Notable events of 1977 in comics. Events
Year overall Wendy and Richard Pini establish WaRP Graphics. Jan and Dean Mullaney establish Eclipse Comics. The United Kingdom's Eagle Awards are established. Ciao magazine is launched.
January
January 3: Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.'s The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper comic strip makes its debut. The storyline of the first strip is that Doctor Doom is coming to address the United Nations.Spider-Man: Newspaper Strips, Volume 1, Stan Lee and John Romita, Collection Editor Mark D. Beazley, First printing 2009, , published by Marvel Publishing Inc. January 6: in Italy, the historic magazine Gli albi dell'Intrepido (Edizioni Universo) recìduces the space for comic and changes its headline in Albo TV. . January 9: In the Goofy story The Weregoof's Curse!, by Romano Scarpa, Plottigat (Portis) makes his debut. Our Army at War #300: "300th Hill," by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. (DC Comics) With issue #6 (January//February issue), DC cancels Four Star Spectacular. Toward the Terra by Keiko Takemiya debuts in Asahi Sonorama's Gekkan Manga Shōnen magazine. In the first issue of the French magazine for children J’aime lire, Tom-Tom and Nana, by Jacqueline Cohen and Bernadette Després, make their debut. The mad scientist by Tardi, second album of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Casterman). Seul... and Le secret by Derib (Buddy Longway series; Le Lombard) Le spectre de Carthage by Jacques Martin (Alix series ; Casterman). The Italian magazine Alter Linus changes its headline in Alter alter.
February February 10: HUMO publishes Zappa in Zoeloeland, a comic strip by Kamagurka, with text written by rock musician Frank Zappa. February 11: The new Agent 327 adventure Dossier Zondagskind by Martin Lodewijk starts serialisation in the magazine Eppo. In this story, Swiss spy Olga Lawina makes her debut. February 12: in Italy, first issue of the magazine Bliz (Edizioni Universo) February 15: Merho's De Kiekeboes makes its debut in Het Laatste Nieuws, along with the main characters Marcel, Charlotte, Fanny and Konstantinopel Kiekeboe and villain Balthazar. February 20: In Il giornalino, the story Dolci nebbie di Fiandra (Sweet Flemish fogs) by Attilio Micheluzzi starts serialisation, marking the debut of Petra Chérie. February 26: The first issue of the British comics magazine 2000 AD is published. It also introduces Pat Mills' Tharg the Mighty. February 27: In Topolino, the story Mummy Fearest by Romano Scarpa starts serialisation. With issue #258, DC cancels Tarzan, a title it acquired from Gold Key Comics in 1972 (and continued the Gold Key numbering). With issue #250, DC suspends publishing Blackhawk, which ran from 1944 to 1968, and was revived in 1976. Star Spangled War Stories, with issue #204 (February/March), canceled by DC. With issue #33, Marvel cancels the black-and-white magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. Planet of the Apes, with issue #29, is cancelled by Marvel. Ka-Zar vol. 2, with issue #20, is cancelled by Marvel. The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor, with issue #24, canceled by Gold Key.
Spring Doc Savage: Man of Bronze, with issue #8, is cancelled by Curtis Magazines (Marvel Comics).
March March 3: first issue of Skorpio’s Italian edition, by Eura publishing house. March 5: Judge Dredd debuts in the second issue of 2000 AD with the story "Judge Whitey", written by Peter Harris and drawn by Mike McMahon. March 13: The final episode of James Childress' Conchy is published. March 15: The sorceress betrayed, the first episode of Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosinski's Thorgal is published in Tintin. March 17: The Belgian comics magazine Spirou publishes a supplement with more mature content: Le Trombone Illustré. It will run for seven months, until 20 October 1977, before the conventional editors feel it doesn't really fit within their family friendly public image. In its first issue André Franquin's Idées Noires (Franquin's Last Laugh) and Frédéric Jannin and Thierry Culliford's Germain et nous... make their debut. March 19: The final episode of Phil Collins' Leonardo is published. House of Mystery #251 and The Superman Family #182 became the first DC Comics series in the 80-page Dollar Comics format, consisting of 64 pages of new stories. With issue #302, DC changes the title of Our Army at War to Sgt. Rock. G.I. Combat #200: "The Tank That Died Twice," by Robert Kanigher and Sam Glanzman. Kobra, with issue #7, is cancelled by DC. Werewolf by Night, with issue #43, is cancelled by Marvel. Valentina assassina (Valentina the murderer) by Guido Crepax. The book includes six Valentina's stories: four reprints and two unpublished ones (Valnetina assassina and Subconscious Valentina). National Periodical Publications changes its name to DC Comics, Inc.
April April 10: in Il giornalino, Il giardino nel cortile by Toni Pagot, the angelic outcast Micromino makes his debut. April 12: Marvel publish the first issue of Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin's adaptation of Star Wars. April 18: The first episode of Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas' Sam and Silo is published. April 30: The Judge Dredd storyline "The Robot Wars" begins in 2000 AD (running through June 18). The first issue of Heavy Metal is published, the English-language version of Métal Hurlant. G.I. Combat #201 and World's Finest Comics #244 change to the Dollar Comics format. Backup features in World's Finest Comics include Green Arrow, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, and Vigilante. Two-Gun Kid, with issue #136, is cancelled by Marvel. Marvel Spotlight, with issue #33, is cancelled by Marvel. The first issue of the underground comix magazine Rip Off Comix is published. Le prince blanc (The white prince) by Jean Graton, 30th album of the Michel Vaillant series. In Alter alter, the first chapter of Le straordinarie avventure di Penthotal (Penthotal's extraordinary adventure) by the underground cartoonist Andrea Pazienza is published. A surreal diary of a young cartoonist departed between his artistic vocation and the political consciousness, a transparent alter ego of the author. The series will run until 1981. The same issue contains Rembrandt e le streghe (Rembrandt and the witches), by Guido Crepax, 25th episode of the Valentina series. First album of The company of the gallows, by Magnus (Edifumetto).
May May: The first issue of the Dutch adult comics magazine Gummi/De Balloen is published. It will last until December 1979. May 7: The final episode of Vic Neill's Wee Ben Nevis is published in The Beano. May 21: The spin-off series Gnasher's Tale, starring Gnasher, debuts in The Beano, drawn by David Sutherland. It will run up until 1986. May 28–30: The final Detroit Triple Fan Fair is organized in Detroit, Michigan, once the oldest regular comic book convention in the world.1/2-page ad for the fair, The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom #182 (May 13, 1977). The final episode of Sandro Angiolini's Vartan is published. With issue #205, DC changes the title of Star Spangled War Stories to The Unknown Soldier.
June June 3: The death of Australian comics author Syd Nicholls also means the end of the comic strip Fatty Finn, which has run since 1923. In L’europeo the first chapter of Favola di Venezia (Venetian fable), by Hugo Pratt is prepublished. June 12: Hergé and Andy Warhol meet after Warhol made three silkscreen portraits of Hergé. DC Comics raises the price of its standard comic book from 30 to 35 cents. Challengers of the Unknown is revived by DC Comics with issue #81 (June/July cover date; continued from 1958 series); storyline picks up from Super-Team Family issues #8–10. Secrets of Haunted House revived with issue #6 (June/July issue) after a 17-month hiatus (DC Comics). With issue #5, DC cancels Ragman. Lungo fucile by Giancarlo Berardi and Ivo Milazzo, first album of the Ken Parker series (CEPIM). The first issue of Cannibale (Cannibal) is published, a satirical and Dadaist magazine, edited by Stefano Tamburini. First issue of the erotic-horror series Cimiteria (Edifumetto)
July July 9: The final issue of the British comics magazine Sparky is published, as it merges with The Topper. Dutch comic artist Peter Pontiac publishes his acclaimed autobiographical comic The Amsterdam Connection in issue # of the Dutch magazine Gummi. The story deals with his personal drug use. July 15 : in Paris Match, Le fil qui chante (The singing wire) by Morris and Renè Goscinny; last Lucky Luke's adventure written by Goscinny. With issue #231, Marvel UK changes the title of the weekly magazine Super Spider-Man and the Titans to Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain, now featuring new Captain Britain stories (as well as The Amazing Spider-Man reprints). Iron Man #100: "Ten Rings To Rule the World!" by Bill Mantlo, George Tuska, and Mike Esposito. With issue #12, DC revives The New Gods (now called Return of the New Gods), continuing the numbering from the 1971 series. With issue #126, DC cancels Young Love (1960 series), picked up from Prize Comics in 1963. With issue #7, Marvel publishes the final issue of Logan's Run.
August August 23: The Flemish comics magazine Patskrant, a weekly children's supplement of the newspapers Het Nieuwsblad, De Standaard, Het Handelsblad, De Gentenaar and De Landwacht, changes its name to the Stipkrant. It will run until September 2000. With issue #94 (August /September cover date), DC revives Showcase, continuing the numbering from the 1956 series, which ceased publishing in 1970. With issue #57, DC revives Aquaman, continuing the numbering from the 1962 series, which ceased publishing in 1971. With issue #230, DC cancels Superboy (at this point titled Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes). With issue #29, DC cancels DC Special (1968 series). With issue #12 (August /September cover date), DC cancels Hercules Unbound. With issue #12, Marvel cancels The Inhumans. With issue #12, Marvel cancels the anthology title Marvel Presents.
September September 13: The first episode of Jeff MacNelly's Shoe is published. September 15: in Spirou, first episode of L’Ankou by Jean-Claude Fournier. September 24: The first issue of the short-lived British comics magazine Plug is published. It will run until 1979. The first episode of David A. Trampier's Wormy is published. It will run until 1988. With issue #19, DC revives Mister Miracle (1971 series), which had gone on hiatus in 1974. With issue #10, Marvel publishes the final issue of 2001: A Space Odyssey. In this month's issue of Pif Gadget, André Chéret kills off his character Rahan. The issue sells 1.5 million copies, but two issues later Rahan is already back from the dead.
October October 6: in Il corriere dei piccoli, Fantòm, by Tiziano Scalvi and Giovanni Pegoraro, makes his debut; he’s a masked avenger, inspired to Fantomas, but on the side of justice. October 7: The first edition of the Flemish comics prize Bronzen Adhemar is held in Turnhout. The winner is Hector Leemans, creator of the newspaper comic Bakelandt. October 22: The first issue of the British comics magazine Cheeky Weekly is published, in which Reg Parlett's Mustapha Million makes its debut. October 24: Bill Hoest's Agatha Crumm makes its debut and will run until 1996. With issue #10, Marvel cancels Omega the Unknown. With issue #8, DC cancels Starfire.
November November 3: The first episode of Kamagurka's Bert is published in Humo. November 13: The final episode of Al Capp's Li'l Abner is published, drawing the series to a close after being in syndication since 1934. November 22: After a long interval, Bob De Moor's Cori, de Scheepsjongen (Cori, Le Moussaillon) makes its comeback in Tintin. Following rival DC's lead, Marvel Comics raises the price of its standard comic book from 30 to 35 cents. With issue #18, DC cancels Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter.
December