1972 in comics

Years in comics
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Notable events of 1972 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events

• Marvel Comics forms their British publishing arm, Marvel UK (under the corporate name Magazine Management London Ltd.).
• Phil Seuling founds East Coast Seagate Distribution, developing the concept of the direct market distribution system for getting comics directly into comic book specialty shops, bypassing the established newspaper/magazine distributor method.
• Art Spiegelman publishes "Maus", a three-page strip which will eventually turn into Maus, for Funny Aminals [cq], an underground comic published by Apex Novelties.
• DC acquires licensing rights to the Marvel Family, originally published by Fawcett Comics.
• Fleming H. Revell establishes Spire Christian Comics.
• Jacques Glénat, at only twenty years old, establishes Glénat.

January

• Korak, Son of Tarzan (1964 series), with issue #45, cancelled by Gold Key Comics. (The title is acquired and continued by DC in June.)

February

• The Brave and the Bold #100 (Feb./Mar. cover date): Batman teams up with Robin, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Green Lantern. (DC Comics)
• With issue #206, Gold Key Comics cancels Tarzan, a title it acquired from Dell Comics in 1962.

March

• Marvel Comics launches its second ongoing Spider-Man title, Marvel Team-Up.
• House of Mystery #200, edited by Joe Orlando. (DC Comics)
• March 4: Charles Biro dies at age 60.

April

• Marvel Comics launches Marvel Premiere, an anthology series.
• With issue #207, DC Comics begins publishing Tarzan, acquired from Gold Key Comics.
• With issue #89 (Apr./May cover-date), DC suspends publishing Green Lantern.

May

• Wonder Woman #200 (May/June cover date): 52-page giant, "The Beauty Hater," by Denny O'Neil and Dick Giordano. (DC Comics)
• Tomahwak, with issue #140 (May/June cover date), canceled by DC.

June

• Marvel Comics launches Luke Cage, Hero for Hire, which is the debut of the title character.
• Thor #200: "The End of the World," by Gerry Conway (pages 1, 21), Stan Lee (pages 2–20), John Buscema, and John Verpoorten.
• The Avengers #100: "Whatever Gods There Be," by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith.
• The Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, is introduced in Marvel Spotlight #4.
• Korak, Son of Tarzan, with issue #46, taken over by DC from Gold Key Comics.
• With issue #12 (June/July cover date), All-Star Western (vol. 2) changes it name to Weird Western Tales — DC Comics
• With issue #5 (June/July cover date), The Sinister House of Secret Love changes its name to Secrets of Sinister House — DC Comics

July

• After a year-long experimentation with 25-cent, 52-page comics, DC Comics reduces the price of a typical comic to 20 cents, and returns the page count to 36 pages.
• Sgt. Fury #100: "One Hundredth Anniversary," by Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers, and Mike Esposito. (Marvel Comics)

August

• Justice League of America #100: "The Unknown Soldier of Victory!", by Len Wein, Dick Dillin, and Joe Giella.
• Forever People, with issue #11, is cancelled by DC.

September

• House of Secrets #100, edited by Joe Orlando. (DC Comics)
• Stan Lee becomes Marvel Comics' publisher; Roy Thomas takes over as Marvel editor-in-chief.

October

• Date with Debbi, with issue #18 (Oct./Nov. cover date), is cancelled by DC.
• Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1: new series by writer/artist Jack Kirby is launched by DC Comics with an October/November cover date).
• New Gods, with issue #11 (Oct./Nov. cover date), is temporarily cancelled by DC (it is revived with issue #12 in 1977).
• Silver Age inker Sid Greene dies at age 66.

November

• Girls' Love Stories, with issue #180 (Nov./Dec. cover-date), cancelled by DC Comics.

December

• Justice League of America #103, Writer Len Wein and artists Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano craft the DC portion of a metafictional unofficial crossover spanning titles from both major comics companies. The Marvel chapters appear with 1973 cover dates. Each comic featured writers Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, and Len Wein, as well as Wein's first wife Glynis, interacting with Marvel or DC characters at the Rutland Halloween Parade in Rutland, Vermont. Beginning in Amazing Adventures #16 (by Englehart with art by Bob Brown and Frank McLaughlin), the story continued in Justice League of America #103 (by Wein, Dillin and Giordano), and concluded in Thor #207 (by Conway and penciler John Buscema).^[1][2][3]

Conventions

• April 25-28: First American International Congress of Comics (New York City)
• May 26–29: EC Fan Addict Convention (New York City)
• June: MultiCon (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) — 2nd occurrence of this show
• July 1–5: Comic Art Convention (Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) — Jack Kirby and Alex Toth guests of honor; announcement of the 1971 Goethe Awards
• August 18–21: San Diego's West Coast Comic Convention (e.g., the third occurrence of what is eventually known as the San Diego Comic-Con) (El Cortez Hotel, San Diego, California) — 900+ attendees; official guests: Bob Clampett, Harry Harrison, Jack Kirby, Katherine Kurtz, Mel Lazarus, Roy Thomas, Milt Gray

• Detroit Triple Fan Fair (Detroit, Michigan) — 7th edition of the convention, program includes "a history of the Detroit Triple Fan Fair"
• Nostalgia '72, Chicago Comic Con (Chicago, Illinois) — first Chicago-area comics convention,^[4] produced by Nancy Warner; attendance about 2,000 people

Awards

Shazam Awards

Presented in 1973 for comics published in 1972:

• Best Individual Story: "Dark Genesis", by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson, Swamp Thing #1 (DC Comics)
• Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic): "The Demon Within", by John Albano and Jim Aparo, House of Mystery #201 (DC)
• Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Len Wein
• Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): Berni Wrightson
• Best Humor Story: "The Poster Plague", by Steve Skeates and Sergio Aragones, House of Mystery #202 (DC)
• Best Inker (Humor Division): Sergio Aragones
• Special Award: DC letterer/proofreader Gerda Gattel "for bringing her special warmth to our history"
• Superior Achievement by an Individual: Julius Schwartz "for bringing the Shazam Family back into print"

First issue by title

DC Comics

The Demon

Release: Aug./Sept. Writer/Artist: Jack Kirby. Inker: Mike Royer.^[5]

Kamandi, The Last Boy On Earth

Release: Oct./Nov. Writer/Artist: Jack Kirby. Inker: Mike Royer.

Supergirl

Release: November. Editor: Dorothy Woolfolk.

Swamp Thing

Release: Oct./Nov. Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Bernie Wrightson.

Weird Mystery Tales

Release: July/Aug. Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell.

Weird Worlds

Release: September. Editor: Dennis O'Neil.

Marvel Comics

The Cat

Release: November. Writers: Roy Thomas and Linda Fite. Artists: Marie Severin and Wally Wood.

Chamber of Chills

Release: Nov. Writer: Steve Englehart. Editor: Roy Thomas.

The Defenders

Release: August. Writer: Steve Englehart. Artists: Sal Buscema and Frank Giacoia.

Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze

Release: October. Writers: Roy Thomas (plot) and Steve Englehart (script). Artists: Ross Andru and Jim Mooney.

Hero for Hire

Release: June. Writers: Roy Thomas, John Romita, and Archie Goodwin. Artists: George Tuska and Billy Graham.

Journey Into Mystery (vol. 2)

Release: October. Editor: Roy Thomas.

Jungle Action

Release: October. Editor: Roy Thomas.

Marvel Premiere

Release: April. Writer: Roy Thomas. Artists: Gil Kane and Dan Adkins.

Marvel Team-Up

Release: March. Writer: Roy Thomas. Artists: Ross Andru and Mike Esposito.

Marvel Triple Action

Release: February. Reprints early issues of The Avengers and Fantastic Four.

The Mighty World of Marvel

Release: October 7 (weekly) by Marvel UK.

Night Nurse

Release: November. Writer: Jean Thomas. Artist: Winslow Mortimer.

Shanna the She-Devil

Release: September. Writers: Carole Seuling and Steve Gerber. Artists: George Tuska and Vince Colletta.

Supernatural Thrillers

Release: December. Writers: Theodore Sturgeon (original story) and Roy Thomas (adaptation). Artists: Marie Severin and Frank Giacoia.

The Tomb of Dracula

Release: April. Writer: Gerry Conway. Artist: Gene Colan.

Werewolf by Night

Release: September. Writer: Gerry Conway. Artists: Mike Ploog and Frank Chiaramonte.

Other publishers

Archie at Riverdale High

Release: August by Archie Comics.

Captain Paragon

Release: by Paragon Publications. Writer/Artist: Bill Black.

Midnight Tales

Release: Dec. by Charlton. Artist: Wayne Howard.

Mystery Comics Digest

Release: March by Gold Key Comics.

The Rose of Versailles (Berusaiyu no Bara)

Release: May 21 by Margaret magazine (Shueisha). Writer/artist: Riyoko Ikeda.

Wimmen's Comix

Release: November by Last Gasp.

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Anton Arcane, in Swamp Thing #2 (Dec. 1972/Jan. 1973)
• Bernadeth, in Mister Miracle #6 (February)
• Jim Corrigan, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #149 (May)
• Destiny, in Weird Mystery Tales #1
• Devilance, in Forever People #11 (August)
• Doctor Moon, in Batman #240 (March)
• Effron the Sorcerer, in World's Finest Comics #210 (March)
• Etrigan the Demon, in The Demon #1 (August)
• Forager, in New Gods #9 (August)
• Funky Flashman, in Mister Miracle #6 (Jan./Feb.)
• Gilotina, in Mister Miracle #8 (May)
• Human Target, in Action Comics #419 (December)
• Jonah Hex, in All-Star Western #10 (Feb./Mar.)
• Kamandi, in Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth #1 (October)
• Kanto, in Mister Miracle #7 (Mar./Apr.)
• Lashina, in Mister Miracle #6 (January)
• Morgaine le Fey, in The Demon #1 (September)
• Mad Harriet, in Mister Miracle #6 (January)
• Matthew Cable, in Swamp Thing #1 (Oct./Nov.)
• Nebula Man, in Justice League of America #100 (August)
• Starbreaker, in Justice League of America #96 (February)
• Steppenwolf, in New Gods #7 (February)
• Stompa, in Mister Miracle #6 (January)
• Terra-Man, in Superman #249 (March)
• The Un-Men, in Swamp Thing #1 (Oct./Nov.)

Marvel Comics

• Adam Warlock, in Marvel Premiere #1 (April)
• Brute (Reed Richards), in Marvel Premiere #2 (May)
• Luke Cage, in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June)
• Diamondback (Willis Stryker), in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June)
• Dracula, in Tomb of Dracula #1 (April)
• Dragon Lord I, in Sub-Mariner #52 (Aug)
• Frank Drake, in Tomb of Dracula #1 (April)
• Damon Dran, in Daredevil #92 (October)
• Elric, in Conan the Barbarian #15 (March)
• Kulan Gath, in Conan the Barbarian #14 (February 1972)
• Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), in Marvel Spotlight #5 (August)
• Gibbon, in The Amazing Spider-Man #110 (July)
• Grand Director, in Captain America #153 (September)
• Hammerhead, in The Amazing Spider-Man #113
• Jonas Harrow, in The Amazing Spider-Man #114 (October)
• Mister Fear, in The Mighty Thor #200 (June)
• Night Nurse, in Night Nurse #1 (November)
• Thundra, in Fantastic Four #129 (December)
• Tigra, in The Cat #1 (November)
• Rachel van Helsing, in Tomb of Dracula #3 (July)
• Werewolf by Night, in Marvel Spotlight #2 (February)
• Zarathos, in Marvel Spotlight #5 (August)

Independent publishers

• Captain Paragon, in Captain Paragon #1 (Paragon Publications)
• Doctor Spektor, in Mystery Comics Digest #5 (Gold Key Comics, July)
• Les Aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec, in Pilote #680

References