1954 in comics
Encyclopedia
Events and publications
- Publication of Seduction of the InnocentSeduction of the InnocentSeduction of the Innocent is a book by German-American psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, published in 1954, that warned that comic books were a negative form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. The book was a minor bestseller that created alarm in parents and galvanized...
, by American psychiatrist Fredric WerthamFredric WerthamFredric Wertham was a Jewish German-American psychiatrist and crusading author who protested the purportedly harmful effects of violent imagery in mass media and comic books on the development of children. His best-known book was Seduction of the Innocent , which purported that comic books are...
. The book warned that comic books were a negative form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. A minor bestseller, it created alarm in parents and galvanized them to campaign for censorship. - Publishers All American Comics, Comic MediaComic MediaComic Media was a short-lived comic book company owned by Allen Hardy that existed in the 1950s. Its titles were mainly action/adventure, western, and horror. Their only memorable character was Johnny Dynamite, created by Pete Morisi....
, Fiction HouseFiction HouseFiction House is an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books that existed from the 1920s to the 1950s. Its comics division was best known for its pinup-style good girl art, as epitomized by the company's most popular character, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.-History:-Jumbo and Jack...
, Star PublicationsStar PublicationsStar Publications, Inc. was a Golden Age American comic book publisher, operating during the years 1949–1954. Founded by artist/editor L.B. Cole and lawyer Gerhard Kramer, Star specialized in horror comics, crime, and romance comics — but also published funny animal stories...
, and YouthfulYouthful (publisher)Youthful was an American comic book publisher that operated from 1949–1954. The company was owned by attorney Bill Friedman and his wife Sophie, with Bill holding the title of Publisher...
go out of business.
March
- Atlas ComicsAtlas Comics (1950s)Atlas Comics is the term used to describe the 1950s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. Magazine and paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman, whose business strategy involved having a multitude of corporate entities, used Atlas as the umbrella name for his comic...
publishes Lorna, the Jungle Girl #6 (renamed from Lorna, the Jungle Queen)
April
- April 21–22: United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings on the comic book industry.
June
- "Tralla LaTralla LaTralla La is a Scrooge McDuck comic book story by Carl Barks. The story was first published in Uncle Scrooge #6 . In the story, Scrooge searches for a utopia in which money plays no role.- Plot :...
," a Scrooge McDuckScrooge McDuckScrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Scrooge is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a red or blue frock coat, top hat, pince-nez glasses, and spats...
story by Carl BarksCarl BarksCarl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
, published in Uncle ScroogeUncle ScroogeUncle Scrooge is a comic book with the stingy Scrooge McDuck "the richest duck in the world" as the main character. The series also featured Donald Duck and his nephews as supporting characters. The first 70 issues mostly consisted of stories written and drawn by Carl Barks, the creator of Scrooge...
#6 - June 4: Further meeting of United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency
September
- Formation of the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) and the Comics Code AuthorityComics Code AuthorityThe Comics Code Authority was a body created as part of the Comics Magazine Association of America, as a tool for the comics-publishing industry to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submitted comic books to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to...
(CCA) - Atlas ComicsAtlas Comics (1950s)Atlas Comics is the term used to describe the 1950s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. Magazine and paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman, whose business strategy involved having a multitude of corporate entities, used Atlas as the umbrella name for his comic...
publishes Crime Fighters Always Win #11 (renamed from TimelyTimely ComicsTimely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
's Crimefighters) - Roy of the RoversRoy of the RoversRoy of the Rovers is a British comic strip about the life and times of a fictional footballer named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers...
debuts in FleetwayFleetwayFleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
's Tiger
Atlas Comics
- Arrowhead
- Battle Ground
- Girl's Life
- Jungle ActionJungle ActionJungle Action is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics. The latter-day version is the first series starring the Black Panther, the first Black superhero in mainstream comics, created by the writer/artist team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in...
- Jungle TalesJungle TalesJungle Tales was an American comic book title published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s predecessor to Marvel Comics. It was an anthology title of stories set in an African jungle.-Publication history:...
- Marines in Battle
- Navy Action
- Outlaw Fighters
- Outlaw KidOutlaw KidThe Outlaw Kid is a fictional Western hero in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe, whose comic book series was originally released by the company's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics...
- Police Action
- The Ringo Kid Western
- Riot
- Rugged Action
- Semper Fi
- Spy Thrillers
- Western KidWestern KidThe Western Kid is a fictional Old West character in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe, and the star of Western feature published by Marvel's 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics.-Publication history:...
- Western Outlaws
- Western Thrillers
- Wild
National ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
- Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen (Oct.)
- Our Fighting ForcesOur Fighting ForcesOur Fighting Forces is a DC Comics war-anthology comic book series that ran for 181 issues from 1954-1978.Writer-editor Robert Kanigher and writer-artist Jack Kirby were among the comics creators whose work appeared in the title...
(Oct.)
Atlas ComicsAtlas Comics (1950s)Atlas Comics is the term used to describe the 1950s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. Magazine and paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman, whose business strategy involved having a multitude of corporate entities, used Atlas as the umbrella name for his comic...
- Gorilla-ManGorilla-ManGorilla-Man is the name of three fictional characters appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. Ken Hale first appeared in Men's Adventures #26 , while Arthur Nagan first appeared in Mystery Tales #21 , and Franz Radzik first appeared in Tales to Astonish #28 .-Ken Hale:200px|thumb|left|Cover art...
(Ken Hale) in Men's Adventures #26 (Mar.) - Gorilla-ManGorilla-ManGorilla-Man is the name of three fictional characters appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. Ken Hale first appeared in Men's Adventures #26 , while Arthur Nagan first appeared in Mystery Tales #21 , and Franz Radzik first appeared in Tales to Astonish #28 .-Ken Hale:200px|thumb|left|Cover art...
(Arthur Nagan) in Mystery Tales #21 ([Sept.) - Jann of the JungleJann of the JungleJann of the Jungle is a fictional comic book jungle girl protagonist created by writer Don Rico and artist Jay Scott Pike in the anthology title Jungle Tales #1 , published by Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics....
in Jungle TalesJungle TalesJungle Tales was an American comic book title published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s predecessor to Marvel Comics. It was an anthology title of stories set in an African jungle.-Publication history:...
#1 (Sept.) - M-11M-11 (comics)M-11 is a fictional robot in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was given the name "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 Agents of Atlas miniseries as an allusion to its first appearance in Menace #11 from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics.-Publication...
in MenaceMenace (Atlas Comics)Menace was a 1953 to 1954 American crime/horror anthology comic book series published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s precursor of Marvel Comics. It is best known for the first appearance of the supernatural Marvel character the Zombie, in a standalone story that became the basis for the 1970s...
#11 (May) - Outlaw KidOutlaw KidThe Outlaw Kid is a fictional Western hero in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe, whose comic book series was originally released by the company's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics...
in The Outlaw Kid #1 (Sept.) - Western KidWestern KidThe Western Kid is a fictional Old West character in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe, and the star of Western feature published by Marvel's 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics.-Publication history:...
in The Western Kid #1 (Nov.)
National ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
- Angle ManAngle ManAngle Man is a fictional DC Comics supervillain.-Publishing history:The Angle Man was created as a recurring foil for Wonder Woman during the period in which Robert Kanigher took over as writer of the comic book....
in Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
#70 (Nov. 1954) - CrimesmithCrimesmith-Crimesmith I:The first Crimesmith made only one starring appearance, in World's Finest Comics #68 , in the story "The Secret Weapons of the Crimesmith!" Rand Garrow is a small-time crook sent to prison by Batman. He uses his time in jail to learn how to construct elaborate machines...
in World's Finest ComicsWorld's Finest ComicsWorld's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
#68 (Jan./Feb.) - Janu the Jungle BoyJanu the Jungle BoyJanu the Jungle Boy is a fictional character published by DC Comics. He is a young boy brought up in the jungle after his father has been killed by a tiger, and who appears as a sidekick to Congo Bill, who adopts him as his ward...
in Action ComicsAction ComicsAction Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#191 (Apr.) - MystoMystoMysto, Magician Detective is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Detective Comics #203 .-Publication history:...
in Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#203 (Jan.) - Space CabbieSpace CabbieSpace Cabbie is a science fiction character that first appeared in the comic book Mystery in Space #21 . He was series created by Otto Binder and Howard Sherman.-Fictional character biography:...
in Mystery in SpaceMystery in SpaceMystery in Space is the name of two science fiction comic book series published in the United States by DC Comics, then known as National Comics. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 - 1966, with a further 7 issues continuing the numbering during a 1980s revival of the title...
#21 (Aug.)
Newspaper strips
- Charlotte BraunCharlotte BraunCharlotte Braun is a former character from Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts, who first appeared on November 30, 1954. She was originally intended as a female counterpart of the strip's protagonist, Charlie Brown . This role was later taken by Sally Brown, Charlie Brown's little sister...
in PeanutsPeanutsPeanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
(Nov. 30) - Pig-PenPig-Pen"Pig-Pen" is a character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. He is a young boy who is, except on very rare occasions, very dirty.-History:"Pig-Pen" is a nickname, invariably written in quotation marks in the strip...
in PeanutsPeanutsPeanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
(July 13)