Notable events of 1990 in comics.
Events Year overall New Century Comics, Disney Comics, Millennium Publications, MU Press, Tundra Publishing, Valiant Comics, Drawn & Quarterly, and the French publisher L'Association, all enter the marketplace. The "Days of Future Present" storyline, the sequel to "Days of Future Past," appears in the annuals of Fantastic Four, New Mutants, X-Factor and X-Men. Time Inc. and Warner Communications, parent of DC Comics, merge under the name Time Warner.
January January 7: In the Disney comics magazine Topolino, the first chapter of The Search for the Zodiac Stone!: An Epic Yarn of Mice and Ducks!, written by Bruno Sarda and drawn by Massimo De Vita and Franco Valussi, appears in print for the first time. The story, in 12 chapters, is considered the longest Disney comic ever published and its issue lasts the whole year. It involves all the principal characters of the Donald and Mckey universes and sees the debut of Paperinik's nemesis Spectrus. January 19: in Spriou, first episode of Spirou à Moscou, by Tome and Janry. January 21: in Topolino, the first of the Racconti intorno al fuoco (Tales around the campfire), by Rodolfo Cimino and Giorgio Cavzrzano, is published; they are romantic tales, set in the Nineteenth-century America, told by Grandma Duck but unrelated to the duck universe. Baby Blues debuts. Charles M. Schulz is named Commandeur des Arts et Lettres. Dinosaurs for Hire is cancelled by Eternity Comics with issue #9. 1st known artwork by Dale Keown for Marvel Comics, published in Nth Man #9. First album of The Men in black series, by Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers (Aircel comics).
February Fenbruary 11: in Topolino, Ho sposato una strega by Massimo Marconi and Giorgio Cavazzano, parody of Bewitched: Mickey Mouse falls in love for the witch Samantha and imagines marrying her. A cartoon with the two newlyweds together in a bedroom scandalize the most traditionalist readers, and the story is never reprinted. The last issue of Damage Control vol. 2 is published. With issue #6, Police Academy is cancelled. In Uncle Scrooge adventures, The Pied Piper of Duckburg; the story, begun by Carl Barks and left unfinished, was completed by Don Rosa.
March March 16: Jan Bucquoy launches the Belgian weekly magazine Dol/Belge, which is so outrageous in slandering media celebrities, the Belgian royal family, the Pope, politicians and other high officials that within a few weeks issues are confiscated and stores refuse to sell copies. Bucquoy then transforms it into a genuine comics magazine featuring reprints of his older porn parodies. The magazine will last merely a year. Elektra Lives Again is published by Epic Comics, written and drawn by Frank Miller. The last issue of Strikeforce: Morituri: Electric Undertow is published, thereby ending the series as a whole. Le raid infernal, by Jean Michel Charlier and Colin Wilson, sixth chapter of La jeunesse de Blueberry; first chapter of the Great Locomotive Chase saga.
April April 6: The unfinished Blake and Mortimer story, The 3 Formulas of Professor Sato: Mortimer vs. Mortimer, made before Edgar P. Jacobs' death, is published posthumously, completed by Bob de Moor. First issue of Mickey Mouse adventures (Disney comics). First issue of Peter Bagge Hate (Fantagraphics). In Italy, first issue of the antoligcal magazine Bhang (Max Bunker press).
May Colere apache by Festin and Franz; 26th album of the Jerry Spring series (Alpen publishers).
June With issue 9, The Destroyer v1 is cancelled. In a supplement to the Italian magazine L'Eternauta, Le sconvolgenti origini del Rat-Man, (The Rat-Man's shocking origins) by Leo Ortolani, the first adventure of the parodic super-hero.
July Fright Night is canceled by Now Comics with issue #22. The New Warriors v1 #1 is released. 2000AD spin-off Revolver hits newsagents, with the seminal storyline Rogan Gosh. Shade the Changing Man is revamped by DC imprint Vertigo. Suor Dentona e altre battaglie by Filippo Scozzari (Primo Carnera editore)
August August 31: Scott McCloud draws the first comic strip drawn in 24 hours. In 2004 this will become an annual event. Yoshito Usui launches his series Crayon Shin-chan. Animal Man #26: "Deus Ex Machina," writer Grant Morrison's final issue of Animal Man. Secret Origins is canceled by DC with issue #50. Spider-Man #1, the start of the "Torment" storyline, marked Todd McFarlane's first major outing on a series as a writer/artist. The issue would become the best selling comic book so far and be the first major step to the rise of the superstar creators and the formation of Image Comics.
September Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is canceled by Marvel with issue #16. Terminator is canceled by NOW Comics with issue #17. The Thanos quest by Jim Starlin and Ron Lim (Marvel comics) First chapter of Hard-boiled by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow (Dark Horse).
October October 12: Las issue of the weekly magazine Il monello (Editoriale Universo); it was in the Italian newsstand since 1933. October 13: During the Stripdagen in Breda, the Netherlands, Henk Kuijpers receives the Stripschapprijs. Joost Swarte receives the Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdienste (nowadays the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs). Swamp Thing #100: Double-sized issue, "Tales of Eden," by Doug Wheeler, Kelley Jones, and Pat Broderick. The Huntress v1 is canceled by DC with issue #19. Bride of the demon by Mike W. Barr and Tom Grindberg (DC Comics) The living weapons by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières (Dargaud). La nuit du 3 aout by William Vance and Jean Van Hamme (XIII series ; Dargaud) Ultima fermata l'incubo (Last stop the nightmare) by Alfredo Castelli, Tiziano Sclavi and Giovanni Freghieri (Bonelli); first team-up between two Bonelli heroes (Dylan Dog and Martin Mystere).
November November 12: in Anders And & Co. The master landscapist by Don Rosa. Lobo: The Last Czarnian by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant (DC Comics) Marvel's "X-Tinction Agenda" crossover begins in the pages of Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, and New Mutants. L'heritier by Jean Van Hamme and Philippe Francq (Largo Winch series ; Duouis) Arizona love by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud ; last album of the Bllueberry series wiritten by Charlier (Alpen Publishers) Louve by Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosiński (Thorgal series ; Le Lombard)
December Fantastic Four #347 – A temporary lineup introduced, consisting of the Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider. Wendy the Good Little Witch (1960 series), with issue #97, canceled by Harvey Comics. The Real Ghostbusters is canceled by Now Comics with issue #28. The books of magics by Neil Gaiman (DC comics) First issue of Cages by Dave McKean (Tundra publishing)
Specific date unknown The first issue of the Belgian satirical comics and cartoons magazine Ubu-Pan is published. In the Spanish magazine Krazy comics, the dystopic series Brian the brain, by Miguel Angel Martin, makes its debut.
Deaths
January January 1: Charles Boost, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (drew comics for De Tijd), dies at age 82. January 7: Tom, A.K.A. Thomaz de Mello, Portuguese painter and comics artist (Rico, Pico e Sarapico), dies at age 83. January 8: Bernard Krigstein, American comics artist (Master Race, Mad), dies at age 71. January 14: Bohumil Konecny, aka Bimba, Czech comics artist, painter and illustrator (Amazona, aka Octobriana), dies at age 71. January 20: Claude Auclair, French comics artist (Simon du Fleuve), dies at age 46.
February February 22: Thomas Ochse Honiball, South African cartoonist and comics artist (Oom Kaspaas, Jakkals en Wolf), dies at age 84.
March March 4: Salvatore Deidda, Italian comics artist (Stark, continued Martin Mystère), dies at age 37. March 12: Woody Kimbrell, American comics artist (Little Lulu), dies at age 83. March 24: Ray Goulding, American comedian (Bob & Ray) and comics writer (Mad Magazine ), dies at age 68. March 30: João Mottini, Brazilian comics artist (Quintín Duval, continued Ellos), dies at age 66.
April April 24: Claude Henri, French comics writer and artist (Hourrah Freddi, Lynx Blanc, P'tit Joc, Charles Oscar), dies at age 74. André Fernez, Belgian comics writer, novelist and chief editor of Tintin between 1947 and 1959, dies at age 72. April 28: Edwina Dumm, American comics artist (Cap Stubbs and Tippie) dies at age 96.
May May 7: Pier Lorenzo De Vita, Italian comics artist (Tuffolino, Pecos Bill, Disney comics, Mopsi, Giso e Leo), dies at age 80. May 15: Porfiri Nikitich Krylov, Russian painter, illustrator and poster designer (member of the collective Kukryniksy), dies at age 87. May 25: William Overgard, American comics artist (continued Steve Roper and Mike Nomad and Kerry Drake), dies at age 64. May 31: William Timym, also known as Tim, Austrian-British animator and comics artist (The Boss, Caesar, Bengo the Boxer, Wuff, Tuff and Snuff, Bim, Bam and Boom, Oh, Johnny!, Bleep and Booster), dies at age 87.
June June 23: Howard Boughner, American comics artist (Mac, Hold Everything, writer of Penny and Dotty Dripple, assisted on Dumb Dora and Wash Tubbs), dies at age 81. June 30: Jacques Lob, French comics artist (Ténébrax, Blanche Epiphanie, Submerman, Superdupont), dies at age 67.
July July 15: Ben Abas, Dutch comics artist (Spot Morton, Lex Brand, Martin Evans), dies at age 63 or 64. July 17: George Waiss, American animator and comics artist (Disney comics), dies at age 83. July 18: Yves Chaland, French comics artist (Freddy Lombard), dies in a car accident at age 33. July 18: Georges Dargaud, French comics publisher (Dargaud), dies at age 79. July 25: Sam Grainger, American comics artist (Marvel Comics), dies at age 60.
August August 7: Phiny Dick, Dutch comics writer and artist (Miezelientje, Olle Kapoen, Birre Beer), also wife of Marten Toonder, dies at age 77. August 12: B. Kliban, American cartoonist (Playboy), dies of a pulmonary embolism at age 55. August 28: Willy Vandersteen, Belgian comics artist (Suske en Wiske, De Familie Snoek, De Vrolijke Bengels, 't Prinske, De Rode Ridder, Bessy, Robert en Bertrand, De Geuzen), dies at age 77.
September September 5: Jerry Iger, American comics publisher (co-founder of Eisner & Iger) writer and artist, dies at age 87. September 20: Byron Aptosoglou, Greek illustrator and comics artist (The Superman, Mikrós Íros (Little Hero), Tarzan comics), dies at age 67 or 68. Attilio Micheluzzi, Italian comics artist (Roy Mann, Petra Chérie, Johnny Focus), dies at age 60.
October October 14: Art Huhta, American comics artist (Dinky Dinkerton, Wild Rose, assisted on Mescal Ike, Lolly Gags and The Nebbs), dies at age 88. October 29: François Gianolla, Belgian poet, playwright, cartoonist, illustrator, musician, caricaturist and comics artist (Fred, Mile et Bob), dies at age 83. October 31: Roger Price, American humorist, writer, publisher and cartoonist (creator of droodles), dies at age 72. Specific date in October unknown: Dan DeCarlo Jr., American comic artist (Archie Comics), dies at age 52 from stomach cancer.
December December 21: Susi Weigel, Austrian illustrator, comics artist and animator (worked for Unsere Zeitung), dies at age 76. December 30: Tony Abruzzo, American comics artist (made romance comics for National Periodicals (later DC Comics), dies at age 74.
Specific date unknown Dennis Collins, British comics artist (The Perishers), dies. Cram, Belgian cartoonist (De Weyfelaers, Jan Pech), dies at age 51 or 52. Marcel Dehaye, Belgian journalist, novelist, comics writer and chief editor of Tintin (1959-1965), dies at age 82 or 83. Nicholas, aka Nick Firfires, American illustrator and comics artist (made realistically drawn comics for Disney and the celebrity comic based on Gene Autry), dies at age 72 or 73. Ye Hung-chia, Taiwanese comics artist (Chuko Szu-lang), dies at age 76 or 77.