Notable events of 1989 in comics.

Events

Year overall

January

February

March

  • March 4: The merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications is announced.
  • March 14: Action Comics, with issue #642, ends its weekly publication schedule (begun May 24, 1988) and goes on a short hiatus (resuming publication in July). (DC Comics)

April

May

June

  • June 21: The final issue of the Flemish comics magazine 't Kapoentje is published.
  • June 28: The first issue of the Flemish comics magazine De Jommekeskrant is published, a supplement of Het Volk.
  • Atlantis Attacks crossover event in Marvel Comics, runs through Marvel's core title Annuals.
  • Maze Agency ceases publication by Comico with issue #7.

July

August

September

October

November

December

Specific date unknown

  • The final issue of the Belgian satirical comics and cartoons magazine Pourquoi pas? is published.
  • The first episode of Barbara Brandon-Croft's Where I'm Coming From is published and will run until 2005.[14]
  • Belgian comic artist Bob Mau is knighted in the Order of the Belgian Crown.[15]

Births

Deaths

January

February

March

April

  • April 9: Carl Wessler, American animator, comics artist and writer (Snazzy Rabbit, Señorita Juanita McMouse, Filbert Fox, Happy Daze, Atlas Comics, E.C. Comics, Harvey Comics), dies at age 75[26]
  • April 27: William Arthur Smith, American animation writer, comics artist and illustrator (Captain Cook of Scotland Yard, Race Keane, Yankee Eagle, Navy Section, The King, Red, White and Blue), dies at age 71.[27]

May

  • May 3: Edmundo Marculeta, aka Marcouleta, Marcouletta, Marcou, Boris Tunder, Spanish-French comics artist (Aventuras de Baron Thunder, Julio y Ricardo, Vengador del Mundo, Jim l'Eclair, Sandy le Petit Boucanier), dies at age 66.[28]
  • May 21: Buford Tune, American comics artist (Dotty Dripple), dies at age 82.[29]

June

July

August

September

  • September 26: Terence Wakefield, British comics artist (worked for Film Fun, continued their Laurel & Hardy comics), dies at age 78.[38]

October

November

  • November 6: George Fett, American comics artist (Sniffy (later Norbert), dies at age 69.[41]
  • November 13: Zdravko Sulic, Serbian comics artist, dies at age 64.[42]
  • November 19: Sol Harrison, American comics executive (president of DC Comics), dies at 72.[43]
  • November 20: Sten Rinaldo, Swedish comics artist (Ba-Ba, Varför är Icander så glad?), dies at age 83.[44]
  • November 22: C.C. Beck, American comics artist (Captain Marvel), dies at age 79.[45]
  • November 22: José Guadalupe Cruz, Mexican comics writer and screenwriter (comics about El Santo), dies at age 72.[46]
  • November 24: Gordon Bess, American comics artist and writer (Redeye), dies at age 60.[47]
  • November 28: Ion Popescu-Gopo, Romanian comic artist and animator (Gopo's Little Man), dies at age 66.[48]

December

  • December 12: Suihō Tagawa, Japanese manga artist (Norakuro), dies at age 90.[49]
  • December 18: Henning Gantriis, Danish comics artist (Livets Gang i Lidenlund), dies at age 71.[50]
  • December 29: Hubert Levigne, Dutch illustrator and comic artist (Het Prentenboek van Jesus' Leven), dies at age 84.[51]

Specific date unknown

  • Nestor Gonzalez Fossat, Argentine comics artist (Jimmy y su Pupilo, Aventuras de Menucho, Firulete y Retacón, Goyito y Goyita), dies at age 80 or 81.[52]
  • Charles Kuhn, American comics artist (Grandma), dies at age 97.[53]
  • Karel van Milleghem, Belgian journalist and chief editor (Ons Volkske and the Dutch language version of Tintin, creator of the famous slogan Tintin, for people between 7 and 77, initiator of Belvision), dies at age 65 or 66.[54]
  • Marc Payot, Belgian actor and comics artist (Tom Potter, continued Het Manneken), dies at age 65 or 66 in a traffic accident.[55]
  • Stoian Venev, Bulgarian comics artist and caricaturist, dies at age 84 or 85.[56]
  • César López Vera, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 56 or 57.[57]
  • George Wheeler, American animator and comics artist (made a comic strip based on True Life Adventures, Disney comics), dies at age 69 or 70.[58]
  • Wittamin, Thai comics artist (LingGee), dies at age 71 or 72.[59]

Exhibitions and shows

Conventions

Awards

Eagle Awards

Presented in 1990 for comics published in 1989, distributed at the 1990 United Kingdom Comic Art Convention [UKCAC] by Paul Gambaccini and Dave Gibbons.

  • Roll of Honour: 2000 AD
  • Best International Comic Book: Akira

American Section

U.K. Section

Eisner Awards

No awards were presented in 1990, a transition year when Comic-Con International took over administration of the awards.

First issues by title

DC Comics

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight

Release: September. Writer: Dennis O'Neil. Artists: Ed Hannigan and John Beatty.

Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children

Release: June by Piranha Press. Writer: Dave Louapre. Artist: Dan Sweetman.

El Diablo vol. 2

Release: August. Writer: Gerard Jones. Artist: Mike Parobeck.

Huntress

Release: April. Writer: Joey Cavalieri. Artist: Joe Staton and Bruce Patterson.

Justice League Europe

Release: April. Writer: Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis. Artists: Bart Sears and Pablo Marcos.

L.E.G.I.O.N.

Release: February. Writers: Alan Grant and Keith Giffen. Artists: Barry Kitson, Keith Giffen, and Mike DeCarlo.

Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 3

Release: November. Writers: Keith Giffen and Tom and Mary Bierbaum. Artists: Keith Giffen and Al Gordon.

New Gods vol. 3

Release: February. Writer: Mark Evanier. Artist: Paris Cullins.

The Sandman

Release: January. Writer: Neil Gaiman. Artists: Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg.

Star Trek vol. 2

Release: October. Writer: Peter David. Artists: James Fry and Arne Starr.

Star Trek: The Next Generation vol. 2

Release: October. Writer: Michael Jan Friedman. Artist: Pablo Marcos.

Limited series

Catwoman (4 issues)

Release: February. Writer: Mindy Newell. Artists: J.J. Birch and Michael Bair.

Epicurus the Sage (2 issues; #2 published in 1991)

Release: November by Piranha Press. Writer: William Messner-Loebs. Artist: Sam Kieth.

Hawkworld (3 issues)

Release: August. Writer/Artist: Tim Truman.

Invasion! (3 issues)

Release: January. Writers: Keith Giffen and Bill Mantlo. Artists: Keith Giffen and Todd McFarlane.

Justice, Inc. (2 issues)

Release: July. Writer: Andy Helfer. Artist: Kyle Baker.

Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography (1 issue)

Release: May. Writer: James D. Hudnall. Artist: Eduardo Barreto.

Skreemer (6 issues)

Release: May. Writer: Peter Milligan. Artists: Brett Ewins and Steve Dillon.

Marvel Comics

Clive Barker's Hellraiser

Release: January by Epic Comics. Editor: Daniel Chichester.

Marc Spector: Moon Knight

Release: June. Writer: Chuck Dixon. Artists: Sal Velluto and Mark Farmer.

Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Release: September. Writer: Bob Harras. Artists: Bob Hall and Kim DeMulder.

Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja

Release: August. Writer: Larry Hama. Artists: Ron Wagner and Fred Fredericks.

Quasar

Release: October. Writer: Mark Gruenwald. Artists: Paul Ryan and Danny Bulanadi.

Sensational She-Hulk

Release: May. Writer/Artist: John Byrne

What If vol. 2

Release: July. Editor: Craig Anderson

Limited series

Damage Control (4 issues)

Release: May. Writer: Dwayne McDuffie. Artists: Ernie Colón and Bob Wiacek.

Shadowmasters (4 issues)

Release: October. Writer: Carl Potts. Artists: Dan Lawlis and Russ Heath.

The Sleeze Brothers (6 issues)

Release: June by Epic Comics. Writer: John Carnell. Artist: Andy Lanning.

The War (4 issues)

Release: June by New Universe. Writer: Doug Murray. Artist: Tom Morgan.

Independent and small press titles

  • A1 (Atomeka Press, October)

The Adventures of Bayou Billy

Release: September by Archie Adventure Series. Writer: Rich Margopoulos. Artist: Amanda Conner.

Eightball

Release: August by Fantagraphics. Writer/Artist: Daniel Clowes.

Saviour

Release: December by Trident Comics. Writer: Mark Millar. Artists: Daniel Vallely and Nigel Kitching.

Trident

Release: August by Trident Comics. Editor: Martin Skidmore.

Limited series

Aliens (4 issues)

Release: August by Dark Horse Comics. Writer: Mark Verheiden. Artist: Denis Beauvais.

The Bogie Man (4 issues)

Release: September by Fat Man Press. Writer: John Wagner and Alan Grant. Artist: Robin Smith.

Squalor (4 issues)

Release: December by First Comics. Writer: Stefan Petrucha. Artist: Tom Sutton.

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Independent and small press titles

References

Wikiwand in your browser!

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.