A Century of Comics Milestones

1897 The Yellow Kid (Richard D. Outcault)
The Platinum Age of comics (1897-1932) begins with the comic strip character. Actual comic books don't exist yet in any form; all that exists are newspaper strips. Look at this as a pre-historical era for the comic book. Without these 'baby steps,' the comic book wouldn't exist.

1900s
1903 Buster Brown (Richard D. Outcault)
This aggressively merchandised character was one of the first to be used to market products, as well as the first to be nationally syndicated. This strip would break the trend of city-specific comics and set an important precedent for nationally recognizable characters. It would also lead to an increase in the sale of a certain brand of shoes.

1905 Little Nemo in Slumberland (Winsor McCay)
This brilliant newspaper strip featuring elaborate dream-like artwork is relevant strictly due to its graphic perspective. It would push the limits of a medium that not traditionally perceived as an art form.

1910s
1911 Tarzan (Edgar Rice Burroughs)
King of the Jungle, Tarzan first appears in one of America's best selling novels. Over time, he would move on to star in newspaper strips, comic books, radio serials, television and movies.

1913 Krazy Kat (George Herriman)
Considered by some the finest comic strip of all time and the inspiration for all cat & mouse strips that followed them. Tom and Jerry bow before them; Itchy and Scratchy raise a respectful chainsaw.

1920s
1922 COMIC MONTHLY (Embee Dist.)
The first monthly newsstand comic. The majority of publishers would later follow suit and have their products come out on a monthly basis.

1924 Little Orphan Annie (Harold Gray)
This lovable vagabond ragamuffin of newspapers, radio, a Broadway musical and many other media makes her debut.

1929 Buck Rogers (Phil Nowlan)
The outer space hero begins his adventures some 500 years in the future and would only face waning interest when the real world caught up technologically.

1929 THE FUNNIES (Dell Publishing Co.)
The first four-color monthly newsstand comic.

1930s
1930 MICKEY MOUSE BOOK (Bibo & Lang)
This was the first Disney comic ever published, featuring the iconic mouse himself who was riding the success of his first few cartoons.

1931 Dick Tracy (Chester Gould)
The debut of the popular newspaper strip detective whose gadgets, villains and crusade would be as exciting as his character. Pruneface, Flat Top and Breathless Mahoney became household names while Tracy's two-way wrist radio and bright yellow trenchcoat were sought after.

1931 Popeye, THIMBLE THEATRE (Sonnet)
The comic book introduction of the spinach-swilling, pipe puffing sailor whose comebacks were things of resounding orchestras and muscles like blimps. Ack-ack-ack!

1933 FUNNIES ON PARADE (Eastern Color)
Pre-Golden Age era (1933-1938) begins with this pivotal comic book.

1934 Flash Gordon (Alex Raymond)
The science fiction adventure newspaper strip begins, followed by books, movies, and the great soundtrack by Queen.

1935 NEW FUN COMICS #1 (DC)
DC Comics, the monolith that would spawn Superman, Batman and a host of comic characters who are still being published today, began here.

1938 Superman, ACTION COMICS #1 (DC) (Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster)
Golden Age of comics (1938-1947) begins with the introduction of this pop culture icon. Superman, of course, still patrols Metropolis, though now his battles are published weekly. The Golden Age, when books where long, inexpensive and thin on advertisements, ended shortly after World War II.

1939 DETECTIVE COMICS #27 (DC)
The debut of the Dark Knight Detective, Batman, created by Bob Kane.

1939 MARVEL COMICS #1 (Timely)
Considered the first Marvel comic, introducing the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner.

1939 SUPERMAN #1 (DC)
The Man of Steel gets his own series which is still being published today under a different title: The Adventures of Superman.

1940s
1940 BATMAN #1 (DC)
The Dark Knight gets his own series, facing off against his arch-enemy, the Joker.

1940 ALL STAR COMICS #3 (DC)
The debut of the first super-hero team, the Justice Society of America.

1940 WALT DISNEY'S COMICS & STORIES #1 (Dell)
The first issue of the longest-running comic ever published.

1941 PEP COMICS #22 (Archie)
Archie Andrews, the original swingin' teen, makes his first appearance with the rest of the kooky Riverdale gang.

1941 CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 (Timely)
The patriotic American hero arrives on the scene. He would later be reintroduced in Marvel's AVENGERS in 1963.

1941 CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #1 (Elliot)
The debut of the long-running series that has annoyed English teachers and delighted students for generations.

1941 ALL STAR COMICS #8 (DC)
The first appearance of the first female super-hero, Wonder Woman.

1947 EERIE #1 (Avon)
The first horror comic debuts as the Atom Age of comics (1947-1956) begins.

1947 YOUNG ROMANCE COMICS #1 (Feature)
The first ongoing romance series snuggles up to readers.

1949 Pogo (Walt Kelly)
The sharply written and drawn political satire newspaper strip bursts on the scene, featuring a possum and his friends in the Okefenokee swamp.

1950s
1950 Peanuts (Charles Schulz)
The long-running comic strip debuts, beginning one of the first comic strip publishing and merchandising empires. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty and all the kids would carry 50 years of strips.

1950 CRYPT OF TERROR #17 (EC), HAUNT OF FEAR #15 (EC), WEIRD FANTASY #13 (EC), WEIRD SCIENCE #12 (EC)
These four issues represent the debut of the EC Comics line of science fiction and horror comics, a classic collection of material that almost led to the industry's downfall due to an uproar over content that was considered violent.

1951 Dennis the Menace (Hank Ketcham)
Oh, Mr. Wilson! The fun loving menace - along with sidekick Joey and faithful dog Ruff - wreak havoc in the kickoff of their long-running newspaper gag strip.

1952 MAD #1 (EC)
EC's seminal satire comic debuts. It would later become a hugely successful humor magazine featuring icon Alfred E. Neuman and fan favorite Spy vs. Spy.

1954 SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT (Dr. Frederic Wertham)
This infamous book condemning comics led to Senate hearings, the end of EC's current lineup, and the establishment of a voluntary Comics Code Authority to police content. Wertham claimed comics were responsible for every evil from juvenile delinquency to homosexuality to communism.

1954 WORLD'S FINEST #71 (DC)
The first Superman/Batman team-up but far from the last. The allure of the pair together is evident even today - they recently worked together in an animated television show and movie.

1956 The Flash, SHOWCASE #4 (DC)
The Silver Age of comics (1956-1969) begins with this reinvention of the Golden Age character's concepts. Silver Age Flash Barry Allen would even meet his predecessor, Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick. This would be the first of a number of successful reinventions, as many DC characters would be updated and refined.

1960s
1960 BRAVE AND THE BOLD #28 (DC)
Another Silver Age reinvention arrives as the Justice League of America thrills fans who follow the characters' individual stories, as well as those who missed the days of the Justice Society of America, the League's predecessors.

1961 FANTASTIC FOUR #1 (Marvel)
The Marvel Comics universe begins with the first issue of "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine." The story begun here continues today, as one of the first teams built from a similar origin began exploring the unknown in the hidden dimensions of the Marvel Universe.

1961 FLASH #123 (DC Comics)
This issue marks the first crossover between Golden Age and Silver Age characters. It would begin a trend of characters from the two groups interacting. The Justice Society would return to DC Comics and Marvel's Captain America and Namor would appear months later.

1962 INCREDIBLE HULK #1 (Marvel)
The issue features the first appearance of the green-skinned behemoth who would later leap to the realm of science fiction television, further popularizing the genre. Hulk Smash!

1962 AMAZING FANTASY #15 (Marvel)
The first appearance of Marvel's most popular hero - the web-slinging Spider-Man - takes place although the actual book would be cancelled with this issue, leading to the first Amazing Spider-Man.

1962 JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #83 (Marvel)
Thor, the God of Thunder, hammered his way into the Marvel Universe for the first time. Though he bore little resemblance to the red-haired, viking warrior of legend, Thor was immensly popular, eventually playing a pivotal role in the formation of Marvel's Avengers.

1963 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 (Marvel)
Spider-Man begins his first series. This would propel the web-head into multiple spin-offs and a merchandising juggernaut, as well as a popularity surge that would at one point have him carrying four titles and a host of single issue stories and miniseries besides.

1963 X-MEN #1 (Marvel)
Here debuted what may be the most popular super-team of all time. Their empire would expand to include more than a hundred different X-people on a dozen different teams.

1968 ZAP #1 (Robert Crumb)
This raunchy, underground comic would go on to become the best-selling underground comic ever, with sales of almost a million copies. To purchase Zap today, you must include a letter stating you are over 18 years of age.

1969 VAMPIRELLA #1 (Warren)
The original "Bad Girl" of comics debuts in her own black and white magazine. She has jumped from publisher to publisher over the years and usually remained a hot seller regardless.

1970s
1970 CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 (Marvel)
The Bronze Age of comics (1970-1980) begins marked by the debut of Robert E. Howard's classic barbarian in comics form.

1970 Doonesbury (Garry Trudeau)
The debut of the long-running, politically aware newspaper strip.

1971 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #96-98 (Marvel)
Featuring an LSD story that represents the first comic tale to run without the Comics Code seal, these issues would still sell through the roof, proving that the demand for stories of this caliber existed regardless of the Code's approval.

1973 "The Death of Gwen Stacy," AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 (Marvel)
One of the most moving tales in superhero history, this watershed moment in comics would take Spider-Man to new depths. More to the point, Gwen's a rarity at Marvel - except for a few clonings, she's still dead.

1974 INCREDIBLE HULK #181 (Marvel)
The brawling, cigar-chompin' anti-hero Wolverine rips onto the scene, instantly becoming a fan favorite. The Canuck would go on to join the X-Men and then later carry his own series.

1975 GIANT SIZE X-MEN #1 & X-MEN #94 (Marvel)
These issues would feature the debut of the New X-Men, revitalizing a dead franchise and sparking one of the longest running success stories in superhero comics. Today, the X-Men command two ongoing titles and a host of miniseries and one-shots.

1975 SUPERMAN VS. SPIDER-MAN (DC/Marvel)
This first ever crossover between characters from the two largest comic publishers occurs. It would spark additional crossovers over the course of the next quarter century, including an eventual amalgam of the two characters.

1977 Cerebus #1 (Dave Sim)
This quirky series about a barbarian aardvark was touted as a 300-issue novel in comic form and stands as a testament to creator-owned and produced books.

1977 SPIDER-MAN (syndicated newspaper strip)
The web spinner appears in newspapers for the first time in a still-swinging strip.

1978 SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (Warner Bros.)
The first big-screen treatment of the character in decades made Christopher Reeve an international star and spurred three additional sequels.

1980s
1980 X-MEN #137 (Marvel)
The Modern Age of comics (1980-Present) begins.

1984 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird)
This black-and-white series sparked a merchandising phenomenon that included TV series, action figures, movies and more.

1985 Calvin & Hobbes (Bill Watterson)
Considered one of the greatest newspaper strips of all time, Watterson struggles with the syndicates would lead to revolutionary changes in what comic strip artists could do.

1986 CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1-12 (DC)
This watershed storyline completely revamped DC's decades-old continuity and, along with Marvel's Secret Wars, set a precedent for a legion of crossovers.

1986 THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS (DC)
Frank Miller's apocalyptic look at a Batman of the future that, with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen, spawned an industry trend toward darker and grittier characters.

1986 THE MAN OF STEEL #1 (DC)
John Byrne "reboots" Superman's history, deleting almost 50 years worth of stories and starting the character back at square one

1986 MAUS (Art Spiegelman)
This gripping story about the Holocaust, told in the form of a graphic novel with cats and mice as the core characters, won the first Pulitzer Prize for a comic and earned new respect for the medium.

1987 WATCHMEN (DC)
Alan Moore wrote this seminal series on superheroes that ripped through the psyches of a team facing their own destruction as well as the threat of nuclear war.

1989 BATMAN (Warner Bros.)
Tim Burton directed the first big-screen adaptation of the character in decades, setting the standard for what and who Batman could be, as well as what movies about comic book characters could do.

1989 SANDMAN #1 (DC Comics)
The first issue of Neil Gaiman's critically acclaimed series that elevated comics to a more mature level and paved the way for DC's Vertigo line while reviving horror and sci-fi comics.

1990s
1991 X-MEN #1 (Marvel Comics)
The first comic to sell in excess of eight million copies, X-Men #1, which featured a unified team for the first time in years, would lead to a host of highly popular new "X" books that remain in publication.

1992 SPAWN #1 (Todd McFarlane, Image Comics)
The leader of a group of renegades that bolted Marvel to form the creator-owned Image Comics, McFarlane's hamburger-head from Hell would yield a multimillion dollar empire and spawn a movie and animated series.

1992 UNDERSTANDING COMICS (Scott McCloud)
This watershed intellectual examination of comics done in comic book form would analyze the medium from the view of an insider and explain it in terms outsiders could relate to.

1993 "The Death of Superman," SUPERMAN Vol. 2 #75 (DC Comics)
In this landmark Man of Steel storyline written by Dan Jurgens, readers would discover what it takes to kill a Superman, how much the world needed him and how quickly creators could get him back.

1994 STRANGERS IN PARADISE #1 (Terry Moore)
The first issue of a series often touted as "the comic to introduce your girlfriend to comics," this independent series would be nominated for a number of awards as well as develop a cult following.

1996 ADVENTURES OF BIG BOY #467
The longest running giveaway comic publishes its final issue.

1996 DC VS. MARVEL #1 (DC/Marvel)
A crossover between the comic book world's two largest publishers, fans were finally able to find out who wins in one-on-one bouts between the two companies' mightiest heroes.

1996 KINGDOM COME #1-4 (DC)
This epic, fully-painted tale of the future of Superman and the rest of the DC universe is a powerful vehicle that takes a look into a bleak and dismal future for superheroes.

1996 SUPERMAN: THE WEDDING ALBUM (DC)
After 60 years of near-misses, Superman and Lois Lane finally tie the knot in a thick book that featured a host of Superman creators from history as well as the return of almost every cast member from the books 10-year continuity.

1998 SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH (DC)
This return to tabloid-size comics in a benefit for UNICEF would show Superman's efforts to end world hunger. Later, BATMAN: WAR ON CRIME would display the Dark Knight's look at what his life might have been like under darker circumstances.

by Arnold T. Blumberg and Wizard Magazine