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.
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).
- April 4: Graham Ingels dies at age 75.
- 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.
- August 18: Underground comics artist Rick Griffin dies at age 47.
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.
- September 5: Carol Kalish, Vice President of New Product Development at Marvel Comics, dies at age 46.
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 â€" the Marathi comic strip Chintoo is first published
December
- The Incredible Hulk #388: Jim Wilson revealed to be HIV-positive.
- 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 â€" guests include Michael Avon Oeming, Evan Dorkin, Nat Gertler, Romeo Tanghal, Paul Ryan, Bob Wiacek, and Mike Manley
- April 27â€"28: WonderCon (Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, California) â€" guests include Kevin Eastman, Mark Bodé, Miguel Ferrer, Bill Mumy, Steve Leialoha, and Max Allan Collins
- June: Heroes Convention (Charlotte, North Carolina)
- June 21â€"23: Comix Fair (Holiday Inn-Medical Center, Houston, Texas) â€" ninth annual convention; guests include Russ Heath, Nestor Redondo, Jeff Millar, Bill Hinds, and Richard Klaw
- June 28â€"30: Chicago Comicon (Ramada O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois) â€" guests include Jim Steranko, Kevin Eastman, and Chris Claremont
- July 4â€"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 12â€"14: Dragon Con//Atlanta Comics Expo (Atlanta Hilton & Towers, Atlanta, Georgia) â€" 5,200 attendees; guests include Philip José Farmer and Frank Miller
- July 19â€"21: Dallas Fantasy Fair (Dallas, Texas)
- September 21â€"22: Miamicon (Ft. Lauderdale Design Center Sheraton Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Miami Marriott, Miami, Florida) â€" guests include Chris Warner, Evan Dorkin, Bob Schreck, and Matt Wagner
- November: Mid-Ohio Con (Ohio)
Awards
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 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 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 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
- ^ Stack, Peter. "Something Else," San Francisco Chronicle (27 Apr 1991), p. C4.
- ^ "'Rocketeer' lands at Comix Fair," Houston Chronicle (21 June 1991), p. 2.
- ^ "Rosemont to Host Comicon," Chicago Sun-Times (June 28, 1991).
- ^ Thomas, Keith L. "Comics Expo to Feature Creator of the Darker Side of Batman," The Atlanta Constitution (11 July 1991), p. D4.
