1990 in comics

Year overall

• New Century Comics, Disney Comics, Millennium Publications, MU Press, Tundra Publishing, Valiant Comics, Drawn and Quarterly, and the French publisher L'Association, all enter the marketplace.
• The "Days of Future Present" storyline, the sequel to "Days of Future Past," appears in the annuals of Fantastic Four, New Mutants, X-Factor and X-Men.
• The merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications, parent of DC Comics completed, the merger name was Time Warner.

January

• Dinosaurs for Hire is cancelled by Eternity Comics with issue #9.
• 1st known artwork by Dale Keown for Marvel Comics, published in Nth Man #9.

February

• The last issue of Damage Control v2 is published.
• With issue #6, Police Academy is cancelled.

March

• Elektra Lives Again is published by Epic Comics, written and drawn by Frank Miller.
• The last issue of Strikeforce: Morituri: Electric Undertow is published, thereby ending the series as a whole.

June

• With issue 9, The Destroyer v1 is cancelled.

July

• Fright Night is canceled by Now Comics with issue #22.
• The New Warriors v1 #1 is released.
• 2000AD spin-off Revolver hits newsagents, with the seminal storyline Rogan Gosh.
• Shade the Changing Man is revamped by DC imprint Vertigo.

August

• August 31: Scott McCloud draws the first comic strip drawn in 24 hours. ^[1] In 2004 this will become an annual event.
• Animal Man #26: "Deus Ex Machina," writer Grant Morrison's final issue of Animal Man.
• Secret Origins is canceled by DC with issue #50.
• Spider-Man #1, the start of the "Torment" storyline, marked Todd McFarlane's first major outing on a series as a writer/artist.^[2][3] The issue would become the best selling comic book so far and be the first major step to the rise of the superstar creators and the formation of Image Comics.

September

• Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is canceled by Marvel with issue #16.
• Terminator is canceled by NOW Comics with issue #17.

October

• Swamp Thing #100: Double-sized issue, "Tales of Eden," by Doug Wheeler, Kelley Jones, and Pat Broderick.
• The Huntress v1 is canceled by DC with issue #19.

November

• Marvel's "X-Tinction Agenda" crossover begins in the pages of Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, and New Mutants.

December

• Fantastic Four #347 – A temporary lineup introduced, consisting of the Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider.
• Wendy the Good Little Witch (1960 series), with issue #97, canceled by Harvey Comics.
• The Real Ghostbusters is canceled by Now Comics with issue #28.

Specific date unknown

• The first issue of the Belgian satirical comics and cartoons magazine Ubu-Pan is published.

January

• January 8: Bernard Krigstein, American comics artist (Master Race, Mad), dies at age 71.^[4]
• January 20: Claude Auclair, French comics artist (Simon du Fleuve), dies at age 46.^[5]

February

• February 22: Thomas Ochse Honiball, South African cartoonist and comics artist (Oom Kaspaas, Jakkals en Wolf), dies at age 84. ^[6]

March

• March 4: Salvatore Deidda, Italian comics artist (Stark, continued Martin Mystère), dies at age 37. ^[7]
• March 30: João Mottini, Brazilian comics artist (Quintín Duval, continued Ellos), passes away at age 66. ^[8]

April

• April 24: André Fernez, Belgian comics writer, novelist and chief editor of Tintin between 1947 and 1959, passes away at age 72. ^[9]
• April 28: Edwina Dumm, American comics artist (Cap Stubbs and Tippie) dies at age 96.^[10]

May

• May 25: William Overgard, American comics artist (continued Steve Roper and Mike Nomad and Kerry Drake), dies at age 64. ^[11]

June

• June 23: Howard Boughner, American comics artist (Mac, Hold Everything, writer of Penny and Dotty Dripple, assisted on Dumb Dora and Wash Tubbs), dies at age 81. ^[12]
• June 30: Jacques Lob, French comics artist (Ténébrax, Blanche Epiphanie, Submerman, Superdupont), dies at age 67.^[13]

July

• July 17: George Waiss, American animator and comics artist (Disney comics), dies at age 83. ^[14]
• July 18: Yves Chaland, French comics artist (Freddy Lombard), dies in a car accident at age 33.^[15]
• July 18: Georges Dargaud, French comics publisher (Dargaud), passes away at age 79.
• July 25: Sam Grainger, American comics artist (Marvel Comics), dies at age 60.

August

• August 7: Phiny Dick, Dutch comics writer and artist (Miezelientje, Olle Kapoen, Birre Beer), also wife of Marten Toonder, passes away at age 77. ^[16]
• August 12: B. Kliban, American cartoonist (Playboy), dies of a pulmonary embolism at age 55.^[17]
• August 28: Willy Vandersteen, Belgian comics artist (Suske en Wiske, De Familie Snoek, De Vrolijke Bengels, 't Prinske, De Rode Ridder, Bessy, Robert en Bertrand, De Geuzen), dies at age 77.^[18]

September

• September 5: Jerry Iger, American comics artist (Sheena, Queen of the Jungle) and publisher (co-founder of Eisner & Iger), dies at age 87.^[19]
• September 20: Attilio Micheluzzi, Italian comics artist (Roy Mann, Petra Chérie, Johnny Focus), dies at age 60. ^[20]

October

• October 29: François Gianolla, Belgian comics artist (Fred, Mile et Bob), dies at age 83. ^[21]
• October 31: Roger Price, American humorist, writer, publisher and cartoonist (creator of droodles), passed away at age 72.

Specific date unknown

• Dennis Collins, British comics artist (The Perishers), passes away. ^[22]
• Cram, Belgian cartoonist (De Weyfelaers, Jan Pech), passes away at age 51 or 52. ^[23]
• Marcel Dehaye, Belgian journalist, novelist, comics writer and chief editor of Tintin (1959-1965), dies at age 82 or 83.
• Harry Haenigsen, American comics artist (Penny), dies at age 89.^[24]
• Ye Hung-chia, Taiwanese comics artist (Chuko Szu-lang), dies at age 76 or 77. ^[25]
• Yu Takita, Japanese manga artist (Terajima-cho (The Terajima Neighborhood Mystery tales), dies at age 57 or 58. ^[26]
• William Timym, also known as Tim, Austrian-British comics artist (The Boss, Caesar, Bengo the Boxer, Wuff, Tuff and Snuff, Bim, Bam and Boom, Oh, Johnny!, Bleep and Booster), , dies at age 87 or 88. ^[27]
• Tom, aka Thomaz de Mello, Portuguese comics artist (Rico, Pico e Sarapico), dies at age 83 or 84.^[28]

Eisner Awards

Presented in 1991 for comics published in 1990.

• Best Story or Single Issue: Concrete Celebrates Earth Day, by Paul Chadwick, Charles Vess, and Jean "Moebius" Giraud (Dark Horse)
• Best Continuing Series: Sandman, by Neil Gaiman and various artists (DC)
• Best Black and White Series: Xenozoic Tales, by Mark Schultz (Kitchen Sink)
• Best Finite Series: Give Me Liberty, by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons (Dark Horse)
• Best Graphic Album—New: Elektra Lives Again, by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley (Marvel)
• Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman and various artists (DC)
• Best Writer: Neil Gaiman, Sandman (DC)
• Best Writer/Artist or Writer/Artist Team: Frank Miller and Geof Darrow, Hard Boiled
• Best Artist: Steve Rude, Nexus
• Best Inker: Al Williamson
• Hall of Fame: R. Crumb, Alex Toth

DC Comics

Justice League Quarterly

Release: Winter.

Superboy v2

Release: February

Marvel Comics

Camp Candy

Release: May.

Ghost Rider v2

Release: May. Writer: Howard Mackie. Artists: Javier Saltares & Mark Texeira.

Guardians of the Galaxy v1

Release: June.

Knights of Pendragon

Release: July by Marvel UK. Writers: Dan Abnett and John Tomlinson. Artist: Gary Erskine.

Spider-Man

Release: August. Writer & Artist: Todd McFarlane

Issued with regular and silver ink covers, second printing with gold ink cover.

RoboCop

Release: March. Writer: Alan Grant. Artists: Lee Sullivan & Kim DeMulder.

Marvel Super-Heroes v2

Release: May.

Mighty Mouse

Release: October.

Namor the Sub-Mariner

Release: April

New Warriors

Release: July. Writer: Fabian Nicieza. Artists: Mark Bagley & Al Williamson.

Nomad

Release: November. Writer: Fabian Nicieza. Artists: James Fry & Mark McKenna.

Tomorrow Knights

Release: June by Epic Comics.

Zorro

Release: December.

Shogakukan

Basara

Release: September on Betsucomi. Author: Yumi Tamura.

Independent titles

Classics Illustrated v2

Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery

Release:

Hate

Release: April by Fantagraphics. Writer/Artist: Peter Bagge.

Judge Dredd Megazine

Release: October by Egmont UK.

Logan's Run

Release:

DC Comics

• Atlan in The Atlantis Chronicles #5 (July )
• Atom IV in Suicide Squad #44 (August )
• Auberon in The Sandman #19 (September )
• The Beefeater in Justice League Europe #20 (November )
• Blaze in Action Comics #655 (July )
• Crimesmith II in Batman #443 (January )
• Danny the Street in Doom Patrol v2 #35 (August )
• Delirium in The Sandman #21 (December )
• Doctor Diehard in Justice League Europe #15 (June )
• Jack Drake in Batman #455 (October )
• Tim Drake as Robin III in Batman #442 (January )
• Dreamslayer in Justice League Europe #15 (June )
• Dybbuk in Suicide Squad #45 (September )
• Echo III in Justice League Quarterly #1 (Winter)
• Firestorm II in Firestorm the Nuclear Man v2 #100 (August )
• Laurel Gand in Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #5 (March )
• Gorgon in Justice League Europe #15 (June )
• Hank Henshaw in Adventures of Superman #465 (April )
• Timothy Hunter in The Books of Magic v1 #1
• Willoughby Kipling in Doom Patrol v2 #31 (April )
• Legion (DC Comics) in Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #2 (January )
• Manfred Mota in The Flash 50th Anniversary Special
• Neon (comics) in Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #6 (April )
• NKVDemon in Batman #445 (March )
• 'The Orishas in Firestorm the Nuclear Man v2 #95 (March )
• Reflex in Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #6 (April )
• Kent Shakespeare in Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #12 (December )
• Titania in The Sandman #19 (September )
• Tracer in Justice League Europe #16 (July )
• Trinity in New Titans Annual #6
• Yuga Khan in New Gods v3 #17 (June )

Marvel Comics

• Abominatrix in Sensational She-Hulk #21 (November )
• Agamemnon in The Incredible Hulk (December )
• Ahab (comics) in Fantastic Four Annual #23
• Blackout II in Ghost Rider v2 #2 (June )
• Bliss in Uncanny X-Men #261 (May)
• Bloodlust I in Marvel Comics Presents #48 (April )
• Bloodwraith in Black Knight #2 (July )
• Cable in New Mutants #87 (March )
• Captain Atlas in Quasar #9 (April )
• Cardiac in The Amazing Spider-Man #342 (December )
• Deathlok III in Deathlok #1 (July )
• Deathwatch in Ghost Rider v2 #1 (May)
• Dittomaster in Damage Control v2 #4 (February )
• Stacey Dolan in Ghost Rider v2 #1 (May)
• Jack D'Uria in Ghost Rider v2 #4 (Aug)
• Kearson DeWitt in Iron Man Annual #13 (July )
• Foolkiller III in Foolkiller v1 #1 (October )
• Gambit in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14
• Ghost Rider II in Ghost Rider v2 #1 (May)
• The Lifeform in Punisher Annual #3
• Midnight's Fire in New Warriors #2 (August )
• Mindblast in The Amazing Spider-Man #340 (October )
• The Monster Pretenders in The Transformers #67 (June )
• Julius Rassitano in The Mighty Thor v1 #426 (November )
• The Mutant Liberation Front in The New Mutants #86 (February ) (all members appeared at the date mentioned, except where noted. otherwise)
  • Dragoness in New Mutants #93 (September )
  • Forearm
  • Kamikaze in New Mutants #93 (September )
  • Reaper
  • Strobe
  • Stryfe
  • Tempo
  • Thumbelina
  • Wildside
  • Zero
• Psionex in New Warriors #4 (October )
  • Asylum I
  • Coronary
  • Dwight Hubbard
  • Heidi P. Franklin
  • Mathemanic
• Silhouette in New Warriors #2 (August)
• Whiplash II in Marvel Comics Presents #46 (May)

Independent titles

• Armoured Gideon in 2000AD (March 24)
• Garganta in Femforce #30
• Madman in Creatures of the Id (October)

Newspapers

• Peggy Jean in Peanuts (July 23)
• The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (December 10)