1968 in comics

1968

1967 in comics

1969 in comics

Notable events of 1968 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

See also: 1968 in comics, 1969 in comics, 1960s in comics and the list of years in comics

Publications and events

Year overall

• With Kinney National Company's acquisition of Warner Bros., DC Comics becomes part of what eventually will be known as Warner Communications.
• DC Comics art director (and soon-to-be editorial director) Carmine Infantino is given the mandate to revitalize DC in the wake of rival Marvel Comics' pop-culture success. Eased out are long-time DC artists Wayne Boring, Jim Mooney, George Klein, and George Papp; and writers Otto Binder, Edmond Hamilton, and Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel. In exchange, Infantino hires new talent and promotes artists like Joe Orlando, Joe Kubert, and Mike Sekowsky to editorial positions. Orlando is put in charge of DC's horror and suspense titles.
• Psychedelic poster printer and distributor The Print Mint begins publishing underground comix, starting with Feds 'n' Heads (Gilbert Shelton) and Yellow Dog (edited by R. Crumb).

January

• Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #80, The character's fashions were updated to a then-more contemporary look^[1]

February

• Tales of the Unexpected, with issue #105, changes its name to The Unexpected (February /March issue) (DC Comics)

March

• Showcase #73, Writer-artist Steve Ditko arrives at DC and creates the Creeper with scripter Don Segall^[2]

April

• Dick Giordano hired as an editor at DC Comics (from Charlton Comics); Giordano brings with him some of the creators he had nurtured at Charlton,^[3] including writer Dennis O'Neil.
• The Miracle Machine introduced in Adventure Comics #367 (April )
• Tales of Suspense, with issue #100, changes its name to Captain America. (Marvel Comics)
• Tales to Astonish, with issue #102, changes its name to The Incredible Hulk. (Marvel Comics)

May

• The storyline Mordru the Merciless, by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan, and Jack Abel, begins in Adventure Comics #369 (concluding in Adventure Comics #370). (DC Comics)
• House of Mystery, with issue #174 (May/June cover date), returns to its overt horror comics roots. New editor Joe Orlando challenges the Comics Code Authority with a reprint issue of old horror/suspense stories.
• World's Finest Comics #175 "The Superman-Batman Revenge Squads" was the first instance of Neal Adams drawing Batman in an interior story.^[4]

June

• Strange Tales, with issue #169, changes its name to Doctor Strange. (Marvel Comics)

August

• The Legion Academy introduced in Adventure Comics #371 (August )
• Avengers (1963 series) #55 - Marvel Comics

September

• Doom Patrol, with issue #121 (September /October cover date) suspends publication. (DC Comics)

October

• Blackhawk (1944 series), with issue #243 (Oct./Nov. cover date) suspends publication. (DC Comics)
• Captain Action #1: 17-year-old Jim Shooter writes the first issue of DC's first toy tie-in.^[5]
• Wonder Woman #178: Dennis O'Neil and Mike Sekowsky become the new creative team on the title.^[6]
• Zap Comix #1: self-published by R. Crumb; begins the underground comix movement.

November

• Brother Power the Geek, with issue #2, cancelled by DC.
• Marvel's Space-Born Superhero: Captain Marvel, with issue #7, changes its title to Captain Marvel. (Marvel Comics)
• Summer Love, with issue #48, canceled by Charlton.

December

• With issue #9, Captain Savage and His Leatherneck Raiders is retitled Captain Savage and His Battlefield Raiders.

Deaths

March

• March 4: Rocke Mastroserio, Charlton Comics penciler/inker, dies at age 40 of a heart attack^[7]
• March 12: Ted Osborne dies at age 68^[8] (or age 67)^[9]

April

• Rudolph Dirks, creator of The Katzenjammer Kids, dies at age 91.

Conventions

• June 15–16: Detroit Triple Fan Fair (Fort Pick Shelby Hotel, Detroit, Michigan)^[10] — Guest of Honor Harlan Ellison; c. 175 attendees^[11]
• June 21–23:^[7] Southwesterncon (Hotel Southland, Dallas, Texas) — 160 attendees; produced by Larry Herndon & Tom Reamy; official guests include Fritz Leiber,^[12] Harold LeDoux (Guest of Honor), and H. H. Hollis
• June 28–30: Gateway Con 2 (St. Louis, Missouri) — produced by Bob Schoenfeld;^[13] guest of honor Roy Thomas^[14]
• June 29–30: Toronto Triple Fan Fair (594 Markam Street, Toronto, ON, Canada) — also known as "Fan Fair I;" organized and managed by George Henderson^[15] (sponsored by OSFiC, Memory Lane, the Canadian Academy of Comic Book Collectors, and the Markam Village Film Club); Guests of Honor Roger Zelazny and Stan Lee; admission $1 for "passport" to all venues
• July 4–7: International Convention of Comic Book Art (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) — Phil Seuling hosts his first comic book convention (later to be known as the Comic Art Convention) under the aegis of SCARP (Society for Comic Art Research and Preservation, Inc.);^[13] guests of honor: Stan Lee and Burne Hogarth^[16]
• August 30–September 2: Comicon '68 (British Comic Art Convention) (Midland Hotel, Birmingham, England) — first annual event, organized by Phil Clarke; "member"-guests include Alan Moore, Paul Neary, Jim Baikie, Steve Moore, and Nick Landau; 70 attendees^[17]

Awards

Alley Awards

Presented at the Comic Art Convention, July 1969

Comic Magazine Section

• Best Adventure Title - Fantastic Four
• Best Fantasy/SF/Supernatural Title - Doctor Strange  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Western Title - Bat Lash  (Dc Comics)
• Best War Title - Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Humor Title - Not Brand Echh  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Romance Title - Millie the Model  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Reprint Title - Marvel Super-Heroes  (Marvel Comics)

Professional Work

• Best Editor - Stan Lee
• Best Writer - Stan Lee
• Best Pencil Artist - Jim Steranko
• Best Inking Artist - Joe Sinnott
• Best Cover - Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #6, by Jim Steranko  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Full-Length Story - (tie) "Track of the Hook", by Bob Haney & Neal Adams, The Brave and the Bold #79  (DC Comics); "Origin of the Silver Surfer", by Stan Lee & John Buscema, The Silver Surfer #1  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Feature Story - "Today Earth Died", by Jim Steranko, Strange Tales #168  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Regular Short Feature - "Tales of the Inhumans", by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, in The Mighty Thor (Marvel Comics)
• Hall of Fame - Fantastic Four, by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby; Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., by Jim Steranko  (Marvel Comics)

Popularity Poll

• Best Adventure Hero Strip - The Amazing Spider-Man  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Adventure Group Strip - Fantastic Four  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Supporting Character - J. Jonah Jameson (The Amazing Spider-Man)  (Marvel Comics)
• Best Villain - Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four)  (Marvel Comics)
• Best New Strip - The Silver Surfer by Stan Lee & John Buscema  (Marvel Comics)
• Strip Most Needing Improvement - X-Men  (Marvel Comics)
• Strip Most Desired for Revival - Adam Strange  (DC Comics)

Newspaper Strip Section

• Best Adventure Strip - Prince Valiant, by Hal Foster
• Best Human Interest Strip - On Stage (also known as Mary Perkins, On Stage), by Leonard Starr
• Best Humor Strip - Peanuts, by Charles Schulz
• Best Humor Panel - Dennis the Menace, by Hank Ketcham
• Best Miscellaneous Strip - Feiffer, by Jules Feiffer
• Hall of Fame - Peanuts, by Charles Schulz

Fan Activity Section

• Best Limited Reproduction Fanzine - Concussion
• Best Unlimited Reproduction Fanzine - Graphic Story Magazine
• Best Fan Artist - John Fantucchio
• Best Comic Strip Writer - Larry Herndon
• Best Fan Project - The Alley Awards

First issues by title

Charlton Comics

Ghost Manor

Release: July. Editor: Sal Gentile.

DC Comics

Bat Lash

Release: October /November Writers: Sergio Aragonés and Dennis O'Neil. Artist: Nick Cardy.

Beware the Creeper

Release: May/June. Writers: Steve Ditko and Dennis O'Neil. Artist: Steve Ditko.

Brother Power the Geek

Release: September /October Writer: Joe Simon. Artist: Al Bare.

DC Special

Release: October /December Editor: Julius Schwartz.

Secret Six

Release: April /May. Writer: E. Nelson Bridwell. Artist: Frank Springer.^[18]

Marvel Comics

Marvel's Space-Born Superhero: Captain Marvel

Release: May. Writer: Roy Thomas. Artists: Gene Colan and Vince Colletta.

Iron Man

Release: May. Writer: Archie Goodwin. Artists: Gene Colan and Johnny Craig.

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

Release: June. Writer/Artist: Jim Steranko.

Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner

Release: May. Writer: Roy Thomas. Artists: John Buscema and Frank Giacoia.

Silver Surfer

Release: August. Writer: Stan Lee. Artists: John Buscema and Joe Sinnott.

Independent titles

Walt Disney Comics Digest

Release: June by Gold Key Comics. Editor: Del Connell.

Zap Comix

Release: October by Apex Novelties. Writer/Artist: R. Crumb.

Shogakukan

Big Comic

Release: February.

Shōjo Comic

Shueisha

Weekly Shōnen Jump

Release: July.

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Angel and the Ape, in Showcase #77 (September )
• Anthro, in Showcase #74 (May)
• Bat Lash, in Showcase #76 (August )
• Brother Power the Geek, in Brother Power the Geek #1 (October )
• Cain, in House of Mystery #175 (July–August )
• Chemical King, in Adventure Comics #371 (August )
• Copperhead, in The Brave and the Bold #78 (June)
• Creeper, in Showcase #73 (March )
• Doctor Cyber, in Wonder Woman #179 (November -December )
• Dolphin, in Showcase #79 (December )
• Jonny Double, in Showcase #78 (November )
• Guy Gardner, in Green Lantern vol. 2, #59 (March )
• I Ching, in Wonder Woman vol. 1, #179 (November )
• League of Assassins, in Strange Adventures #215 (November –December )
• Legion of Super-Villains, in Adventure Comics #372 (September )
• Leland McCauley, in Adventure Comics #374 (November )
• Mordru, in Adventure Comics #369 (June)
• Red Star, in Teen Titans #18 (December )
• Red Tornado, in Justice League of America #64 (August )
• Scavenger, in Aquaman vol. 2, #37 (January )
• Sensei, in Strange Adventures #215 (November –December )
• Tim Trench, in Wonder Woman #179 (November -December )
• Wanderers, in Adventure Comics #375 (December )
• General Zahl, in Doom Patrol vol. 1, #121 (October )

Marvel Comics

• Annihilus, in Fantastic Four Annual #6 (November )
• Aragorn, in The Avengers #48 (January )
• Badoon, in Silver Surfer vol. 1, #2 (October )
• Blacklash, in Tales of Suspense #97 (January )
• Centurius, in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 (July)
• Carol Danvers, in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March )
• Death-Stalker, in Daredevil vol. 1, #39 (April )
• Doctor Faustus, in Captain America #107 (November )
• Lemuel Dorcas, in Sub-Mariner #5 (September )
• Falcona, in The Incredible Hulk Annual #1 (October )
• Whitney Frost, in Tales of Suspense #98 (February )
• Gortokians, in X-Men #41 (February )
• Grim Reaper, in The Avengers #52 (May)
• Jester (Jonathan Powers), in Daredevil vol. 1, #42 (July)
• Leonus, in The Incredible Hulk Annual #1 (October )
• Mangog, in Thor #154 (July)
• Mephisto, in Silver Surfer #3 (December )
• Mesmero, in X-Men #49 (March )
• Missing Link, in The Incredible Hulk #105 (July)
• Franklin Richards, in Fantastic Four Annual #6 (November )
• Randy Robertson, in The Amazing Spider-Man #67 (December )
• Satannish, in Doctor Strange #174 (November )
• Shalla-Bal, in Silver Surfer #1 (August )
• George Stacy, in The Amazing Spider-Man #56 (January )
• Stallior, in The Incredible Hulk Annual #1 (Oct.)
• Tiger Shark, in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #5 (September )
• Typhon, in The Avengers #49 (February )
• Ultron, in The Avengers #54 (July)
• Vision, in The Avengers #57 (October )
• Wrecker, in The Mighty Thor #148 (January )

Independent titles

• B. D. (Doonesbury), in "Bull Tales" (Yale Daily News, September 30)
• Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, in Feds 'n' Heads (Print Mint)
• Franklin, in Peanuts (July 31)
• King Kong, in King Kong (Gold Key, September )
• Marcie, in Peanuts (June 18)
• Maxmagnus, in Eureka

References

1. McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1960s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. She started trading in her generic blouse-and-pencil skirt combinations for a "mod" wardrobe filled with printed dresses, go-go boots, mini-skirts, and hot pants.
2. McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 129 "Writer/artist Steve Ditko and co-scripter Don Segall gave [character Jack Ryder] more than the last laugh as the garishly garbed Creeper, one of DC's quirkiest protagonists."
3. Contributors: Dick Giordano," The New Teen Titans Archives, Volume 1 (DC Comics, 1999).
4. McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 129: "1968 was the year when Neal Adams and Batman's fates became forever intertwined...Adams tackled his first interior with Batman on Leo Dorfman's script for 'The Superman-Batman Revenge Squads' story in World's Finest Comics #175."
5. Levitz, Paul (2010). 75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking. Taschen America. p. 420. ISBN 978-3-8365-1981-6. Captain Action was DC's first toy tie-in title...Editor Mort Weisinger...brought in his young firebrand Jim Shooter to craft an identity and back story for the character.
6. McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 131 "Carmine Infantino wanted to rejuvenate what had been perceived as a tired Wonder Woman, so he assigned writer Denny O'Neil and artist Mike Sekowsky to convert the Amazon Princess into a secret agent. Wonder Woman was made over into an Emma Peel type and what followed was arguably the most controversial period in the hero's history."
7. Thompson, Maggie. "Rocco Mastroserio Dead," Newfangles #8 (Mar. 1968).
8. Social Security Death Index for Ted Osborne.
9. California death index, for Theodore H. Osborne.
10. Thompson, Maggie. Newfangles #8 (Mar. 1968).
11. DeVore, Howard. "DTTF Con Report," Science Fiction Times (August 1968).
12. Schelly, Bill. Founders of Comic Fandom: Profiles of 90 Publishers, Dealers, Collectors, Writers, Artists and Other Luminaries of the 1950s And 1960s (McFarland, 2010), pp. 60–61.
13. Thompson, Maggie. Newfangles #6 (Jan. 1968).
14. Thompson, Maggie. Newfangles #9 (Apr. 1968).
15. Harris, Peter. "There's a Hertz-Avis War in the World of Comics," Toronto Star (June 28, 1968).
16. Schelly, Bill. Founders of Comic Fandom: Profiles of 90 Publishers, Dealers, Collectors, Writers, Artists and Other Luminaries of the 1950s and 1960s (McFarland, 2010), p. 107.
17. Skinn, Dez. "Early days of UK comics conventions and marts," DezSkinn.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2013.
18. McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 130: "Writer E. Nelson Bridwell and artist Frank Springer brought together six individuals who all possessed special skills and dark secrets, and were all being blackmailed into the service of the faceless Mockingbird."