1939 in comics

1939 Previous | Next

Year overall

 * 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.
 * Serbian comic strip Zigomar begins publication

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.
 * More Fun Comics (1936 series) #39 - National Periodical 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.
 * More Fun Comics #40 - National Periodical Publications

March

 * 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.
 * More Fun Comics #41 - National Periodical 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.
 * More Fun Comics #42 - National Periodical Publications
 * Movie Comics (1939 series) #1 - National Periodical Publications

May

 * 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
 * Feature Funnies #20 - Comic Favorites, Inc.
 * More Fun Comics #43 - National Periodical Publications
 * Movie Comics #2 - National Periodical Publications

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
 * More Fun Comics #44 - National Periodical Publications
 * Movie Comics #3 - National Periodical Publications
 * Superman (1939 series) #1, cover dated Summer - National Periodical Publications

July

 * Ace Comics #28 - David McKay Publications
 * Action Comics #14 - National Allied Publications
 * Adventure Comics #40 - National Allied Publications
 * All-American Comics #4 - All-American Publications
 * Amazing Mystery Funnies #11 - Centaur Publications
 * Detective Comics #29 - National Allied Publications
 * Feature Comics #22 - Quality Comics
 * More Fun Comics #45 - National Periodical Publications
 * Movie Comics #4 - National Periodical Publications
 * The Magic Comic #1 - D. C. Thomson & Co.

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
 * More Fun Comics #46 - National Periodical Publications
 * Movie Comics #5 - National Periodical Publications
 * Smash Comics (1939 series) #1 - Quality Comics

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
 * Feature Comics #24 - Quality Comics
 * Four Color Series 1 (1939 series) #1 - Dell Publishing
 * First comic-book appearance of Dick Tracy, previously seen in comic strips beginning 1931
 * More Fun Comics #47 - National Periodical Publications
 * Movie Comics #6, last issue - National Periodical Publications
 * Smash Comics #2 - Quality Comics
 * Superman #2, cover dated Fall - National Periodical Publications

October

 * 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
 * Marvel Comics (becomes Marvel Mystery Comics) (1939 series) #1 - Timely Comics
 * More Fun Comics #48 - National Periodical Publications
 * Smash Comics #3 - Quality Comics

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
 * 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 #2.
 * Feature Comics #26 - Quality Comics
 * More Fun Comics #49 - National Periodical Publications
 * Smash Comics #4 - Quality Comics

December

 * 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)
 * Feature Comics #27 - Quality Comics
 * Marvel Mystery Comics (previously Marvel Comics) #2 - Timely Comics
 * More Fun Comics #50- National Periodical Publications
 * Smash Comics #5 - Quality Comics
 * Superman #3, cover dated Winter - National Periodical Publications

Specials

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

First issues by title

 * All-American Comics cover dated April, published by All-American Publications
 * Amazing Man Comics cover dated September, published by Centaur Publications. Issues #1 through 4 were not published.
 * Double Action Comics cover dated December, published by National Periodical Publications. The first issue was an ashcan copy, published but not distributed or sold.
 * Fantastic Comics, cover-dated December, published by Fox Feature Syndicate
 * Four Color Series 1 published by Dell Publishing
 * Marvel Comics cover dated October, published by Timely Comics
 * Movie Comics cover dated April, published by National Periodical Publications
 * Mutt & Jeff cover dated Summer, published by All-American Comics
 * New York World's Fair published by National Periodical Publications
 * Silver Streak Comics cover dated December, published by Rhoda Publications
 * Smash Comics cover dated August, published by Quality Comics
 * Superman cover dated Summer, published by National Periodical Publications
 * The Magic Comic cover dated July, published by D. C. Thomson & Co.

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.

Initial appearances by character name

 * Batman in Detective Comics #27 (May) created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, published by National Allied Publications
 * Human Torch in Marvel Comics #1 (October) created by Carl Burgos, published by Timely Comics
 * The Sub-Mariner in Marvel Comics #1 (October) created by Bill Everett, published by Timely Comics
 * The Sandman (Wesley Dodds) in New York World's Fair #1 created by Gardner Fox and Bert Christman, published by National Periodical Publications