1954 in comics


Notable events of 1954 in comics.

Events and publications

February

February 3: A controversial cartoon by Leslie Illingworth in Punch shows a visibly old and tired Winston Churchill behind his desk. It instantly causes outrage and scandal.February 13: Leo Baxendale's The Bash Street Kids makes its debut in The Beano, but is still named When the Bell Rings in this period. It will receive its definitive title on 11 November 1956.February 15: on the Daily Express, the first strip of Jeff Hawke, by Sydney Jordan, appears.February 27: The first issue of the British comics magazine Jack and Jill is published. It will run until 29 June 1985.Hopalong Cassidy, with issue #86, revived by DC Comics, taking over the numbering of the Fawcett Comics series.

March

March 1: The Billy DeBeck Awards are renamed the Reuben Awards.March 4: Jijé's Jerry Spring makes its debut.March 20: Marten Toonder's Koning Hollewijn makes its debut. It will run until 26 June 1971.March 20: First issue of the British comics magazine Swift is published. It will run until 2 March 1963.

April

April: The 10th issue of Mad Magazine is released. Inside, Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder's parody of Wonder Woman is first printed.April 14: Raymond Macherot's Chlorophylle makes its debut.April 19: German-American psychiatrist Fredric Wertham publishes his treatise Seduction of the Innocent. The book warns that comic books are a negative form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. A minor bestseller, it alarms parents, teachers and moral guardians and galvanized them to campaign for comics censorship.April 21–22: United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings on the comic book industry. Fredric Wertham also testifies, accusing comics publishers of their bad influence on the youth.

May

May 1: The 11th issue of Mad Magazine is published, featuring Basil Wolverton's iconic parody of the Beautiful Girl of the Month on the cover.
  • May 16: In Italy, the first issues of Albi della rosa and Albi del falco are published by Mondadori. The second magazine, lasted till 1970, makes superheroes comics popular in Italy, even if the original stories are often heavily manipulated or censored.
  • In Gilbert, relative genius'' by Bill Wright, Gilbert, the savant Goofy’s nephew, makes his debut.

June

June: The 12th issue of Mad Magazine is released. Inside, Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder's parody of Archie Comics is first printed.June 1: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Linus Van Pelt is first seen with his security blanket.June 4: Further meeting of United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile DelinquencyJune 24: In the Johan story Le Lutin du Bois aux Roches, prepublished in Spirou the character Pirlouit makes his debut. The series will eventually change its name to Johan and Peewit.June 26: Australian comic artist Len Lawson is sentenced to 14 years for rape and assault. He will be released in 1961 on parole.Tralla La, a Scrooge McDuck story by Carl Barks, published in Uncle Scrooge #6.
  • The first issue of the Belgian children's magazine Bimbo is published. It will run until February 1956.Journey into Mystery #16 - Atlas Comics

July

July 13: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Pig-Pen makes his debut.

August

August 8: The final episode of Jungle Jim is published.August 25: in Topolino, Paperino 3D by Guido Martina and Romano Scarpa; the story, inspired by the recent birth of Italian television, marks the Scarpa’s debut in the duck universe.Journey into Mystery #17 - Atlas Comics

September

September 4: The last issue of the Dutch comics magazine Grabbelton is published, a supplement of De Katholieke Illustratie.September 10: The State of New York bans Nights of Horror for violating obscenity laws.September 11: The first issue of the British comics magazine Tiger is published. It will last until 30 March 1985.September 11: Frank S. Pepper and Joe Colquhoun's Roy of the Rovers makes its debut in Fleetway's Tiger

October

October: In the 16th issue of Mad Magazine, Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder's short satirical comic Restaurant! is first printed.October 3: Il Grande Blek by Giovanni Sinchetto, Dario Guzzon and Pietro Sartoris, also known as trio EsseGesse, makes its debut.October 16: The first issue of the British comics magazine Playhour is published. It will run until 15 August 1987.October 18: Mort Walker and Dik Browne's Hi and Lois makes its debut.October: Brad Anderson's Marmaduke makes its debut.

November

November: The 17th issue of Mad Magazine is released. Inside, Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder and Bernard Krigstein's parody of Bringing Up Father is first printed.November 17: Albert Weinberg's Dan Cooper makes its debut.November 25: Mitacq's La Patrouille des Castors makes its debut.The Haunt of Fear, with issue #28, canceled by EC Comics.Journey into Mystery #19 - Atlas Comics

December

December 22: Hergé's Tintin story The Calculus Affair is prepublished in Tintin. Halfway the story the obnoxious neighbour Jolyon Wagg makes his debut, as does the running gag of Cutts the Butcher.December 30: in Le journal de Tintin, Dan Cooper, by Albert Weinberg, makes his debut.

Specific date unknown

  • The first episode of Roland Davies' Roddy the Road Scout is published.
  • In the Kapitein Rob story De Speurtocht van de Vrijheid by Pieter J. Kuhn Kapitein Rob marries Paula. Due to negative reception, the character was later made single again.

Births

February

February 24: Greg LaRocque, American comic book artist.

April

April 22: David A. Trampier, American illustrator and comics artist,.

June

June 9: George Pérez, American comic book artist and writer,.June 28: Benoît Sokal, Belgian comics artist,.

July

July 4: Ota, Brazilian comics writer, comics artist, cartoonist and publisher,.

September

September 19: Garry Leach, British comic book artist,.

November

November 2: Brian Augustyn, American comic book editor and writer,.

Deaths

January

January 4: Jimmy McMenamy, American comics artist, dies at age 41.January 7:

February

February 21: Roland Coe, American comics artist, dies at age 46.

May

May 5: Lou Hanlon, American comic artist, dies at age 71.

July

July 16: Attilio Mussino, Italian comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 76.

August

August 3: Harry S. Hall, Canadian comics artist, dies at age 60 or 61.Specific date unknown: Lou Ferstadt, Ukrainian-American muralist painter, comics artist and comics studio founder, dies at age 53.

September

September 7: Bud Fisher, American comics artist, dies at age 69.September 27: Hy Mayer, German-American political cartoonist, comic artist and animator, dies at age 86.

October

October 22: George McManus, American comics artist, dies at age 70.

First issues by title

Archie Comics

Atlas Comics

[Hulton Press]

National Comics">DC Comics">National Comics

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen

[Toby Press]

Initial appearances by character name

Atlas Comics">Atlas Comics (1950s)">Atlas Comics

Gorilla-Man in Men's Adventures #26 Gorilla-Man in Mystery Tales #21 Jann of the Jungle in Jungle Tales #1 M-11 in Menace #11 Outlaw Kid in The Outlaw Kid #1 Ringo Kid in The Ringo Kid Western #1 Western Kid in The Western Kid #1

[Dell Comics]

Turok in Four Color Comics #596

[Harvey Comics]

Wendy the Good Little Witch in Casper the Friendly Ghost #20

[L. Miller & Son]

Marvelman in Marvelman #25

National Comics">DC Comics">National Comics

[Prize Comics]

Fighting American in Fighting American #1

Newspaper strips

Charlotte Braun in Peanuts Pig-Pen in ''Peanuts''

Italy