Notable events of 1983 in comics.
- Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird found Mirage Studios, which is headquartered at Northampton, Massachusetts.
- Chicago-based First Comics makes a strong entry into the publishing field, putting out four ongoing titles, American Flagg!, E-Man, Jon Sable Freelance, and Warp!; featuring the talents of such established creators as Howard Chaykin, Mike Grell, Frank Brunner, and Joe Staton.
- DC Comics acquires most of Charlton Comics' "Action Hero" superhero characters — including Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and The Question — from the failing publisher.
- Long-time comics publisher Warren Publishing declares bankruptcy.
- The publicly traded Archie Comics is acquired by Richard Goldwater (son of the original Archie co-founder John L. Goldwater) and Michael Silberkleit, returning the publisher to private ownership.[1]
- Noble Comics, original publisher of Justice Machine, ceases publication. Texas Comics picks up the title, publishing the Justice Machine Annual, featuring the first appearance of Bill Willingham's Elementals, as well as a crossover between the Justice Machine and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. After Texas folds later the same year, Comico takes over both Justice Machine and Elementals.
April
- The Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #298 features an insert previewing the upcoming Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld series by writers Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn and artist Ernie Colón.[11]
- After releasing its final issue, nr. 94, Crazy Magazine is cancelled.
- In Epic illustrated, The chess game, by Archie Goodwin and Pepe Moreno, first chapter of the sci-fi series Generation Zero, set after the Third World War.[12]
- In the Spanish magazine Metropol, Polux, spy story by Manfred Sommer.[13]
- First issue of the annual magazine Trumoon, published by a collective of cartoonists in Salerno.
- The Alix story L'Empereur de Chine by Jacques Martin is published.
September
- September 1: In the Italian Disney magazine Topolino, the Mickey Mouse story Topolino e la regina d’Africa, by Romano Scarpa marks the debut of the African princess Zenobia, who'll become Goofy’s girlfriend.
- September 11: The final episode of the newspaper comic Priscilla's Pop is published (originally created by Al Vermeer).[21]
- September 29: The first episode of Raoul Cauvin and Marc Hardy's Pierre Tombal is published in Spirou.[22]
- With issue #503, DC ceases publishing Adventure Comics, which had been running continuously since November 1938.
- First issue of Storie blu special (Ediperiodici), an Italian horror and erotic comics magazine.
October
- October 1: The final episode of Pil's long-running comic series Meneerke Peeters is published.[23]
- House of Mystery, with issue #321, canceled by DC.
- The Comet — #1 of a planned six-issue limited series, published by Red Circle Comics.
- The Black Hood, with issue #3, is cancelled by Red Circle.
- First issue of Corto Maltese (Rizzoli), Italian magazine of author comics; the first number includes a version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Guido Crepax[24] and Tutto cominciò con un’estate Indiana (All began in an Indian summer), by Hugo Pratt and Milo Manara, set in the colonial New England.[25]
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi by Archie Goodwin, Al Wiliamson and Carlos Garzon.
- The Astérix story Asterix and son is published, by Albert Uderzo.
- The Buddy Longway story Capitaine Ryan by Derib is published.
- The Ric Hochet story Le Malefice Vaodou is published, by André-Paul Duchâteau and Tibet .
Specific date unknown
- Peter van Straaten wins the Stripschapprijs. The Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdiensten (nowadays the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs) is given to Maarten de Meulder, the editorial board of Donald Duck and Betty Sluyzer, Cees Taheij and Fred Marschall for their book Stripwerk.[27]
- The official Rupert the Bear fanclub, The Followers of Rupert, is founded.[28]
- In L. A. Reader, the first episode of The Angriest Dog in the World, by film director David Lynch is published. It will run until 1992.[29]
- The first strip of the series DTWOF (Dykes to Watch Out For ) by Alison Bechdel is published.
- In Don, la revista para Juan, the sci-fi series Husmeante, by Carlos Trillo and Domingo Roberto Mandrafina debuts.[30]
- François Rivière and Francis Carin publish the first episode of their historical adventure comic series Victor Sackville.[31]
- Albert Uderzo successfully sues a German translation of Roger Brunel's pornographic parody series Pastiches, because of a porn parody of his series Astérix. All titles are confiscated.[32]
- Little Archie, published since 1956, is discontinued. [33]
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January
- January 3: Doug Wright, British-Canadian illustrator, cartoonist and comics artist (Doug Wright's Family, aka Nipper, continued Birdseye Center as Juniper Junction), dies at age 65.[34]
- January 9: Merrill Blosser, American comics artist (Freckles and His Friends), dies at age 90.[35]
- January 17: Doodles Weaver, American actor, comedian, musician and comics writer (Mad Magazine), commits suicide at age 71.[36]
- January 19: Willy Kuyper, Dutch comics artist and illustrator (Tobis Sloom en Blinkie, Valentijn de Veroveraar, De Kapitein van den Geheimen Dienst, Ted Bolt), dies at age 54.[37]
- January 28: Frank Chiaramonte, Cuban-American comics artist and inker (DC Comics, Marvel Comics), dies at age 40.
February
- February 10: Wally Robertson, Scottish comics artist (Funny Wonder), dies at age 80.[38]
- February 24: Roy Krenkel, American illustrator and comics artist (EC Comics), dies at age 64.[39]
- February 28: Ira Yarbrough, American comics artist (worked on Superman), dies at age 72.[40]
March
- March 1: Val Heinz, American comics artist (Dawn O'Day, assisted on Gasoline Alley), dies at age 75.[41]
- March 3: Hergé, Belgian comics artist (Totor, The Adventures of Tintin, Quick & Flupke, Popol Out West, and Jo, Zette and Jocko), dies at age 75.[42]
- March 5: Ruggero Giovannini, Italian comics artist (Olac the Gladiator, Wulf the Briton), dies at age 60.[43]
- March 19: Harry Nielsen, Danish comics artist (Willy på Eventyr, Bamse og Dukke Lise), dies at age 87.[44]
- March 23: Wolfgang Hicks, German cartoonist and caricaturist, dies at age 73.[45]
May
- May 13: Lucie Lundberg, Swedish illustrator and comics artist (Pelle Svanslös), dies at age 74.[48]
- May 25: Cy Hungerford, American comics artist (Snoodles), dies at age 93.[49]
- Specific date in May unknown: Kho Wang Gie, Indonesian comics artist (Put On, Nona A Go Go, Si Lemot, Agen Rahasia Bolong Jilu), dies at age 74 or 75.[50]
June
- June 8: Jacques Van Melkebeke, Belgian comics artist (Baron du Crac), comics writer (The Adventures of Tintin, Blake and Mortimer, Corentin, Hassan et Kadour), journalist, painter, art critic and first chief editor of Tintin magazine (1946), dies at age 78.[51]
- June 25: Celmar Poumé, Uruguayan comics artist and sports journalist (Tom Steele, el Justiciero Texas, Peter Colt, Cab Kennedy, Oceanic Rey del Mar, Les Travesuras del Eduardito, Kar-Thoun, el Hombre Universal, Pamela y su Parentella), dies at age 59.[52]
August
- August 11: Jostein Øvrelid, Norwegian comic artist (Ingeniør Knut Berg på eventyr), dies at age 72.[57]
- August 15: Al Kilgore, American comics artist (Rocky & Bullwinkle comic strip), dies at age 55 from an embolism.[58]
- August 29: Rory Hayes, American underground cartoonist (Bogeyman), dies from a drug overdose at age 34.[59]
September
- September 5: Lloyd Piper, Australian comics artist (continued Ginger Meggs), dies at age 59.[60]
- September 14: Laure Hovine, Belgian comics writer (Nic et Nac), dies at age 87.[61]
- September 27: Wong Sze-ma, AKA Wong Wing-hing, Chinese comic artist (Father and Ms., Ngau-chai, Gorgeous Susan, Debussy), dies at age 42 or 43.[62]
October
- October 4: Dino Battaglia, Italian comics artist (Mark Fury, Till Eulenspiegel, L'Ispettore), dies age 60.[63]
- October 13: Eric Eden, British comic writer and artist (worked on Dan Dare and comics based on Thunderbirds), dies at age 58.[64]
- October 23: Helge Hall Jensen, Danish comics artist (Hilarius Petersens Radiooplevelser Bulder og Bum + Minus, Storebroer og Lillebror, Kjukken i Fritiden, Hans og Grete, Nullerten), dies at age 76.[65]
November
- November 5: Jean-Marc Reiser, French cartoonist (Hara-Kiri), dies of bone cancer at age 42.[66]
- November 7: Hanns Erich Köhler, aka Erik, German caricaturist, illustrator and comics artist (Tipp und Tapp), dies at age 78.[67]
- November 13: Douwe Sikkema, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (De Avonturen van Van Bergen), dies at age 84.[68]
- November 18: Loÿs Pétillot, French illustrator and comics artist (Bob et Bobette, Pascal et Michèle Montfort), dies at age 72.[69]
December
- December 30: Libico Maraja, Italian illustrator, animator and comics artist (made comics for the magazine Topolino), dies at age 71.[70]
Specific date unknown
- Gustav Bergström, Swedish comics artist (Brainy Bill, Thomas Whiskey, Strömberg), dies at age 83 or 84.[71]
- Hector Brault, aka Tom Lucas, Canadian comics artist (Casimir, Tom Brinfin et Dodolf), dies at age 75.[72]
- Fred Julsing Sr., Dutch comics artist (De Helse Patrouille), dies at age 74 or 75.[73]
- Shigeo Mayo, Japanese woodblock artist and caricaturist (Kushisuke Manyuki (The Adventures of Dango Kushisuke), Manga Taro, Karutobi Karusuke), dies at age 81.[74]
- Nora Schnitzler, Dutch comics artist, painter and illustrator (Keesje Knabbel), dies at age 81 or 82.[75]
- June 2–October 2: Penny Dreadfuls and Comics: English Periodicals for Children from Victorian Times to the Present Day (Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK) — loan exhibition from the Library of Oldenburg University, West Germany
- July 19–August 26: The Comic Art Show: Cartoons and Paintings from Winsor McCay and Stuart Davis through R. Crumb and Keith Haring (Whitney Museum of American Art, Downtown, New York City) — curated by John Carlin and Sheena Wagstaff; artists also include Alfred Jarry, Stuart Davis, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Lyonel Feininger, and Art Spiegelman[76]
- September 26–November 4: "Active cartoonists" (Ohio State University Main Library; Columbus, Ohio) — work by members of the National Cartoonists Society and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists; part of the inaugural Festival of Cartoon Art[77]
- October 10–October 31: "Comic art prints" (Public Library of Columbus; Columbus, Ohio) — display of limited-edition set of 20 prints owned by the OSU Library for Communication and Graphic Arts; part of the inaugural Festival of Cartoon Art[77]
- October 13–November 4: "Historic cartoons" (Hoyt Sherman Gallery; Columbus, Ohio) — from the collections of Philip Sills and Frank Pauer, the Columbus Museum of Art, and the Ohio Historical Society; part of the inaugural Festival of Cartoon Art[77]
- January 28–30: Angoulême International Comics Festival (Angoulême, France) — 10th annual festival[78]
- Summer: FantaCon (Albany, New York) — show returns after a one-year hiatus; guests include James Doohan[79]
- June: Heroes Convention (Charlotte, North Carolina)
- June 25–26: Colorado Comic Art Convention (Rocky Mountain School of Art, Denver, Colorado) — official guests include Phil Normand, Marshall Rogers, Larry Mahlstedt, Ron Wilson, Gil Kane, and Edward Bryant
- July 2–4: Comic Art Convention (as "International Science Fiction and Comic Art Convention") (Sheraton Hotel, New York City) — final iteration of this long-running show; guests include Philip José Farmer; presentation of the Saturn Awards
- July 22–24: Chicago Comicon (American-Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois)
- July 29–31: Comix Fair 83 (Ramada Hotel West, Houston, Texas) — first annual show; guests include Terrance Dicks, Bill Mumy, Jim Shooter, Steve Englehart, Chris Claremont, Paul Smith, Kerry Gammill, Ernie Chan, Josef Rubinstein, Sam De La Rosa, Dick Giordano, Sal Amendola, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Mike W. Barr, P. Craig Russell, Rick Obadiah, Mike Grell, Mark Wheatley & Marc Hempel, Dave & Deni Sim, Cat Yronwode, Dean Mullaney, Max Allan Collins, Terry Beatty, John Carbonaro, Jaxon, Jeff Millar & Bill Hinds, and Jerry Bittle
- August 4–7: San Diego Comic-Con (Convention and Performing Arts Center and Hotel San Diego, California) — 5,000 attendees; official guests: Douglas Adams, Bob Clampett, Floyd Gottfredson, Harvey Kurtzman, Norman Maurer, Grim Natwick, George Pérez, Trina Robbins
- August 5–7: Atlanta Fantasy Fair (Omni Hotel and Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia) — guests include Chuck Jones, Theodore Sturgeon, Chris Claremont, Wendy & Richard Pini, Forrest Ackerman, Mike Grell, Ted White, and Bob MacLeod; admission to the show: $19 at the door
- September: OrlandoCon (Orlando, Florida) — guests include Harvey Kurtzman, Wayne Boring, Will Eisner, C. C. Beck, Joe Kubert, Don Wright, Ralph Kent, Morris Weiss, Dik Browne, and Dean Young
- October 14: Festival of Cartoon Art (Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio) — guest speakers include Mike Peters, Mort Walker, Bill Yates, Tony Auth, Tom Batiuk, Milton Caniff, Luke Feck, Jules Feiffer, Cathy Guisewite, Irwin Hasen, Draper Hill, Etta Hulme, Bil Keane, Fred Lasswell, Toni Mendez, Kate Palmer, and Art Sansom[80]
- October 15: London Comic Mart (Central Hall, Westminster, England) — presentation of the Eagle Awards by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons[81]
- November: Mid-Ohio Con (Ohio) — guests include David Prowse
- November 25–27: Fantasy Festival (Sheraton Park Central, Dallas, Texas) — guests include Roger Zelazny, Alan Dean Foster, George R.R. Martin, and Howard Waldrop
Presented in 1984 for comics published in 1983:
- Best Story: V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (Warrior, Quality Communications)
- Best Graphic Novel: Nemesis the Warlock, by Bryan Talbot
- Favourite Group Book: The New Teen Titans (DC Comics)
- Favourite Group or Team: The X-Men
- Favourite Character: Torquemada, from Nemesis the Warlock, by Brian Talbot
- Favourite Comics Writer: Alan Moore, "V for Vendetta", Warrior (Quality Communications)
- Favourite Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz[82]
- Favourite Inker: Terry Austin
- Favourite Single or Continued Story (UK): "Marvelman", in Warrior #1–3 & 5–6, by Alan Moore and Garry Leach
- Best UK Title: Warrior, edited by Dez Skinn (Quality Communications)
- Best New Title (UK): The Daredevils, edited by Bernie Jaye (Marvel UK)
- Favourite Artist (UK): Alan Davis[83]
- Roll of Honour: Will Eisner[84]
DC Comics
- Amazing-Man, in All-Star Squadron #23 (July)
- Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, in Legion of Super-Heroes #298 (April)
- Cheshire, in New Teen Titans Annual #02 (August)
- Doc I in Omega Men #03 (June)
- Felicity in Omega Men #04 (July)
- Hippolyta Trevor, in Wonder Woman #300 (February)
- Green Man, in Green Lantern #164 (May)
- Atom Smasher in All-Star Squadron #25 (September)
- Hector Hall in All-Star Squadron #25 (September)
- Jade in All-Star Squadron #25 (September)
- Obsidian in All-Star Squadron #25 (September)
- Killer Croc in Detective Comics #523 (February)
- Lobo, in Omega Men #03 (June)
- Geo-Force in Brave and the Bold #200 (July)
- Halo in Brave and the Bold #200 (July)
- Katana in Brave and the Bold #200 (July)
- Nightslayer (Thief of Night), in Detective Comics #529 (August)
- Nocturna, in Detective Comics #529 (August)
- Shlagen in Omega Men #3 (June)
- Thunder and Lightning, in New Teen Titans #32
- Vigilante (Adrian Chase), in New Teen Titans Annual #2
- Harbinger, in New Teen Titans Annual #2 (July)
- Adeline Wilson in New Teen Titans #34 (August)
- Reactron in Supergirl #08 (June)
- Northwind in All-Star Squadron #25 (September)
- Jason Todd in Batman #357 (March)
- Tokamak in Firestorm #15 (August)
- Deathbolt in All-Star Squadron #21 (May)
- Little Cheese in Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #12 (February)
- Alexander Luthor Jr. in Action Comics #544 (June)
- Henry King, Jr. in All-Star Squadron #24 (August)
- Comet Queen in Legion of Super-Heroes #304 (October)
- Trident in New Teen Titans #33 (July)
- Atomic Knight in DC Comics Presents #57 (May)
- Sunburst in Superboy #45 (September)
- Crescent Moon in World's Finest #295 (September)
- Protector in New Teen Titans Drug Awareness Special (1983)
- New Moon in World's Finest #295 (September)
Marvel Comics
- Beta Ray Bill, in Thor #337
- Box, in Alpha Flight #1
- Cypher, in New Mutants #13
- Diamond Lil, in Alpha Flight #1
- Hobgoblin, in The Amazing Spider-Man #238
- Lord Dark Wind, in Daredevil #196
- Magma, in New Mutants #8
- Meggan, in The Mighty World of Marvel #7, published by Marvel UK
- Morlocks, in Uncanny X-Men #169
- Yuriko Oyama, in Daredevil #197
- Madelyne Pryor, in Uncanny X-Men #168
- Puck, in Alpha Flight #1
- Selene, in New Mutants #9
- Marrina Smallwood, in Alpha Flight #1
- Talisman, in Alpha Flight #5
- Kate Waynesboro, in The Incredible Hulk #287
- White Rabbit, in Marvel Team-Up #131
- Wild Child, in Alpha Flight #1
Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, eds. (2010). "1980s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. The other-dimensional Gemworld found a new princess in the form of Amy Winston, an ordinary young girl from a distant reality, in the pages of a sixteen-page insert comic by writers Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, and artist Ernie Colón." "Standing strong against the forces of the nefarious Dark Opal, Amethyst was gearing up for her own self-titled maxiseries in May.
"Cosey". lambiek.net. Retrieved February 15, 2024. "Morris". lambiek.net. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020. "Despite being the final issue of this particular series, the book wasn't closed on Batman's team-ups. Although Batman was through working with partners, it was time to think bigger, and in a special sixteen-page preview insert written by Barr and with art by Jim Aparo, the Outsiders debuted. A super-hero team of Batman's own creation, the Outsiders would soon star alongside Batman in the new monthly series Batman and the Outsiders." Manning p. 202
"Pil". lambiek.net. Retrieved November 27, 2021. Hergé entry, Lambiek Comiclopedia. Accessed Nov. 15, 2016. "Eric Eden". lambiek.net. Retrieved September 18, 2022. Jennings, Dana. "The Angouleme Convention," The Comics Journal #89 (Mar. 1984), p. 100.
"News From Hither and Yon: Eagles Return, New Dog Strip, EC Update, Computer Comics," The Comics Journal #84 (Sept. 1983), p. 22.