From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 1976 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

This is a list of comics-related events in 1976.

Events

Year overall

• Gerry Conway succeeds Marv Wolfman as Marvel Comics editor-in-chief mid-year, relinquishing the post before the year is out to Archie Goodwin.
• Fantagraphics Books, Inc. founded by Gary Groth and Michael Catron.
• Flying Buttress Publications (later to be known as NBM Publishing) is founded in Syracuse, N.Y. by Terry Nantier.
• American Splendor, Harvey Pekar's long-running autobiographical comic book title, publishes its debut issue.
• Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, the first major intercompany crossover, is co-published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
• With issue #7 (Fall issue), The Print Mint publishes the final issue of the underground/alternative anthology Arcade.

January

• DC revives All Star Comics with issue #58, continuing the numbering from the original 1940 series (ignoring the numbering from All-Star Western). Written by Gerry Conway, with art by Ric Estrada and Wally Wood.
• With issue #244, DC revives Blackhawk, which began in 1957 and stopped publishing in 1968.
• Marvel Super Action, a Curtis Magazines one-shot, edited by Archie Goodwin, is released.

February

• Golden Age cartoonist Fletcher Hanks dies at age 88.
• With issue #41 (February/March), DC cancels Phantom Stranger vol. 2.
• With issue #5 (February/March), DC cancels Kong the Untamed.
• With issue #2 (February/March), DC cancels Man-Bat.

March

• With issue #6, DC cancels Beowulf, Dragon Slayer.
• With issue #6 (March/April), DC publishes the final issue of the Joe Kubert reprint title Tor.

April

• With issue #45, DC revives Metal Men, which itself was a 1973 revival of a 1963 series which had stopped publishing in 1969.
• With issue #13, DC cancels 1st Issue Special.

May

• Vince Colletta named DC Comics art director.

July

• With issue #36, Marvel cancels the anthology title Astonishing Tales.

August

• With issue #90, DC revives the title Green Lantern (calling it Green Lantern, co-Starring Green Arrow), which began in 1960 and stopped publishing in 1972.
• With issue #24 (Aug./Sept.), DC cancels Swamp Thing vol. 1.

September

• With issue #9 (Sept./Oct.), DC suspends publication of Claw the Unconquered; it picks up again with issue #10 in 1978.
• With issue #9, DC cancels The Joker (Sept./Oct. issue).
• With issue #5, DC cancels Blitzkrieg (Sept./Oct. issue).

November

• With issue #44, DC revives Teen Titans vol. 1, which began in 1966 and stopped publishing in 1973.
• With issue #66 (Nov./Dec.), DC cancels Tarzan Family.
• With issue #24 (Nov./Dec.), DC cancels the horror/humor anthology Plop!
• With issue #39, Marvel cancels the anthology title Amazing Adventures vol. 2.
• Jungle Action, with issue #24, is cancelled by Marvel.
• Skull the Slayer, with issue #8, is cancelled by Marvel.
• Marvel Feature vol. 2, with issue #7, is cancelled by Marvel.
• With issue #6, Marvel cancels the Curtis Magazines science fiction anthology Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction.

December

• Marvel Comics launches its third ongoing Spider-Man series, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider Man.

Awards

Eagle Awards

Two British comics fans, Mike Conroy and Richard Burton, create the Eagle Awards, named after the fondly remembered 1950s comic title Eagle. The first set of awards are presented in 1977 for comics published in 1976:

• Favourite Comic Book (Dramatic): Uncanny X-Men
• Favourite Comic Magazine (Dramatic): Savage Sword of Conan
• Favourite Team: Uncanny X-Men
• Favourite Comic Book (Humor): Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber
• Favourite New Comic: Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber
• Favourite Single Comic Book Story: "Four Fingers of Death," Howard the Duck #3, by Steve Gerber and John Buscema
• Favourite Comic Book Character: Conan the Barbarian
• Favourite Comicbook Writer: Roy Thomas
• Favourite Comics Writer (UK): Chris Claremont
• Favourite UK Title: House of Hammer

First issues by title

DC Comics

Blitzkrieg

Release: January/February. Writer: Robert Kanigher. Artist: Ric Estrada.

DC Super Stars

Release: March. Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell.

Four Star Spectacular

Release: March/April. Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell.

Freedom Fighters

Release: March/April. Writers: Gerry Conway and Martin Pasko. Artists: Ric Estrada and Mike Royer.

Isis

Release: Oct./Nov. Writer: Denny O'Neil. Artists: Ric Estrada and Wally Wood.

Karate Kid

Release: March/April. Writers: Paul Levitz. Artists: Ric Estrada and Joe Staton.

Kobra

Release: February/March. Writers: Jack Kirby, Steve Sherman, and Martin Pasko. Artists: Jack Kirby and Pablo Marcos.

Ragman

Release: August/September. Writers: Bob Kanigher. Artists: Joe Kubert and Redondo Studio.

Secret Society of Super Villains

Release: May/June. Writers: Gerry Conway. Artists: Pablo Marcos and Bob Smith.

Starfire

Release: August. Writer: David Michelinie. Artist: Mike Vosburg.

Super Friends

Release: November. Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell. Artists: Ric Estrada, Joe Orlando, and Vince Colletta.

Warlord

Release: January/February. Writer/Artist: Mike Grell.

Welcome Back, Kotter

Release: November. Writer: Elliot Maggin. Artists: Jack Sparling and Bob Oksner.

Marvel Comics

2001: A Space Odyssey

Release: December. Writer: Jack Kirby. Artists: Jack Kirby and Mike Royer.

Captain Britain Weekly

Release: October 13 by Marvel UK. Editor: Larry Lieber.

Eternals

Release: July. Writer: Jack Kirby. Artists: Jack Kirby and John Verpoorten.

Haunt of Horror

Release: May by Curtis Magazines. Editor: Roy Thomas.

Howard the Duck

Release: January. Writer: Steve Gerber. Artists: Frank Brunner and Steve Leialoha.

Nova

Release: September. Writers: Marv Wolfman. Artists: John Buscema and Joe Sinnott.

Omega the Unknown

Release: March. Writers: Mary Skrenes and Steve Gerber. Artist: Jim Mooney.

Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider Man

Release: December. Writer: Gerry Conway. Artists: Sal Buscema, Mike Esposito, and Dave Hunt.

Independent publishers

Action

Release: February 14 by IPC Magazines. Editor: Pat Mills.

American Splendor

Release: by Harvey Pekar. Writer: Harvey Pekar.

American Splendor

Release: by Harvey Pekar. Writer: Harvey Pekar.

Bullet

Release: February by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

Storm

Release: Big Balloon (Dutch). Artist: Don Lawrence.

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Atomic Skull (Albert Michael), in Superman #303 (September)
• Black Spider, in Detective Comics #463 (September)
• Blackrock, in Action Comics #458 (April)
• Bumblebee (Karen Beecher), in Teen Titans #45 (December)
• Calculator, in Detective Comics #463 (September)
• Captain Stingaree, in Detective Comics #460 (June)
• Codename: Assassin, in 1st Issue Special #11 (February)
• Deborah Camille Darnell, in Secret Society of Super Villains #1 (May/June)
• Duela Dent, in Batman Family #6 (July/Aug.)
• Grimbor the Chainsman, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #221 (November)
• Isis, in Isis #1 (Oct./Nov.)
• Kirt Niedrigh (Absorbency Boy), in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #218 (July)
• Kobra, in Kobra #1 (February)
• Machiste, in Warlord #2 (March)
• Outsiders, in 1st Issue Special #10 (January)
• Power Girl, in All Star Comics #58 (Jan./Feb.)
• Ragman, in Ragman #1 (Aug./Sept.)
• SKULL, in Superman #301 (July)
• Leslie Thompkins, in Detective Comics #457 (March)
• Tyroc, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #216 (April)
• Wendy and Marvin, in Super Friends #1 (November)
• Tobias Whale, in Black Lightning #1 (April)

Marvel Comics

• Aron, in Captain Marvel #39 (July)
• Black Talon (Samuel Barone), in Avengers #152 (October)
• Black Tom Cassidy, in Uncanny X-Men #101 (October)
• Blizzard (Gregor Shapanka), in Iron Man #86 (May)
• Jamie Braddock, in Captain Britain Weekly #9 (September)
• Dmitri Bukharin, in Iron Man #109 (April)
• Bullseye, in Daredevil #131 (March)
• Captain Britain, in Captain Britain Weekly #1 (October 13)
• Captain Ultra, in Fantastic Four #177 (December)
• Condor, in Nova #2 (October)
• Corruptor, in Nova #4 in (December)
• Darkstar, in Champions #7 (August)
• Jean DeWolff, in Marvel Team-Up #48 (August)
• The Eternals, in The Eternals #1 (July)
  • Ikaris, in The Eternals #1 (July)
  • Makkari, in The Eternals #1 (July)
  • Sersi, in The Eternals #3 (September)
  • Thena, in The Eternals #5 (November)
  • Zuras, in The Eternals #5 (November)
• Guardsman (Michael O'Brien), in Iron Man #82 (January)
• Human Fly (Richard Deacon), in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10
• Hurricane (Albert Potter), in Captain Britain #3 (October 27)
• Jigsaw, in The Amazing Spider-Man #162 (November)
• Shen Kuei, in Master of Kung Fu #38 (March)
• Mirage, in Amazing Spider-Man #156 (May)
• Lilandra Neramani, in X-Men #97 (February)
• Nova, in Nova #1 (September)
• Psylocke, in Captain Britain #8 (December)
• Rampage, in Champions #5 (April)
• Amanda Sefton, in Uncanny X-Men #98 (April)
• Star-Lord, in Marvel Preview #4 (January)

Independent titles

• Storm (Don Lawrence), in Storm