and the great divide, by Uderzo (who, for the first time, cares also the Asterix's texts).
• L’uomo del grande Nord (The Great North man) – by Hugo Pratt; debut of Jesuit Joe.^[10]

July

• The Unexpected #200: Edited by Jack C. Harris. (DC Comics)
• The Untold Legend of the Batman #1, debut of three-issue mini-series and John Byrne's first work for DC Comics. (DC Comics)
• John Byrne's first issue as writer/artist of Fantastic Four is #220. While this is his first issue with those credits, his long, five-year run begins with issue 232.
• Raw #1, debut of comix and graphics magazine edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly.^[11][12]
• First issue of Big Robot (Bianconi), Italian comic miming the mecha anime.
• La Foire aux immortels by Enki Bilal, first chapter of The Nikopol trilogy.
• In 2000 AD, debut of Nemesis the Warlock, by Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill

August

• August 1: in
  Le journal de Tintin, La Dernière Île, by Grzegorz Rosiński and André-Paul Duchâteau, first episode of the sci-fi series Hans
  .
• August 29: Writer Steve Gerber sues Marvel Comics over rights to his character, Howard the Duck in a lawsuit filed in the U. S. District Court for Los Angeles.^[13]
• Weird Western Tales, with issue #70, canceled by DC.
• In the French magazine A suivre, first chapter of La casa dorata di Samarcanda (The golden house in Samarcanda) by Hugo Pratt.

September

• September 12: The Turkish satirical magazine
  Girgir is temporary banned by the Turkish government, following the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, because of a satirical cartoon, which "insults the Turkish national identity".^[14]
• September 20: The Tornado name is dropped from the 2000 AD comic book.
• DC Comics Presents #25, the "Whatever Happened to...?" backup feature began and would appear in most issues for the next two years until its last installment in issue #48 (Aug. 1982).^[15]
• Mystery in Space revived by DC (after a 14-year hiatus), picking up with issue #111, continuing the old numbering.
• The Brave and the Bold #166, featuring the first appearance of Nemesis (Tom Tresser)^[16] (DC Comics)
• With issue #20, Marvel cancels Shogun Warriors.

October

• October 24:
  Guinness Book of Records.^[17]
• October 30 : in
  Le journal de Spirou, début of Les innnommables, by Yann le Pennetier and Didier Conrad
  .
• Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman, a title later published by Eclipse Comics and Deep Sea Comics
  .
• Ralph Macchio, Keith Pollard, and Gene Day
  . (Marvel Comics)
• The Avengers #200: "The Child is Father to...?" by Jim Shooter (plot), George Pérez (plot), Bob Layton (plot), David Michelinie (plot; script), George Pérez (breakdowns), and Dan Green (finished art). (Marvel Comics)
• New Teen Titans series by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.^[18]
• At Lucca comics & games, the number 0 of the author comics’ magazine L’eternauta is presented.
• L'Inconnu des 1000 pistes (The Unknown of 1000 tracks) by Jean Graton.
• La longue marche (The long walk) by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud, second album of the “fugitive Blueberry” trilogy.
• Le ponton (The pontoon), by François Bourgeon, second album of the sea adventure series Le passagers du vent.
• In Alter alter, first chapter of the sci-fi saga Zasaffir, by Guido Buzzelli,^[19] and debut of the antihero Marcel Labrune, by Attillio Micheluzzi.^[20]

• December 1:
  Kit 'n' Carlyle makes its debut. It will run until 2015.^[24]
• December 3:
  Pierre Makyo and Alain Dodier launch the comics series Les Aventures de Gully, which will continue for a decade.^[25]
• The first episode of
  Métal Hurlant.^[26]
• Marvel Team-Up #100: Double-size anniversary issue, "And Introducing — Karma! She Possesses People!," by Chris Claremont, Frank Miller, and Bob Wiacek. The issue also contains a backup story featuring the Black Panther and Storm, from the X-Men, by Claremont and John Byrne, with inks by McLeod. (Marvel Comics)
• The first chapter of Art Spiegelman's Maus appears in Raw #2.^[27]
• Hizli Gazeteci
  in the Turkish magazine "Hey".
• Last issue of the Italian magazine Il mago.
• La fine della pista (The end of the trail), final chapter of the epic saga Storia del West, by Gino D’Antonio and Renato Polese.^[28]

Specific date unknown

• Jan Kruis wins the Stripschapprijs.^[29]
• Yvan Delporte founds the Upchic Union Professionelle des Créateurs d’Histoires en Images et de Cartoons), the first special interest group for Belgian comics artists. It will exist until 1997.^[30]
• In the Spanish edition of 1984, Zora y los Hibernautas, by Fernando Fernandez.
• In Corriere dei Piccoli, Il nonno selvaggio (The savage grandfather) by Bianca Pitzorno and Cinzia Ghigliano.^[31]

Births

Deaths

January

• January 24: Joe King, American illustrator and comics artist (Gabby, continued Radiomania and The Tinymites), dies at age 75.^[32]

February

• February 10: Norman W. Marsh, American comics artist (Dan Dunn, Danny Hale), dies at age 81 or 82.^[33]
• February 25: Georges Mazure, Dutch comics artist (Myra van Dijk, Jacqueline, Mignon, Paula, continued Spot Morton, Horre, Harm en Hella), dies at age 60.^[34]

March

• March 1: Leon A. Beroth, American painter and comics artist (Don Winslow of the Navy, Kitten Kaye, Tom, Dick & Harry), dies at age 85.^[35]
• March 1: Richard Allen "Dick" Dillin, American comics artist (Blackhawk, Justice League of America), dies at age 50.^[36]
• March 9: Konstantin Kuznjecov, Russian illustrator, caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 84.^[37]
• March 14: Arie Pleysier, Dutch journalist and comics writer (Snuffelgraag en Knagelijntje, Dikkie en Dirkie Durf ^[38]), dies at age 89.^[39]
• March 28: Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová, Czech illustrator, painter and comics artist (Z Mého Dětství (From my Childhood)), dies at age 85.^[40]

April

• April 17: Stig Cederholm, Swedish novelist and comics writer (Åsa-Nisse), dies at age 75.
• April 21: Leendert Jordaan, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (Het Leven in Karikatuur), dies at age 94.^[41]

May

• May 5:
  Sub-Mariner), dies at age 69.^[42]
• May 9:
  Mad Magazine, including their mascot Alfred E. Neuman, dies at age 84.^[43]

• June 2:
  Tomahawk), dies of Parkinson's disease at age 73.^[44]
• June 14: Peter Kuch, Canadian comics artist (Sally Brown), dies at age 62.[45]
• June 19:
  Spirou et Fantasio), dies age 66.^[46]

• July 18: Ger Sligte, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (Mieke Meijer, Bertje Branie), dies at age 65.[47]
• July 20: Comic illustrator and creator Rafael Gruber dies at age 69.

August

• August 10:
  Studio Vandersteen, Bessy, De Rode Ridder), dies from cancer at age 55.^[48]
• August 26: Tex Avery, American animator, comics artist and film director (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Droopy), dies at age 72.^[49]

September

• September 7: Whitney Ellsworth, American comics editor, artist and writer (Batman, Little Linda), dies at age 71.^[50]
• September 14: Imre Sebök, Hungarian painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 74.^[51]

November

• November 14: René Klapac, Czech comics artist (Kačák detektiv (Detective the Duck), Punt'a, Optík a Pesík), dies at age 75.^[52]
• November 19: Huib de Ru, Dutch painter, glass artist and comics artist (comics for magazine Kleine Wij), dies at age 78.^[53]
• November 25: Al Vermeer, American comic artist (Drawing Cards, Priscilla's Pop), dies at age 69. ^[54]
• November 29:
  Mad Magazine, created their running gags
  Arthur the potted plant and the Mad Zeppelin), dies from pneumonia at age 63.

• December 8: Mel Cummin, American illustrator and comics artist (Good Time Guy), dies at age 85.^[55]
• December 13: R. D. Low, British comics writer (wrote for The Beano), dies at age 85.^{[56][57][58][59]}
• Specific date unknown: Dick Briefer, American comics artist (Target and the Targeteers, Frankenstein), dies at age 65.^[60]

Specific date unknown

• Adriana Cristina, Italian comics artist (Disney comics), dies at an unknown age. ^[61]
• Alan Hanley, American comics artist (Alan Hanley's Comic Book), dies at age 40 or 41 in a car accident. ^[62]
• William Francis Marshall, British illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 78 or 79.^[63]
• Al Vermeer, American comics artist (Priscilla's Pop), dies at age 68 or 69.^[64]
• Harry Winslade, AKA Redvers Blake, British comic artist (Judy and Pat, Don Conquest, Nigel Tawny), dies at age 68 or 69. ^[65]

Conventions

• HeroesCon
  )
• Berni Wrightson, Raoul Vezina, John Caldwell, Jeff Jones, Richard & Wendy Pini, Joe Staton, and Fred Hembeck
• March 15–16: Long Island Comic Book Convention (Holiday Inn, Rockville Center, New York)
• April 12 or April 19: "Convention to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Eagle" ("Central London Hotel," London, England) — produced by A.C.E./Denis Gifford^[66]
• June 14–16: Comicon (Australia) II (Sheraton Hotel, Melbourne, Australia) — 2nd iteration of this show^[67]
• June 20–22: Houstoncon (Houston, Texas) — official guests include George Pérez
• July 4–6: Comic Art Convention (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) — special guests Boris Vallejo and Michael Kaluta; other guests: Bob Kane, Fred Hembeck, Wendy and Richard Pini, John Caldwell Norman Mingo, Harlan Ellison, Bob Boze Bell, and Dave Simons
• July 18–20:
  Chicago Comicon (Pick-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois) — guest of honor: Roy Thomas; other guests: Frank Brunner, Dave Manak, Frank Miller, Josef Rubinstein, Roger Stern, Laurie S. Sutton, Chris Claremont, Jack C. Harris, Paul Kupperberg, Paul Levitz, Al Milgrom, Steve Mitchell, Joe Staton, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman
• July 25–27: Atlanta Fantasy Fair VI (Dunfey's Royal Coach, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests include Robert Bloch
• July 30 – August 3:
  Wendy Pini, Jerry Pournelle, Osamu Tezuka, Adam West, Wally Wood
• August: Atlanta Fantasy Fair VI (Dunfey's Royal Coach, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests include Robert Bloch; Gil Kane is a scheduled guest, but doesn't make it
• August 23: Denver Minicon (Ground Round Restaurant, Denver, Colorado)
• September: OrlandoCon (Orlando, Florida) — guests include Gil Kane, Jock Mahoney and Autumn Russell
• October 18–19:
  Eagle Awards^[68]
• November:
  Mid-Ohio Con (Mansfield, Ohio) — first staging of this annual event, produced by Roger A. Price^[70]
• December: Katy-Kon (Santa Barbara, California) — first convention dedicated to Katy Keene^[71]

Awards

Eagle Awards

Presented in 1981 for comics published in 1980:

• Favourite Artist (UK): Brian Bolland^[72]

First issues by title

DC Comics

Release: November. Writer: Marv Wolfman. Artist: George Pérez.

The New Adventures of Superboy

Release: January. Writer: Cary Bates. Artists: Kurt Schaffenberger and Dave Hunt.

Marvel Comics

Epic Illustrated

Release: Spring. Editor: Archie Goodwin.

Release: February. Writer: Stan Lee. Artist: John Buscema.

Moon Knight

Release: November. Writer: Doug Moench. Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz

Independent titles

Gay Comix

Release: September by Kitchen Sink Press. Editor: Howard Cruse.

RAW

Release: July by

RAW Books. Editors: Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly

.

Release: October by David Boswell. Writer/Artist: David Boswell.

Thorgal

Release: by

Lombard Editions. Writer: Jean Van Hamme. Artist: Grzegorz Rosiński

.

Tinkle

Release: April by India Book House. Editor: Anant Pai.

World War 3 Illustrated

Editors: Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper.

Queen Millennia

Release: January 28 by Sankei Shimbun and Nishinippon Sports. Writer/Artist: Leiji Matsumoto.

Nutty

Release: 16 February by DC Thomson

Shueisha

Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

• Creature Commandos, in Weird War Tales #93
• The New Teen Titans
  #02 (December)
• Mister E, in Secrets of Haunted House #31 (December)
• Mongul, in DC Comics Presents #27
• Nemesis in The Brave and the Bold #166 (September)
• New Teen Titans, in DC Comics Presents
  #26
  • Cyborg, in DC Comics Presents
    #26 (October)
  • Raven, in DC Comics Presents #26 (October)
  • Starfire, in DC Comics Presents
    #26 (October)
• The Warlord
  #32
• Squid, in Detective Comics #497 (December)
• New Teen Titans
  #02 (December)
• The New Teen Titans
  #01 (December)
• Rainbow Raider, in The Flash #286 (June)
• Prince Gavyn, in Adventure Comics
  #467 (January)
• Silas Stone, in DC Comics Presents #26 (October)
• Deborah Domaine, in Wonder Woman
  #274 (December)
• Alvin Desmond, in The Flash #287 (July)
• Superman Family
  #203 (October)
• Darryl Frye, in The Flash #285 (May)
• Vincent Velcoro, in Weird War Tales #93 (November)
• Warren Griffith, in Weird War Tales #93 (November)
• Tharok, in Legion of Super-Heroes
  #269 (November)