1961 in comics

[|Publications]

Year overall

• National Periodical Publications was publicity traded on the stock puffs

  [|January]

• January 15 : Donald's Odyssey, by Guido Martina and Pier Lorenzo De Vita, a parody of the Odyssey, with Donald Duck as Odysseus, is first prepublished in Topolino.
• January 25: The first issue of the British comics magazine The Victor is published. It will run until 21 November 1992.
• Gunsmoke Western #62 - Marvel Comics
• Journey into Mystery #64 - Marvel Comics
• Kid Colt Outlaw #96 - Marvel Comics
• Spy vs. Spy by Antonio Prohías debuts in Mad Magazine.
• Strange Tales #80 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #13 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #15 - Marvel Comics
• Western Comics, with issue #85 canceled by DC
• Editoriale Dardo publishes the first issue of the Italian series Falco Bianco, by Onofrio Bramante, set in Canada during the French and Indian Wars.

  [|February]

• February 12: In Topolino, The secret of success, by Romano Scarpa is first prepublished, which marks the debut of Jubal Pomp.
• February 18: The British comics magazine Radio Fun ends its run and merges with Buster.
• February 25: Bert Felstead's Leo the Friendly Lion debuts.
• February 26: Topolino imperatore della Calidornia, by Romano Scarpa in Topolino.
• Journey into Mystery #65 - Marvel Comics
• Rawhide Kid #20 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #81 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #14 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #16 - Marvel Comics
• Two-Gun Kid #58 - Marvel Comics

  March

• March 6: In Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts Frieda makes her debut.
• March 18: The first issue of the British comics magazine Bimbo is published. It will run until 22 January 1972. In the first issue Bob Dewar's Bimbo makes its debut.
• Journey into Mystery #66 - Marvel Comics
• Kid Colt Outlaw #97 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #82 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #15 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #17 - Marvel Comics

  April

• April 1: Eric Roberts' Winker Watson debuts in the British comics magazine The Dandy.
• April 2: The first issue of the Italian Western series Dick Cheyenne, by Renzo Barbieri and Edgardo Dall’Acqua by Editoriale Dardo is published.
• April 28: The first issue of Radar, by Tristano Torelli and Franco Donatelli is published, a rare example of a super-hero comcis by Italian authors.
• Adventure Comics #283 - DC Comics. It features the debut of General Zod.
• Batman #139 - DC Comics. It features the debut of Betty Kane who takes on the persona of Batgirl.
• Journey into Mystery #67 - Marvel Comics
• Rawhide Kid #21 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #83 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #16 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #18 - Marvel Comics
• Two-Gun Kid #59 - Marvel Comics

  May

• May 11: Maurice Rosy's and Paul Deliège's Bobo makes its debut in a mini–récit in Spirou magazine.
• May 18: The first episode of Asterix and the Goths by Goscinny and Uderzo is prepublished in Pilote.
• Journey into Mystery #68 - Marvel Comics
• Kid Colt Outlaw #98 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #84 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #17 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #19 - Marvel Comics

  June

• June 15 Sergio Bonelli and Gallieno Ferri's Zagor makes its debut with the story The forest of ambushes.
• June 18: Paperino e il calumet della pace, by Luciano Bottaro is prepublished in Topolino. It marks the comeback of Joe Piper, twenty years after his creation by Floyd Gottfredson.
• June 22: The first episode of the Lucky Luke story Billy the Kid by René Goscinny and Morris is prepublished in Pilote.
• Amazing Adventures #1 - Marvel Comics
• Journey into Mystery #69 - Marvel Comics
• Rawhide Kid #22 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #85 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #18 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #20 - Atlas Comics

  July

• July 4: In Tintin the first episode of The Castafiore Emerald, by Hergé is prepublished.
• All-Star Western, with issue #119, canceled by DC
• Amazing Adventures #2 - Atlas Comics
• Journey into Mystery #70 - Marvel Comics
• Kid Colt Outlaw #99 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #86 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #19 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #21 - Marvel Comics
• First issue of Geppo

  August

• Amazing Adventures #3 - Atlas Comics
• Journey into Mystery #71 - Marvel Comics
• Rawhide Kid #23 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #87 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #20 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #22 - Marvel Comics

  September

• September 25: The first episode of Harry Mace's Amy is published. It will run until 1991.
• Amazing Adventures #4 - Atlas Comics
• The Flash #123 - the "Flash of Two Worlds" story introduces Earth-Two, and more generally the concept of the multiverse, to DC Comics.
• Help! #12, the final issue of vol. 1 — Warren Publishing
• Journey into Mystery #72 - Marvel Comics
• Kid Colt Outlaw #100 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #88 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #21 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #23 - Marvel Comics
• Gift lion by Carl Barks, on Uncle Scrooge.

  October

• October 16: Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas' Sam's Strip makes its debut. It will run until 1963.
• Amazing Adventures #5 - Atlas Comics
• Journey into Mystery #73 - Marvel Comics
• The Lighter Side of... by Dave Berg debuts in Mad Magazine.
• Rawhide Kid #24 - Marvel Comics
• Showcase #34 - DC Comics. It features the debut of Gardner Fox', Gil Kane's and Murphy Anderson's Atom.
• Strange Tales #89 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #22 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #24 - Marvel Comics

  November

• November 19: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Little Red-Haired Girl makes her debut.
• November 22: The Lucky Luke adventure Les collines noires by Goscinny and Morris is prepublished in Pilote.
• Amazing Adventures #6 - Atlas Comics
• Fantastic Four #1 - Marvel Comics
• *First appearance of the Fantastic Four
• Journey into Mystery #74 - Marvel Comics
• Kid Colt Outlaw #101 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #90 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #23 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #25 - Marvel Comics

  December

• In the Uncle Scrooge story The Midas Touch by Carl Barks the evil sorceress Magica De Spell and the Scrooge's secretary Miss Typefast make their debut. The same month billionaire John D. Rockerduck makes his debut too, in the story Boat Buster.
• Action Comics #283 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #291 - DC Comics
• Adventures into the Unknown #129 - American Comics Group
• Adventures of Bob Hope #72 - DC Comics
• Amazing Adult Fantasy #7 renamed from Amazing Adventures - Atlas Comics
• Journey into Mystery #75 - Marvel Comics
• Rawhide Kid #25 - Marvel Comics
• Strange Tales #91 - Marvel Comics
• Tales of Suspense #24 - Marvel Comics
• Tales to Astonish #26 - Marvel Comics

  Specific date unknown

• The final episode of William McCleery and Ralph Fuller's Oaky Doaks is published.

  Deaths

February

• February 11: Kate Carew, American caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 91.
• February 27: Nate Collier, American animator, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 77.

  May

• Specific date unknown: Art Krenz, American writer and sports cartoonist, dies at age 55 or 56.

  June

• June 2: Chéri Hérouard, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 80.
• June 30: Félix Jobbe-Duval, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 82.

  July

• July 20: Wilson McCoy, American comics artist, dies at age 59.

  August

• August 9: Joseph Hémard, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 81.

  September

• September 20: Nándor Honti, aka Bit, Hungarian painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 83.
• Specific date in September unknown: Julius Stafford Baker, British comics artist, dies at age 91 or 92.

  December

• December 6: Ralph O. Yardley, American comics artist, dies at age 83.
• December 24: Charles Hamilton, aka Frank Richards, British novelist and comics writer, passes away at age 85.
• December 31: Péricles Maranhão, Brazilian comics artist, commits suicide at age 37.

  Specific date unknown

• Bernard Dibble, American comics artist, dies at age 61 or 62.
• Max A. Otto, German comics artist, dies at age 61.

  Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

• Hawkman in Brave and Bold #37
• Hawkwoman in Brave and Bold #37
• Kobra in Batman #139
• Bette Kane in Batman #139
• General Zod in Adventure Comics #283
• Sinestro in Green Lantern #07
• Atom in Showcase #34
• Jean Loring in Showcase #34
• Matt Hagen in Detective Comics #298
• Pete Ross in Superboy #86
• Haunted Tank in G.I. Combat #87
• Sue Dibny in The Flash #119
• Brainiac 5 in Action Comics #276
• Tomar-Re in Green Lantern #06
• Doctor Destiny in Justice League of America #05
• Mon-El in Superboy #89
• Thom Kallor in Action Comics #282
• Hector Hammond in Green Lantern #05
• Top in The Flash #122
• Luornu Durgo in Action Comics #276
• Salu Digby in Action Comics #276
• Phantom Girl in Action Comics #276
• Sun Boy in Action Comics #276
• Bouncing Boy in Action Comics #276
• Lena Luthor in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #23
• Saturn Queen in Superman #147
• Lightning Lord in Superman #147
• Cosmic King in Superman #147
• Super-Chief in All-Star Western #117
• Kanjar Ro in Justice League of America #03
• Dev-Em in Adventure Comics #287

  Other publishers

• Jubal Pomp - Disney
• Zagor, in The forest of the ambushes - Bonelli
• Cico, Mexican friend and comic sidekick of Zagor, in The forest of ambushes - Bonelli
• Ludwig von Drake - Disney
• John Davison Rockerduck - Disney
• Magica de Spell – Disney