1991 in comics

1991

1990 in comics

1992 in comics

Notable events of 1991 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events

Year overall

• Publishers Cartoon Books, Comic Zone Productions, Personality Comics, and Boneyard Press all enter the arena; First Comics stops publishing.
• Egmont UK bought Fleetway Publications and forced to merge with London Editions to form Fleetway Editions.

January

• Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33.
• El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16.
• Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15.
• Alien Legion: On The Edge is canceled with issue #3.
• Avengers Spotlight is cancelled with #40.

February

• The Amazing Spider-Man #344 - First appearance of Cletus Kasady, who later becomes the super-villain Carnage.
• New Mutants #98 - Introduction of Deadpool, Domino, and Gideon. (Marvel Comics)
• Power Pack is canceled by Marvel with issue #62.
• Heathcliff is cancelled with issue #56.

March

• Weapon X begins in Marvel Comics Presents.
• With #12, Stalkers is cancelled by Epic Comics.
• With #4, The Last American is cancelled by Epic Comics.

April

• New Mutants #100, the title's final issue, featuring the debut of X-Force (Marvel Comics).
• With #6 Cadillacs & Dinosaurs is cancelled.
• With #5, Hollywood Superstars is cancelled.
• First issue of Seth's Palookaville

May

• W. B. Park receives the National Cartoonist Society Advertising and Illustration Award.

June

• Armageddon 2001 crossover event.

July

• Superman: The Man of Steel #1 - debut issue of fourth ongoing Superman title. Written by Louise Simonson and drawn by Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Bob McLeod, Dan Jurgens, Dennis Janke, Jerry Ordway, and Brett Breeding.
• Wizard publishes its premiere issue.
• Muir Island Saga begins.
• With #10, Mighty Mouse is cancelled.
• With #80, The Transformers is cancelled by Marvel Comics.
• With #25, Yummy Fur moves to Drawn and Quarterly

August

• New Gods vol. 3 is canceled by DC with issue #28.
• With #19, Cloak & Dagger is cancelled.

September

• Alpha Flight #100: "The Final Option, Part Four: Decisions of Trust," written by Fabian Nicieza.
• With #2, Impossible Man Summer Vacation Spectacular is cancelled.
• With #4, Car Warriors is cancelled.
• With #3, Samurai Cat is cancelled.
• With #4, Damage Control v3 is cancelled.
• Everything's Archie is canceled by Archie Comics with issue #157.

October

• Crisis is canceled by Fleetway with issue #63.
• With #2, Legion of Night is cancelled.
• With #3, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is cancelled.
• With #4, Alpha Flight Special is cancelled.
• With #6, Sweet XVI is cancelled.
• With #10, Foolkiller v1 is cancelled.

November

• Alpha Flight #102: Introduction of Wild Child as Weapon Omega.
• Maze Agency is canceled by Innovation Comics with issue #23.
• With #12, Marvel Comics' Zorro is cancelled.
• November 21 – the Marathi comic strip Chintoo is first published

December

• The Incredible Hulk #388: Jim Wilson revealed to be HIV-positive.

Deaths

• April 4: Graham Ingels dies at age 75.
• August 18: Underground comics artist Rick Griffin dies at age 47.
• September 5: Carol Kalish, Vice President of New Product Development at Marvel Comics, dies at age 46.
• December 21: Sheldon Mayer dies at age 74.
• December 29: Long-time Disney comics artist Tony Strobl dies at age 76.

Conventions

• Tri-State Con — guests include Michael Avon Oeming, Evan Dorkin, Nat Gertler, Romeo Tanghal, Paul Ryan, Bob Wiacek, and Mike Manley
• April 27–28: WonderCon (Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, California) — guests include Kevin Eastman, Mark Bodé, Miguel Ferrer, Bill Mumy, Steve Leialoha, and Max Allan Collins^[1]
• June: Heroes Convention (Charlotte, North Carolina)
• June 21–23: Comix Fair (Holiday Inn-Medical Center, Houston, Texas) — ninth annual convention; guests include Russ Heath, Nestor Redondo, Jeff Millar, Bill Hinds, and Richard Klaw^[2]
• June 28–30: Chicago Comicon (Ramada O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois) — guests include Jim Steranko, Kevin Eastman, and Chris Claremont^[3]
• July 4–7: San Diego Comic-Con (San Diego Convention Center and Pan Pacific Hotel, San Diego, California): 15,000+ attendees; official guests: Clive Barker, Dan DeCarlo, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Keith Giffen, Joe Haldeman, Lynn Johnston, Joe Kubert, Jim Lee, Don Maitz, Sheldon Moldoff, Rick Sternbach, and Janny Wurts
• July 12–14: Dragon Con/Atlanta Comics Expo (Atlanta Hilton & Towers, Atlanta, Georgia) — 5,200 attendees; guests include Philip José Farmer and Frank Miller^[4]
• July 19–21: Dallas Fantasy Fair (Dallas, Texas)
• July 26–28: Atlanta Fantasy Fair (Atlanta Hilton & Towers, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests include Marina Sirtis, Dean Stockwell, Marc Singer, Matt Wagner, Julius Schwartz, Greg Bear
• September 21–22: Miamicon (Ft. Lauderdale Design Center Sheraton Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Miami Marriott, Miami, Florida) — guests include Chris Warner, Evan Dorkin, Bob Schreck, and Matt Wagner
• November: Mid-Ohio Con (Ohio)

First issues by title

DC Comics

• Deathstroke the Terminator
• Superman: The Man of Steel

Limited series

• Black Canary

Release: November.

Dark Horse Comics

• Star Wars: Dark Empire

Marvel Comics

• Barbie

Release: January

• Barbie Fashion

Release: January.

• Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book

Release: December.

• Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Release: October.

• Darkhawk

Release: March.

• Deathlok v2

Release: July.

• The Destroyer v3

Release: December.

• Double Dragon

Release: July.

• Original Ghost Rider Rides Again

Release: July.

• NFL SuperPro

Release: October.

• Sleepwalker

Release: June.

• Sweet XVI

Release: May.

• The Toxic Avenger

Release: April.

• Wonder Man

Release: September.

• X-Force v1

Release: August.

• X-Men v2

Release: October.

Limited series

• Adventures of Captain America

Release: September.

• Alpha Flight Special

Release: July.

• Captain Confederacy

Release: November by Epic Comics.

• Car Warriors

Release: June by Epic Comics.

• Damage Control v3

Release: June.

• Deadly Foes of Spider-Man

Release: May.

• Deathlok Special (reprint of Deathlok v1)

Release: May.

• The Infinity Gauntlet

Release: July.

• Legion of Night

Release: September.

• The Pirates of Dark Water

Release: November.

• Samurai Cat

Release: June by Epic Comics.

• Spider-Man Saga

Release: November.

• Terminator 2

Release: September.

• The Transmutation of Ike Garuda

Release: July by Epic Comics.

• Weaveworld

Release: December by Epic Comics.

Independent

• Bone

Release: July by Cartoon Books

• Dirty Plotte

Release: January by Drawn and Quarterly

• Palookaville

Release: April by Drawn and Quarterly

• Rubber Blanket

Release: by Rubber Blanket Press

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Abattoir in Detective Comics #625
• Alexandre LeRoi in Batman: Master of the Future
• Atomic Skull II in Adventures of Superman #483
• Bloody Mary in Hawk and Dove vol. 2 #21 (February )
• Donna Cavanaugh in The Sandman #32 (November )
• Chantinelle in Hellblazer #43 (July )
• Destruction of the Endless in The Sandman Special #1 (November )
• Electrocutioner II in Detective Comics #626 (February )
• General Glory I in Justice League America # 46 (January )
• King Snake in Robin #2 (February )
• Linear Men in Adventures of Superman #476 (March )
• Lynx II in Robin v1 #1 (January )
• Mirage II in The New Titans #79
• Monarch I in Armageddon 2001 #2 (October )
• Nightrider in New Titans Annual #7
• Pantha in New Titans #73 (February )
• Speed Queen in Hawk and Dove vol. 2 #21 (February )
• Terra II in New Titans #79 (September )
• Ron Troupe in Adventures of Superman #480 (July )
• Malice Vundabar in Hawk and Dove vol. 2 #21 (February )
• Waverider in Armageddon 2001 #1 (May)
• Paul Westfield in Superman Vol. 2, #58 (August )

Marvel Comics

• 8-Ball in Sleepwalker #1 (June )
• Helmut in The Incredible Hulk #379 (March )
• Lucas Bishop in Uncanny X-Men #282 (November )
• G.W. Bridge in X-Force v1 #1 (August )
• Copycat in New Mutants #98 (February )
• Abraham Cornelius in Marvel Comics Presents #73 (March )
• Fabian Cortez in X-Men vol. 2, #1 (October )
• Cyber in Marvel Comics Presents #85 (September )
• Darkhawk in Darkhawk #1 (March )
• Deadpool in The New Mutants #98 (February )
• Devos the Devastator in Fantastic Four #359 (December )
• Marco Delgado in X-Men v. 2, #1 (October )
• Wyndell Dichinson in Web of Spider-Man #81 (October )
• Feral in New Mutants vol. 1, #99 (March )
• Firebrand II in Web of Spider-Man vol. 1, #77 (June )
• Trevor Fitzroy in Uncanny X-Men #281 (October )
• Muriel Frost in Doctor Who Magazine #169
• Gauntlet I in X-Factor v. 1, #65 (April )
• Gideon in New Mutants (vol. 1) #98 (February )
• Impala in Captain America #388 (July )
• Krugarr in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1
• Lodestone in Darkhawk #7 (September )
• Fabian Marechal-Julbin in New Warriors #9 (March )
• Nox in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #31 (July )
• Paibok in Fantastic Four Vol. 1, #358 (November )
• Phobos I in Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #32 (August )
• Phoenix (Giraud) in Guardians of the Galaxy #11 (April )
• Protégé in Guardians of the Galaxy #15 (August )
• Psynapse in X-Factor #65 (April )
• Rancor in Guardians of the Galaxy #8 (January )
• Replica in Guardians of the Galaxy #9 (February )
• Shatterstar in New Mutants vol. 1, #99 (March )
• Shinobi Shaw in X-Factor #67 (June )
• Sleepwalker in Sleepwalker #1
• Speedfreek in The Incredible Hulk #388 (December )
• Squirrel Girl in Marvel Super-Heroes Special vol. 2, #8 (Winter)
• Jeremy Stevens in Uncanny X-Men #283 (December )
• Carl Stricklan in Daredevil Annual #9
• Talon in Guardians of the Galaxy #18 (November )
• Tusk in X-Factor #65 (April )
• Nathan Taylor in The Incredible Hulk #379 (December )
• Weapon X II in X-Force v. 1, #2 (September )
• Buford Wilson in New Warriors vol. 1, #9 (March )
• John Wraith in Wolverine (vol. 2) #48 (November )
• Zodiak in Ghost Rider Vol. 3, #10 (February )

Other publishers

• Detective-Judge Armitage in Judge Dredd Megazine v.1, #9 (Fleetway, June)
• Lady Death in Evil Ernie #1 (Chaos! Comics, December )
• Erica Pierce in Solar, Man of the Atom v. 2, #1 (Valiant Comics, September )

References

1. Stack, Peter. "Something Else," San Francisco Chronicle (27 Apr 1991), p. C4.
2. "'Rocketeer' lands at Comix Fair," Houston Chronicle (21 June 1991), p. 2.
3. "Rosemont to Host Comicon," Chicago Sun-Times (June 28, 1991).
4. Thomas, Keith L. "Comics Expo to Feature Creator of the Darker Side of Batman," The Atlanta Constitution (11 July 1991), p. D4.