1936 in comics

Events and publications

January

• January 19: Hergé's The Adventures of Jo, Zette and Jocko debuts in Cœurs Vaillants.
• Famous Funnies #18 - Eastern Color
• More Fun the Big Comic Magazine #7 - National Periodical Publications
• New Comics #2 - National Periodical Publications

  February

• 8 February: #1 - Mickey Mouse Weekly
• 17 February: Lee Falk's The Phantom makes his debut.
• Famous Funnies #19 - Eastern Color
• More Fun the Big Comic Magazine #8 - National Periodical Publications
• New Comics #3 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #1 - Dell Comics

  March

• March 8: Dudley D. Watkins' Oor Wullie and The Broons debut in The Sunday Post.
• March 16: In E.C. Segar's Thimble Theatre Eugene the Jeep makes its debut.
• March 31: Frans Piët signs his first Sjors comic strip. Originally a blatant copy of Martin Branner's Winnie Winkle it now becomes completely its own thing.
• Big Book of Fun Comics #1 - National Periodical Publications
• Famous Funnies #20 - Eastern Color
• More Fun Comics #9 - National Periodical Publications, cover dated "Mar-April"
• New Comics #4 - National Periodical Publications, cover dated "Mar-April".
• Popular Comics #2 - Dell Comics

  April

• April 6: Lank Leonard's Mickey Finn debuts.
• Famous Funnies #21 - Eastern Color
• King Comics #1 - David McKay Publications
• Popular Comics #3 - Dell Comics
• Tip Top Comics #1 - United Features: first comic book appearance of Tarzan

  May

• May 2: In the first issue of the Turkish children's magazine Yavrutürk Çocuk Gazetesi Ercüment Kalmik's comics series Çetin Kaptan makes its debut.
• May 3: The first issue of the Flemish comics magazine Bravo ! is published. It will run until 17 April 1951.
• May 7: The first issue of the Dutch comics magazine Doe Mee is published. It will run until 15 December 1949.
• The Comics Magazine #1 — Centaur Publications
• Famous Funnies #22 - Eastern Color
• King Comics #2 - David McKay Publications
• More Fun Comics #10 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #4 - Dell Comics

  June

• The Comics Magazine #2 — Centaur Publications
• Famous Funnies #23 - Eastern Color
• King Comics #3 - David McKay Publications
• New Comics #5 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #5 - Dell Comics
• Tip Top Comics #2 - United Features
• Phantom comic #1

  July

• July 11: The final issue of the Dutch satirical magazine De Notenkraker is published.
• 14 July: The Italian humor magazine Bertoldo brings out its first issue, continuing its run until 10 September 1943.
• The Comics Magazine #3 — Centaur Publications
• Famous Funnies #24 - Eastern Color
• King Comics #4 - David McKay Publications
• More Fun Comics #11 - National Periodical Publications
• New Comics #6 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #6 - Dell Comics
• Tip Top Comics #3 - United Features

  August

• August 30: Al Taliaferro and Earl Duvall adapt Donald Duck into a weekly pantomime comic, as part of their Silly Symphony comic strip.
• August 31: William St. John Glenn creates Dorothea in The Daily Mail.
• Max Plaisted's Zarnak makes its debut. It will run until October 1937.
• The Comics Magazine #4 — Centaur Publications
• Famous Funnies #25 - Eastern Color
• King Comics #5 - David McKay Publications
• More Fun Comics #12 - National Periodical Publications
• New Comics #7 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #7 - Dell Comics
• Tip Top Comics #4 - United Features

  September

• The Comics Magazine #5 — Centaur Publications
• Famous Funnies #26 - Eastern Color
• King Comics #6 - David McKay Publications
• More Fun Comics #13 - National Periodical Publications
• New Comics #8 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #8 - Dell Comics
• Tip Top Comics #5 - United Features

  October

• October 25: The final episode of Rea Irvin's The Smythes is published in The New York Herald Tribune.
• The first episode of Fuku-Chan by Ryuichi Yokoyama is published and will run until 1971.
• Famous Funnies #27 - Eastern Color
• The Funnies #1 - Dell Comics
• King Comics #7 - David McKay Publications
• More Fun Comics #14 - National Periodical Publications
• New Comics #9 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #9 - Dell Comics
• Tip Top Comics #6 - United Features

  November

• Famous Funnies #28 - Eastern Color
• The Funnies #2 - Dell Comics
• Funny Pages #6 — Centaur Publications
• Funny Picture Stories #1 — Centaur Publications. This issue also marks the debut of The Clock by George Brenner.
• King Comics #8 - David McKay Publications
• More Fun Comics #15 - National Periodical Publications
• New Comics #10 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #10 - Dell Comics
• Elmer Woggon and Allen Saunders's Steve Roper and Mike Nomad debuts.
• Tip Top Comics #7 - United Features

  December

• Detective Picture Stories #1 — Centaur Publications
• Famous Funnies #29 - Eastern Color
• Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine #1. It folds after only one issue.
• The Funnies #3 - Dell Comics
• Funny Pages #7 — Centaur Publications
• Funny Picture Stories #2 — Centaur Publications
• King Comics #9 - David McKay Publications
• More Fun Comics #16 - National Periodical Publications
• New Comics #11 - National Periodical Publications
• Popular Comics #11 - Dell Comics
• Tip Top Comics #8 - United Features

  Specific date unknown

• Harry Paschall creates Bosco for Strength and Health magazine, where it will run until his death.
• Jerry Iger and Will Eisner establish the comics studio Eisner & Iger.
• Roberto Sgrilli's Formichino debuts.

  Deaths

January

• January 31: Grace Drayton, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at the age of 58.

  March

• March 19: Ottilia Adelborg, Swedish illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 80.

  April

• April 2: Bert Cobb, American comics artist , dies at age 66 or 67.

  May

• May 9 : Stanislav Lolek, Czech illustrator and comics artist dies at the age of 62.

  July

• July 3: Charles Reese, American comics artist, dies at age 74.
• July 19: Apeles Mestres, Spanish musician, novelist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 81.

  Specific date unknown

• Ed Leffingwell, American comics artist, dies.
• Charles Small, American comics artist, passes away.

  Exhibitions and shows

Conventions

First issues by title

• Big Book of Fun Comics
• The Comics Magazine
• The Funnies
• King Comics
• Popular Comics
• Tip Top Comics

  Initial appearances by character name

• Clock, by George Brenner, in Funny Pages #6 and Funny Picture Stories #1 - Centaur Publications

  Comics debuts without a specific date

• Barney Baxter by Frank Miller.
• Belinda by Steve Dowling.
• Ben Bowyang by Alex Gurney.
• Biffen och Bananen by Rit-Ola
• Laff-a-Day debuts.
• Rebo by Cesare Zavattini, Federico Pedrocchi and Giovanni Scolari
• Room and Board by Gene Ahern.