1966 in comics


Notable events of 1966 in comics.

Events and publications

Year overall

  • Myron Fass founds Eerie Publications and M. F. Enterprises
  • In Italy, while the success of Satanik generates several black comics with female protagonists, all short lived, the writer and publisher Renzo Barbieri launches the first explicitly erotic comics.

    January

  • January 1: The final episode of Theo Fünke Kupper's De Verstrooide Professor is published.
  • January 4: Greg and Hermann's Bernard Prince makes his debut.
  • January 8: The final issue of the Italian comics magazine Il Vittorioso is published.
  • January 9: For the first time since 1952 a new episode of Will Eisner's The Spirit is published.
  • January 9: in the French magazine Vaillant, debut of the series Le Grêlé 7/13, by Lucien Nortier and Roger Lécureux, with a young maquisard as protagonist.
  • January 18: in Le journal de Tintin, Concerto pour pilotes by Jean Graton.
  • January 21: The final episode of Pieter Kuhn's Kapitein Rob is published. The artist died one day earlier.
  • January 22: The first issue of the British comics magazine Lady Penelope is published. It will run until 13 December 1969.
  • Adventure Comics #340 – DC Comics – The first appearance of Computo by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Curt Swan.
  • Hawkman #11 – DC Comics – The first appearance of the Shrike by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson
  • House of Mystery #156 – DC Comics – First Dial H for Hero by writer Dave Wood and artist Jim Mooney
  • Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt #1 – Charlton Comics – The first appearance of Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt by creator Pete Morisi

    February

  • February 5: The first issue of the British comics magazine Smash is published. It will run until April 1971.
  • February 6: Bob West's Theophilus makes its debut. It will run until 19 April 2002.
  • February 10: Francis' Marc Lebut et son Voisin debuts in Spirou, where it will run for 20 years.
  • February 27: Dick Cavalli's Winthrop makes its debut, after debuting under the different name Morty Meekle on 9 January 1956. The series will run until 1994.
  • In Quino's Mafalda Miguelito makes his debut.
  • The first episode of Max Bunker and Roberto Raviola 's Gesebel is published. It will run until October 1967.
  • Vibranium makes its first Marvel Universe appearance, in Daredevil #13
  • Adventure Comics #341 – DC Comics – Triplicate Girl becomes Duo Damsel after Computo destroys one of her selves.
  • Journey into Mystery #125 – Marvel Comics – Final issue of the series. Becomes Thor with next issue
  • Justice League of America #42 – DC Comics – Metamorpho refuses membership in the Justice League
  • Showcase #60 – DC Comics – The first Silver-Age appearance of the Spectre by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson
  • Fightin' Air Force, with issue #53, is canceled by Charlton.

    March

  • March 1: The first episode of José Miguel Heredia's Perro Mundo is published.
  • Adventure Comics #342 – DC Comics – Star Boy is expelled from the Legion of Super-Heroes.
  • Challengers of the Unknown #48 – DC Comics – Doom Patrol cross-over
  • Doom Patrol #102 – DC Comics – Challengers of the Unknown cross-over
  • Fantastic Four #48 – Marvel Comics – First appearance of the Silver Surfer and Galactus by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby
  • Green Lantern #43 – DC Comics – First appearance of Major Disaster by writer Gardner Fox and artist Gil Kane
  • Justice League of America #43 – DC Comics – First appearance of the Royal Flush Gang by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky
  • Tales of Suspense #75 – Marvel Comics – first appearance of Sharon Carter and Batroc the Leaper by writer Stan Lee and artists Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers
  • Thor #126 – Marvel Comics – Title becomes Thor. Previously Journey into Mystery
  • First issue of the photo comics Killing, written by Luigi Naviglio, that fits into the genre of Italian black comics, but with higher doses of sex and violence.

    April

  • April 3 in France, first issue of Mickey parade, magazine of Disney comics.
  • April 7: In Peyo's The Smurfs the characters Smurfette and Poetry Smurf makes their debut in the story La Schtroumpfette.
  • April 7: In Pilote, first chapter of L’homme a l’etoile d’argent, by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud.
  • April 16: The final episode of Little Annie Rooney is published.
  • April 28: In Pilote, first chapter of Asterix and the normans, by Goscinny and Uderzo.
  • Lenny of Laredo — the underground printing and distribution business publishes its first comic, a reprint of Joel Beck's self-published title
  • The adventures of Jodelle, by Guy Peelaert.
  • First issue of Nuova collana Araldo ; after two short miniseries, from September the magazine hosts Comandante Mark.

    May

  • May 1: The first issue of the American comics magazine Ghostly Tales is published. It will run until October 1984.
  • May 2:
  • * Francisco Ibáñez Talavera's Pepe Gotera y Otilio makes its debut.
  • * John M. Burns' The Seekers makes its debut in The Daily Sketch. It will run until 1971.
  • May 9: Il passato di Tex by Gian Luigi Bonelli and Galep; the origins of Tex Willer and his life before his first appearance in comics are revealed.
  • May 19: in Spirou, first chapter of Tortillas pour les Dalton, by Goscinny and Morris.
  • May 21: Martin Lodewijk's Agent 327 makes its debut in the Dutch comics magazine Pep.
  • The final episode of the Superman comic strip is published.
  • The Ultimate Nullifier makes its Marvel Universe debut, in Fantastic Four #50
  • Ghostly Tales debuts with issue #55, taking over the numbering of Unusual Tales.
  • Judomaster debuts with issue #89, taking over the numbering of Gunmaster.
  • Fightin' Navy, with issue #125, ceases publication.
  • Emil Eagle makes his debut in The evil inventor, by Vic Lockman and Jack Bradbury.

    June

  • June 1: In the 103th issue of Mad Paul Coker's Horrifying Clichés series makes its debut.
  • June 18: The final issue of the British comics magazine Ranger is published. It merges with Look and Learn on 25 June.
  • June 28: In Le journal de Tintin, Rapt sur le France by André-Paul Duchâteau and Tibet.
  • Fantastic Four #51, "This Man... This Monster!" by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

    Summer

  • The first issue of Wally Wood's underground comics magazine Witzend is published.

    July

  • July 25: Il misterioso mister P. by Gian Luigi Bonelli and Guglielmo Letteri; debut of Proteus, thief and master of disguises, antagonist of Tex Willer.
  • The Cosmic Cube makes its first Marvel Universe appearance, in Tales of Suspense #79
  • Adventure Comics #346 — Jim Shooter makes his debut as a comics writer with the Legion of Super-Heroes story One of Us Is a Traitor.
  • Marvel Tales #3, becomes an ongoing title
  • Fantastic Four #52 introduces Black Panther
  • The Brave and the Bold #54 introduces Teen Titans, by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani.
  • Treasure of Marco Polo, by Carl Barks, on Uncle Scrooge 66.
  • First issue of Teddy Bob by Pier Carpi; the series is inspired to the youth culture of the Sixties and has a teen-ager beatnik as protagonist.
  • In France, debut of Comandante Mark by EsseGEsse, for Aventures & Voyages editions, with the name of Captain Swing.

    August

  • August 22: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Peppermint Patty makes her debut.
  • Adventure Comics #347: It marks the conclusion of the Legion of Super-Heroes story arc, "One of Us Is a Traitor".
  • The Amazing Spider-Man #39 : "How Green Was My Goblin".

    September

  • September 3: The final episode of Edwina Dumm's Cap Stubbs and Tippie is published. It will run until February 1983.
  • September 26: In Tintin, first chapter of Flight 714 to Sydney, by Hergè.
  • The first issue of the American comics magazine Eerie is published.
  • The first issue of the Provo magazine God, Nederland en Oranje is published. Two cartoons by Willem lead to a court case for insulting public authority and lèse-majesté. He will in 1968 eventually only be sentenced for the first account, not the second.
  • The Amazing Spider-Man #40 : "Spidey Saves The Day"
  • Thor Annual #2 renamed from Journey into Mystery Annual
  • With issue #110, DC Comics suspends publication of Mystery in Space ; the title is temporarily revived in 1980.

    October

  • October 22: The first gag of Stefan Verwey's comic Broeder Gosewiijn is published in Katholieke Illustratie.
  • After the first edition was held in Bordighera, Italy, the year before the Lucca Comics festival is now held in Lucca, Italy, where it is still held to this day as one of the oldest comics festivals in the world.
  • At the University of Strasbourg André Bertrand creates the four-page comic strip La Retour de la Colonne Durutti, which is distributed as a pamphlet during student protests.

    November

  • November 10: In Pilote, the first chapter of the Astérix story Asterix the legionary, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo is published.
  • November 24: in Pilote, first chapter of Le cheval de fer, by Jean-Michel Charier and Jean Giraud, inaugurating the Blueberry’s saga of the “iron horse”.
  • The Flash #165: Barry Allen marries Iris West.
  • The Amazing Spider-Man In issue #42, drawn by John Romita Sr., Mary Jane Watson is first revealed to the readers, after being an invisible character for two years. She hereby utters the now immortal line: Face it, tiger... you just hit the jackpot.
  • Le mystère des abîmes, by Philippe Druillet, first Lone Sloane album.