Notable events of 1975 in comics. Events and publications
Year overall Following up their various Giant-Size series from 1974, Marvel Comics publishes a number of one-shot Giant-Size annuals, which feature reprints of "classic" Captain America, Captain Marvel, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Hulk, Invaders, Iron Man, Power Man, and Thor stories. In addition, the company publishes three Giant-Size issues (January, April, and July cover dates) of Kid Colt, and two Giant-Size issues (May and June cover dates) of the reprint title Marvel Triple Action. On the other hand, the company cancels 10 Giant-Size titles, including Giant-Size Avengers, Giant-Size Conan, Giant-Size Defenders, Giant-Size Fantastic Four, Giant-Size Man-Thing, Giant-Size Master of Kung Fu, Giant-Size Spider-Man, Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up, Giant-Size Werewolf, and Giant-Size X-Men. The horror/suspense comic resurgence ends, as publishers cancel titles in droves. Marvel and its black-and-white magazines are particularly hard hit, canceling Adventure Into Fear, Dead of Night, Dracula Lives!, Giant-Size Chillers, Giant-Size Werewolf, Haunt of Horror, both Man-Thing titles, Masters of Terror, Monsters Unleashed, Supernatural Thrillers, Tales of the Zombie, Vampire Tales, and Where Monsters Dwell. DC Comics cancels Black Magic, Secrets of Haunted House, Tales of Ghost Castle, and Weird Mystery Tales. Gold Key Comics cancels Mystery Comics Digest, and Archie Comics even cancels their title Red Circle Sorcery. Newspaper strip Cecil C. Addle by Ray Collins begins publication
January January 8: in Le journal de Tintin, Dans l'enfer du safari by Jean Graton. January 20: The New Yorker publishes a strange comic strip by cartoonist George Booth, involving cave people with a strange vocabulary. Titled Ip Gissa Gul, it becomes a classic afterwards. January 23–26: Will Eisner is the first American to win the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême at the annual Comics Festival of Angoulême. DC Comics raises the price of its typical comic book from 20 cents to 25 cents, keeping the page-count at 36. First issue of the French magazine Métàl Hurlant. L’ennemi by Derib (Le Lombard). Le fils de Spartacus by Jacques Martin (Csterman). In the Italian magazine alterlinus, Il caso Webber, by the Argentina Josè Munoz and Carlos Sampayo; debut of the private eye Alack Sinner.
February February 4: Cosey launches his comic series Jonathan in Tintin. The final issue of the Lucky Luke monthly magazine is published.
Spring DC Special (1968 series) is revived with issue #16; the title had ceased publishing in 1971. (DC Comics) Art Spiegelman, Diane Noomin and Bill Griffith establish the underground comix magazine Arcade.
March Adventure Comics #438: A "Seven Soldiers of Victory" script by Joseph Samachson written in the 1940s was serialized as a backup feature in Adventure Comics beginning with issue #438 and running through #443, with each chapter illustrated by a different artist including Dick Dillin, Howard Chaykin, Lee Elias, Mike Grell, Ernie Chan, and José Luis García-López. The vagabond of Limbo, by Christian Godard and Julio Ribera (Dargaud). in Italy, Potenza nera, by Giulio Bertoletti (Universo), first episode of a projected trilogy (Crist-031), rewriting the Book of Genesis in a Sci-fi key. The two following episodes never have been published. In alterlinus, Riflesso by Guido Crepax (Valentina series). Editoriale Corno launches two new magazines of Marvel comics: Conan e Kazar (15 March), with the comics not strictly of superheroes, and Hulk e I difensori (20 march.)
April April 1: The first issue of the French satirical comics magazine Fluide Glacial is published. April 1: The first episode of Moebius' Arzach is prepublished in Métal Hurlant. April 7: In Pif gadget, the super-hero child Supermatou by Jean-Claude Poirier and Le Furet, by Eduardo Teixeira Coelho and Jean Ollivier, a hero living in the France of Louis XI, make their debut. April 13: in Topolino, Paperino e le ventimila beghe sotto i mari (Donald and twenty thousand troubles under the seas) by Luciano Gatto and Massimo Marconi, parody of Jules Verne’s novel. April 21: first issue of the anthological magazine Lanciostory (Editoriale Aurea); it introduces in Italy the Argentina comics. Detective Comics, with issue #446, resumes a monthly schedule, after going bi-monthly in June/July 1973. (DC Comics) Asterix and the great crossing by Goscinny and Uderzo (Dargaud); the story was prepublished in the newspaper Sud-Ouest. Valentina nel metrò by Guido Crepax, is serialized In Corriere d'Informazione, the afternoon edition of Corriere della sera,
May May 25: In Il Corriere dei ragazzi, two new series make their debut: the humoristic La contea di Colbrino, by Adriano Carnivali, set in a parodic Renaissance Italy, and the adventurous Lord Shark, by Mino Milani and Giancarlo Alessandrini, set in colonial India. May 25: n the Corriere dei piccoli, Gennarino Tarantella by Carlo Squillante makes his debut. It is the last "mute" comic made according to the traditional formula of the magazine, with rhymed captions instead of the balloons. Giant-Size X-Men #1, written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum (Marvel Comics). First appearance of the new X-Men Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Thunderbird In Disney Magazine #1, The Case of the Pea Soup Burglaries, by Carl Fallberg and Al Hubbard, first chapter of the saga Mickey and the Sleuth. In Pilote Magazine, Ambassador of the shadows, by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres. Fist issue of the series Daniel by Max Bunker and Frank Verola (Editoriale Corno); its hero is a vigilante working upon the identity of a policeman who died to save his life.
June
June 23: in Le nouvel Observateur, the first chapter of La Guérison des Dalton by Goscinny and Morris is prepublished. First issue of Mister No (Sergio Bonelli Editore) by Guido Nolitta and Gallieno Ferri.
July July 1: in Le journal de Tintin, Le secret de Steve Warson by Jean Graton. July 13: in Corriere dei Piccoli, debut of Pimpa, by Francesco Tullio-Altan. July 26: in the Spanish magazine Mortadelo, Los mercenaries by Ibanez (Editorial Bruguera) Canadian publisher Comely Comix, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, debuts with Captain Canuck #1. The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom switches to weekly publication. Poche ore all’alba (A few hours at dawn) by Magnus (Edizioni del Vascello), first album of the series Lo sconosciuto.
August August 4: in Lanciostory, the western series Alamo Kid, by Anthony Mancuso and Giuseppe Montanari, makes its debut. August 13: In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Spike, brother of Snoopy, makes his debut. August 16: Jean-Pierre Girerd's On à Volé la Coupe Stanley is serialized in La Presse. The story will run until 19 June 1976. Uncanny X-Men #94 — first issue of title featuring the new X-Men. Written by Chris Claremont; he will write the title continuously for the next 17 years. In Italy, first issue of La pantera rosa (The Pink panther) (Cenisio)
Fall Atlas/Seaboard Comics folds, after parts of two years in business, having published 23 comics titles and five comics magazines.
September September 12: Patty Klein and Jan Steeman's Noortje makes its debut in the Dutch girls' magazine Tina. It will run for 41 years, becoming the longest-running Dutch comic strip by the same creative team. September 14: in Corriere dei ragazzi, debut of Altai & Johnson, by Tiziano Sclavi and Giorgio Cavazzano, two private eyes, heroes of semiserious detective stories. September 16 : in Nouveau Tintin, Angel Face by Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud. Fist issue of Batman family (DC comics) The first issue of the Dutch alternative comics magazine De Vrije Balloen is published.
October October 3: The final issues Dutch comics magazines Sjors and Pep are published and both are merged into a new magazine which is first published on this date: Eppo. In 1985 it changes its name to Eppo Wordt Vervolgd, to tie in with the popular TV show Wordt Vervolgd about comics and cartoons. October 4: First strip of Inside Woody Allen, by Stuart Hample. October 13 The first issue of the German children's comics magazine Yps is published and will run until 10 October 2000. It will be relaunched on 11 October 2012 as an adult magazine. October 24: The Nero story De Groene Gravin by Marc Sleen begins publication in the newspapers and introduces Clo-Clo, the moustached son of Madam Pheip and Meneer Pheip. October 26: first strip of Crock, by Bill Rechin and Brant Parker. Marvel debuts three new ongoing titles, The Champions, The Inhumans, and Marvel Presents. Simultaneously, it cancels six ongoing titles: Giant-Size Fantastic Four, Man-Thing, Outlaw Kid (vol. 2), Supernatural Thrillers, War is Hell, and Where Monsters Dwell. In Pif Gadget, the crime series Sandberg pere et fils by Patrick Cothias and Alfonso Font (6 October) and the western one Capitaine Apache, by Roger Lécureux and Norma (13 October) make their debut. Diario di Valentina (Valentina’s diary) by Guido Crepax (Milano libri). It includes five reprints and an unpublished summary story (Vita privata).
November November 13: Belgian comic artist Marc Sleen is honored with the Golden Cross of Officer in the Brabant Order of Merit. Skartaris introduced in 1st Issue Special #8. (DC Comics) Korak, Son of Tarzan, with issue #60, changes its name to Tarzan Family. (DC Comics)
December December 28: In the Italian Disney magazine Topolino 1048, Ellsworth's Ornery Orphan by Romano Scarpa, Ellroy, the adoptive son of Ellsworth makes his debut. December 28: in Corriere dei piccoli, debut of the didactic comics for children Piero, Patti e Passatù, by Enrico Bagnoli. Secrets of Haunted House, with issue #5 (December 1975/January 1976 cover date), goes on hiatus (DC Comics). In Almanacco Topolino, more specifically the story Paperino e il piccolo Krak by Marco Rota and Gaudenzio Cappelli, Andold Wild Duck makes his debut.
Specific date unknown Costa Rican artist Carlos Alvarado Salazar creates Carlos Pincel. Maurice Tillieux and Jijé receive the Stripschapprijs.Het Stripschap – De Stripschapprijs James McQuade's Honey Hooker makes its debut in Hustler. In Argentina, Carlos Trillo makes his debut as comics’ writer. He publishes in the magazine Mengano the noir series Un tal Daneri, drawn by Alberto Breccia, and in the newspaper Clarin the adventures of the journalist Loco Chavez, drawn by Horacio Altuna.
Deaths January January 4: Bob Montana, American comics artist (Archie Comics), dies at age 54 of a heart attack. January 19: Marino Benejam Ferrer, Spanish comics artist (La Familia Ulises, Morcillón y Babalí, Los Grandes Inventos de TBO), dies at age 84.
February February 9: Blanche Dumoulin, aka Davine, Belgian comics artist and writer (Spirou, Les Aventures de Zizette), dies from cancer at age 80. February 20: Artie Simek, American comics letterer (Marvel Comics), dies at age 59. February 28: Robert Lips, Swiss comics artist (Globi), dies at age 62.
March March 2: Salvador Mestres, Spanish animator and comics artist (Tom Relámpango, El Tresoro Maldito, Mae Blond la Mujer Fantasma, El Héroe Público No. 1 contra el Enemigo Público No. 1, Gong!, Guerra en la Estratosfera), dies at age 64 or 65.
April April 3: Otto Soglow, American comics artist (The Little King), dies at age 74. April 11: Huibert Vet, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 55. April 19: Jim Navoni, American comics artist (continued Have You Seen Alonso?), dies at age 87.
May May 1: José Peñarroya, Spanish comics artist (Don Pío, Calixto, Gordito Relleno, Don Berrinche, Pedrusco Brutote, La Familia Pi, Floripondia Piripi, Viborita, Pepe, el Hincha, Don José Calmoso, Pitagorín), dies at age 64 or 65. May 8: George Baker, American comics artist (The Sad Sack), dies at age 59.