1942 in comics

Events and publications

Year overall

• Joe Simon and Jack Kirby leave Timely Comics and move to National Comics.

  January

• Fox Publications goes bankrupt, which means the end of the series The Flame.
• Action Comics #44 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #70 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #34 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #10 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics #20 - Quality Comics
• Daring Mystery Comics #8 - final issue, cancelled by Timely Comics
• Detective Comics #59 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #25 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #27 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #74 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #1 featuring Wonder Woman — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #4 - DC Comics
• Superman #14 - DC Comics
• U.S.A. Comics #3 - Timely Comics

  February

• Action Comics #45 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #71 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #35 - DC Comics
• All-Star Comics #9 - DC Comics
• Batman #9 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #11 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics #21 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics #60 - DC Comics
• Dime Comics #1 - Leo Bachle reinvents the Canadian national personification Johnny Canuck as a superhero comic.
• Flash Comics #26 - DC Comics
• Jingle Jangle Comics #1 - Eastern Color
• Marvel Mystery Comics #28 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #76 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #2 — DC Comics: In this issue the Wonder Woman characters Etta Candy and Doctor Poison make their debut.
• Star Spangled Comics #5 - DC Comics

  March

• March 6: The Captain Marvel villain Ibac makes his debut.
• March 11: Marten Toonder's Tom Poes story De Zieke Hertog marks the debut of Olivier B. Bommel's faithful butler Joost.
• The Dutch comics magazine Sjors is banned on Nazi orders. It will reappear after the war in June 1947.
• The final issue of Blue Ribbon Comics is published.
• The final issue of Human Top is published.
• Action Comics #46 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #72 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #36 - DC Comics
• All-Winners Comics #4 - Timely Comics
• Captain America Comics #12 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics #22 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics #61 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #27 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #29 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #77 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #3 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #6 - DC Comics
• Superman #15 - DC Comics

  Spring Issue

• All Flash Quarterly #4 - DC Comics
• Green Lantern Quarterly #3 - DC Comics
• Leading Comics #2 - DC Comics
• World's Finest Comics #5 - DC Comics

  April

• April 16: Marten Toonder's Tom Poes story Het Monster-Ei marks the debut of Wammes Waggel.
• April 20: The first episode of Crockett Johnson's Barnaby is published.
• Action Comics #47 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #73 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #37 - DC Comics
• All-Star Comics #10 - DC Comics
• Batman #10 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #13 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics #62 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #28 - DC Comics
• Human Torch Comics #7 - Timely Comics
• Joker Comics #1 - Timely Comics. In its first issue Basil Wolverton's Powerhouse Pepper makes its debut. The series will run until the spring of 1948.
• Marvel Mystery Comics #30 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #78 - DC Comics
• Red Ryder Comics, with issue #6, taken over from Hawley by Dell Comics.
• Sensation Comics #4 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #7 - DC Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics #5 - Timely Comics
• Young Allies Comics #3 - Timely Comics

  May

• May 16: The British comics magazine Funny Wonder merges with another magazine Wonder.
• The final episode of Tailspin Tommy, originally created by Hal Forrest, is published.
• Action Comics #48 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #74 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #38 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #14 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics #23 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics #63 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #29 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #31 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #79 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #5 — DC Comics: In this issue the supervillain Paula von Gunther makes her debut.
• Star Spangled Comics #8 - DC Comics
• Superman #16 - DC Comics
• U.S.A. Comics #4 - Timely Comics

  June

• June 11: Hergé's Tintin story The Secret of the Unicorn is prepublished in Le Soir. Halfway the story butler Nestor and the castle of Marlinspike Hall make their debut.
• June 13: The final episode of comic strip The Shadow by Walter B. Gibson and Vernon Greene is published.
• Action Comics #49 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #75 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #39 - DC Comics
• All Star Comics #11 - DC Comics
• All-Winners Comics #5 - Timely Comics
• Batman #11 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #15 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics #64 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #30 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #32 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #80 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #6 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #9 - DC Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics #6 - Timely Comics
• Yank, the Army Weekly #1 - Harvey Comics: In its first issue George Baker's Sad Sack makes its debut.
• Young Allies Comics #4 - Timely Comics

  Summer Issue

• All Flash Quarterly #5 - DC Comics. In this issue the villain trio Winky, Blinky, and Noddy make their debut.
• Green Lantern Quarterly #4 - DC Comics
• Leading Comics #3 - DC Comics
• Wonder Woman #1 - DC Comics, which marks the first stand-alone series of William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter's Wonder Woman. In its first issue supervillain Ares makes his debut.
• World's Finest Comics #6 - DC Comics

  July

• The American comics magazine The Funnies changes its name to New Funnies.
• Action Comics #50 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #76 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #40 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #16 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics #24 - Quality Comics
• Crime Does Not Pay debuts with issue #22, continuing the numbering of Silver Streak Comics — Lev Gleason Publications
• Detective Comics #65 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #31 - DC Comics
• Human Torch Comics #8 - Timely Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #33 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #81 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #7 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #10 - DC Comics
• Superman #17 - DC Comics
• U.S.A. Comics #5 - Timely Comics

  August

• In Al Capp's Li'l Abner the comic-within-a-comic Fearless Fosdick makes its debut, though only as a reference. For his first adventure within the series itself readers have to wait until 19 June 1944.
• Action Comics #51 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #77 - DC Comics: In this issue Alfred Bester and Stan Kaye's Genius Jones makes its debut.
• All-American Comics #41 - DC Comics
• All Star Comics #12 - DC Comics
• Batman #12 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #17 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics #66 - DC Comics: In this issue the Batman villain Harvey Dent, better known as Two-Face, makes his debut.
• Flash Comics #32 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #34 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #82 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #8 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #11 - DC Comics

  September

• September 4: In Chester Gould's Dick Tracy the villain Pruneface makes his debut.
• Action Comics #52 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #78 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #42 - DC Comics
• All-Winners Comics #6 - Timely Comics
• Captain America Comics #18 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics #25 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics #67 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #33 - DC Comics
• Human Torch Comics #9 - Timely Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #35 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #83 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #9 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #12 - DC Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics #7 - Timely Comics
• Superman #18 - DC Comics
• Young Allies Comics #5 - Timely Comics

  Fall Issue

• All Flash #6, previously All Flash Quarterly - DC Comics
• Green Lantern Quarterly #5 - DC Comics
• Leading Comics #4 - DC Comics
• Wonder Woman #2 - DC Comics
• World's Finest Comics #7 - DC Comics

  October

• October 1: Bob Karp, Carl Barks and Jack Hannah create the first American adventure comics series based on Donald Duck. The series kicks off with the story Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold.
• Action Comics #53 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #79 - DC Comics
• All-American Comics #43 - DC Comics
• All Star Comics #13 - DC Comics
• Batman #13 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #19 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics #68 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #34 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #36 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #84 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #10 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #13 - DC Comics

  November

• Action Comics #54 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #80 - DC Comics
• Air Fighter Comics #2 - Hillman Periodicals
• All-American Comics #44 - DC Comics
• All-Flash #07, previously quarterly - DC Comics
• All-Winners Comics #7 - Timely Comics
• Captain America Comics #20 - Timely Comics
• Crack Comics #26 - Quality Comics
• Detective Comics #69 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #35 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #37 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #85 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #11 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #14 - DC Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics #8 - Timely Comics
• Superman #19 - DC Comics

  December

• The Swedish comic strip Allan Kämpe by Eugen Semitjov makes its debut.
• Action Comics #55 - DC Comics
• Adventure Comics #81 - DC Comics
• Air Fighters Comics #3 - Hillman Periodicals: In this issue Heap makes his debut.
• All-American Comics #45 - DC Comics
• All Star Comics #14 - DC Comics
• Batman #14 - DC Comics
• Captain America Comics #21 - Timely Comics
• Detective Comics #70 - DC Comics
• Flash Comics #36 - DC Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics #38 - Timely Comics
• More Fun Comics #86 - DC Comics
• Sensation Comics #12 — DC Comics
• Star Spangled Comics #15 - DC Comics
• U.S.A. Comics #6 - Timely Comics

  Winter Issue

• Boy Commandos #1 - DC Comics
• Comic Cavalcade #1 - DC Comics
• Green Lantern Quarterly #6 - DC Comics
• Leading Comics #5 - DC Comics
• World's Finest Comics #8 - DC Comics
• Eugen Semitjov begins publishing Allan Kämpe

  Specific date unknown

• The final issue of the Flemish comics magazine Wonderland is published, a supplement to the newspaper De Dag.
• The first episode of Carl Grubert's The Berrys is published. It will run until 1974.
• Bovil creates his comic strip Tusen Och en Natt, based on Arabian Nights. It will run until his death in 1949.
• Vic Herman creates Winnie the Wac.
• Philip Mendoza draws The Early Life of Winston Churchill, which is the earliest biographical comic about Winston Churchill.

  Deaths

April

• April 1: Charles H. Wellington, American comics artist, passes away at age 48.

  May

• May 12: George William Wakefield, British comics artist, dies from a stroke at age 54.
• May 14: René Bull, Irish comics illustrator and comics artist, passes away at the age of 79.

  July

• July 11: Antonio Salemme, Italian comics artist, dies at the age of 48 or 49.
• July 21: Giove Toppi, Italian comics artist, dies at age 53.

  August

• August 10: Albert Guillaume, French caricaturist, illustrator and poster designer who also made some occasional pantomime comics, dies at age 69.

  September

• September 11: Horst Rosenthal, German-born French comics artist, is executed in Auschwitz at the age of 27.

  November

• November 7: J. Norman Lynd, American comics artist, dies at age 63.
• November 11: Billy DeBeck, American comics artist, dies at the age of 52.
• November 26: Larry Whittington, American comics artist dies in a car accident at the age of 39.

  Specific date unknown

• Joe Devlin, American comics artist, dies at an unknown age.
• Emil Reinicke, German comics artist, passes away at age 82 or 83.
• Josiah Walker, aka Jos Walker, British comics artist, dies at age 55.

  First issues by title

• Boy Commandos, cover-dated Winter, published by DC Comics.
• Comic Cavalcade, cover-dated Winter, published by DC Comics
• Hangman Comics, cover-dated Spring, published by MLJ Magazines Inc.
• Sensation Comics, cover-dated January, published by DC Comics.
• Wonder Woman, cover-dated Summer, published by DC Comics.

  Initial appearances by character name

• Airboy in Air Fighters Comics #2, created by writers Charles Biro and Dick Wood, and artist Al Camy - Hillman Periodicals
• Air Wave in Detective Comics #60, created by Murray Boltinoff - DC Comics
• Boomerang in More Fun Comics #79 - DC Comics
• Dan the Dyna-Mite in Star Spangled Comics #7, created by Mort Weisinger and Hal Sharp - DC Comics
• Dan Turpin in Detective Comics #64, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby - DC Comics
• Doctor Poison in Sensation Comics #2, created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter - DC Comics
• Etta Candy' in Sensation Comics #2, created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter - DC Comics
• False-Face in Leading Comics #2, created by Mort Weisinger and Creig Flessel
• Gay Ghost in Sensation Comics #1, created by Gardner Fox and Howard Purcell - DC Comics
• Guardian in Star Spangled Comics #7, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby - DC Comics
• Heap in Air Fighters Comics #3, created by Harry Stein and Mort Leav - Hillman Periodicals
• Kid Eternity in Hit Comics #25, created by Otto Binder and Sheldon Moldoff - DC Comics
• Liberty Belle in Boy Commandos #1, created by Don Cameron and Chuck Winter - DC Comics
• Mary Marvel in Captain Marvel Adventures #18, created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze - DC Comics
• Metallo in World's Finest Comics #6, created by Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino - DC Comics
• Mister Terrific in Sensation Comics #1, created by Charles Resizenstein and Hal Sharpe
• Paul Kirk, created by Jack Kirby, in Adventure Comics #58, published by DC Comics.
• The Prankster in Action Comics #51, created by Jerry Siegel and John Sikela - DC Comics
• The Puzzler in Action Comics #49, created by Jerry Siegel and John Sikela - DC Comics
• Shade in Flash Comics #33,created by Gardner Fox - DC Comics
• Rag Doll in Flash Comics #36, created by Gardner Fox - DC Comics
• Robotman in Star Spangled Comics #7, created by Jerry Siegel and Leo Nowak - DC Comics
• Sal Maroni in Detective Comics #66, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane - DC Comics
• Spider Widow in Feature Comics #57, created by Frank Borth - DC Comics
• TNT in Star Spangled Comics #7, created by Mort Weisinger and Hal Sharp - DC Comics
• Two Face in Detective Comics #66, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane - DC Comics
• Wildcat in Sensation Comics #1, created by Bill Finger and Irwin Hasen - DC Comics