1978 in comics

Events

Year overall

• DC suffers the DC Implosion, the abrupt cancellation of more than two dozen ongoing and planned titles, including All Star Comics, Aquaman, House of Secrets, Our Fighting Forces, Showcase, and The Witching Hour. The vast majority of the books leave uncompleted story lines.
• Archie Goodwin resigns as Marvel Comics editor-in-chief, replaced by Jim Shooter.
• Underground publisher the Print Mint stops publishing comics.
• "The Korvac Saga" story arc, written by Jim Shooter and David Michelinie, with art by George Pérez and David Wenzel, runs through The Avengers, beginning in issue #167 and running through issue #177
• "The Cursed Earth" Judge Dredd storyline runs in 2000 AD

  January

• Green Lantern #100: Double-size special featuring Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Air Wave..
• L’uomo di Tsushima by Bonvi, retelling of the famous battle as seen by Jack London, for the series Un uomo un’avventura.

  February

• February 2: Belgian comics artist Maurice Tillieux is killed in a car crash.
• The first issue of the Belgian comics magazine À Suivre is published. It will run until December 1997.
• Detective Comics #475, "The Laughing Fish" by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin.
• On A suivre, first chapter of Ici meme, graphic novel of political satire by Jean-Claude Forest and Jacques Tardi.

  March

• 21 March: In Pilote, the first chapter of the Valérian story Heroes of the Equinox by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres is published.

  April

• 18 April: In the Le journal de Tintin, the first chapter of the second Thorgal story The island of frozen seas by Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosiński is published.
• Claw the Unconquered, with issue #10, is revived by DC after an 18-month hiatus.
• Power Man, with issue #50, changes its name to Power Man and Iron Fist.

  May

• 14-21 May: In Topolino, The planetary wars, by Guido Martina and Giovan Battista Carpi, a spoof of Star Wars, is published.
• May 19: Scripps Company merges its two syndication arms, Newspaper Enterprise Association and United Feature Syndicate, to form United Media Enterprises.
• Showcase #100: "Awesome Anniversary Edition! 60 Sensational Super-Stars" — featuring almost every character who ever appeared in Showcase — by Paul Kupperberg, Paul Levitz, and Joe Staton.
• IPC Magazines publishes the first issue of the short-lived comics magazine Starlord

  June

• Continuing the "DC Explosion," the company increases its titles' page counts to 25 story pages and increases the price of a typical comic from 35 cents to 50 cents.
• Batman #300: "The Last Batman Story—?", by David V. Reed, Walt Simonson, and Dick Giordano.
• Garfield, by Jim Davis is launched on June 19 in 41 newspapers.
• In the magazine Cannibale RanXerox by Tanino Liberatore makes its debut.

  Summer

• DC Special Series #15 — "I Now Pronounce You Batman and Wife!", marriage of Batman and Talia al Ghul, by Dennis O'Neil, Michael Golden, and Dick Giordano. See also

  August

• The DC Implosion takes hold, as the company cancels 4 ongoing titles, Aquaman, Claw the Unconquered, Mister Miracle, and Shade, the Changing Man.
• Fledgling publisher Eclipse Comics releases , by Don McGregor and Paul Gulacy, considered one of the industry's first "graphic novels".
• With issue #10 The Rampaging Hulk changes its title to The Hulk!, and goes from black-and-white to color.

  September

• Suffering from the DC Implosion, the company cancels 8 ongoing titles, All Star Comics, Battle Classics, Black Lightning, Doorway to Nightmare, Dynamic Classics, , Showcase, and Our Fighting Forces. In addition, DC cuts back comic story pages to 17, and the typical cover price to 40 cents.
• Gold Key Comics, with issue #19, picks up Flash Gordon from Charlton Comics, which had stopped publishing the title in 1970.
• After many delays, DC releases All-New Collectors' Edition #C-56, featuring the story Superman vs. Muhammad Ali.
• In Pilote, the first chapter of The black order brigade by Pierre Christin and Enki Bilal is published.

  Fall

• DC Special Series #16 — "The Last Bounty Hunter!", death of Jonah Hex, by Michael Fleisher and Russ Heath. DC Special Series goes on hiatus after this issue and is revived in Summer 1979.

  September

• September 30: Martin Lodewijk receives the Stripschapprijs.

  October

• The DC Implosion forces the company to cancel 6 more ongoing titles, Firestorm, the Nuclear Man, House of Secrets, Secrets of Haunted House, Star Hunters, Steel: The Indestructible Man, and The Witching Hour.
• Will Eisner's graphic novel A Contract with God is published by Baronet Books. An early landmark of the graphic novel form.
• Will Eisner's "Signal From Space" storyline begins in Spirit Magazine #19.
• In A suivre, Giuseppe Bergman makes his debut in HP and Giuseppe Bergman, by Milo Manara.
• October 14: IPC Magazines merged two comic books: 2000 AD and Starlord into "2000 AD and Starlord".
• October 15: The Dutch comics organisation Het Stripschap holds a dinner to celebrate their 10th anniversary. During the event one of their guests, Dick Matena, starts making a scene while drunk. The incident will become legendary afterwards.

  November

• Fantastic Four #200: Double-sized anniversary issue, "When Titans Clash!" by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard, and Joe Sinnott.
• L’uomo delle nevi, by Alfredo Castelli and Milo Manara, for the series Un uomo un’avventura.
• In Il mago Soviet secret agent Ivan Timbrovic by Massimo Cavezzali makes his debut.
• First volume of the Storia d’Italia a fumetti di Enzo Biagi, drawn by some of the best Italian cartoonists.

  December

• Kamillo Kromo, book for children by Francesco Tullio Altan.
• Art Spiegelman creates Ed Head, published in Playboy on an irregular basis until November 1981.

  Deaths

January

• January 1: Don Freeman, American comics artist, painter, illustrator and children's novelist, passes away at age 61.
• January 18: Clark Haas, American comics artist, animator and animation producer, dies at age 58.

  February

• February 2: Maurice Tillieux, Belgian comics artist, dies in a car accident at age 56.
• February 5: Frans Van Immerseel, Belgian painter, caricaturist, cartoonist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 68.
• February 7: Enrique Rapela, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 67.
• February 9: Woody Gelman, American comics artist, novelist and publisher, dies of a stroke at age c. 62.
• February 9: Warren King, American comics artist, passes away at age 62.
• February 19: Gisela Zimmermann, German comics artist, dies at age 65 of heart failure.
• February 28: Glenn Chaffin, American comics writer, passes away at age 80.

  March

• March 3: Frank Fogarty, American comics artist, dies at age 80.
• March 8: Tjeerd Bottema, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 94.

  April

• April 9: Elmer Woggon, American comics artist, dies at age 79.

  May

• May 11: Clinge Doorenbos, Dutch comedian, singer, songwriter, children's novelist, poet, journalist and comics writer, passes away at age 93.
• May 17: Mort Weisinger, American comics editor, dies at age 63.
• May 27: Jo Spier, Dutch illustrator and cartoonist, passes away at age 77.

  June

• June 22: William Reusswig, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 75.

  July

• July 5: Paul Cuvelier, Belgian comics artist and painter, dies at age 54.

  September

• September 9: Barbara Shermund, American cartoonist, dies at age 79.

  October

• October 4: Sezgin Burak, Turkish comics artist, passes away at age 43.
• October 10: J.R. Bray, American animator and comics artist, dies at the age of 99.

  November

• November 8: Norman Rockwell, American painter and illustrator, dies at the age of 84.
• November 21: Orhan Ural, Turkish comics artist, dies at age 64 or 65.

  December

• December 4: Brian Lewis, British illustrator, comics artist and animator, dies at age 49.
• December 6: Dick Dreux, aka Rod Draga, Dutch novelist, radio writer and comics artist, dies at age 65.
• December 28: Hi Mankin, American comics artist, passes away at age 51 or 52 from a heart attack.
• December 31: Arsène Brivot, French comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 80.
• December 31: Basil Wolverton, American comics artist, dies at age 69.
• Specific date unknown: Jacques Gagnier, Canadian caricaturist, comics artist, children's book illustrator and cartoonist, dies at age 61.

  Specific date unknown

• Aldo De Amicis, Italian comics artist, dies at age 74 or 75.
• Al Fago, American comics artist, dies at age 73 or 74.
• Frank Fogarty, American comics artist, dies at age 90 or 91.
• Henry Le Monnier, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 84 or 85.

  Conventions

• Summer: Atlanta Fantasy Fair — official guests included Stan Lee, Jim Starlin, Howard Chaykin, Jim Steranko
• June: Houstoncon — guests include Frankie Thomas, Kirk Alyn, Ron Goulart, Gil Kane, Jenette Kahn, Frank Brunner, Ray Harryhausen, Greg Jein, Kerry Gammill, Jim Newsome, and Paula Crist
• July 2–5: Comic Art Convention I
• July 8–9: Comic Art Convention II
• July 14–16: Chicago Comicon — 3rd annual convention under that name
• July 26–30: San Diego Comic-Con — show reaches attendance mark of 5,000 for the first time. Official guests: John Buscema, Howard Chaykin, Shary Flenniken, Alan Dean Foster, Gardner Fox, Steve Gerber, Burne Hogarth, Greg Jein, Bob Kane, Gray Morrow, Clarence "Ducky" Nash, Grim Natwick, Wendy Pini, Frank Thorne, Boris Vallejo
• July 29–30: Comicon '78 — "10th anniversary special;" guests include Don McGregor, George Pérez, Jim Salicrup, Duffy Vohland, Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Brian Lewis, Trevor Goring, Dez Skinn, and Dave Gibbons; 2nd annual presentation of the Eagle Awards
• September: OrlandoCon — guests include Will Eisner, Bob Clampett, Les Turner, Ralph Dunagin, C. C. Beck, Edmund Good, Bill Black, Morris Weiss, Ralph Kent, Bill Crooks, and Zack Mosley
• September 2–3: Albany Comic Con — tentative guest list included Joe Sinnott, Joe Staton, and Al Milgrom
• November 13–15: OAF SF & Nostalgia Show 1978
• November 17–19: Delaware Valley Comicart Consortium Third Annual Convention Honoring Women in Comics — guests included Paty, Mary Jo Duffy, Wendy Pini, Frank Thorne, Boris Vallejo, and Bill Ward
• November 24–26: Creation '78 — guests include John Byrne, Howard Chaykin, Jim Steranko, Herb Trimpe, Gray Morrow, Bob Larkin, John Romita, Sr., John Romita, Jr., Gene Colan, Rudy Nebres, and Tom Yeates
• December 1–3: Wintercon '78
• December 29: Albany Comic Con II

  Awards

[Eagle Awards]

• Roll of Honour: Steve Englehart

  American section

• Favourite Writer: Chris Claremont
• Favourite Artist: John Byrne
• Favourite Inker: Terry Austin
• Favourite Comic Book : Uncanny X-Men
• Favourite New Comics Title: Micronauts
• Favourite Single Story: "Mindgames", Uncanny X-Men #111, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
• Best Continuing Story: "The Korvac Saga", in The Avengers #167, 168, 170–177, written by Jim Shooter and David Michelinie, with art by George Pérez and David Wenzel
• Favourite Cover: Master of Kung Fu #67, by Paul Gulacy
• Favourite Team: X-Men
• Favorite Supporting Character: Wolverine
• Favourite Villain: Magneto
• Character Most Worthy of His Own Title: Silver Surfer
• Favourite Specialist Comics Publication: Comic Media News

  U.K. section

• Favourite Writer: T.B. Grover
• Favourite Artist: John Bolton
• Favourite Comic: 2000 AD
• Favourite Character: Judge Dredd

  First issues by title

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Other publishers

Canceled titles

DC Comics

• All Star Comics, with issue #74
• Aquaman, with issue #63
• Army at War, with issue #1
• Batman Family, with issue #20 — folded into the newly reformatted DC Dollar Comic Detective Comics
• Battle Classics, with issue #1
• Black Lightning, with issue #11
• Challengers of the Unknown, with issue #87
• Claw the Unconquered, with issue #12
• DC Super Stars, with issue #18
• Doorway to Nightmare, with issue #5 — folded into the DC Dollar Comic The Unexpected
• Dynamic Classics, with issue #1
• Firestorm, the Nuclear Man, with issue #5
• Freedom Fighters, with issue #15
• House of Secrets, with issue #154
• , with issue #59
• Karate Kid, with issue #15
• Metal Men, with issue #56
• Mister Miracle, with issue #25
• Our Fighting Forces, with issue #181
• Return of The New Gods, with issue #19 — the numbering had continued from the New Gods 1971 series, which itself had been cancelled in 1972.
• Secret Society of Super Villains, with issue #15
• Secrets of Haunted House, with issue #14 — revived a year later, however, with issue #15; the title continues until issue #46 in March 1982.
• Shade, the Changing Man, with issue #9
• Shazam!, with issue #35 — folded into the DC Dollar Comic World's Finest
• Showcase, with issue #104 — the numbering had continued from the first volume of Showcase, which itself had been cancelled in 1970.
• Star Hunters, with issue #7
• Steel: The Indestructible Man, with issue #5
• Super-Team Family, with issue #15 — the basic concept is reborn a few months later with the July debut of DC Comics Presents
• Teen Titans, with issue #53
• Welcome Back, Kotter, with issue #10
• The Witching Hour, with issue #85 — folded into the DC Dollar Comic The Unexpected

  Marvel Comics

• The Champions, with issue #17
• Devil Dinosaur, with issue #9
• The Eternals, with issue #19
• Kull the Destroyer, with issue #29
• Marvel Classics Comics, with issue #36

  Other publishers

• Bullet, with issue #147 — merged with Warlord
• Ghostly Haunts, with issue #58
• Krazy, with issue #79 — merged with Whizzer and Chips
• The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, with issue #65 — the title picks up again with issue #66 in May 1981
• Starlord, with issue #22

  Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

• Harold Jordan, in Green Lantern #48
• Cinnamon, in Weird Western Tales #48
• Commander Steel, in Steel, the Indestructible Man #01
• Count Vertigo, World's Finest Comics #251
• Doctor Mist, in Super Friends #12
• The Elementals, in Super Friends #14
• Fadeaway Man, in Detective Comics #479
• Firestorm, in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #01
• Martin Stein, in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #01
• Ronald Raymond, in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #01
• Killer Frost, in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #03
• Madame Xanadu, in Doorway to Nightmare #01
• Madame Zodiac, in Batman Family #17
• Multiplex, in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #02
• Ultraa, in Justice League of America #153
• Jed Rikane, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #240
• Preston Payne, in Detective Comics #477
• Odd Man , in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade #02

  Marvel Comics

• Arcade, in Marvel Team-Up #65
• Big Wheel, in The Amazing Spider-Man #182
• Bethany Cabe, in Iron Man #117
• Carrion, in Spectacular Spider-Man #25
• Devil Dinosaur, in Devil Dinosaur #1
• Vindicator, in Uncanny X-Men #109
• Hoder, in Thor #274
• Hypno-Hustler, in Spectacular Spider-Man #24
• Kiber the Cruel, in Black Panther #11
• Moon-Boy, in Devil Dinosaur #1
• Moonstone, in The Incredible Hulk #228
• Mystique, in Ms. Marvel #16
• Ben Urich, Daredevil #153
• Virako, in Thor Annual #7
• Wendell Vaughn , in Captain America #217