1939 in comics

Events and publications

January

February

March

April

May

• Ace Comics #26 – David McKay PublicationsAction Comics #12 – National Allied PublicationsAdventure Comics #38 – National Allied PublicationsAll-American Comics #2 – All-American PublicationsAmazing Mystery Funnies #9 – Centaur PublicationsDetective Comics #27 – National Allied Publications – First appearance of BatmanFeature Funnies #20 – Comic Favorites, Inc.Funny Picture Stories #3 - Centaur Publications, Final IssueMore Fun Comics #43 – National Periodical PublicationsMovie Comics #2 – National Periodical PublicationsStar Comics #4 - Centaur PublicationsWonder Comics #1 - Fox Feature Syndicate

June

July

August

September

• : on Le Petit Vingtième, first chapter of Land of Black Gold by Hergé; the story will be unfinished because the war.
• Newspaper strip Ben Bowyang by Alex Gurney begins publicationAce Comics #30 – David McKay PublicationsAction Comics #16 – National Allied PublicationsAdventure Comics #42 – National Allied PublicationsAll-American Comics #6 – All-American PublicationsAmazing Man Comics #5 – Centaur PublicationsAmazing Mystery Funnies #13 – Centaur PublicationsDetective Comics #31 – National Allied Publications. In this issue Gardner Fox introduces the Batarang in Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.Feature Comics #24 – Quality ComicsFour Color Series 1 #1 – Dell Publishing
• * First comic-book appearance of Dick Tracy, who was already a popular feature in newspaper comics since 1931.
• Funny Pages #7 - Centaur PublicationsMore Fun Comics #47 – National Periodical PublicationsMovie Comics #6 – National Periodical Publications, Final IssueMutt and Jeff #1 – National Periodical PublicationsMystery Men Comics #2 – Fox Feature SyndicateSmash Comics #2 – Quality ComicsSuperman #2, cover dated Fall – National Periodical PublicationsWonderworld Comics No. 5 - Fox Feature Syndicate

October

November

December

Specials

Specific date unknown

• The first episode of Arthur Warden's Tuffy and his Magic Tail is published.
• Lev Gleason founds the comic book company Lev Gleason Publications.
• A boom year for the burgeoning American comic book industry, as Archie Comics, Fawcett Comics, Fox Feature Syndicate, Lev Gleason Publications, Marvel Comics/Timely Comics, Nedor Comics, and Quality Comics all begin publishing.
• The Serbian comic strip Zigomar by writer Branko Vidić and artist Nikola Navojev begins publication.

Births

March

April

Deaths

January

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Specific date unknown

• Paul Augros, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 58.
• Louis de Lajarrige, French illustrator, painter, comics artist and writer, dies at age 66.
• E. Nicolson, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at an unknown age.

First issues by title

• All-American Comics
• Amazing Man Comics Issues No. 1 through 4 were not published.
• Double Action Comics The first issue was an ashcan copy, published but not distributed or sold.
• Fantastic Comics
• Four Color
• Marvel Comics
• Movie Comics
• Mutt & Jeff
• Mystery Men Comics
• New York World's Fair
• Silver Streak Comics
• Smash Comics
• Star Comics Volume 2
• Star Ranger Funnies Volume 2
• Superman
• The Magic Comic
• '''Wonder Comics'''

Renamed titles

• Feature Comics renamed Feature Funnies as of the June cover date.
• Marvel Comics renamed Marvel Mystery Comics as of the December cover date.
• Wonder Comics renamed Wonderworld Comics starting with issue #3 with a cover date of July.

Initial appearances by character name

• Batman (Earth-Two) in Detective Comics No. 27, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, published by National Allied Publications
• Bozo the Iron Man in Smash Comics No. 1, created by George Brenner, published by Quality Comics.
• Commissioner Gordon in Detective Comics No. 27 created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, published by National Allied Publications
• Dan Garret in Mystery Men Comics No. 1, created by Charles Nicholas, published by Fox Feature Syndicate.
• Doctor Death (character) in Detective Comics No. 29, created by Bob Kane, published by National Periodical Publications
• Doll Girl in Feature Comics No. 27, created by Will Eisner, Published by Quality Comics.
• Doll Man in Feature Comics No. 27, created by Will Eisner, Published by Quality Comics.
• Green Mask in Mystery Men Comics No. 1, created by Walter Frame, Published by Fox Feature Syndicate.
• Human Torch in Marvel Comics No. 1 created by Carl Burgos, published by Timely Comics
• Invisible Hood in Smash Comics No. 1, created by Art Pinajian, published by Quality Comics.
• Joe Chill in Detective Comics No. 33, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
• Monk (comics) in Detective Comics No. 31, created by Gardner Fox and Bob Kane, published by National Periodical Publications
• Namor The Sub-Mariner in Marvel Comics #1 created by Bill Everett, published by Timely Comics
• Samson in Fantastic Comics #1 created by Will Eisner and Alex Blum
• Sandman (Wesley Dodds) in New York World's Fair Comics No. 1, created by Gardner Fox and Bert Christman, published by National Periodical Publications.
• The Flame (Gary Preston) in Wonderworld Comics No. 3 created by Will Eisner and Lou Fine, published by Fox Feature Syndicate.
• Ultra-Humanite in Action Comics No. 13, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, published by National Periodical Publications.
• Ultra-Man in All-American Comics No. 8, created by Jon L. Blummer, published by National Periodical Publications