Notable events of 1963 in comics.
Events
Year overall
In Italy, Diabolik, started softly the previous year, becomes a growing success and finds its definitive shape. In a series of classic stories (The elusive criminal, Diabolik arrested, Atrocious revenge, Buried alive) Diabolik begins to use the Jaguar E-Type, the rubber masks and the shelters, leaves his cover identity as Walter Dorian, ends dramatically his affair with the nurse Elisabeth Gray and begins a long love-story with Eva Kant.
January January 26: The first issue of the British comics magazine Boys' World is published. It will run until 1964. The first issue of the Catholic magazine Messaggero dei ragazzi (The Boys’ herald) is published in Padua by the Friars Minor of the Basilica of Saint Anthony. In the next decades, the magazine, in spite of its limited distribution, will host the works of important cartoonists such as Dino Battaglia and Hugo Pratt. Sergio Aragones makes his debut in MAD Magazine #76. Jack Miller and Joe Certa's Zook makes his debut. Fantastic Four (1961 series) #10 – Marvel Comics The Incredible Hulk (1962 series) #5 – Marvel Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #88 – Marvel Comics Kid Colt Outlaw (1948 series) #108 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #104 – Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #37 – Marvel Comics Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #39 – Marvel Comics Two-Gun Kid (1948 series) #61 – Marvel Comics The Purple Smurfs (original title Les Schtroumpfs noirs), by Peyo, first album of the Smurfs. Oddbal Odissey by Carl Barks, on Uncle Scrooge.
February February 16: The final issue of the British comics magazine Knockout is published, after which it merges with Valiant. February 4: The first chapter of Jacovitti’s Baby Rocket, about the interstellar adventures of a half-notch gangster, is published in Il giorno dei ragazzi. February 7: The first episode of Asterix and the Banquet by Goscinny and Uderzo, is prepublished in Pilote. The story marks the debut of Dogmatix, Obelix' dog. Fantastic Four (1961 series) #11 – Marvel Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #89 – Marvel Comics Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. marks the debut of Russ Manning's Magnus Robot Fighter. Rawhide Kid (1955 series) #32 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #105 – Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #38 – Marvel Comics Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #40 – Marvel Comics
March March 2: The final issue of the British comics magazine Swift is published. It merges with Eagle afterwards. March 3: In L'arresto di Diabolik, the third issue of Angela Giussani and Luciana Giussani's Diabolik, Eva Kant makes her debut. Because this story, the two sisters endure a proceedings for "incitement to corruption". March 10–17: The story Topolino e l’uomo di Altacraz (Mickey and the man of Altacraz), by Romano Scarpa is first prepublished in Topolino, a story vaguely inspired by Birdman of Alcatraz. March 18: Jerry Marcus' Trudy makes its debut. It will run until 2000. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #1 – Marvel Comics Fantastic Four (1961 series) #12 – Marvel Comics (First battle of The Thing and The Hulk) The Incredible Hulk (1962 series) #6 – Marvel Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #90 – Marvel Comics Kid Colt Outlaw (1948 series) #109 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #106 – Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #39 – Marvel Comics – First appearance of Iron Man Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #41 – Marvel Comics Two-Gun Kid (1948 series) #62 – Marvel Comics Uncle Scrooge (1953 series) – Dell; "Uncle Scrooge, The Status Seeker" by Carl Barks
April April 13: The first issue of the Flemish children's magazine Ohee is published, supplement of the newspaper Het Volk. It will run until 31 December 1977.KOUSEMAKER, Kees en Evelien, "Wordt Vervolgd- Stripleksikon der Lage Landen", Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, Utrecht, Antwerpen, 1979, page 183. Black Cat (1946 series), with issue #65, canceled by Harvey Comics Fantastic Four (1961 series) #13 – Marvel Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #91 – Marvel Comics Metal Men #1 (April/May cover-date) – DC Comics Rawhide Kid (1955 series) #33 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #107 – Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #40 – Marvel Comics Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #42 – Marvel Comics
May May 13: The first episode of Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway's Modesty Blaise is published. May 23: Mars Ravelo and Jim Fernandez's Captain Barbell makes his debut. May 25: The final episode of Oskar Lebeck and Alden McWilliams' newspaper comic Twin Earths is published. May 27: The first episode of El botones Sacarino by Francisco Ibáñez Talavera is published in the magazine El DDT. The series will run until 1982. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #2 – Marvel Comics Fantastic Four (1961 series) #14 – Marvel Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #92 – Marvel Comics Kid Colt Outlaw (1948 series) #110 – Marvel Comics Sgt. Fury (1963 series) #1 – Marvel Comics. First appearance of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos. Strange Tales (1951 series) #108 – Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #41 – Marvel Comics Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #43 – Marvel Comics Two-Gun Kid (1948 series) #63 – Marvel Comics
June June 1: The final episode of Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas' Sam's Strip is published. June 8: The final episode of Ken Reid's Jonah is published in The Beano. June 11: The final episode of Andries Brandt's Holle Pinkel is published. June 13: The first issue of Il pioniere dell’Unità, (comic supplement to the PCI official newspaper L’unità) is published; it takes the place of the magazine Il pioniere. June 16: The first issue of ABC dei ragazzi (The boys’ ABC, supplement to the weekly magazine ABC), is published in Milan. June 25: The first episode of Rik Clément's detective comic Jan Knap appears in 't Kapoentje. Fantastic Four (1961 series) #15 – Marvel Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #93 – Marvel Comics My Greatest Adventure #80 – DC Comics – first appearance of the Doom Patrol, created by Arnold Drake, Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani. Rawhide Kid (1955 series) #34 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #109 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales Annual (1962 series) #2 – Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #42 – Marvel Comics Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #44 – Marvel Comics First appearance of the Wasp
Young Love #38 (June/July issue) – final issue published by Prize Comics; title sold to and continued by DC Comics Young Romance #124 (June/July issue) – final issue published by Prize Comics; title sold to and continued by DC Comics A Duck's-eye View of Europe, by Carl Barks, on Walt Disney's Comics and Stories..
July July 8: Alex Graham's Fred Basset makes its debut. July 21: in L’isola della Paura (Fear island) by Guido Nolitta and Gallieno Ferri two important recurring characters of Zagor universe, the mad doctor Hellinger and the nice cheater Trampy, make their debut. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #3 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Doctor Octopus Fantastic Four (1961 series) #16 – Marvel Comics Gunsmoke Western (1955 series), with issue #77, canceled by Marvel Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #94 – Marvel Comics Kid Colt Outlaw (1948 series) #111 – Marvel Comics Sgt. Fury (1963 series) #2 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #110 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Doctor Strange, Ancient One & Nightmare (Marvel Comics) Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #43 – Marvel Comics Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #45 – Marvel Comics Two-Gun Kid (1948 series) #64 – Marvel Comics
August August 8: The first episode of Jacques Devos' Génial Olivier is published in Spirou. Fantastic Four (1961 series) #17 – Marvel Comics House of Secrets #61 – DC Comics. First appearance of Eclipso by writer Bob Haney and artist Lee Elias Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #95 – Marvel Comics Justice League of America #21 – the first team-up of the Justice League and the Justice Society of America as well as the first use of the term "Crisis" in reference to a crossover between Golden Age and Silver Age characters.McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 109: "The two-part 'Crisis on Earth-One!' and 'Crisis on Earth-Two!' saga represented the first use of the term 'Crisis' in crossovers, as well as the designations 'Earth-1' and 'Earth-2'. In it editor Julius Schwartz, [writer Gardner] Fox, and artist Mike Sekowsky devised a menace worthy of the World's Greatest Heroes." Rawhide Kid (1955 series) #35 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #111 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Baron Mordo and Asbestos Man. Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #44 – Marvel Comics Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #46 – Marvel Comics Young Romance #125 (August/September issue) – DC Comics, continuing numbering from Prize Comics series
September The Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #4 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Sandman Avengers (1963 series) #1 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Avengers Fantastic Four (1961 series) #18 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Super-Skrull Fantastic Four Annual (1963 series) #1 – Marvel Comics Reintroduction of Atlantis into Marvel Comics continuity. Green Lantern #23 – DC Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #96 – Marvel Comics Kid Colt Outlaw (1948 series) #112 – Marvel Comics Sgt. Fury (1963 series) #3 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #112 – Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #45 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Jack Frost, Happy Hogan, and Pepper Potts Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #47 – Marvel Comics Two-Gun Kid (1948 series) #65 – Marvel Comics Uncanny X-Men (1963 series) #1 – Marvel Comics First appearance of the X-Men (Consisting of Professor X, Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, and Iceman) and Magneto Young Love #39 (September/October issue) – DC Comics, continuing numbering from Prize Comics series
October October 17: The first episode of the Lucky Luke story Les Dalton se rachètent, by Goscinny and Morris, is prepublished in Spirou. October 20: An episode of Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts which pokes fun at school prayer causes controversy and angry readers' letters. October 31: Jean Giraud and Jean-Michel Charlier's Blueberry is first published in Pilote."Pilote année 1963", BDoubliées.com The Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #5 – Marvel Comics Fantastic Four (1961 series) #19 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Pharaoh Rama-Tut Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #97 – Marvel Comics Rawhide Kid (1955 series) #36 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #113 – Marvel Comics Tales of Suspense (1959 series) #46 – Marvel Comics Tales to Astonish (1959 series) #48 – Marvel Comics
November November 4: The comic strip Miss Caroline: The Little Girl in the Big White House by Gerald Gardner and Frank B. Johnson is launched. It depicts the life of Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of US President John F. Kennedy.First and Last – Hippy And Pop, and Miss Caroline, by D. D. Degg, at DailyCartoonist.com; published March 7, 2020; retrieved May 22, 2023 November 7: Greg's Achille Talon makes its debut. November 16: The British comics magazine The Wizard merges with The Rover and becomes Rover and Wizard, under which title it will continue until August 1969. November 22: Miss Caroline: The Little Girl in the Big White House is cancelled after John F. Kennedy is assassinated. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #6 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Lizard and Billy Connors. Avengers (1963 series) #2 – Marvel Comics Fantastic Four (1961 series) #20 – Marvel Comics Journey into Mystery (1952 series) #98 – Marvel Comics First appearance of Cobra Kid Colt Outlaw (1948 series) #113 – Marvel Comics Sgt. Fury (1963 series) #4 – Marvel Comics Strange Tales (1951 series) #114 – Marvel Comics Begins monthly Doctor Strange back-up story