# 1939 in comics

Notable events of 1939 in comics.

## Events and publications
### January

* Ace Comics (1937 series) #22 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics (1938 series) #8 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics (1938 series) #34 – National Allied Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies (1938 series) #5 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics (1937 series) #23 – National Allied Publications
* Feature Funnies (1937 series) #16 – Comic Favorites, Inc.
* Funny Picture Stories (1939 series) #1 - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics (1936 series) #39 – National Periodical Publications
* Star Ranger Funnies (1939 series) #1 - Centaur Publications

### February

* Ace Comics #23 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #9 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #35 – National Allied Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #6 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #24 – National Allied Publications
* Feature Funnies #17 – Comic Favorites, Inc.
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #1 (24) - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics #40 – National Periodical Publications
* Star Comics (1939 series) #1 - Centaur Publications

### March

* 15 March: DC Comics files a lawsuit against Fox Feature Syndicate for copyright infringement of Superman by Fox’s character Wonder Man first appearing in Wonder Comics #1 (May 1939). In 1940 DC won the suit and Fox was forced to stop using the Wonder Man character. He only appeared in Wonder Comics #1. In 1964 Marvel Comics would introduce their Wonder Man with no association with Fox’s character.
* Ace Comics #24 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #10 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #36 – National Allied Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #7 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #25 – National Allied Publications
* Feature Funnies #18 – Comic Favorites, Inc.
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #2 (25) - Centaur Publications
* Funny Picture Stories (1939 series) #2 - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics #41 – National Periodical Publications
* Star Comics (1939 series) #2 - Centaur Publications

### April

* Ace Comics #25 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #11 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #37 – National Allied Publications
* All-American Comics #1 – All-American Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #8 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #26 – National Allied Publications
* Feature Funnies #19 – Comic Favorites, Inc.
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #3 (26) - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics #42 – National Periodical Publications
* Movie Comics (1939 series) #1 – National Periodical Publications
* Star Comics (1939 series) #3 - Centaur Publications
* Star Ranger Funnies (1939 series) #2 - Centaur Publications

### May

* May 20: In Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse comic strip the villain Phantom Blot and the policeman Chief O'Hara make their debut; in the story Outwits the Phantom Blot.
* Ace Comics #26 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #12 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #38 – National Allied Publications
* All-American Comics #2 – All-American Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #9 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #27 – National Allied Publications – First appearance of Batman
* Feature Funnies #20 – Comic Favorites, Inc.
* Funny Picture Stories (1939 series) #3 - Centaur Publications, Final Issue
* More Fun Comics #43 – National Periodical Publications
* Movie Comics #2 – National Periodical Publications
* Star Comics (1939 series) #4 - Centaur Publications
* Wonder Comics #1 - Fox Feature Syndicate

### June

* Ace Comics #27 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #13 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #39 – National Allied Publications
* All-American Comics #3 – National Allied Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #10 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #28 – National Allied Publications
* Feature Comics (previously Feature Funnies) #21 – Quality Comics
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #4 (27) - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics #44 – National Periodical Publications
* Movie Comics #3 – National Periodical Publications
* Star Comics (1939 series) #5 - Centaur Publications
* Star Ranger Funnies (1939 series) #3 - Centaur Publications
* Superman (1939 series) #1, cover dated Summer – National Periodical Publications
* Wonder Comics #2 - Fox Feature Syndicate

### July

* 1 July: Fox Feature Syndicate renames Wonder Comics to Wonderworld Comics starting with issue #3.
* Ace Comics #28 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #14 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #40 – National Allied Publications. In this issue Gardner Fox, Bert Christman, Ogden Whitney and Creig Flessel's The Sandman makes his debut.
* All-American Comics #4 – All-American Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #11 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #29 – National Allied Publications. In this issue Gardner Fox introduces Batman's utility belt in Batman by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
* Feature Comics #22 – Quality Comics
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #5 (28) - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics #45 – National Periodical Publications
* Movie Comics #4 – National Periodical Publications
* Star Comics (1939 series) #6 - Centaur Publications
* The Magic Comic #1 – D. C. Thomson & Co.
* Wonderworld Comics #3 - Fox Feature Syndicate, Will Eisner and Jerry Iger's The Flame makes his debut.

### August

* Ace Comics #29 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #15 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #41 – National Allied Publications
* All-American Comics #5 – All-American Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #12 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #30 – National Allied Publications
* Feature Comics #23 – Quality Comics
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #6 (29) - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics #46 – National Periodical Publications
* Movie Comics #5 – National Periodical Publications
* Mystery Men Comics #1 (1939 series) – Fox Feature Syndicate – First appearance of Blue Beetle
* Star Comics (1939 series) #7 - Centaur Publications, Final Issue
* Star Ranger Funnies (1939 series) #4 - Centaur Publications
* Smash Comics #1 (1939 series) – Quality Comics
* Wonderworld Comics #4 - Fox Feature Syndicate

### September

* Newspaper strip Ben Bowyang by Alex Gurney begins publication
* Ace Comics #30 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #16 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #42 – National Allied Publications
* All-American Comics #6 – All-American Publications
* Amazing Man Comics (1939 series) #5 – Centaur Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #13 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #31 – National Allied Publications. In this issue Gardner Fox introduces the Batarang in Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
* Feature Comics #24 – Quality Comics
* Four Color Series 1 (1939 series) #1 – Dell Publishing
** First comic-book appearance of Dick Tracy, who was already a popular feature in newspaper comics since 1931.
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #7 (30) - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics #47 – National Periodical Publications
* Movie Comics #6 – National Periodical Publications, Final Issue
* Mutt and Jeff (1939 series) #1 – National Periodical Publications
* Mystery Men Comics #2 – Fox Feature Syndicate
* Smash Comics #2 – Quality Comics
* Superman #2, cover dated Fall – National Periodical Publications
* Wonderworld Comics No. 5 - Fox Feature Syndicate

### October

* October 15: Dorothy Urfer and Virginia Krausmann's Annibelle ends its run after a decade of publication.
* October: Russell Keaton's Flyin' Jenny makes its debut. It will run until 1946.
* Ace Comics #31 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #17 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #43 – National Allied Publications
* All-American Comics #7 – All-American Publications
* Amazing Man Comics #6 – Centaur Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #14 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #32 – National Allied Publications
* Feature Comics #25 – Quality Comics
* Four Color Series 1 #2 – Dell Publishing
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #8 (31) - Centaur Publications
* Marvel Comics (becomes Marvel Mystery Comics) (1939 series) #1 – Timely Comics
* More Fun Comics #48 – National Periodical Publications
* Mystery Men Comics #3 – Fox Feature Syndicate
* Smash Comics #3 – Quality Comics
* Star Ranger Funnies (1939 series) #5 - Centaur Publications
* Wonderworld Comics #6 - Fox Feature Syndicate

### November

* Ace Comics #32 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #18 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #44 – National Allied Publications
* All-American Comics #8 – All-American Publications
* Amazing Man Comics #7 – Centaur Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #15 – Centaur Publications
* Blue Beetle #1 – Fox Feature Syndicate
* Detective Comics #33 – National Allied Publications
* Double Action Comics #1 — National Allied Publications. Released only in New York City newsstands, Double Action Comics was most likely an "ashcan", a limited-run publication produced simply to register the title. It had a black-and-white cover, with the contents pulled from Action Comics No. 2.
* Feature Comics #26 – Quality Comics
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #9 (32) - Centaur Publications
* More Fun Comics #49 – National Periodical Publications
* Mystery Men Comics #4 – Fox Feature Syndicate
* Smash Comics #4 – Quality Comics
* Superman #3 – National Allied Publications – Winter Issue
* Wonderworld Comics #7 - Fox Feature Syndicate

### December

* Will Eisner leaves the comics studio Eisner & Iger.
* Ace Comics #33 – David McKay Publications
* Action Comics #19 – National Allied Publications
* Adventure Comics #45 – National Allied Publications
* All-American Comics #9 – All-American Publications
* Amazing Man Comics #8 – Centaur Publications
* Amazing Mystery Funnies #16 – Centaur Publications
* Detective Comics #34 – National Allied Publications
* Double Action Comics (1939 series) #1 – National Periodical Publications (ashcan copy, distributed only in New York City newsstands)
* Fantastic Comics (1939 series) #1 - Fox Feature Syndicate
* Feature Comics #27 – Quality Comics – In this issue Will Eisner and Lou Fine's Doll Man makes his debut.
* Funny Pages (1939 series) #10 (33) - Centaur Publications
* Marvel Mystery Comics (previously Marvel Comics) #2 – Timely Comics
* More Fun Comics #50 – National Periodical Publications
* Mystery Men Comics #5 – Fox Feature Syndicate
* Smash Comics #5 – Quality Comics
* Wonderworld Comics #8 - Fox Feature Syndicate

### Specials

* New York World's Fair (1939 series) #1 – National Periodical Publications
* Mutt & Jeff (1939 series) #1 – All-American Comics

### Specific date unknown

* The first episode of Arthur Warden's Tuffy and his Magic Tail is published.
* Lev Gleason founds the comic book company Lev Gleason Publications.
* A boom year for the burgeoning American comic book industry, as Archie Comics, Fawcett Comics, Fox Feature Syndicate, Lev Gleason Publications, Marvel Comics/Timely Comics, Nedor Comics, and Quality Comics all begin publishing.
* The Serbian comic strip Zigomar by writer Branko Vidić and artist Nikola Navojev begins publication.

## Births
### March

* March 27: Jo Teodorescu, Romanian illustrator and comics artist (Aventurile profesului Parbriz), (d. 2014).

### April

* April 10: Shinji Mizushima, Japanese manga artist (Yakyū-kyō no Uta, Dokaben, Abu-san), (d. 2022).

## Deaths
### January

* January 18: Carl E. Schultze, American comics artist (Foxy Grandpa), dies at age 72.
* January 20: Victor Bergdahl, Swedish animator and comics artist (Kapten Grogg), dies at age 60.

### June

* June 28: Joz De Swerts, Belgian illustrator, political cartoonist and comics artist (worked for Zonneland), dies at age 49.

### July

* July 4: Louis Wain, British painter and illustrator (illustrations starring anthropomorphic cats), dies at age 78.
* July 25: A.E. Hayward, American comics artist (Somebody's Stenog), dies at age 55.

### August

* August 14: T.E. Powers, American comics artist (Our Moving Pictures, Mr. Nobody Holme), dies at the age of 69.

### September

* September 8: Elie Smalhout, Dutch graphic artist, illustrator and comics artist (made text comics for De Notenkraker), dies at age 49.
* September 23: Frits Van den Berghe, Belgian painter, illustrator and comic artist (Jan Van Plan, Pikkel en Duim, Edmund Bell), dies at age 56.
* September 29: Luc Lafnet, aka Davine, Visnet, O. Lucas, Pol, Luc, Belgian-French comics artist (Bizouk et Pélik, Zizette, assisted on Spirou et Fantasio, Bibor et Tribar), dies at age 40 from pancreatic cancer.

### October

* October 10: Benjamin Rabier, French comics artist, illustrator, animator and advertising artist (Gédéon, Tintin-Lutin, designed La Vache Qui Rit), dies at age 74.
* October 12: Llorenç Brunet i Forroll, Spanish caricaturist, painter and comics artist, dies at age 67.
* October 18: Carl Olof Petersen, Swedish illustrator, painter and comics artist, dies at age 59.

### November

* November 22: Walter Hoban, American comics artist (Jerry on the Job), dies at age 49.

### December

* December 18: Bruno Liljefors, Swedish painter and comics artist, dies at age 79.

### Specific date unknown

* Paul Augros, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 58.
* Louis de Lajarrige, French illustrator, painter, comics artist and writer, dies at age 66.
* E. Nicolson, French illustrator and comics artist (Les Aventures du Chien Brownie, Bambochard et Trémolo), dies at an unknown age.

## First issues by title

* All-American Comics (April, All-American Publications)
* Amazing Man Comics (September, Centaur Publications) Issues No. 1 through 4 were not published.
* Double Action Comics (December, National Periodical Publications) The first issue was an ashcan copy, published but not distributed or sold.
* Fantastic Comics (December, Fox Feature Syndicate)
* Four Color (Dell Publishing)
* Marvel Comics (October, Timely Comics)
* Movie Comics (April, National Periodical Publications)
* Mutt & Jeff (Summer, All-American Comics)
* Mystery Men Comics (August, Fox Feature Syndicate)
* New York World's Fair (National Periodical Publications)
* Silver Streak Comics (December, Rhoda Publications)
* Smash Comics (August, Quality Comics)
* Star Comics Volume 2 (February, Centaur Publications)
* Star Ranger Funnies Volume 2 (January, Centaur Publications)
* Superman (Summer, National Periodical Publications)
* The Magic Comic (July, D. C. Thomson & Co.)
* Wonder Comics (May, Fox Feature Syndicate)

### Renamed titles

* Feature Comics renamed Feature Funnies as of the June cover date.
* Marvel Comics renamed Marvel Mystery Comics as of the December cover date.
* Wonder Comics renamed Wonderworld Comics starting with issue #3 with a cover date of July.

## Initial appearances by character name

* Batman (Earth-Two) in Detective Comics No. 27 (May), created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, published by National Allied Publications
* Bozo the Iron Man in Smash Comics No. 1 (August), created by George Brenner, published by Quality Comics.
* Commissioner Gordon in Detective Comics No. 27 (May) created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, published by National Allied Publications
* Dan Garret (Blue Beetle) in Mystery Men Comics No. 1 (August), created by Charles Nicholas, published by Fox Feature Syndicate.
* Doctor Death (comics) in Detective Comics No. 29 (July), created by Bob Kane, published by National Periodical Publications
* Doll Girl in Feature Comics No. 27 (December), created by Will Eisner, Published by Quality Comics.
* Doll Man in Feature Comics No. 27 (December), created by Will Eisner, Published by Quality Comics.
* Green Mask (Michael Shelby) in Mystery Men Comics No. 1 (August), created by Walter Frame, Published by Fox Feature Syndicate.
* Human Torch in Marvel Comics No. 1 (October) created by Carl Burgos, published by Timely Comics
* Invisible Hood in Smash Comics No. 1 (August), created by Art Pinajian, published by Quality Comics.
* Joe Chill in Detective Comics No. 33 (November), created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
* Monk (comics) in Detective Comics No. 31 (September), created by Gardner Fox and Bob Kane, published by National Periodical Publications
* Namor The Sub-Mariner in Marvel Comics #1 (October) created by Bill Everett, published by Timely Comics
* Samson in Fantastic Comics #1 (December) created by Will Eisner and Alex Blum
* Sandman (Wesley Dodds) in New York World's Fair Comics No. 1, created by Gardner Fox and Bert Christman, published by National Periodical Publications.
* The Flame (Gary Preston) in Wonderworld Comics No. 3 created by Will Eisner and Lou Fine, published by Fox Feature Syndicate.
* Ultra-Humanite in Action Comics No. 13 (June), created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, published by National Periodical Publications.
* Ultra-Man in All-American Comics No. 8 (November), created by Jon L. Blummer, published by National Periodical Publications