1956 in comics


Notable events of 1956 in comics.

Events and publications

January

January 9: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Snoopy starts walking on his hind legs.January 21: The first issue of the British comics magazine The Beezer comes out. It will be syndicated until 21 August 1993.

February

March

April

April 14: The final episode of Gene Deitch's Terr'ble Thompson is published.

May

May 17: In Spirou, first chapter of Le Gorille a Mauvaise Mine by Andrè Franquin
  • World of fantasy, a bi-monthly publication debuts for Atlas Comics. Among the artists on the book are Werner Roth and Dick Ayers.
  • In Valiant, Jacques Flash by Roger Lecareux and Pierre Le Guen, a journalist-detective with the power of invisibility, makes his début.

June

June 10: In the Italian Disney magazine Topolino, in the story Topolino e la Grande Impresa di Lascia o t’Accoppo, by Guido Martina and Giovan Battista Carpi Mickey Mouse and Uncle Scrooge appear in the same story, which is an unusual situation, since characters from these two universes rarely overlap in Disney comic stories.

July

September

September: In the 29th issue of Mad Magazine, a gap-toothed character who'd previously appeared as a tiny face on the cover of issue 21 in March, is given the name Alfred E. Neuman. September 1: In Het Parool, Piet Wijn's Frank, De Vliegende Hollander is cancelled after a year, to make place for the comeback of Pieter J. Kuhn's Kapitein Rob.September 10: David Wright and Peter Meriton's Carol Day makes its debut.September 20: Maurice Tillieux' Gil Jourdan makes its debut.

October

October 24: The first episode of Jules Feiffer's Sick, Sick, Sick is published in The Village Voice.

November

November 1: The final issue of the Belgian comics magazine Risque-Tout is published.

December

December: Mad becomes a two-monthly black-and-white magazine with Al Feldstein and William M. Gaines as new chief editors and publishers.The magazine's enduring mascot Alfred E. Neuman appears on the cover for the first time, designed by Norman Mingo.

Specific date unknown

Births

May

May 1: Tim Sale, American comic book artist,.

July

July 11: Danny Shanahan, American cartoonist,.

September

September 23: Peter David, American comic book writer.September 25: Kim Thompson, Danish-American comics editor, translator and publisher,.

October

October 21: Paul Levitz, American comic book writer.

Specific date unknown

Deaths

January

January 3: Hugh Rankin, aka Doak, aka Quindaro, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 77.January 11: Charles Genty, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 69.January 13: Lyonel Feininger, German-American painter and comics artist, died, aged 84.January 22: Ward Greene, American comics writer, dies at age 63 from a pulmonary edema.

March

March 2: Walter Quermann, American comics artist, dies from a heart attack at age 58.March 4: Sidney Strube, British editorial cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 63.March 25: Giovanni Scolari, Italian comics artist, dies at age 73.

May

May 20: Max Beerbohm, British essayist, cartoonist and caricaturist, dies at age 83.

July

July 21: Louis Raemaekers, Dutch cartoonist, comics artist and caricaturist, dies at age 86.

August

August 12: Doc Winner, American comics artist, dies from cancer at age 71.August 23: Jos Speybrouck, Belgian graphic artist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 65.August 24: A.D. Condo, American comics artist, dies at age 84.

September

September 6: Alex Raymond, American comics artist, dies at age 46 in a car crash.September 19: Cecil Surry, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 49.

October

October 6: Erwin Barta, Hungarian painter, illustrator and graphic artist, dies at age 78.

December

December 9: Uriel Birnbaum, Austrian illustrator, painter, poet, poster artist and comics artist, dies at age 62.December 31: Norm Rice, Australian comics artist, dies in a car accident.

Specific date unknown

  • Freddie Crompton, British comic artist, dies at age 67 or 68.
  • Gus Mager, American comics artist, dies at age 77 or 78.
  • Zuni Maud, Polish journalist, cartoonist, puppeteer and comics artist, dies at age 64 or 65.
  • Ralph Mayo, American comics artist and art director for AC Comics, dies at an unknown age.
  • Austin Bowen Payne, British comics artist, dies at age 79 or 80.

Initial appearances by character name