1970 in comics

Events and publications

January

• Charlton Comics, with issue #18, publishes its final issue of Flash Gordon.
• The first issue of the magazine Il Paladino dei Ragazzi is published by the Panini Group.

February

• In the Italian magazine Horror, first strip of Zio Boris, by Alfredo Castelli and Carlo Peroni.
• The Alan Ford story Il Numero Uno, by Max Bunker and Magnus is the debut of Number One, the boss of the TNT group.

March

April

• Ron Turner founds Last Gasp in San Francisco.
• The first issue of the Italian magazine Psyco, dedicated to the horror and the science fiction comics, often in parody key. Also if very short lived, it hosts classics as the dramatic serie Van Helsing, detective del soprannaturale by Alfredo Castelli and Carlo Peroni and the parody Storie dello spazio profondo by Bonvi and Francesco Guccini.
• In the French magazine Pif Comics, Le Secret de Tristam Bantam, by Hugo Pratt, the first chapter of Under the sign of Capricorn is published, a cycle of Corto Maltese’s adventures set in South America.

May

• The British underground magazine Oz releases a special issue, Schoolkids Oz, made by high school pupils. The issue features a pornographic parody of the children's comic Rupert Bear made by a 16-year old pupil named Vivian Berger. The issue and particularly this specific comic will lead to a highly mediatized trial, accusing the publishers of Oz of obscenity.

June

• The final episode of Gerard Wiegel's Professor Cumulus runs in De Volkskrant.

Summer

• John Bagley founds Company & Sons in San Francisco.

July

• * In Pilote, the first chapter of the Asterix story the Asterix in Switzerland, by Goscinny and Uderzo is published.
• * In Spirou, the first chapter of the Spirou et Fantasio story Du Glucose pour Noémie by Jean-Claude Fournier is published.July 12: In Il giornalino, Il colonnello Casterbum contro Piccolo Dente, by Claudio Nizzi and Lino Landolfi, marks the debut of the redskin kid Piccolo Dente.July 19: In Tiramolla, Cattivik, by Bonvi, makes his debut.July 25: The final episode of R.B. Clark's Boofhead is published.Fantastic Four #100: "The Long Journey Home", by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Joe Sinnott..
• The one-shot feminist comics magazine It Ain't Me Babe is published.
• The first issue of the British adult comics magazine Cyclops is published. It will run for only three months.
• The first and only issue of It Ain't Me, Babe is published, a one-shot underground comic realized only by women.
• First issue of Il Topolino d’oro, reprint of the classic Mickey Mouse stories by Floyd Gottfredson.

August

• * The first three-day San Diego Comic-Con is held. Five months earlier a first event was organized but just for one day.
• * After the death of David Law, Gordon Bell filled in for that week's episode of Dennis the Menace and Gnasher in The Beano. David Sutherland now steps in to continue the series. He will draw it up until 1988.August 4: In Le journal de Tintin, the first chapter of the Ric Hochet story Ric Hochet contre le Bourreau by André-Paul Duchâteau and Tibet is published.August 20: In Pilote, the first chapter of the Lucky Luke story Canyon Apache, by Goscinny and Morris is published.

September

• Denis Kitchen founds Krupp Comic Works in Princeton, Wisconsin.The Flash #200: "Count 200 — and Die", by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick, and Murphy Anderson. Showcase, with issue #93, is cancelled by DC Comics.Fantastic Four #102: After 102 consecutive issues written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby, Kirby's final issue as Fantastic Four artist.Silver Surfer, with issue #18, cancelled by Marvel.
• In Italy, the first issue of Jolanka is published, an erotic comic with a sensual pirate woman as a protagonist. The next month, Ediperiodici too launches an analogues character

October

• * Garry Trudeau's long-running satirical newspaper comic Doonesbury is first published.
• * The first episode of Mell Lazarus' Momma is published.October 29 : The last issue of Il Vittorioso appears on the market. Il Giornalino replaces it as main Italian Catholic magazine for children.October 30: Kees Kousemaker and his wife Evelien publish Strip voor Strip, the first standard Dutch-language book about comics.
• Jack Kirby, with issue #133, debuts as writer/artist on Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, introducing the concepts and characters of his Fourth World epic. In his first issue alone, Kirby creates the characters Morgan Edge and Intergang, as well as Project Cadmus, a fictional government genetic engineering project.
• The first issue of Young Lust is published and will run until 1993.
• In Italy, the first issue of Hessa, drawn by Nevio Zeccara, is published. It becomes controversial for its large amount of sex and violence and ambiguous attitude towards Nazism.

November

• Robert M. Overstreet publishes the first edition of his Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, soon to become the primary authority on the subject of American comic book grading and pricing.
• In Midi Linus, first episode of the fantarcheology series Agharti, by Eric Sciò.

December

Births

January

April

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Specific date unknown

• R.B. Clark, Australian comics artist, dies at age 59 or 60.
• John Henry Crosman, American painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 72 or 73.
• Helen Jacobs, British illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 89 or 90.
• Raquel Roque Gameiro, Portuguese illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 81.
• Julius Macon, German cartoonist, caricaturist and illustrator, dies at age 86 or 87.
• Dick Wood, American comics writer and short stories writer, dies at age 50 or 51.

Exhibitions

Conventions

• Comicon '70 (British Comic Art Convention) — organized by Sam Plumb
• Disneyland Hotel Comicon — one and only event of its kindMarch 21: Golden State Comic-Minicon — Shel Dorf organizes a one-day convention "as a kind of 'dry run' for the larger convention he hope to stage." Official guests: Forrest J. Ackerman, Mike RoyerJune 19–21: Southwesterncon V / Multicon 70 — first iteration of this show; guest speaker: Reed CrandallJuly 3–5: Metro Comic Art Convention August: Metro Con — first annual show organized by 15-year-old Gary Groth; attendees include Michael Kaluta and Bernie Wrightson, Neal Adams, and Sal BuscemaAugust 1–3: Golden State Comic-Con — Dorf's first three-day San Diego comics convention, it draws 300 people. Official guests: Forrest J. Ackerman, Ray Bradbury, Jack Kirby, Bob Stevens, A. E. van VogtAugust 23–24: Toronto Triple Fan Fair a.k.a. "Fan Fair 2" — Guests of Honour: Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey; 450 attendeesSeptember 5–7: Detroit Triple Fan Fair — Program dedicated to Jack Kirby. Western-themed cover by Jim Steranko and interior art pages by Neal Adams and Bernie Wrightson.October 31–November 2: Salone Internazionale dei Comics a.k.a. "Lucca 6" November 27–29: Phoenix Con — first iteration of the show, produced by Bruce Hamilton; attendees include Don Newton and John Barrett

Awards

Goethe Awards

• * Denny O'Neil
• * Roy ThomasFavorite Pro Editor: Dick GiordanoFavorite Pro Comic Book: Green Lantern/Green ArrowFavorite Underground Comic: Captain George PresentsFavorite Comic-Book Story: "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight" by Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76 Favorite Comic-Book Character: Deadman Favorite Fanzine: NewfanglesFavorite Fan Writer: Jan StrnadFavorite Fan Artist: Robert Kline

[Shazam Awards]

First issue by title

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Independent titles

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Appa Ali Apsa, in Green Lantern #76
• Lilith Clay, in Teen Titans #25
• Darkseid, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134
• Doctor Darrk, in Detective Comics #406
• El Diablo, in All-Star Western #02
• Mal Duncan, in Teen Titans #26
• Morgan Edge, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133
• Intergang, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 Losers, in Our Fighting Forces #123
• Man-Bat, in Detective Comics #400
• Rose and Thorn in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #105
• Francine Langstrom, in Detective Comics #400
• Ten-Eyed Man, in Batman #226

Marvel Comics

• * Aquarius
• * Aries
• * Cancer
• * Capricorn
• * Gemini
• * Leo
• * Libra
• * Pisces
• * Sagittarius
• * Taurus
• * '''Virgo'''

Independent titles