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Years in comics
19th Century
1900s
1900 · 1901 · 1902 · 1903 · 1904 1905 · 1906 · 1907 · 1908 · 1909
1910s
1910 · 1911 · 1912 · 1913 · 1914 1915 · 1916 · 1917 · 1918 · 1919
1920s
1920 · 1921 · 1922 · 1923 · 1924 1925 · 1926 · 1927 · 1928 · 1929
1930s
1930 · 1931 · 1932 · 1933 · 1934 1935 · 1936 · 1937 · 1938 · 1939
1940s
1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949
1950s
1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959
1960s
1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969
1970s
1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979
1980s
1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989
1990s
1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999
2000s
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009

Notable events of 1972 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events

• Marvel Comics forms their British publishing arm, Marvel UK (under the corporate name Magazine Management London Ltd.).
• Art Spiegelman publishes "Maus", a three-page strip which will eventually turn into Maus, for Funny Aminals [cq], an underground comic published by Apex Novelties.
• DC acquires licensing rights to the Marvel Family, originally published by Fawcett Comics.
• Fleming H. Revell establishes Spire Christian Comics.
• Jacques Glénat, at only twenty years old, establishes Glénat.

February

• With issue #206, Gold Key Comics cancels Tarzan, a title it acquired from Dell Comics in 1962.

March

• Marvel Comics launches its second ongoing Spider-Man title, Marvel Team-Up.
• March 4: Charles Biro dies at age 60.

April

• Marvel Comics launches Marvel Premiere, an anthology series.
• With issue #207, DC Comics begins publishing Tarzan, acquired from Gold Key Comics.
• With issue #89 (Apr./May cover-date), DC stops publishing Green Lantern.

June

• Marvel Comics launches Luke Cage, Hero for Hire, which is the debut of the title character.
• The Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, is introduced in Marvel Spotlight #4.
• With issue #12 (June/July cover date), All-Star Western changes it name to Weird Western Tales. (DC Comics)
• With issue #5 (June/July cover date), The Sinister House of Secret Love changes its name to Secrets of Sinister House. (DC Comics)

August

• Forever People, with issue #11, is cancelled by DC.
• Hell, the locational antithesis of the Silver City, is introduced in The Demon #1, created by Jack Kirby.

October

• Date with Debbi, with issue #18 (Oct./Nov. cover date), is cancelled by DC.
• New Gods, with issue #11 (Oct./Nov. cover date), is temporarily cancelled by Marvel (it is revived with issue #12 in 1977).

November

• Girls' Love Stories, with issue #180 (Nov./Dec. cover-date), cancelled by DC Comics.

Awards

Shazam Awards

Presented in 1973 for comics published in 1972:

• Best Individual Story: "Dark Genesis", by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson, Swamp Thing #1 (DC Comics)
• Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic): "The Demon Within", by John Albano and Jim Aparo, House of Mystery #201 (DC)
• Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Len Wein
• Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): Berni Wrightson
• Best Humor Story: "The Poster Plague", by Steve Skeates and Sergio Aragones, House of Mystery #202 (DC)
• Best Inker (Humor Division): Sergio Aragones
• Special Award: DC letterer/proofreader Gerda Gattel "for bringing her special warmth to our history"
• Superior Achievement by an Individual: Julius Schwartz "for bringing the Shazam Family back into print"

First issue by title

DC Comics

The Demon

Release: Aug./Sept. Writer/Artist: Jack Kirby. Inker: Mike Royer.

Kamandi, The Last Boy On Earth

Release: Oct./Nov. Writer/Artist: Jack Kirby. Inker: Mike Royer.

Supergirl

Release: November. Editor: Dorothy Woolfolk.

Swamp Thing

Release: Oct./Nov. Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Bernie Wrightson.

Weird Mystery Tales

Release: July/Aug. Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell.

Weird Worlds

Release: September. Editor: Dennis O'Neil.

Marvel Comics

The Cat

Release: November. Writers: Roy Thomas and Linda Fite. Artists: Marie Severin and Wally Wood.

The Defenders

Release: August. Writer: Steve Englehart. Artists: Sal Buscema and Frank Giacoia.

Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze

Release: October. Writers: Roy Thomas (plot) and Steve Englehart (script). Artists: Ross Andru and Jim Mooney.

Hero for Hire

Release: June. Writers: Roy Thomas, John Romita, and Archie Goodwin. Artists: George Tuska and Billy Graham.

Jungle Action

Release: October. Editor: Roy Thomas.

Marvel Premiere

Release: April. Writer: Roy Thomas. Artists: Gil Kane and Dan Adkins.

Marvel Team-Up

Release: March. Writer: Roy Thomas. Artists: Ross Andru and Mike Esposito.

Marvel Triple Action

Release: February. Reprints early issues of The Avengers and Fantastic Four.

The Mighty World of Marvel

Release: October 7 (weekly) by Marvel UK.

Night Nurse

Release: November. Writer: Jean Thomas. Artist: Winslow Mortimer.

Shanna the She-Devil

Release: September. Writers: Carole Seuling and Steve Gerber. Artists: George Tuska and Vince Colletta.

Supernatural Thrillers

Release: December. Writers: Theodore Sturgeon (original story) and Roy Thomas (adaptation). Artists: Marie Severin and Frank Giacoia.

The Tomb of Dracula

Release: April. Writer: Gerry Conway. Artist: Gene Colan.

Werewolf by Night

Release: September. Writer: Gerry Conway. Artists: Mike Ploog and Frank Chiaramonte.

Independent titles

Archie at Riverdale High

Release: August by Archie Comics.

Wimmen's Comix

Release: November by Last Gasp.

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Anton Arcane, in Swamp Thing #2 (Dec. 1972/Jan. 1973)
• Bernadeth, in Mister Miracle #6 (February)
• Jim Corrigan, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #149 (May)
• Destiny, in Weird Mystery Tales #1
• Devilance, in Forever People #11 (August)
• Doctor Moon, in Batman #240 (March)
• Effron the Sorcerer, in World's Finest Comics #210 (March)
• Etrigan the Demon, in The Demon #1 (August)
• Forager, in New Gods #9 (August)
• Funky Flashman, in Mister Miracle #6 (Jan./Feb.)
• Gilotina, in Mister Miracle #8 (May)
• Human Target, in Action Comics #419 (December)
• Jonah Hex, in All-Star Western #10 (Feb./Mar.)
• Kamandi, in Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth #1 (October)
• Lashina, in Mister Miracle #6 (January)
• Morgaine le Fey, in The Demon #1 (September)
• Mad Harriet, in Mister Miracle #6 (January)
• Matthew Cable, in Swamp Thing #1 (Oct./Nov.)
• Nebula Man, in Justice League of America #100 (August)
• Starbreaker, in Justice League of America #96 (February)
• Steppenwolf, in New Gods #7 (February)
• Stompa, in Mister Miracle #6 (January)
• Terra-Man, in Superman #249 (March)
• The Un-Men, in Swamp Thing #1 (Oct./Nov.)

Marvel Comics

• Adam Warlock, in Marvel Premiere #1 (April)
• Brute (Reed Richards), in Marvel Premiere #2 (May)
• Luke Cage, in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June)
• Diamondback (Willis Stryker), in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June)
• Dracula, in Tomb of Dracula #1 (April)
• Dragon Lord I, in Sub-Mariner #52 (Aug)
• Frank Drake, in Tomb of Dracula #1 (April)
• Damon Dran, in Daredevil #92 (October)
• Elric, in Conan the Barbarian #15 (March)
• Kulan Gath, in Conan the Barbarian #14 (February 1972)
• Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), in Marvel Spotlight #5 (August)
• Gibbon, in Amazing Spider-Man #110 (July)
• Grand Director, in Captain America #153 (September)
• Hammerhead, in The Amazing Spider-Man #113
• Jonas Harrow, in Amazing Spider-Man #114 (October)
• Mister Fear, in The Mighty Thor #200 (June)
• Night Nurse, in Night Nurse #1 (November)
• Thundra, in Fantastic Four #129 (December)
• Tigra, in The Cat #1 (November)
• Rachel van Helsing, in Tomb of Dracula #3 (July)
• Werewolf by Night, in Marvel Spotlight #2 (February)
• Zarathos, in Marvel Spotlight #5 (August)

Independent publishers

• Les Aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec, in Pilote #680