Notable events of 1966 in comics.
Events and publications Year overall Myron Fass founds Eerie Publications and M. F. Enterprises In Italy, while the success of Satanik generates several black comics with female protagonists (Samantha, Masokis, Super women, Jena), all short lived, the writer and publisher Renzo Barbieri launches the first explicitly erotic comics (the spy-story Goldrake, the peplum Messalina, the swashbuckler Isabella).
January January 1: The final episode of Theo Fünke Kupper's De Verstrooide Professor is published. January 4: Greg and Hermann's Bernard Prince makes his debut. January 8: The final issue of the Italian comics magazine Il Vittorioso is published. January 9: For the first time since 1952 a new episode of Will Eisner's The Spirit is published. January 9: in the French magazine Vaillant, debut of the series Le Grêlé 7/13, by Lucien Nortier and Roger Lécureux, with a young maquisard as protagonist. January 18: in Le journal de Tintin, Concerto pour pilotes by Jean Graton. January 21: The final episode of Pieter Kuhn's Kapitein Rob is published. The artist died one day earlier. January 22: The first issue of the British comics magazine Lady Penelope is published. It will run until 13 December 1969. Adventure Comics (1938 series) #340 – DC Comics – The first appearance of Computo by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Curt Swan. Hawkman (1964 series) #11 – DC Comics – The first appearance of the Shrike by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson House of Mystery (1951 series) #156 – DC Comics – First Dial H for Hero by writer Dave Wood and artist Jim Mooney Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt (1966 series) #1 – Charlton Comics – The first appearance of Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt by creator Pete Morisi
February February 5: The first issue of the British comics magazine Smash is published. It will run until April 1971. February 6: Bob West's Theophilus makes its debut. It will run until 19 April 2002. February 10: Francis' Marc Lebut et son Voisin debuts in Spirou, where it will run for 20 years. February 27: Dick Cavalli's Winthrop makes its debut, after debuting under the different name Morty Meekle on 9 January 1956. The series will run until 1994. In Quino's Mafalda Miguelito makes his debut. The first episode of Max Bunker and Roberto Raviola (Magnus) 's Gesebel is published. It will run until October 1967. Vibranium makes its first Marvel Universe appearance, in Daredevil #13 Adventure Comics (1938 series) #341 – DC Comics – Triplicate Girl (Luornu Durgo) becomes Duo Damsel after Computo destroys one of her selves. Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #125 – Marvel Comics – Final issue of the series. Becomes Thor with next issue Justice League of America (1960 series) #42 – DC Comics – Metamorpho refuses membership in the Justice League Showcase (1956 series) #60 – DC Comics – The first Silver-Age appearance of the Spectre by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson Fightin' Air Force, with issue #53, is canceled by Charlton.
March March 1: The first episode of José Miguel Heredia's Perro Mundo is published. Adventure Comics (1938 series) #342 – DC Comics – Star Boy is expelled from the Legion of Super-Heroes. Challengers of the Unknown (1958 series) #48 – DC Comics – Doom Patrol cross-over Doom Patrol (1964 series) #102 – DC Comics – Challengers of the Unknown cross-over Fantastic Four (1961 series) #48 – Marvel Comics – First appearance of the Silver Surfer and Galactus by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby Green Lantern (1960 series) #43 – DC Comics – First appearance of Major Disaster by writer Gardner Fox and artist Gil Kane Justice League of America (1960 series) #43 – DC Comics – First appearance of the Royal Flush Gang by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #75 – Marvel Comics – first appearance of Sharon Carter and Batroc the Leaper by writer Stan Lee and artists Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers Thor (1952 series) #126 – Marvel Comics – Title becomes Thor. Previously Journey into Mystery First issue of the photo comics Killing (Pino Ponzoni editor), written by Luigi Naviglio, that fits into the genre of Italian black comics, but with higher doses of sex and violence.
April April 3 in France, first issue of Mickey parade, magazine of Disney comics (the most of Italian production). April 7: In Peyo's The Smurfs the characters Smurfette and Poetry Smurf makes their debut in the story La Schtroumpfette. April 7: In Pilote, first chapter of L’homme a l’etoile d’argent, by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud. April 16: The final episode of Little Annie Rooney is published. April 28: In Pilote, first chapter of Asterix and the normans, by Goscinny and Uderzo. Lenny of Laredo (Print Mint) — the underground printing and distribution business publishes its first comic, a reprint of Joel Beck's self-published titleFox, M. Steven. "Lenny of Laredo," ComixJoint. Accessed Nov. 24, 2016. The adventures of Jodelle, by Guy Peelaert. First issue of Nuova collana Araldo (Edizioni Araldo); after two short miniseries, from September the magazine hosts Comandante Mark.
May May 1: The first issue of the American comics magazine Ghostly Tales is published. It will run until October 1984. May 2: Francisco Ibáñez Talavera's Pepe Gotera y Otilio makes its debut. John M. Burns' The Seekers makes its debut in The Daily Sketch. It will run until 1971. May 9: Il passato di Tex by Gian Luigi Bonelli and Galep; the origins of Tex Willer and his life before his first appearance in comics are revealed. May 19: in Spirou, first chapter of Tortillas pour les Dalton, by Goscinny and Morris. May 21: Martin Lodewijk's Agent 327 makes its debut in the Dutch comics magazine Pep. The final episode of the Superman comic strip is published. The Ultimate Nullifier makes its Marvel Universe debut, in Fantastic Four #50 Ghostly Tales debuts with issue #55, taking over the numbering of Unusual Tales. (Charlton) Judomaster debuts with issue #89, taking over the numbering of Gunmaster. (Charlton) Fightin' Navy, with issue #125, ceases publication (it is briefly revived in 1983). (Charlton) Emil Eagle makes his debut in The evil inventor, by Vic Lockman and Jack Bradbury (on Uncle Scrooge).
June June 1: In the 103rd issue of Mad Paul Coker's Horrifying Clichés series makes its debut. June 18: The final issue of the British comics magazine Ranger is published. It merges with Look and Learn on 25 June. June 28: In Le journal de Tintin, Rapt sur le France by André-Paul Duchâteau and Tibet. Fantastic Four #51, "This Man... This Monster!" by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (Marvel Comics)
Summer The first issue of Wally Wood's underground comics magazine Witzend is published.
July July 25: Il misterioso mister P. by Gian Luigi Bonelli and Guglielmo Letteri; debut of Proteus, thief and master of disguises, antagonist of Tex Willer. The Cosmic Cube makes its first Marvel Universe appearance, in Tales of Suspense #79 Adventure Comics #346 — Jim Shooter makes his debut as a comics writer with the Legion of Super-Heroes story One of Us Is a Traitor.McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 118: "In his first-ever published story, fourteen-year-old Jim Shooter admitted four new members into the Legion of Super-Heroes ... Shooter's long, memorable tenure as one of the Legion's greatest writers was officially underway." Marvel Tales #3 (renamed from Marvel Tales Annual), becomes an ongoing title (Marvel Comics) Fantastic Four #52 introduces Black Panther (Marvel Comics) The Brave and the Bold #54 introduces Teen Titans, by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani. Treasure of Marco Polo, by Carl Barks, on Uncle Scrooge 66. First issue of Teddy Bob (Astoria) by Pier Carpi; the series is inspired to the youth culture of the Sixties and has a teen-ager beatnik as protagonist. In France, debut of Comandante Mark by EsseGEsse, for Aventures & Voyages editions, with the name of Captain Swing.
August August 22: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Peppermint Patty makes her debut. Adventure Comics #347: It marks the conclusion of the Legion of Super-Heroes story arc, "One of Us Is a Traitor". The Amazing Spider-Man #39 (Marvel Comics): "How Green Was My Goblin".
September September 3: The final episode of Edwina Dumm's Cap Stubbs and Tippie is published. It will run until February 1983. September 26: In Tintin, first chapter of Flight 714 to Sydney, by Hergè. The first issue of the American comics magazine Eerie is published. The first issue of the Provo magazine God, Nederland en Oranje is published. Two cartoons by Willem lead to a court case for insulting public authority and lèse-majesté. He will in 1968 eventually only be sentenced for the first account, not the second. The Amazing Spider-Man #40 (Marvel Comics): "Spidey Saves The Day" Thor Annual #2 renamed from Journey into Mystery Annual (Marvel Comics) With issue #110, DC Comics suspends publication of Mystery in Space (1951 series); the title is temporarily revived in 1980.
October October 22: The first gag of Stefan Verwey's comic Broeder Gosewiijn is published in Katholieke Illustratie. After the first edition was held in Bordighera, Italy, the year before the Lucca Comics festival is now held in Lucca, Italy, where it is still held to this day as one of the oldest comics festivals in the world. At the University of Strasbourg André Bertrand creates the four-page comic strip La Retour de la Colonne Durutti (The Return of the Durutti Column, 1966), which is distributed as a pamphlet during student protests.
November November 10: In Pilote, the first chapter of the Astérix story Asterix the legionary, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo is published. November 24: in Pilote, first chapter of Le cheval de fer, by Jean-Michel Charier and Jean Giraud, inaugurating the Blueberry’s saga of the “iron horse”. The Flash #165: Barry Allen marries Iris West (DC Comics).McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 119 The Amazing Spider-Man In issue #42, drawn by John Romita Sr., Mary Jane Watson is first revealed to the readers, after being an invisible character for two years. She hereby utters the now immortal line: Face it, tiger... you just hit the jackpot. Le mystère des abîmes, by Philippe Druillet, first Lone Sloane album.
December December 7::La preda umana, by Guido Nolitta and Gallieno Feri; debut of the likeable outlaw Guitar Jim, both friend and adversary of Zagor. December 18: In the Italian Disney comics magazine Topolino the first episode of The Miner's Granddaughter, by Romano Scarpa is published, in which Dickie Duck makes his debut. The first episode of Giorgio Cavedon and Sandro Angiolini's Isabella is published.
Births February February 16: Martin Perscheid, German comics artist (Perscheids Abgründe), (d. 2021).
July July 11: Kentaro Miura, Japanese comics/manga artist (Berserk), (d. 2021).
November
November 17: Ed Brubaker, American comic book writer (Batman, Captain America, X-Men, Daredevil).
Deaths
January January 20: Pieter Kuhn, Dutch comics artist (Kapitein Rob), dies at age 55. January 28: George Van Raemdonck, Belgian painter, cartoonist and comic artist (Bulletje en Boonestaak), dies at age 78.
February February 13: George Scarbo, American comics artist (Be Sure You're Right, Closeup and Comedy, The Comic Zoo, Zoo's Whoo, Tinymites, The Great American Home, Radiomania, Ticklers), dies at age 67. Tony Royle, British comics artist (Poll, Jock and Valentine, continued Belinda), dies at age 66.
March March 8: Francisco Darnis, Spanish comics artist (Nick Pecho de Hiero, El Jabato), dies at age 56. March 15: Henriette Willebeek le Mair, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (reillustrated Heinrich Hoffmann's Der Struwwelpeter), dies at age 76.
April April 5: Charles Raab, American comics artist (Foreign Correspondent, assisted on Terry and the Pirates, Charlie Chan, continued The Adventures of Patsy), dies at age 57. April 28: