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Comic Book History

Comic Book History Key Moments in Comic Publishing

Eastern Color Oct 1933

Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics #1

Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics #1
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Second published comic book in a modern-sized format, previous comics were published in larger tabloid-sized formats
This comic was a 64-page one-shot of reprinted newspaper comics strips distributed through department stores
Funnies On Parade published prior to this issue is considered the first modern format comic book but was only eight pages of reprinted newspaper comic strips
Dell Feb 1934

Famous Funnies: Series 1 #1

Famous Funnies: Series 1 #1
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First comic book to be sold on newsstands
Estimated print run of 35,000 copies though there is thought to be fewer than 10 still in existence and the highest graded copy is a 4.5
DC Feb 1935

New Fun Comics #1

New Fun Comics #1
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First comic book published by National which would later become DC comics
1st appearance of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, preceded Mickey Mouse but eventually fell into obscurity
1st appearance of Jack Woods
DC Oct 1935

New Fun Comics #6

New Fun Comics #6
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1st appearance of Doctor Occult, one of the earliest superheroes in history
First artwork by Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman
First written work by Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman
1st appearance of a vampire in comic books
David McKay Jan 1936

Feature Book

Feature Book
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First Dick Tracy headlining title
First comic book to feature just one character throughout the entirety of the issue
Fiction House Sep 1938

Jumbo Comics #1

Jumbo Comics #1
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First professionally published interior art by Jack Kirby, as Jack Curtiss
1st appearance of Sheena Queen of the Jungle
First adaptation of the Count of Monte Cristo in a U.S. publication - reprinted from Wags (UK, 1938)
First Funnies Apr 1939

Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1

Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1
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1st appearance and origin of Namor the Sub-Mariner
1st appearance of American Ace
1st appearance of the Holy One, later known as Thakorr, a former ruler of Atlantis
Only nine copies are known to exist
This comic was intended to be a giveaway at movie theaters but it never went into full production
Quality Aug 1939

Smash Comics #1

Smash Comics #1
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1st appearance of Bozo the Iron Man
1st appearance of the Invisible Hood
1st appearance of Abdul the Arab
1st appearance of Hugh Hazzard
1st cover appearance of a robot in comic books
Triumph Aug 1939

Triumph Comics #772

Triumph Comics #772
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1st appearance of Superman in the UK
Comic strips collected and reprinted in the larger format
Issue #771 depicts Superman in an advertisement
Centaur Nov 1939

Amazing-Man Comics #7

Amazing-Man Comics #7
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1st appearance of Jane 6EM35, the Magician from Mars, a woman from the future, born to a human mother and a Martian father and, due to an early exposure to cathode rays, became the earliest female super-powered hero
Star Publications Jul 1940

Blue Bolt #2

Blue Bolt #2
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First collaboration between Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who later co-created Captain America
Timely Aug 1940

Red Raven Comics #1

Red Raven Comics #1
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Debut artwork by Jack Kirby at Timely (Marvel) Comics
1st appearance and origin of the Red Raven and the Eternal Brain
1st appearance of Mercury, later becomes Hurricane then retconned to be Makkari from Kirby’s ‘Eternals’
1st appearance of Pluto who is later retconned to become Kro from Kirby's 'Eternals'
1st appearance of Magar the Mystic
This issue is the first appearance of a number of classical mythology characters but later appearances do not connect with these versions therefore they are not considered the mainstream Marvel depictions of the Olympians
1st appearance of Mercury (Hermes), Pluto (Hades), Jupiter (Zeus), Minerva (Athena), Vulcan (Hephaestus), Aeolus, Diana (Artemis), Apollo
Archie Jul 1941

Pep Comics #17

Pep Comics #17
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1st appearance and origin of Hangman, the brother of Comet
Death of Comet, shot by a gangster - the first death of a superhero in comic history
EC Jul 1942

Narrative Illustration: The Story of Comics

Narrative Illustration: The Story of Comics
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30-page pamphlet that includes a text essay about the evolution of storytelling and sequential art or graphic storytelling, originally published in Print: A Quarterly Journal of the Graphic Arts
Written by M. C. Gaines, the founder of EC Comics and pioneer of the early modern comic book format
Two stories accompany the essay: a four-page war bond promotion titled 'The Minute Man Answers the Call' and an 8-page excerpt from 'Picture Stories from the Bible'
Gilberton Aug 1943

Classic Comics #13

Classic Comics #13
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First comic book to feature a horror story throughout
Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comic Code Authority
Reason: Mr. Hyde beats a little girl to death with his cane
HRN stands for Highest Re-order issue Number on back cover - the lower the number the earlier the printing. Generally a first printing will have an HRN that matches the issue number on the front
All Negro Comics Jun 1947

All Negro Comics #1

All Negro Comics #1
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First comic book produced in full by black creators including writers, artists and the publisher
As quoted by editor Orrin C. Evans "every brush stroke and pen line in the drawings on these pages are by Negro artists"
Inside back cover has an advertisement for #2 but it was never published
St. John Jan 1950

It Rhymes with Lust

It Rhymes with Lust
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128-page comic book measuring 5.5 x 7.75
Considered to be the first 'graphic novel' intended to bridge the gap between novels and comic books
Interior black and white art by Matt Baker
EC Apr 1950

Crypt of Terror #17

Crypt of Terror #17
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First EC horror comic which, along with Vault of Horror #12, changed the course of the publisher and set into motion future censorship
EC May 1956

Shock Illustrated #3

Shock Illustrated #3
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Final EC comic published, with the exception of Mad Magazine
Considered the rarest EC publication, this issue had an extremely limited circulation of approximately 100 copies, most of which were distributed to staff and subscribers
Due to financial difficulties exacerbated by the widespread adoption of the Comics Code Authority, EC could not afford to bind (staple) the printed pages
As a result, nearly the entire print run of approximately 250,000 copies was destroyed
Although Shock Illustrated #4 was produced, it was never published until 2006, when all four issues (#1–#4) were released in a hardcover collection
Marvel Apr 1963

Patsy Walker #106

Patsy Walker #106
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First use of a corner box on a comic cover, added to make it easier for collectors to find issues of interest when comics were often overlapping one another on a shelf
Rip Off Press Jan 1964

God Nose

God Nose
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Considered the first comic to be printed in the underground comix, independent genre
Collection of comic strips that were published in Charlatan, a college fanzine
Print run: 1,000
Marvel Jul 1964

Uncanny X-Men #6

Uncanny X-Men #6
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Namor is confirmed to be a mutant in this issue making him the first mutant to appear in Marvel Comics having been introduced in 1939
3rd team appearance of The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants: Magneto, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Mastermind, Toad
DC Apr 1970 Vol 2

Green Lantern #76

Green Lantern #76
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1st appearance of Appa Ali Apsa, a Guardian of the Universe
Retitled Green Arrow/Green Lantern
Issue considered by many to mark the end of the comic book Silver Age
Introduction of controversial social themes in comics - Green Lantern is reprimanded by a black man which was an expression of frustration by the creators for the lack of accurately presented black people in comics
Last Gasp Jul 1970

It Ain't Me Babe #1

It Ain't Me Babe #1
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First comic book produced entirely by women
36-page one-shot by various female cartoonists who were frustrated by the misogyny that was a cornerstone of the adult-themed underground comics
Prolific and enduring publisher, Last Gasp purchased the rights to the issue for $1,000
20,000 copies of the first print run were sold and an additional 20,000 split between the second and third printings
The title, 'It Ain't Me Babe' is a snub to the Bob Dylan song of the same name due to its anti-female lyrical content
The success of this issue led to a follow-up, all-female liberation project called Wimmen's Comix Collective
Editor, writer and cover artist Trina Robbins died of a stroke on April 10, 2024 at the age of 85
Marvel Sep 1970

Fantastic Four #102

Fantastic Four #102
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Final continuous Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaboration on the Fantastic Four title
Unpublished Kirby art used for Fantastic Four #108 but this issue marks the end of an ongoing creative team-up that began with the publication of The Fantastic Four #1
DC Dec 1971 Vol 2

Green Lantern #87

Green Lantern #87
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1st appearance of Green Lantern, John Stewart
[October 2024 - Aaron Pierre cast as John Stewart in the Lanterns]
2nd appearance of Green Lantern, Guy Gardner
Last Gasp Mar 1972

Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary #1

Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary #1
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44-page one-shot considered to be the first autobiographical comic wherein the creator utilizes the medium to confess deeply personal traumas resulting from a Catholic upbringing clashing against a post-publication diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Inspired creators including Art Spiegelman, Robert Crumb and Jim Woodring
First printing approximate copies: 55,000
Subsequent printings can be identified from the first by the absence of an illustration of the virgin Mary in the background behind a full text panel on page 23 (tap cover and swipe for clarification)
Quality Sep 1972

G.I. Combat #155

Mark Jewelers
G.I. Combat #155
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The earliest known Mark Jewelers variant
On-sale June 6 1972
4-page interior Mark Jewelers advertisement, printed on paper stock and bound into the centerfold
Distributed to stores near military bases or on-site
Approximately only 5% of the print run included these advertisements
Value unknown
Marvel Aug 1973 Vol 2

Jungle Action #6

Jungle Action #6
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1st appearance of Erik Killmonger, T'Challa's most persistent rival for the throne of Wakanda
Preview of Venomm, a villain introduced in Jungle Action #7
Part 1 of a 13 issue story titled "The Panther's Rage," the first Black Panther solo story arc
Marvel Sep 1974

Sub-Mariner #72

Sub-Mariner #72
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2nd appearance of the algae creature that appeared in DC's Aquaman #56 (1972)
Secret DC/Marvel crossover issue - see Aquaman #56 for details
Final issue of the Savage Sub-Mariner
DC Apr 1977

Black Lightning #1

Black Lightning #1
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1st appearance and origin of Black Lightning
1st appearance of Tobias Whale
First solo title featuring a black hero at DC
Paragon Publications Mar 1981

Femzine #1

Femzine #1
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$3
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1st team appearance of FemForce, the world's first all-female superteam: Phantom Lady, Synn, Tara, Miss Victory, Blonde Bomber
Marvel Jul 1983

Daredevils #7

Daredevils #7
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1st cameo appearance and death of Miracleman, an alternate reality version of Marvelman
First mention of the standard Marvel Universe referred to as 616
1st full appearance of Captain U.K., in costume
First Jun 1985

Shatter Special #1

Shatter Special #1
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First digitally-illustrated comic book, created on Apple's 1984 Macintosh Plus running MacPaint
Early issues were printed on a dot-matrix printer, until Apple donated their state-of-the-art LaserWriter which at that time retailed for $6,995 (about $25,000 today)
The story continues in Jon Sable, Freelance #25 which was on newsstands the same day
A four-page preview was first printed in the UK computer magazine Big K #12 in March 1985, preceded by an article that featured artwork in Big K #6 (1984)
Dark Horse Comics Jul 1986

Dark Horse Presents #1

Dark Horse Presents #1
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First comic book published by Dark Horse Comics founded in 1986
1st appearance of Concrete, an average man's journey through life in a stone body
1st appearance of Black Cross, a fearless warrior in a post-apocalyptic world
DC Sep 1986

Watchmen #1

Watchmen #1
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Premiere issue of a twelve-issue series that explores the dark side of superheroes from a realistic, flawed perspective
1st appearance of Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias, Silk Spectre, The Comedian and Night Owl
Alan Moore based his characters off of DC's newly acquired Charlton heroes: the Question, Captain Atom, Thunderbolt, Nightshade, the Peacemaker and Blue Beetle
[July 2023 - Warner Bros. announced an animated Watchmen feature is in development]
Michael Hunt Publications Jan 1989

Boiled Angel #1

Boiled Angel #1
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100-page, black and white, independently published comic book written and illustrated by Mike Diana then distributed to approximately 300 subscribers
Diana has the distinction of being the first person in the United States to be convicted of 'artistic obscenity' for the graphic content of the Boiled Angel series which included extreme violence, sexual assault and murder of men, women and children
Diana was fined $3,000, ordered to stay away from minors and given three years probation with one of the conditions being to cease creating art
In addition to police viewing Diana's work as illegal, they also supposedly identified the creator as a suspect in the 1990 Gainseville Ripper slayings, of which he was cleared
A documentary about the case titled 'Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana' was released in 2018
Value unknown
Marvel Oct 1991 Vol 2

X-Men #1

X-Men #1
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1st team appearance of the X-Men Gold (team): Storm, Archangel, Colossus, Iceman and Jean Grey
1st team appearance of the X-Men Blue (team): Cyclops, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Psylocke and Beast
1st team appearance of The Acolytes: Fabian Cortez, Annie-Marie Cortez, Chrome, Nance Winters, Delgado
Best-selling comic of all-time with sales of 8.1 million copies
Interior pin-up by Jim Lee, 'A Villains Gallery'
Image Apr 1992

Youngblood #1

Youngblood #1
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First comic book published by Image
1st appearance of Shaft
1st appearance of Chapel
1st appearance of Badrock
1st appearance of Vogue, Link and Diehard
Archie Feb 2011

Betty #190

Betty #190
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Final comic to bear the Comics Code Authority logo
Archie was the last publisher to stop submitting books to the CCA following the lead of DC and Marvel
The Comics Code symbol had been in continuous use on Newsstand comics since its inception in 1954
Marvel Jun 2014 Vol 5

Deadpool #27

Deadpool #27
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Currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most comic characters on the cover of a single issue with 224
1st appearance of Shiklah, Deadpool's betrothed, in printed comics
Shiklah previously appeared in a digital comic only series called Deadpool: The Gauntlet
DC Mar 2019 Vol 3

Detective Comics #1000

Detective Comics #1000
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Milestone issue #1000
1st cameo appearance of Arkham Knight in DC continuity
1st appearance of Knute Brody
1st appearance of Echo, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman in an alternate reality
1st appearance of April Fool, the son of Joker in an alternate reality
Diamond Mar 2025

Previews #438

Previews #438
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Final Previews catalog following the January 2025 bankruptcy announcement of Diamond Comics Distributors
Launched in 1989, the Previews catalog served the 'Direct Market' aka comic book shops with thousands of products listed in this catalog

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