Notable events of 1974 in comics.
Events and publications
January January 1: In Le journal de Tintin, the first chapter of the Michel Vaillant story Des Filles et des Moteurs, by Jean Graton is published, in which Michel Vaillant and Françoise Latour marry. January 20: In the Disney comics magazine Topolino, the first episode of the Donald Duck story Paperino e la visita distruttiva is published, the first story realized by the team of Giorgio Pezzin (writer) and Giorgio Cavazzano (cartoonist). January 24: In Pilote, René Pétillon's comic series Jack Palmer makes its debut. It will run in various magazines until 2013. January 25–27: Francis Groux, Jean Mardikian, Claude Moliterni organize the first edition of the Angoulême International Comics Festival in Angoulême, France. The Demon, with issue #16, is cancelled by DC. Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, with issue #8, is cancelled by Marvel. In Italy, the first issue of Alter linus (Milano libri), a supplement to Linus, dedicated to the adventure comics is published; debut also of the erotic series Maghella (Ediperiodici) and of the series Pinocchio (Bianconi). In the Italian magazine Linus, the first chapter of the Corto Maltese story Corto Maltese in Siberia by Hugo Pratt is published. This long narrative will reach its conclusion in July 1977. Chinook, by Derib, first album of Buddy Longway The Adventures of Alix story Le prince du Nil by Jacques Martin is published.
February February 17: In Corriere dei ragazzi, the first episode of Silver’s Lupo Alberto is published. February 21: The final episode of Machiko Hasegawa's Sazae-san is published. February 28: The Flemish comics magazine Pats, a weekly children's supplement of the newspapers Het Nieuwsblad, De Standaard, , and De Landwacht, changes its name to the Patskrant. It will run until 23 August 1977, after which its becomes the Stipkrant. Inside the new Pats, Gommaar Timmermans' children's comic Jonas en de Wonderwinkel is published, which will run until 3 September 1974. Adventure Comics #431: Spectre feature begins by writer Michael Fleisher and artist Jim Aparo. It runs through issue #440. Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #200: "The Legionnaire Bride of Starfinger" by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum. With issue #18 (February /March cover date), DC Comics' Mister Miracle (1971 series) goes on hiatus. Hero for Hire, with issue #17, changes its name to Power Man. Special Marvel Edition, with issue #16, is cancelled by Marvel; its numbering continues with Master of Kung Fu (April). The Punisher makes his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129.
March The first issue of the Lucky Luke monthly magazine is published, which will run until February 1975. Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion, with issue #15, cancelled by DC. Prez, with issue #4, cancelled by DC. The first episodes of Trino (Triune) by Altan, an irreverent and even profane retelling of the Genesis creation narrative, appear in Linus.
April April 25: The first episode of Allan Salisbury's newspaper gag comic Snake Tales is published. The last issue of the Dutch underground magazine Aloha is published. With issue #164 (April /May cover date), Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen (1954 series) changes its name and format to The Superman Family.McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 159 "DC's 100-page Super Spectaculars were proving popular, so DC said goodbye to Supergirl, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane, and housed the characters together in Superman Family. Continuing the numbering from where Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen ended, the series featured classic reprints with new tales in the lead spot." Master of Kung Fu debuts with issue #17, continuing the numbering of Special Marvel Edition. With issue #6, Chilling Adventures in Sorcery changes its name to Red Circle Sorcery. (Red Circle Comics)
May May 9: In Spirou, the first chapter of the Yoko Tsuno story Message pour l'éternité is published by Roger Leloup. May 19: The Donald Duck album Paperino ai mondiali (Donald at the World Cup), realized by Mondadori for the 1974 FIFA World cup is published. It contains two stories: Paperino ai mondiali di calcio (Donald at the Football world cup), by Romano Scarpa and Paperino calciatore (Donald football player), by Gian Giacomo Dalmasso and Marco Rota. May 21 : In Le Journal de Tintin, the first chapter of the Ric Hochet story L'Homme qui Portait Malheur by André-Paul Duchâteau and Tibet is published. Marvel Comics raises the price of its typical comic book from 20 cents to 25 cents, keeping the page-count at 36.
June June 16: In the Italian Disney magazine Topolino, Mickey Kid and Goofy Six-Shots by Guido Martina and Giovan Battista Carpi (see below). The final episode of Marcel Gotlib's Hamster Jovial is published in the magazine Rock et Folk. Seaboard Periodicals formed by former Marvel Comics publisher Martin Goodman to publish comics under the Atlas Comics banner. In Italy the first issue of Corriere della paura (Fear Courier) by Editoriale Corno is published. An anthology magazine of the Marvel horror comics.
July July 11: In Le Monde, the first chapter of Asterix and Caesar’s gift by Goscinny and Uderzo is published. July 25: In Spirou, the first chapter of the Spirou et Fantasio story Le Gri-gri du Niokolo-Koba by Jean-Claude Fournier is serialized. Issue #120 of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, means the end of the series, cancelled by Marvel. The Amazing World of DC Comics #1, DC's in-house fanzine In Italy, the first issue of the erotic series Coxeman (StudioOriga) is published, which will only last two issues.
August August 7: In Le journal de Tintin, the first chapter of the Michel Vaillant story Champion du monde by Jean Graton is published. Roy Thomas steps down as Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief, succeeded by Len Wein (color titles) and Marv Wolfman (black-and-white titles). Giant-Size Super-Stars, with issue #2, changes its name to Giant-Size Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics). Worlds Unknown, with issue #8, is cancelled by Marvel.
September September 14: Dennis the Menace and Gnasher officially become the new magazine mascots of The Beano, appearing on each cover and replacing Biffo the Bear. Sub-Mariner, with issue #72, is cancelled by Marvel. Giant-Size Chillers, with issue #2, changes its name to Giant-Size Dracula (Marvel Comics). Supergirl, with issue #10 (September /October cover date), is cancelled by DC. Spider-Man: The Manga, with issue #30, is cancelled by Monthly Shōnen Magazine. Daim Press begins to publish I Protagonisti (The Protagonists), a collection of graphic novels, written and drawn by Rino Albertarelli, about the true lives of the American Frontier's heroes; the first is George Armstrong Custer. The series, very appreciated also for its historical accuracy, is interrupted after less than a year by the author's death.
October October 1: The first issue of the short-lived comic magazine Achille Talon Magazine is published, based on the popularity of Michel Greg's Achille Talon. Inside, Bob De Groot and Turk's gag comic Léonard makes its debut. October 21: A weekly political-satirical gag comic spin-off of Jean Tabary's Iznogoud starts running in the French Sunday newspaper Journal du Dimanche. It will continue until 17 June 1979. Weird Worlds, with issue #10 (October /November cover date), is cancelled by DC. Giant-Size Creatures, with issue #2, changes its name to Giant-Size Werewolf (Marvel Comics). Monsters on the Prowl, with issue #30, is cancelled by Marvel. Wolverine makes his first appearance in The Incredible Hulk #180. In Batman #258 the psychiatric hospital Arkham Asylum makes its first appearance. In the magazine Lucky Luke, first chapter of the Lucky Luke story Le Cavalier blanc by Goscinny and Morris is published.
November November 9: The final episode of the Dutch funny animal comic Wipperoen (Whipper), by Raymond Bär von Hemmersweil and Jan van Reek, appears in print. November 13: In Le Journal de Tintin the first chapter of Alerte ! Extra-terrestres ! by André-Paul Duchâteau and Tibet is published. La Marcia della Disperazione (Despair March) by Guido Nolitta and Gallieno Ferri; Zagor, for the first time, has a love interest (Frida Lang). The story is considered by many fans the masterpiece of the Zagor series.
December December 1: The first issue of the French adult comics magazine Métal Hurlant is published by Les Humanoïdes Associés. It will run until 1987. December 27: Dick Matena launches the first version of his comic De Teloorgang van Oude Knudde in Pep.
Specific date unknown The Dutch comics appreciation society Het Stripschap establishes their annual Stripschapprijs, the most important Dutch comics award. The first winner is publishing company Skarabee.Het Stripschap – AlgemeenHet Stripschap – De Stripschapprijs The final issue of the Flemish comics magazine/fanzine CISO-Magazine is published by Danny De Laet. It changes its name into Stripgids and receive a new chief editor, Jan Smet. Under its new name it will continue until 1985. Tim Wallace draws an underground comic strip named Ka-Blam, which features a man whose head explodes after smoking a joint. The Costa Rican artist Fernando Zeledón Guzmán creates the satirical comic strip La Semana en Serio in the communist magazine Adelante. It will run until 1991. Denis Gifford publishes The British Comics Catalogue, 1874-1974. Piet Fluwijn en Bolleke, created by Marc Sleen but continued by Jean-Pol, appears for the last time in print in 't Kapoentje. Mad Magazine makes a TV special where several of their comics series appear in animated form. The director is Chris Ishii. Unfortunately the special never airs, because network executives deem the comedy "too family unfriendly". From May to September, Marvel debuts their Giant-Size series, mostly double- or triple-length comics featuring their most popular characters. Many of the Giant-Size books are one-shots; none of the ongoing titles last more than six issues. Marvel Fireside Books debuts with Origins of Marvel Comics (Fireside Books/Simon & Schuster). Tut le Blanc's comic strip An Altar Boy Named Speck concludes.
Deaths
January January 5: Haaken Christensen, Norwegian comics artist (Brumle), dies at age 87. January 8: Kreigh Collins, American comic artist (Mitzi McCoy, Kevin the Bold (later changed to Up Anchor)), dies at age 66. January 15: Richard E. Hughes, American comics writer and editor (Herbie Popnecker), dies at age 74. January 17: Arthur Radebaugh, American illustrator and comics artist (Closer Than We Think), dies at age 67. January 18: Bill Finger, American comic book writer and artist (DC Comics, Green Lantern, co-creator of Batman), dies at age 59.
February February 8: Franco Caprioli, Italian comics artist, dies at age 61. February 12: José Robledano, Spanish comics artist (El Suero Maravilloso), dies at age 89. February 16: Alfred Mazure, Dutch comics artist and writer, film director and novelist (Dick Bos, Romeo Brown), dies at the age of 59.
March March 4: Paul Gordeaux, French journalist, historian, playwright, novelist, comedian and comics writer (L' Histoire du Demi-Siècle, Le Crime Ne Paie Pas, Les Amours Célèbres), dies at age 82. March 16: Jo Ooms, Dutch writer, illustrator and comic artist (Slager Kokkie en zijn Fokkie), dies at age 60. March 21: Eric Parker, British comics artist and illustrator (worked for Knockout, Buster and Ranger, Pepys' Diary, Tommy Walls), dies at age 76.
April April 22: Tjalie Robinson, Dutch comics artist (Taaie en Neut), dies at age 63. April 27: Jean Bernard-Aldebert, French caricaturist, illustrator and comics artist (Adonis, Gigolette), dies at age 64.
May May 3: Ray Hoppman, American comics artist (Going Down!, This is the Life, Types of Humanity, Morals of Young Mister Wise, Make-A-Comic, Ma, Twinkling Stars, continued Assorted Nuts, Hank and Pete, Famous Fans), dies at age 87.