1981 in comics

January

• Capital Comics makes its entree into publishing with the release of Nexus #1.
• Frank Miller takes over full writing duties on Daredevil with issue #168, and creates Elektra.
• "Days of Future Past" storyline debuts in Uncanny X-Men #141 (continues in Uncanny X-Men #142).
• The reprint title Marvel's Greatest Comics, with issue #96, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The reprint title Amazing Adventures vol. 3, with issue #14, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The reprint title Tales to Astonish vol. 2, with issue #14, is cancelled by Marvel.

February

• Jenette Kahn becomes president of DC Comics, succeeding Sol Harrison. Kahn retained the title of publisher, which she had held since 1976.^[1][2]
• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #272 features an insert previewing the upcoming "Dial H for Hero" series in Adventure Comics by Marv Wolfman and Carmine Infantino.^[3]

March

• March 8: The final episode of Stan Lynde's Rick O'Shay is published.
• March 19: The first episode of Raoul Cauvin and Philippe Bercovici's Les Femmes en Blanc is published in Spirou. ^[4]
• Robert Crumb launches the American adult comics magazine Weirdo, which will run until 1993.
• Marvel takes notice of the growing direct market and produces a title specifically for comic shops — Dazzler #1 sells 400,000 copies.
• Marvel Preview (published until now by the Marvel imprint Curtis Magazines), with issue #25, changes its name to Bizarre Adventures and becomes an official Marvel Comics publication.
• Detective Comics #500: 84 pages, 7 different anniversary stories by several well-known creators, including television writer Alan Brennert and Walter B. Gibson, best known for his work on the pulp fiction character The Shadow.^[5]
• "The Exaggerated Death of Ultra Boy" story arc begins in DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes #273. Written by Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, and Paul Levitz, with pencils by Jimmy Janes and Steve Ditko, the story arc concludes in Legion of Super-Heroes #282 (December).
• Mystery in Space (1951 series), with issue #117, is cancelled by DC Comics.
• Captain Canuck, with issue #14, is cancelled by Comely Comix.
• John Byrne and Terry Austin leave The Uncanny X-Men with issue 143 being their last.

May

• May 8: The first issue of Eclipse Magazine is published by Dean and Jan Mullaney. It will run until January 1983.
• Master of Kung Fu #100: "Red of Fang and Claw, All Love Lost," by Doug Moench, Mike Zeck, and Gene Day.
• Ghosts #100 (DC Comics): Edited by Jack C. Harris.
• With issue #66, Charlton revives The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, cancelled in May 1978.

June

• June 15: Doug Marlette's Kudzu makes its debut. It will run until 2007. ^[6]
• June 26: In Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County Opus the Penguin makes his debut.
• Weird War Tales #100 (DC Comics)
• Final issue of The Hulk! published by Curtis Magazines.
• Debut of the comics industry magazine Amazing Heroes (published by the Fantagraphics imprint Zam, Inc.. With later issues, until it folds in 1992, Amazing Heroes will be "officially" published by Fantagraphics).

July

• Superman and Spider-Man, "The Heroes and the Holocaust," a DC/Marvel intercompany crossover^[7] ("sequel" to 1976's Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man).
• Man-Thing vol. 2, with issue #11, is cancelled by Marvel.
• John Byrne begins his 62-issue run as writer/artist on Fantastic Four with issue #232.

August

• DC's The Flash reaches its 300th issue and celebrates its 25th anniversary.
• Justice League of America #193 features an insert previewing the upcoming All-Star Squadron series by Roy Thomas and Rich Buckler.^[8]
• Final issue of Marvel Premiere (#61) published by Marvel Comics
• With issue #47, DC cancels Super Friends.
• "Doomquest" storyline debuts in Iron Man #149 (continues in Iron Man #150)
• The Warlord #48 features an insert previewing the upcoming Arak, Son of Thunder series by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón.^[9]

Fall

• DC Special Series #27 — Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk, an intercompany crossover^[10] between DC and Marvel Comics. This marks the final issue of DC Special Series (1977 series), a catch-all series primarily for one-shots of different formats, released on an irregular schedule.

September

• September 21: Guy Gilchrist and Brad Gilchrist's newspaper comic based on The Muppet Show is published for the first time and in more than 80 countries across the world on the same simultaneous date. An exceptional event. ^[11]
• September 24: Kamagurka and Herr Seele's Cowboy Henk makes its debut. ^[12]

October

• The Defenders #100: Double-sized issue written by J.M. DeMatteis. (Marvel Comics)
• "Block Mania" storyline begins in 2000 AD. (continues through December)

November

• November 2: Steve Bell's political comic strip If debuts in The Guardian. ^[13]
• Jinty merges with Tammy (Fleetway).
• Pacific Comics makes its entree into publishing with the release of Jack Kirby's Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #1
• The reprint title Marvel Super Action, with issue #37, is cancelled by Marvel.

December

• December 17: Stéphane Colman and Stephen Desberg's Billy the Cat makes its debut in Spirou. ^[14]

February

• February 20: Enzo Magni, aka Ingam, Italian comics artist (Pantera Bionda), dies at age 76.^[15]
• February 29: Carlo Bisi, Italian comics artist (Sor Pampurio), passes away at age 91.^[16]

March

• March 10: Jack Oleck, American novelist and comics writer (wrote horror comics for EC Comics and DC Comics and series like Kong the Untamed) dies at age 67.

April

• April 23: Vivie Risto, American animator and comics artist (Disney comics, particularly Bucky Bug, Looney Tunes comics), dies at age 78. ^[17]
• April 24: Howard Purcell, American comics artist (co-creator of Sargon the Sorcerer, Gay Ghost, Enchantress), passes away at age 62.^{[18] [19]}

May

• May 12: Henry Formhals, American comics artist (continued Freckles and His Friends, assisted on Ella Cinders and Joe Jinks), dies at age 72. ^[20]
• May 25: George Clark, American comics artist (The Neighbors, Side Glances), passes away at age 78.^[21]

June

• June 11: Eppo Doeve, Indonesian-Dutch illustrator and comics artist (Mannetje Bagatel, Kleine Isar, de Vierde Koning), passes away at age 73. ^[22]
• June 19: Lotte Reiniger, German film director and animator (The Adventures of Prince Achmed), dies at age 82.

September

• September 2: Andrija Maurović, Montenegrin-Croatian comics artist (Stari Macak, Dan, Old Tom-cat and Radoslav) passes away at age 80.^[23]

October

• October 12: Lawrence Lariar, American comics artist, writer, novelist, editor and cartoonist (Barry O'Neill, Best Cartoons of the Year series), dies at age 72. ^[24]
• October 14: Jim Raymond, American comics artist (continued Blondie), dies at age 64. ^[25]

November

• November 2: Wally Wood, American comics artist (Mad Magazine, Sally Forth, Heroes, Inc. Presents Cannon, Daredevil) commits suicide at age 54.^[26]
• November 12: Ralph Heimdahl, American animator and comics artist (Bugs Bunny comic strip), passes away at age 72. ^[27]
• November 18: Fredric Wertham, German psychologist and author of the anti-comics book Seduction of the Innocent which paved the way for the Comics Code censorship, dies at age 86.^[28]

December

• December 1: Russ Manning, American comics artist (Magnus, Robot Fighter), dies at age 52.^[29]
• Harry "A" Chesler, American comics entrepreneur (Chesler's Studio), dies at age 83.
• George Swanson, American comics artist (Flop Family, Salesman Sam, High Pressure Pete, Officer 67/8, Elza Poppin' ), dies at age 93 or 94. ^[30]

Specific date unknown

• Ferdinand Bis, Croatian comics artist (comics for Mickey Strip), dies at age 70 or 71. ^[31]
• Freddie Chaplain, British comics writer (Rupert Bear), dies at age 67 or 68.
• Noel Cook, New Zealand-Australian comics artist (Roving Peter, Bobby and Betty, Kokey Koala), passes away at age 84 or 85. ^[32]
• Sam Leff, American comics artist (continued Joe Jinks as Curly Kayoe), dies at age 64 or 65. ^[33]

Eagle Awards

Presented in 1982 for comics published in 1981:

• Best New Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz^[36]
• Roll of Honour: Roy Thomas
• Favourite Artist (UK): Mick Austin^[37]

DC Comics

Arak, Son of Thunder

Release: September Writer: Roy Thomas. Artists: Ernie Colón and Alfredo Alcala.

Marvel Comics

Dazzler

Release: March. Writer: Tom DeFalco. Artists: John Romita, Jr. and Alfredo Alcala.

Ka-Zar the Savage

Release: April. Writer: Bruce Jones. Artists: Brent Anderson and Carlos Garzon.

Other publishers

Alien Encounters

Release: by FantaCo Enterprises. Editor: Catherine Yronwode.

Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers

Release: November by Pacific Comics. Writer/Artist: Jack Kirby.

Charlton Bullseye

Release: June by Charlton Comics. Editor: George Wildman.

Eclipse

Release: May by Eclipse Comics. Editors: Dean Mullaney and Jan Mullaney.

Hatsukoi Scandal

Release: in Shōnen Big Comic by Shogakukan. Author: Akira Oze.

Justice Machine

Release: June by Noble Comics. Writer/Artist: Michael Gustovich.

Love and Rockets

Release: Self-published by Los Bros Hernandez

Nexus

Release: January by Capital Comics. Writer: Mike Baron. Artist: Steve Rude.

Weirdo

Release: March by Last Gasp. Editor: Robert Crumb.

DC Comics

• All-Star Squadron in Justice League of America #193 (August)
• Arak in The Warlord #48 (August)
• Bushmaster, in Super Friends #45 (June)
• Electrocutioner, in Batman #331 (January)
• Danette Reilly, in Justice League of America #193 (August)
• Fearsome Five in New Teen Titans #3 (January)
  • Gizmo
  • Mammoth
  • Psimon
  • Shimmer
• Omega Men in Green Lantern #141 (June)
  • Broot
  • Demonia
  • Harpis
  • Kalista
  • Nimbus
  • Primus
  • Tigorr
• Plasmus, in New Teen Titans #14 (December)
• Houngan, in New Teen Titans #14 (December)
• Trigon, in New Teen Titans #05 (March)
• Nekron, in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #02 (June)
• Mari McCabe, in Action Comics #521 (July)
• Angela Roth, in New Teen Titans #03 (January)
• Andrew Bennett, in House of Mystery #290 (March)
• Neutron, in Action Comics #525 (November)
• Arisia Rrab, in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #01 (May)
• Mary, Queen of Blood, in House of Mystery #290 (March)
• Angela Hawkins III, in New Teen Titans #14 (December)
• Typhoon, in The Flash #294 (February)
• Warp, in New Teen Titans #14 (December)
• Rod Reilly, in All-Star Squadron #01 (September)
• Auron, in Green Lantern #141 (June)

Marvel Comics

• Arlok, in What If? #27 (July)
• Astron, in What If? #27 (July)
• Avalanche, in Uncanny X-Men #141 (January)
• Elektra, in Daredevil #168 (January)
• Hybrid, in Rom #17 (April)
• Mad Jim Jaspers, in Marvel Superheroes #377, published by Marvel UK (September)
• Pyro, in Uncanny X-Men #141 (January)
• Rogue, in Avengers Annual #10
• Siryn, in Spider-Woman #37 (April)
• Stick in Daredevil #176 (November)

Other publishers

• Rogue Trooper in 2000 AD. #228, published by IPC Media
• Syzygy Darklock in The Price, published by Eclipse Comics
• Thrud the Barbarian in the British fanzine Arken Sword
• Zanardi in the Italian anthology Frigidaire