1980 in comics

Events and publications

Year overall

• Big Rapids Distribution, a major Midwestern comics distributor, goes under, and two former employees, form Capital City Distribution, headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Notable alternative titles RAW, World War 3 Illustrated, and Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman, all make their debuts.
• "The Dark Phoenix Saga" runs in X-Men #129–138, by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Terry Austin.
• "Wanted: Santa Claus – Dead or Alive!" the first Batman story drawn by Frank Miller is published in DC Special Series #21
• "Metamorphosis Odyssey", a long-running storyline by Jim Starlin, runs in Epic Illustrated.
• Marvel Comics phases out Curtis Magazines, its black-and-white magazine imprint.
• FantaCo Enterprises, which began as a retailer in 1978, begins publishing comics, starting with Fred Hembeck's The Hembeck Series.
• In the Netherlands the first edition of the comics festival Stripdagen is organized by the Dutch comics appreciation society Het Stripschap.
• In Worcester, Massachusetts, Paul Howley opens the comics store That's Entertainment.

  January

• The Amazing Spider-Man #200: "The Spider and the Burglar," by Marv Wolfman, Stan Lee, Keith Pollard, and Jim Mooney.
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 1 debuts, starting with issue #259, picking up the numbering from Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes .

  February

• "Fiends of the Eastern Front," a 2000 AD storyline runs in issues #152–161, February–April, by Gerry Finley-Day and Carlos Ezquerra

  March

• Detective Comics, with issue #488, resumes monthly publication.
• With issue #26, DC cancels Men of War.
• Superboy Spectacular #1, DC's first direct sales-only title.

  July

• The Unexpected #200: Edited by Jack C. Harris.
• The Untold Legend of the Batman #1, debut of three-issue mini-series and John Byrne's first work for DC Comics.
• John Byrne's first issue as writer/artist of Fantastic Four is #220. While this is his first issue with those credits, his long, five-year run begins with issue 232.
• Raw #1, debut of comix and graphics magazine edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly.

  August

• August 29: Writer Steve Gerber sues Marvel Comics over rights to his character, Howard the Duck in a lawsuit filed in the U. S. District Court for Los Angeles.
• Weird Western Tales, with issue #70, canceled by DC.

  September

• September 12: The Turkish satirical magazine Girgir is temporary banned by the Turkish government, following the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, because of a satirical cartoon, which "insults the Turkish national identity".
• September 20: The Tornado name is dropped from the 2000 AD comic book.
• DC Comics Presents #25, the "Whatever Happened to...?" backup feature began and would appear in most issues for the next two years until its last installment in issue #48.
• Mystery in Space revived by DC, picking up with issue #111, continuing the old numbering.
• The Brave and the Bold #166, featuring the first appearance of Nemesis
• With issue #20, Marvel cancels Shogun Warriors.

  October

• October 24: Eric Schreurs breaks the world record drawing comics by continuing fo 25 hours and 8 minutes straight. It lands him in the Guinness Book of Records.
• David Boswell self-publishes Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman, a title later published by Eclipse Comics and Deep Sea Comics.
• Thor #300: Double-sized anniversary issue, by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, Keith Pollard, and Gene Day.
• The Avengers #200: "The Child is Father to...?" by Jim Shooter, George Pérez, Bob Layton, David Michelinie, George Pérez, and Dan Green.
• DC Comics Presents #26: features an insert previewing the upcoming New Teen Titans series by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.

  November

• The 2000th issue of The Beano dated 15 November 1980.

  December

• December 3: Pierre Makyo and Alain Dodier launch the comics series Les Aventures de Gully, which will continue for a decade.
• The first episode of Moebius and Alejandro Jodorowsky's L'Incal is published in Métal Hurlant.
• Marvel Team-Up #100: Double-size anniversary issue, "And Introducing — Karma! She Possesses People!," by Chris Claremont, Frank Miller, and Bob Wiacek. The issue also contains a backup story featuring the Black Panther and Storm, from the X-Men, by Claremont and John Byrne, with inks by McLeod.
• The first chapter of Art Spiegelman's Maus appears in Raw #2.
• Necdet Sen begins publishing his cartoon, Hizli Gazeteci in the Turkish magazine "Hey".

  Specific date unknown

• Jan Kruis wins the Stripschapprijs.
• Yvan Delporte founds the Upchic Union Professionelle des Créateurs d’Histoires en Images et de Cartoons), the first special interest group for Belgian comics artists. It will exist until 1997.

  Deaths

January

• January 24: Joe King, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 75.

  February

• February 10: Norman W. Marsh, American comics artist, dies at age 81 or 82.
• February 25: Georges Mazure, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 60.

  March

• March 1: Leon A. Beroth, American painter and comics artist, dies at age 85.
• March 1: Richard Allen "Dick" Dillin, American comics artist, dies at age 50.
• March 9: Konstantin Kuznjecov, Russian illustrator, caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 84.
• March 14: Arie Pleysier, Dutch journalist and comics writer, passes away at age 89.
• March 28: Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová, Czech illustrator, painter and comics artist, dies at age 85.

  April

• April 17: Stig Cederholm, Swedish novelist and comics writer, passes away at the age of 75.
• April 21: Leendert Jordaan, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 94.

  May

• May 5: Carl Pfeufer, American sculptor, illustrator, comics artist, dies at age 69.
• May 9: Norman Mingo, American illustrator who designed many covers for Mad Magazine, including their mascot Alfred E. Neuman, dies at the age of 84.

  June

• June 2: Joseph Samachson, American biochemist, novelist, TV script writer and comics writer, dies of Parkinson's disease at age 73.
• June 14: Peter Kuch, Canadian comics artist, dies at age 62.
• June 19: Jijé, Belgian comics artist, dies age 66.

  July

• July 18: Ger Sligte, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 65.

  August

• August 10: Karel Verschuere, Belgian comics artist, dies from cancer at age 55.
• August 26: Tex Avery, American animator, comics artist and film director, dies at age 72.

  September

• September 7: Whitney Ellsworth, American comics editor, artist and writer, passes away at age 71.
• September 14: Imre Sebök, Hungarian painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 74.

  November

• November 14: René Klapac, Czech comics artist , dies at age 75.
• November 19: Huib de Ru, Dutch painter, glass artist and comics artist, dies at age 78.
• November 29: John Putnam, American comics writer, artist and designer, dies from pneumonia at age 63.

  December

• December 8: Mel Cummin, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 85.
• Specific date unknown: Dick Briefer, American comics artist, dies at age 65.

  Specific date unknown

• William Francis Marshall, British illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 78 or 79.
• Al Vermeer, American comics artist, dies at age 68 or 69.

  Conventions

• Charlotte Mini-Con — one-day event held at local mall by Shelton Drum, owner of the comics retailer Heroes Aren't Hard To Find
• FantaCon 2 — official guests include Berni Wrightson, Raoul Vezina, John Caldwell, Jeff Jones, Richard & Wendy Pini, Joe Staton, and Fred Hembeck
• March 15–16: Long Island Comic Book Convention
• June 20–22: Houstoncon — official guests include George Pérez
• July 4–6: Comic Art Convention — special guests Boris Vallejo and Michael Kaluta; other guests: Bob Kane, Fred Hembeck, Wendy and Richard Pini, John Caldwell Norman Mingo, Harlan Ellison, Bob Boze Bell, and Dave Simons
• July 18–20: Chicago Comicon — guest of honor: Roy Thomas; other guests: Frank Brunner, Dave Manak, Frank Miller, Josef Rubinstein, Roger Stern, Laurie S. Sutton, Chris Claremont, Jack C. Harris, Paul Kupperberg, Paul Levitz, Al Milgrom, Steve Mitchell, Joe Staton, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman
• July 25–27: Atlanta Fantasy Fair VI — official guests include Robert Bloch
• July 30 – August 3: San Diego Comic-Con — 5,000 attendees; official guests: John Byrne, Chris Claremont, Mike Grell, Paul Gulacy, Larry Niven, Joe Orlando, Richard Pini, Wendy Pini, Jerry Pournelle, Osamu Tezuka, Adam West, Wally Wood
• August: Atlanta Fantasy Fair VI — official guests include Robert Bloch; Gil Kane is a scheduled guest, but doesn't make it
• August 23: Denver Minicon
• September: OrlandoCon — guests include Gil Kane, Jock Mahoney and Autumn Russell
• October 18–19: Marvel Comics Film & Fantasy Convention — sponsored by Starburst magazine ; presentation of the Starburst Awards; Guest of Honor: Ray Harryhausen; other guests include Barry Morse, Paul Darrow, Jacqueline Pearce, Ingrid Pitt, Caroline Munro, Dana Gillespie, David Prowse, Peter Mayhew, Milton Subotsky, Roy Ashton, Martin Bower, Harley Cokeliss, Mat Irvine, Brian Johnson, Terrance Dicks, David Maloney, Dick Mills, and Richard O'Brien
• November: Mid-Ohio Con — first staging of this annual event, produced by Roger A. Price
• December: Katy-Kon — first convention dedicated to Katy Keene

  Awards

[Eagle Awards]

• Favourite Artist : Brian Bolland

  First issues by title

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Independent titles

Shueisha

Initial appearances by character name

DC Comics

• Creature Commandos, in Weird War Tales #93
• Deathstroke, in The New Teen Titans #02
• Mister E, in Secrets of Haunted House #31
• Mongul, in DC Comics Presents #27
• Nemesis in The Brave and the Bold #166
• New Teen Titans, in DC Comics Presents #26
• *Cyborg, in DC Comics Presents #26
• *Raven, in DC Comics Presents #26
• *Starfire, in DC Comics Presents #26
• Shakira, in The Warlord #32
• Squid, in Detective Comics #497
• Wintergreen, in New Teen Titans #02
• Ravenger, in The New Teen Titans #01
• Rainbow Raider, in The Flash #286
• Prince Gavyn, in Adventure Comics] #467
• Silas Stone, in DC Comics Presents #26
• Deborah Domaine, in Wonder Woman #274
• Alvin Desmond, in The Flash #287
• Insect Queen, in Superman Family #203
• Darryl Frye, in The Flash #285
• Vincent Velcoro, in Weird War Tales #93
• Warren Griffith , in Weird War Tales #93
• Tharok, in Legion of Super-Heroes #269

  Marvel Comics

• Anaconda, in Marvel Two-in-One #64
• Sunset Bain, in Machine Man #17
• Beep the Meep, in Doctor Who Weekly #19
• Bushman, in Moon Knight #1
• Calypso, in The Amazing Spider-Man #209
• Abslom Daak, in Doctor Who Weekly #17
• Dazzler, in Uncanny X-Men #130
• Dragon Lord , in Marvel Spotlight #5
• Vanth Dreadstar, in Epic Illustrated #1
• Fusion , in The Amazing Spider-Man #208
• Caleb Hammer, in Marvel Premiere #54
• Hellfire Club, in Uncanny X-Men #129
• * Emma Frost, in Uncanny X-Men #129
• * Harry Leland, in Uncanny X-Men #132
• * Donald Pierce, in Uncanny X-Men #132
• * Sage , in Uncanny X-Men #132
• * Sebastian Shaw, in Uncanny X-Men #129
• Hobgoblin, in The Amazing Spider-Man #238
• Imperial Guard members, in Uncanny X-Men #137
• * Earthquake
• * Hussar
• * Manta
• * Warstar
• Karma, in Marvel Team-Up #100
• Robert Kelly, in Uncanny X-Men #135
• Dansen Macabre, in Marvel Team-Up #93
• Mauler, in Daredevil #167
• Mister Fear , in Marvel Team-Up #92
• Kitty Pryde, in Uncanny X-Men #129
• Bernie Rosenthal, in Captain America #248
• She-Hulk, in Savage She-Hulk #1
• Margali Szardos, in Uncanny X-Men Annual #4
• Taskmaster, in Avengers #195
• U-Foes, in The Incredible Hulk #254
• * Ironclad
• * Vapor
• * Vector
• * X-Ray
• Heather MacNeil Hudson, in Uncanny X-Men #139

  Independent titles

• Judge Anderson, in 2000 AD #150
• Reid Fleming, in Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman