1989 in comics

Events

Year overall

• The "Inferno" company-wide Marvel Comics crossover continues, involving the mutant titles The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, The New Mutants, and Excalibur, as well as the X-Terminators limited series and various other Marvel titles. Began in Marvel titles cover-dated October 1988; runs through issues cover-dated August 1989.
• DC Comics debuts its alternative imprint Piranha Press, rolling out such series as Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children, Epicurus the Sage, Etc., Gregory, and The Score; and the original graphic novels Desert Streams, The Sinners, and The Wastelands.
• Caliber Comics, Continüm Comics, Revolutionary Comics, and Trident Comics make their publishing debuts; Blackthorne Publishing, Comics Interview Group, Starblaze Graphics, and the UK publisher Harrier Comics all cease publishing.
• "The Man Who Falls," by Dennis O'Neil and Dick Giordano, published in Secret Origins of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes trade paperback.
• NOW Comics decided to use the Comics Code Authority seal in that year.
• Dragon Ball Z is created by Shōnen Jump as a separate series to the original ''Dragon Ball''

  January

• January 27: Belgian comic artist Marc Sleen is named a Knight in the Crown Order.
• Ronald Perelman buys the Marvel Entertainment Group, the parent company of Marvel Comics, from New World Entertainment for $82.5 million, putting in $10.5 million of his own money and borrowing the rest.
• Invasion! crossover event in DC Comics

  February

• Doom Patrol vol. 2, #19: "Crawling from the Wreckage" — Grant Morrison begins a celebrated run as Doom Patrol writer.
• Gotham by Gaslight, by Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola, and P. Craig Russell, published by DC Comics.
• Justice League International #24 features the final Bonus Book, a free insert showcasing the work of new comics creators.
• Thor #400: "God vs. god in the greatest battle of all time," mostly written by Tom DeFalco.
• The Avengers #300: 68-page Inferno crossover by Walter Simonson, John Buscema, and Tom Palmer.

  March

• March 4: The merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications is announced.
• March 14: Action Comics, with issue #642, ends its weekly publication schedule and goes on a short hiatus.

  April

• April 1: Hanco Kolk and Peter de Wit's riddle comic Inspecteur Netjes makes its debut.
• April 14: The final episode of Jim Davis' U.S. Acres is published.
• April 30: Near Paris the theme park Parc Astérix opens its doors, based on the comic strip Astérix.
• Dragon's Claws is canceled by Marvel UK with issue #10.
• Wanderers is canceled by DC with issue #13.

  May

• Detective Comics #600 by Sam Hamm, Denys Cowan, Dick Giordano, and Frank McLaughlin.
• The Janus Directive crossover storyline begins.
• Justice League International changes its name to Justice League America with issue #26.
• Dragon Ball Z May 10; First Tankoben Volume

  June

• June 21: The final issue of the Flemish comics magazine 't Kapoentje is published.
• June 28: The first issue of the Flemish comics magazine De Jommekeskrant is published, a supplement of Het Volk.
• Atlantis Attacks crossover event in Marvel Comics, runs through Marvel's core title Annuals.
• Maze Agency ceases publication by Comico with issue #7.

  July

• Action Comics, with issue #643, goes back to being a standard format monthly title.
• The introduction of the Great Lakes Avengers in issue #46 of West Coast Avengers.

  August

• Batman: Year Three storyline, by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, begins in Batman #436.
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #63.
• C.O.P.S.is cancelled by DC with issue #15.
• St. Swithin's Day, by Grant Morrison and Paul Grist, debuts in Trident #1.

  September

• West Coast Avengers changes its name to Avengers West Coast with issue #48.
• Death's Head is cancelled by Marvel UK with issue #10.
• In Sandman (comic book)|Sandman] #8, the cycles The doll’s house begins.

  October

• October 3: Adam Thrasher launches his comic strip Space Moose. It will run until 1999.
• October 6: The Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels opens its doors.
• October 27: Bill Watterson gives a lecture about The Cheapening of the Comics at Ohio State University, which explains his views on commercialism. The speech polarizes audiences.
• October 28: The Dead Man storyline, by John Wagner and John Ridgway, begins in 2000 AD prog 650.
• October 29: In The Hague Theo van den Boogaard receives the Stripschapprijs. Ron Abram, chief editor of Algemeen Dagblad, receives the Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdienste.
• Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean, published by DC Comics.
• Daniel Clowes launches his comic book series Eightball. In the first issue his comics series Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron and Pussey! are prepublished.

  November

• In issue #3 of the magazine Hup, Robert Crumb draws a satirical comic, targeting Donald Trump.
• Conan The King is cancelled with issue #55.

  December

• Acts of Vengeance crossover event in Marvel Comics; runs through February 1990 issues.
• G.I. Joe Special Missions is canceled by Marvel with issue #28.
• Maze Agency is picked up by Innovation Comics with issue #8.

  Specific date unknown

• The final issue of the Belgian satirical comics and cartoons magazine Pourquoi pas? is published.
• The first episode of Barbara Brandon-Croft's Where I'm Coming From is published and will run until 2005.
• Belgian comic artist Bob Mau is knighted in the Order of the Belgian Crown.
• Joris Vermassen starts his absurd humor comic series Bob De Kerpel, published under the pseudonym Fritz Van den Heuvel.

  Deaths

January

• January 17: Malcolm Judge, British comics artist, dies at age 70 or 71.
• January 23: Salvador Dalí, Spanish painter, dies at age 84.
• January 31: Bob Dunn, American comics artist, dies at age 80.

  February

• February 9: Osamu Tezuka, Japanese manga artist and animator, dies at age 60.
• February 19: Athos Cozzi, Italian comics artist, dies at age 69.
• February 25: Ken Champin, American comics artist, dies at age 77.
• February 27: Peter Age Veldheer, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 58.

  March

• March 19: Ethel Hays, American comics artist, dies at age 97.
• March 27: Fabrizio Caprioli, Italian comics artist, dies at age 40.
• March 30: Mike Sekowsky, American comics artist, writer and animator, dies at age 65.

  April

• April 9: Carl Wessler, American animator, comics artist and writer, dies at age 75
• April 27: William Arthur Smith, American animation writer, comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 71.

  May

• May 3: Edmundo Marculeta, aka Marcouleta, Marcouletta, Marcou, Boris Tunder, Spanish-French comics artist, dies at age 66.
• May 21: Buford Tune, American comics artist, dies at age 82.

  June

• June 4: Dik Browne, American comics artist and writer, dies at age 71.
• June 29: Mathieu Laville, French comic artist, dies at age 28 in a car accident.

  July

• July 10: Jean-Michel Charlier, Belgian comics writer, dies at age 64.
• July 12: Rodolphe Vincent, Canadian illustrator, novelist and comics artist, dies at age 84.
• July 27: Pietro Sartor, Italian comic artist, dies at age 62.

  August

• August 3: Paolo Garretto, Italian caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 86.
• August 4: Paul Murry, American animator, comics artist and writer, dies at age 77.
• August 8: George Papp, American comics artist, dies at age 73.

  September

• September 26: Terence Wakefield, British comics artist, dies at age 78.

  October

• October 12: Jay Ward, American animator and producer, dies at age 69.
• October 14: Dale Connor, American comics artist, dies at age 85.
• October 18: Henk J. Rotgans, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 79.

  November

• November 6: George Fett, American comics artist, dies at age 69.
• November 13: Zdravko Sulic, Serbian comics artist, dies at age 64.
• November 19: Sol Harrison, American comics executive, dies at 72.
• November 20: Sten Rinaldo, Swedish comics artist, dies at age 83.
• November 22: C.C. Beck, American comics artist, dies at age 79.
• November 22: José Guadalupe Cruz, Mexican comics writer and screenwriter, dies at age 72.
• November 24: Gordon Bess, American comics artist and writer, dies at age 60.
• November 28: Ion Popescu-Gopo, Romanian comic artist and animator, dies at age 66.

  December

• December 12: Suihō Tagawa, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 90.
• December 18: Henning Gantriis, Danish comics artist, dies at age 71.
• December 29: Hubert Levigne, Dutch illustrator and comic artist, dies at age 84.

  Specific date unknown

• Nestor Gonzalez Fossat, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 80 or 81.
• Charles Kuhn, American comics artist, dies at age 97.
• Karel van Milleghem, Belgian journalist and chief editor, dies at age 65 or 66.
• Marc Payot, Belgian actor and comics artist, dies at age 65 or 66 in a traffic accident.
• Stoian Venev, Bulgarian comics artist and caricaturist, dies at age 84 or 85.
• César López Vera, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 56 or 57.
• George Wheeler, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 69 or 70.
• Wittamin, Thai comics artist, dies at age 71 or 72.

  Exhibitions and shows

• June 7–August 7: "The Original Art of Zap Comix #12" — featuring the work of Gilbert Shelton, Robert Crumb, Robert Williams, S. Clay Wilson, Victor Moscoso, Spain Rodriguez, and Rick Griffin
• July 15–September 3: Frank Bellamy exhibition — later exhibited at UKCAC '89
• October 15–November 26: "Great American Comics — 100 Years of American Cartoon Art" — exhibition focusing on comics as a graphic narrative; Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service show opens its two-year national tour
• October 16–November 30: "Women Practitioners of 'The Ungentlemanly Art'" — seven women political cartoonists: Linda Boileau, Edwina Dumm, Etta Hulme, M.G. Lord, Lillian Mesner, Kate Palmer, and Signe Wilkinson

  Conventions

• Motor City Comic Con — first iteration of this show
• January: Angoulême International Comics Festival
• Summer: Dragon Con — 3,200 attendees; guest of honor: Anne McCaffrey
• June: Heroes Convention
• June 16–17: Comix Fair — seventh annual show; guests include John Romita, Jr., Bob Layton, Tim Vigil, and Doug Hazlewood
• June 30–July 2: Chicago Comicon — c. 5,000 attendees; guests include Jim Aparo, Stan Lee, Harvey Pekar, Jay Lynch, Skip Williamson, and S. Clay Wilson
• July 14–16: Dallas Fantasy Fair I — presentation of the Harvey Awards; official guests include Doug Hazlewood
• July 21–23: Atlanta Fantasy Fair — 4,000 attendees; official guests include George Pérez, Michael Dorn, Jerry Robinson, Gary Gygax, Todd Bryant, June Chadwick, Marc Singer, and Marina Sirtis
• August 3–6: San Diego Comic-Con — 11,000 attendees; official guests: Paul Chadwick, Howard Cruse, Ron Goulart, Mark Hamill, Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez, Selby Kelly, Syd Mead, Fred Rhoads, Jerry Robinson, and Gahan Wilson
• September 8–10: United Kingdom Comic Art Convention — guests include Jim Baikie, Grant Morrison, Jamie Delano, Kev F. Sutherland, John Ridgway, Dickie Howitt, Cam Kennedy, Guy Lawley, Will Simpson, Tim Perkins, Warren Pleece, Gary Pleece, Trina Robbins, Steve Yeowell, Steve Leialoha, Mark Farmer, Karen Berger, John Byrne, Jenette Kahn, Jaime Hernandez, Howard Chaykin, Woodrow Phoenix, Lew Stringer, Richard Bruning, David Lloyd, Susan Catherine, Barry Kitson, Mike Grell, Mark Buckingham, Tom Veitch, Gerhard, Gilbert Hernandez, Garry Leach, Steve Yeowell, Dave Gibbons, Phil Elliott, Myra Hancock, Paul Gravett, Eddie Campbell, Georgiou Bambos, Ed Pinsent, Glenn Dakin, Don Lawrence, Liam Sharp, Bill Marks, Archie Goodwin, Al Davison, Kevin O'Neill, Howard Chaykin, Dennis O'Neil, and Bryan Talbot
• September 9–10: FantaCon
• September 23–24: OrlandoCon — 16th annual edition
• October 21–22: Toronto Comic and Sequential Art Exposition
• October 27–29: Festival of Cartoon Art — guests speakers included Sergio Aragonés, Tom Batiuk, John Berton, Bo Brown, Buck Brown, Sandy Campbell, Tee Collins, Will Eisner, Draper Hill, Etta Hulme, Lynn Johnston, John Lasseter, Tim Menees, David Wiley Miller, Richard S. Newcombe, Judith O'Sullivan, Mike Peters, Arnold Roth, Lee Salem, Jeff Stahler, Mark Alan Stamaty, Ed Stein, Don Stredney, Dana Summers, Robert W. Wagner, Mort Walker, Bill Watterson, Chris Wedge, and Richard Samuel West.
• November 24–26: Dallas Fantasy Fair II

  Awards

[Eagle Awards]

• Roll of Honour: 2000 AD
• Best International Comic Book: ''Akira''

  American Section

• Favourite Writer: Neil Gaiman, Sandman
• Favourite Artist : Todd McFarlane
• Favourite Artist : Paul Neary
• Favourite Comicbook: Uncanny X-Men
• Favourite Graphic Novel: Arkham Asylum
• Favourite Character: Batman
• Favourite Group or Team: Doom Patrol
• Favourite Villain: The Joker
• Favourite Single or Continued Story: Skreemer, written by Peter Milligan with art by Brett Ewins and Steve Dillon
• Favourite New Comic Title: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight
• Favourite Comic Cover: Aliens #1 by Denis Beauvais
• Favourite Specialist Comics Publication: ''Marvel Age''

  U.K. Section

• Favourite Writer: Grant Morrison
• Favourite Artist: Simon Bisley
• Favourite Comic: 2000 AD
• Best Graphic Novel: Violent Cases
• Favourite Graphic Novel: Sláine: The Horned God Book I
• Favourite Character: Judge Dredd
• Favourite Villain: Judge Death
• Favourite Supporting Character: Middenface McNulty
• Favourite Single or Continued Story: Sláine: The Horned God Book I
• Character Most Worthy of Own Title: Captain Britain
• Favourite New Comic: Bogey Man
• Favourite Comic Cover: 2000 AD Prog 626, by Simon Bisley
• Favourite Specialist Comics Publication: ''Speakeasy''

  Eisner Awards

First issues by title

DC Comics

Limited series

Marvel Comics

Limited series

Independent and small press titles

• A1

• Baker Street
• Black Moon Chronicles
• The Crow

• Fung Wan
• The Green Hornet

• Teenage [Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures]

Limited series

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Anarky in Detective Comics #608
• Amadeus Arkham in Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
• Arm Fall Off Boy in Secret Origins vol. 2 #46
• Artemiz in Suicide Squad #35
• Azazel in The Sandman #4
• Blasters in Invasion! #1
• Garryn Bek in Invasion! #1
• Blockbuster (Roland Desmond) in Starman #9
• Brotherhood of Dada in Doom Patrol #26
• Corinthian in The Sandman #10
• Crazy Jane in Doom Patrol #19
• Crimson Fox in Justice League Europe #6
• Deadline in Starman #15
• El Diablo (Rafael Sandoval) in El Diablo vol. 2 #1
• Draaga in Superman #454
• Tim Drake in Batman #436
• Henri Ducard in Detective Comics #599
• The Endless in The Sandman #1
• * Death in The Sandman #8
• * Desire in The Sandman #10
• * Despair in The Sandman #10
• * Dream in The Sandman vol. 2 #1
• Eradicator in Action Comics Annual #2
• Forager in New Gods #2
• Flamebird (Bette Kane) in Secret Origins Annual #3
• Freedom Beast in Animal Man #13
• Hawkwoman (Shayera Thal) in Hawkworld vol. 1, #1
• Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) in Huntress #1
• Kirigi in Batman #431
• Kono in Legion of Super-Heroes #2
• Matthew the Raven in The Sandman vol. 2, #11
• Maxima in Action Comics #645
• Mirror Master (Evan McCulloch) in Animal Man #8
• Mr. Nobody in Doom Patrol vol. 2 #26
• Naiad in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man vol. 2 #90
• Linda Park in Flash (comic book)|Flash] vol. 2 #28
• Merv Pumpkinhead in The Sandman #5

  Marvel Comics

• Agent in Marvel Graphic Novel: Rick Mason, The Agent
• Alley Viper in G.I. Joe: [A Real American Hero (Marvel Comics)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero] #92
• Angler in Quasar #3
• Prince Baran in Wolverine vol. 2 #6
• Blackheart in Daredevil #270
• Bloodscream in Wolverine vol. 2 #4
• Carrion (Malcolm McBride) in The Spectacular Spider-Man #149
• Andrew Chord in Thor #411
• Crossbones in Captain America #359
• Crystal Ball in G.I. Joe Special Missions #24
• Darklon in G.I. Joe: A [Real American Hero (Marvel Comics)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero] #88
• Dogfight in G.I. Joe Special Missions #28
• Jubilee in Uncanny X-Men #244
• Llan the Sorcerer in Alpha Flight #71
• Madman in The Incredible Hulk #363
• Matsu'o Tsurayaba in Uncanny X-Men #255
• Midnight in Marc Spector: Moon Knight #4
• Misfit in West Coast Avengers #40
• Numinus in Power Pack #51
• Alfie O'Meagan in Marvel Comics Presents #25
• Perun in Captain America #352
• Portal in Avengers (comic book)|Avengers] #304
• Powderkeg in Giant-Size Special: Captain Marvel #1
• Red Guardina (Josef Petkus) in Captain America #352
• Roughouse in Wolverine vol. 2, #4
• Shadowmasters in Punisher War Journal #8
• Shockwave in G.I. Joe Special Missions #17
• Shotgun in Daredevil #272
• Silver Fox in Wolverine vol. 2, #10
• Alysande Stuart in Excalibur #6
• Voltar in G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero #87
• Whiteout in Uncanny X-Men #250
• Worm in Uncanny X-Men #249

  Independent and small press titles

• The Crow in Caliber Presents #1
• Krang in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures vol. 2, #1
• Friday in 2000 AD #650
• Freeza in Dragon Ball chapter 247
• Judge Giant, Jr. in 2000 AD #651