1942 in comics

Notable events of 1942 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events and publications

This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Year overall

• Joe Simon and Jack Kirby leave Timely Comics and move to National Comics (now DC Comics).[1]

January

• Fox Publications goes bankrupt, which means the end of the series The Flame.
• Action Comics (1938 series) #44 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #70 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #34 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #10 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics (1940 series) #20 - Quality Comics
• Daring Mystery Comics (1940 series) #8 - final issue, cancelled by Timely Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #59 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #25 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #27 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #74 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #1 (cover date) featuring Wonder Woman — DC Comics[2]
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #4 - DC Comics
• Superman (1939 series) #14 - DC Comics
• U.S.A. Comics (1941 series) #3 - Timely Comics

February

• Action Comics (1938 series) #45 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #71 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #35 - DC Comics
• All-Star Comics (1940 series) #9 - DC Comics
• Batman (1940 series) #9 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #11 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics (1940 series) #21 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #60 - DC Comics
• Dime Comics #1 - Leo Bachle reinvents the Canadian national personification Johnny Canuck as a superhero comic.
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #26 - DC Comics
• Jingle Jangle Comics #1 - Eastern Color
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #28 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #76 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #2 — DC Comics: In this issue the Wonder Woman characters Etta Candy and Doctor Poison make their debut.
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #5 - DC Comics

March

• March 6: The Captain Marvel villain Ibac makes his debut.
• March 11: Marten Toonder's Tom Poes story De Zieke Hertog marks the debut of Olivier B. Bommel's faithful butler Joost.[3]
• March 15: The final episode of Tailspin Tommy, at this point drawn by Reynold Brown, is published. .[4]
• The Dutch comics magazine Sjors is banned on Nazi orders. It will reappear after the war in June 1947.[5]
• The final issue of Blue Ribbon Comics is published.
• The final issue of Human Top is published.
• Action Comics (1938 series) #46 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #72 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #36 - DC Comics
• All-Winners Comics (1941 series) #4 - Timely Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #12 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics (1940 series) #22 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #61 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #27 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #29 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #77 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #3 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #6 - DC Comics
• Superman (1939 series) #15 - DC Comics

Spring Issue

• All Flash Quarterly (1941 series) #4 - DC Comics
• Green Lantern Quarterly (1941 series) #3 - DC Comics
• Leading Comics (1941 series) #2 - DC Comics
• World's Finest Comics (1941 series) #5 - DC Comics

April

• April 16: Marten Toonder's Tom Poes story Het Monster-Ei marks the debut of Wammes Waggel.
• April 20: The first episode of Crockett Johnson's Barnaby is published.
• Action Comics (1938 series) #47 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #73 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #37 - DC Comics
• All-Star Comics (1940 series) #10 - DC Comics
• Batman (1940 series) #10 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #13 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #62 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #28 - DC Comics
• Human Torch Comics (1940 series) #7 - Timely Comics
• Joker Comics #1 - Timely Comics. In its first issue Basil Wolverton's Powerhouse Pepper makes its debut. The series will run until the spring of 1948.[6]
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #30 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #78 - DC Comics
• Red Ryder Comics, with issue #6, taken over from Hawley by Dell Comics.
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #4 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #7 - DC Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics (1941 series) #5 - Timely Comics
• Young Allies Comics (1941 series) #3 - Timely Comics

May

• May 16: The British comics magazine Funny Wonder merges with another magazine Wonder.
• The final episode of Tailspin Tommy, originally created by Hal Forrest, is published.[7]
• Action Comics (1938 series) #48 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #74 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #38 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #14 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics (1940 series) #23 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #63 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #29 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #31 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #79 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #5 — DC Comics: In this issue the supervillain Paula von Gunther makes her debut.
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #8 - DC Comics
• Superman (1939 series) #16 - DC Comics
• U.S.A. Comics (1941 series) #4 - Timely Comics

June

• June 11: Hergé's Tintin story The Secret of the Unicorn is prepublished in Le Soir. Halfway the story butler Nestor and the castle of Marlinspike Hall make their debut.[8]
• June 13: The final episode of comic strip The Shadow by Walter B. Gibson and Vernon Greene is published.
• Action Comics (1938 series) #49 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #75 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #39 - DC Comics
• All Star Comics (1940 series) #11 - DC Comics
• All-Winners Comics (1941 series) #5 - Timely Comics
• Batman (1940 series) #11 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #15 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #64 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #30 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #32 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #80 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #6 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #9 - DC Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics (1941 series) #6 - Timely Comics
• Yank, the Army Weekly #1 - Harvey Comics: In its first issue George Baker's Sad Sack makes its debut.[9]
• Young Allies Comics (1941 series) #4 - Timely Comics

Summer Issue

• All Flash Quarterly (1941 series) #5 - DC Comics. In this issue the villain trio Winky, Blinky, and Noddy make their debut.
• Green Lantern Quarterly (1941 series) #4 - DC Comics
• Leading Comics (1941 series) #3 - DC Comics
• Wonder Woman (1942 series) #1 - DC Comics, which marks the first stand-alone series of William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter's Wonder Woman. In its first issue supervillain Ares makes his debut.
• World's Finest Comics (1941 series) #6 - DC Comics

July

• The American comics magazine The Funnies changes its name to New Funnies.
• Action Comics (1938 series) #50 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #76 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #40 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #16 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics (1940 series) #24 - Quality Comics
• Crime Does Not Pay debuts with issue #22, continuing the numbering of Silver Streak Comics — Lev Gleason Publications
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #65 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #31 - DC Comics
• Human Torch Comics (1940 series) #8 - Timely Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #33 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #81 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #7 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #10 - DC Comics
• Superman (1939 series) #17 - DC Comics
• U.S.A. Comics (1941 series) #5 - Timely Comics

August

• In Al Capp's Li'l Abner the comic-within-a-comic Fearless Fosdick makes its debut, though only as a reference. For his first adventure within the series itself readers have to wait until 19 June 1944.[10]
• Action Comics (1938 series) #51 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #77 - DC Comics: In this issue Alfred Bester and Stan Kaye's Genius Jones makes its debut.
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #41 - DC Comics
• All Star Comics (1940 series) #12 - DC Comics
• Batman (1940 series) #12 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #17 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #66 - DC Comics: In this issue the Batman villain Harvey Dent, better known as Two-Face, makes his debut.
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #32 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #34 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #82 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #8 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #11 - DC Comics

September

• September 4: In Chester Gould's Dick Tracy the villain Pruneface makes his debut.
• Action Comics (1938 series) #52 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #78 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #42 - DC Comics
• All-Winners Comics (1941 series) #6 - Timely Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #18 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics (1940 series) #25 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #67 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #33 - DC Comics
• Human Torch Comics (1940 series) #9 - Timely Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #35 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #83 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #9 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #12 - DC Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics (1941 series) #7 - Timely Comics
• Superman (1939 series) #18 - DC Comics
• Young Allies Comics (1941 series) #5 - Timely Comics

Fall Issue

• All Flash (1941 series) #6, previously All Flash Quarterly - DC Comics
• Green Lantern Quarterly (1941 series) #5 - DC Comics
• Leading Comics (1941 series) #4 - DC Comics
• Wonder Woman (1942 series) #2 - DC Comics
• World's Finest Comics (1941 series) #7 - DC Comics

October

• October 1: Bob Karp, Carl Barks and Jack Hannah create the first American adventure comics series based on Donald Duck. The series kicks off with the story Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold.[11][12]
• October 11; Josè Carioca debuts in comics, in a Sunday table by Hubie Karp and Bob Grant.
• Action Comics (1938 series) #53 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #79 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #43 - DC Comics
• All Star Comics (1940 series) #13 - DC Comics
• Batman (1940 series) #13 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #19 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #68 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #34 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #36 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #84 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #10 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #13 - DC Comics

November

• Action Comics (1938 series) #54 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #80 - DC Comics
• Air Fighter Comics (1941 series) #2 - Hillman Periodicals
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #44 - DC Comics
• All-Flash (1941 series) #07, previously quarterly - DC Comics
• All-Winners Comics (1941 series) #7 - Timely Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #20 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics (1940 series) #26 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #69 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #35 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #37 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #85 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #11 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #14 - DC Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics (1941 series) #8 - Timely Comics
• Superman (1939 series) #19 - DC Comics

December

• The Swedish comic strip Allan Kämpe by Eugen Semitjov makes its debut.[13]
• Action Comics (1938 series) #55 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics (1938 series) #81 - DC Comics
• Air Fighters Comics (1941 series) #3 - Hillman Periodicals: In this issue Heap makes his debut.
• All-American Comics (1939 series) #45 - DC Comics
• All Star Comics (1940 series) #14 - DC Comics
• Batman (1940 series) #14 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics (1941 series) #21 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics (1937 series) #70 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics (1940 series) #36 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics (1939 series) #38 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics (1936 series) #86 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics (1942 series) #12 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics (1941 series) #15 - DC Comics
• U.S.A. Comics (1941 series) #6 - Timely Comics

Winter Issue

• Boy Commandos (1942 series) #1 - DC Comics
• Comic Cavalcade (1942 series) #1 - DC Comics
• Green Lantern Quarterly (1941 series) #6 - DC Comics
• Leading Comics (1941 series) #5 - DC Comics
• World's Finest Comics (1941 series) #8 - DC Comics
• Eugen Semitjov begins publishing Allan Kämpe

Specific date unknown

• The final issue of the Flemish comics magazine Wonderland is published, a supplement to the newspaper De Dag.[14]
• The first episode of Carl Grubert's The Berrys is published. It will run until 1974.
• Bovil creates his comic strip Tusen Och en Natt, based on Arabian Nights. It will run until his death in 1949. [15]
• Vic Herman creates Winnie the Wac.[16]
• Philip Mendoza draws The Early Life of Winston Churchill, which is the earliest biographical comic about Winston Churchill.[17]

Deaths

April

• April 1: Charles H. Wellington, American comics artist (Pa's (Imported) Son-In-Law), passes away at age 48.[18]

May

• May 12: George William Wakefield, British comics artist (worked for Film Fun, made comics based on Laurel & Hardy), dies from a stroke at age 54. [19]
• May 14: René Bull, Irish comics illustrator and comics artist, passes away at the age of 79.[20]

July

• July 11: Antonio Salemme, Italian comics artist (Il Principe Azzurro), dies at the age of 48 or 49.[21]
• July 21: Giove Toppi, Italian comics artist (Topo Lino, Renato Gallo), dies at age 53. [22]

August

• August 10: Albert Guillaume, French caricaturist, illustrator and poster designer who also made some occasional pantomime comics, dies at age 69.[23]

September

• September 11: Horst Rosenthal, German-born French comics artist (made a series of text comics while incarcerated in Gurs internment camp, among them a comic strip starring Mickey Mouse named Mickey au Camp de Gurs), is executed in Auschwitz at the age of 27.[24]

November

• November 7: J. Norman Lynd, American comics artist (Family Portraits, continued Vignettes of Life), dies at age 63. [25]
• November 11: Billy DeBeck, American comics artist (Barney Google), dies at the age of 52.[26]
• November 26: Larry Whittington, American comics artist (Fritzi Ritz) dies in a car accident at the age of 39.[27]

Specific date unknown

• Joe Devlin, American comics artist (assisted Rube Goldberg, continued Looy Dot Dope and worked for Quality Comics), dies at an unknown age.[28]
• Emil Reinicke, German comics artist (published in Fliegende Blätter), passes away at age 82 or 83.[29]
• Josiah Walker, aka Jos Walker, British comics artist (Sexton Blake), dies at age 55. [30]

First issues by title

• Boy Commandos, cover-dated Winter, published by DC Comics.
• Comic Cavalcade, cover-dated Winter, published by DC Comics
• Hangman Comics, cover-dated Spring, published by MLJ Magazines Inc.
• Sensation Comics, cover-dated January, published by DC Comics.
• Wonder Woman, cover-dated Summer, published by DC Comics.

Initial appearances by character name

• Airboy in Air Fighters Comics #2 (November), created by writers Charles Biro and Dick Wood, and artist Al Camy - Hillman Periodicals
• Air Wave in Detective Comics #60 (February), created by Murray Boltinoff - DC Comics
• Boomerang in More Fun Comics #79 (May) - DC Comics
• Dan the Dyna-Mite in Star Spangled Comics #7 (April), created by Mort Weisinger and Hal Sharp - DC Comics
• Dan Turpin in Detective Comics #64 (June), created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby - DC Comics
• Doctor Poison in Sensation Comics #2 (February), created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter - DC Comics
• Etta Candy' in Sensation Comics #2 (February), created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter - DC Comics
• False-Face in Leading Comics #2 (National Comics, Spring), created by Mort Weisinger and Creig Flessel
• Gay Ghost in Sensation Comics #1 (January), created by Gardner Fox and Howard Purcell - DC Comics
• Guardian in Star Spangled Comics #7 (April), created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby - DC Comics
• Heap in Air Fighters Comics #3 (December), created by Harry Stein and Mort Leav - Hillman Periodicals
• Kid Eternity in Hit Comics #25 (December), created by Otto Binder and Sheldon Moldoff - DC Comics
• Liberty Belle in Boy Commandos #1 (December), created by Don Cameron and Chuck Winter - DC Comics
• Mary Marvel in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (December), created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze - DC Comics
• Metallo in World's Finest Comics #6 (June), created by Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino - DC Comics
• Mister Terrific (Terry Sloane) in Sensation Comics #1 (DC Comics, January), created by Charles Resizenstein and Hal Sharpe
• Paul Kirk, created by Jack Kirby, in Adventure Comics #58 (January), published by DC Comics.
• The Prankster in Action Comics #51 (August), created by Jerry Siegel and John Sikela - DC Comics
• The Puzzler in Action Comics #49 (June), created by Jerry Siegel and John Sikela - DC Comics
• Shade in Flash Comics #33 (September),created by Gardner Fox - DC Comics
• Rag Doll in Flash Comics #36 (December), created by Gardner Fox - DC Comics
• Robotman in Star Spangled Comics #7 (April), created by Jerry Siegel and Leo Nowak - DC Comics
• Sal Maroni in Detective Comics #66 (August), created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane - DC Comics
• Spider Widow in Feature Comics #57 (June), created by Frank Borth - DC Comics
• TNT in Star Spangled Comics #7 (April), created by Mort Weisinger and Hal Sharp - DC Comics
• Two Face in Detective Comics #66 (August), created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane - DC Comics
• Wildcat in Sensation Comics #1 (January), created by Bill Finger and Irwin Hasen - DC Comics

References

1. Wallace, Daniel (2010). "1940s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. DC scored a coup by luring to their ranks the popular artist and writer team of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, who [in 1942] introduced the Newsboy Legion, the Guardian, and the Boy Commandos.
2. Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 40: "Wonder Woman...took the lead in Sensation Comics following a sneak preview in All Star Comics #8."
3. "Marten Toonder".
4. "Reynold Brown".
5. "Sjors (Van de Rebellenclub)".
6. "Basil Wolverton".
7. "Hal Forrest".
8. "Hergé".
9. "George Baker".
10. Keith Booker, M. (2014-10-28). Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [4 volumes]: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ISBN 9780313397516.
11. "Carl Barks".
12. "Jack Hannah".
13. "Eugen Semitjov".
14. KOUSEMAKER, Kees en Evelien, "Wordt Vervolgd- Stripleksikon der Lage Landen", Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, Utrecht, Antwerpen, 1979, page 235.
15. "Bovil".
16. "Vic Herman".
17. "Philip Mendoza".
18. "Charles H. Wellington".
19. "George William Wakefield". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
20. "René Bull".
21. "Antonio Salemme".
22. https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/toppi_giove.htm
23. "Albert Guillaume".
24. "Horst Rosenthal".
25. "J. Norman Lynd".
26. "Billy DeBeck".
27. "Larry Whittington".
28. "Joe Devlin".
29. "Emil Reinicke".
30. https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/walker_jos.htm