1985 in comics
Notable events of 1985 in comics.
Events and publications
Year overall
- More independent publishers enter the marketplace: Aircel Comics, Arrow Comics, Blackthorne Publishing, Dragon Lady Press, NOW Comics, Sirius Comics, Strawberry Jam Comics, and Wonder Comics all publish their first titles. In addition, David Anthony Kraft's Comics Interview publishes its first comic book titles.
- After 41 years as a publisher, Charlton Comics folds.
- Marvel Comics publishes Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Men, an all-star benefit book for African famine relief and recovery.
January
- Warrior, with issue #26, publishes its final issue
February
- February 18: The first episode of Jim Meddick's Monty is published.
- February 28:
- * Bill Tidy's The Fosdyke Saga comes to an end after having been in syndication for 14 years.
- * Jack Dunkley's The Larks is also discontinued.
- Tales of the Teen Titans #50: Donna Troy marries Terry Long.
- With issue #150, Marvel Comics cancels the Spider-Man title Marvel Team-Up.
March
- March 7: Albert Uderzo is honoured as Knight in the Légion d'Honneur.
- March 17: First publication of Greg Evans' Luann.
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #100: "Breakin'!" written and drawn by Al Milgrom.
- "The Surtur Saga" comes to a conclusion in Thor #353 by Walt Simonson.
- In London an exhibition of Tomi Ungerer's artwork and cartoons is wrecked with spray-paint by feminist activists led by Valerie Wise who protest against his S&M erotic cartoons.
April
- To promote and fund an upcoming museum devoted to Belgian comics, various Belgian comic artists have an official meeting with king Baudouin of Belgium and queen Fabiola at the royal palace. In 1989, this museum will open as the Belgian Comic Strip Center.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths 12-issue "maxi-series" debuts, produced by DC Comics to simplify their then-50-year-old continuity. Written by Marv Wolfman, and illustrated by George Pérez, with Mike DeCarlo, Dick Giordano, and Jerry Ordway. The series eliminates the concept of the Multiverse in the fictional DC Universe and kills off many characters, including long-standing superheroes Supergirl and Barry Allen.
May
- The Norwegian band A-ha releases a re-recorded version of their song "Take On Me", with a partially animated music video, in which a girl is brought into a comic book world. The video is directed by Steve Barron and Candace Reckinger, with the animation done by Michael Patterson. The comic featured in the music video is drawn by Michael Patterson and later printed in the sleeve of the single release.
- Sgt. Rock #400: "Easy's 400th," by Robert Kanigher and Adrian Gonzales.
June
- In the Italian magazine Corto Maltese, Y todo a media luz by Hugo Pratt; in Buenos Aires, Corto Maltese meets Butch Cassidy.
Summer
- Marvel Comics publishes New Mutants Special Edition #1. Written by Chris Claremont, it is the first X-Men related art by fan-favorite Art Adams with inks by Terry Austin. It continues in Uncanny X-Men Annual #9 again by Claremont and Adams with inks by Al Gordon, Mike Mignola, and Adams.
July
- July 29: Jimmy Johnson's Arlo and Janis makes its debut.
- Secret Wars II debuts continuing the adventures of the Beyonder from the original Secret Wars series.
- In Middelkerke, Belgium, the first edition of the comics festival Stripfestival Middelkerke is organized, though it's still named Milky Way Stripfestival at this point.
August
- August 23: The Dutch comics magazine Eppo changes its name into Eppo Wordt Vervolgd, to tie in with the popularity of the TV show Wordt Vervolgd, which deals with comics and cartoons. Under this new name it continues until 1988. In the first issue Ruud Straatman and Peter de Wit's De Familie Fortuin makes its debut.
- DC publishes Superman Annual #11: "For the Man Who Has Everything," by the future Watchmen team of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
September
- September 15: The first episode of Gleever's comic strip Oktoknopie is published in the Dutch children's magazine Taptoe.
- September 15: In the Italian Disney magazineTopolino, Topolino e il segreto della Gioconda, by Bruno Concina and Massimo De Vita; the first episode of the serial Mickey and the time machine is published, which marks the debut of Dr. Spike Marlin.
- September 20: Peter de Smet wins the Stripschapprijs. Joost Swarte and the PTT Post receive the Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdiensten.
- The "Who Is Sensor Girl?" storyline, written by Paul Levitz, begins in Legion of Super-Heroes #14.
- Mighty Crusaders vol. 2, with issue #13, is cancelled by Archie Adventure Series.
- Missouri Demons, by Jean Michel Charlier and Colin Wilson, fourth chapter of La jeunesse de Blueberry; first chapter of the Quantrill saga.
- In Orient express, first episode of Un principe per Norma by Giancarlo Berardi and Ivo Milazzo, retelling of Hamlet with Ken Parker as the prince and a Marylin Montoe's double as Ophelia.
October
- With issue #350, DC Comics publishes the final issue of The Flash.
- "The Death of Jean DeWolff" story arc, written by Peter David, begins in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107.
- Music for Mechanics, the first Love and Rockets collection, is published by Fantagraphics.
- The Vision and the Scarlet Witch vol. 2 #1, the first issue of a 12–issue limited series.
November
- November 18: Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes makes its debut.
- With issue #50, Arak, Son of Thunder is canceled by DC Comics.
- Tales of the Teen Titans, with issue #59, becomes a reprint book.
- Iron Man #200: "Resolutions!" by Denny O'Neil, Mark D. Bright, and Akin & Garvey. Tony Stark resumes the identity of Iron Man and defeats Iron Monger.
- In Australia the annual comics awards, the Stanley Awards, are established.
- Eloise de Montigri by Herman, second episode of The Towers of Bois-Maury
- The Rige by Serge Le Tendre and Régis Loisel, third chapter of the saga La Quête de l'oiseau du temps.
December
- The Warlord #100: double-sized issue, "Skartaris Unchained," by Michael Fleisher and Adam Kubert.
- Uncanny X-Men #200: "The Trial of Magneto!," by Chris Claremont, John Romita Jr., and Dan Green.
- Thundercats #1: "Survival Run".
- December 31: The Dreamer, by Will Eisner, is published by Kitchen Sink.
Specific date unknown
- The final issue of the Flemish comics magazine/fanzine Stripgids is published. It will be relaunched in October 2006.
- Alfred Bestall receives a Member of the British Empire medal.
- Will Eisner publishes the book Comics and Sequential Art.
Deaths
January
- January 4: Otto Milo, Dutch film critic, comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 62.
- January 10: José Luis Salinas, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 76.
- January 29: George Needham, aka George Robb, British-Australian comics artist, dies at age 81.
February
- February 5: Cees Bantzinger, Dutch comics artist, drowns himself in a river out of shame over his war past. He is 70 years old.
March
- March 24: Dick Kinney, American animator, screenwriter and comics writer, dies at age 68.
- March 27:
- * Don Rico, American novelist and comics writer, dies at age 72.
- * Hans Kossatz, German illustrator, comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 84.
- March 28: Ferry Zipper, Austrian-Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 74.
April
- April 11: Bill Zaboly, American comics artist, dies at age 74.
- April 15: Andries Brandt, Dutch comics artist and writer, dies at age 86.
May
- May 5: Erkki Tanttu, Finnish comics artist, dies at age 77.
- May 11: Chester Gould, American comics artist, dies at age 84.
- May 20: Nettie van Wijland, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 73.
June
- June 20: Ralph A. Wolfe, American animator and comic artist, dies at age 90.
- June 21: Charles Wojtkoski, American comics artist, dies at age 63.
- June 28: Lynd Ward, American illustrator and comic artist, dies at age 80.
July
- July: Ernie Hart, American comics writer and artist, dies at age 64.
- July 8: Frank Hampson, British comics artist, dies at age 66.
- July 13: Einar Norelius, Swedish illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 85.
August
- August 6: Ken Ernst, American comics artist, dies at age 67.
- August 25: Pino Zac, Italian illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist and animator, co-publisher of the magazine Il Male, dies at age 55.
September
- September 7: José Zabala-Santos, aka Mang Pepe, Filipino comics artist, dies at age 74.
October
- October 12: George Lemont, American comics artist, dies from a stroke at age 58.
- October 15: Sandro Angiolini, Italian comics artist, dies at age 65.
- October 18: Jack Kent, American comics artist, dies from leukemia at age 65.
- October 22: Jean Pouzet, French comic artist, dies at age 60.
- October 23: Adolphe Barreaux, American comics artist, dies at age 86.
- October 25:
- * Alberto Bróccoli, Argentinian caricaturist and comic artist, dies at age 42.
- * Charles Kemper, Dutch painter and comics artist, dies at age 72.
- October 26: Cecil Langley Doughty, British illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 71.
- October 30: Manon Iessel, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 76.