Notable events of 1963 in comics.

Events

Year overall

  • In Italy, Diabolik, started softly the previous year, becomes a growing success and finds its definitive shape. In a series of classic stories (The elusive criminal, Diabolik arrested, Atrocious revenge, Buried alive) Diabolik begins to use the Jaguar E-Type, the rubber masks and the shelters, leaves his cover identity as Walter Dorian, ends dramatically his affair with the nurse Elisabeth Gray and begins a long love-story with Eva Kant.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Specific date unknown

Births

Deaths

January

  • January 2: Joaquín Buigas, Spanish comics writer (La familia Ulises), dies at age 76.
  • January 18: Francisco Valença, Portuguese comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 80.

February

  • February 18: Vadim Lazarkevich, Russian-Bulgarian illustrator and comics artist (Vesel Putniks Balloon, The Little Barber), dies at age 67.
  • February 26: Charles Folkard, British illustrator and comics artist (Teddy Tail), dies at age 84.

March

  • March 23: Maurice Boyer, aka Moriss, French actor, comedian, illustrator, caricaturist and cartoonist, dies at age 88.
  • Specific date in March unknown: Koos Schadée, Dutch comics artist and illustrator, dies at an unknown age.

May

  • May 3: Alejandro Del Prado, aka Calé, Argentine cartoonist and comics artist (Buenos Aires Intimo), dies at age 37.

July

  • July 2: Alicia Patterson, American publisher and comics writer (Deathless Deer), dies at age 56 of complications following stomach surgery for an ulcer.
  • July 7: François-Joseph Herman, Belgian comics artist (worked for Studio Vandersteen and made several one-shot stories of his own for Tintin), dies at age 31.

August

  • August 16: Ralph Fuller, American comics artist (Oaky Doaks), dies at age 73.
  • August 30: Jan Lunde, Norwegian comics artist (Pappa og Pjokken, Skomakker Bekk of Tvililligene Hans, Professor Skjeel, Dimpen og Dumpen), dies at age 74.
  • August 31: Willem Gerrit van de Hulst Sr., Dutch novelist and comics writer (In de Soete Suikerbol), dies at age 83.

September

  • September 19: David Low, New Zealand-British cartoonist and comics artist (Colonel Blimp), dies at age 62.
  • September 20: Jan Wiegman, Dutch comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 79.

October

  • October 9: Leonard Sansone, American comics artist (Wolf Man, Willie), dies in a traffic accident at age 46.
  • October 23: Clarence D. Russell, American comics artist (Pete the Tramp, The Tucker Twins), dies at age 68.
  • October 25: Lewis Baumer, British caricaturist, cartoonist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 93.

December

  • December 1: Jimmy Hatlo, American comics artist (They'll Do It Every Time, Little Iodine), dies at age 65.
  • December 12: Wynne W. Davies, Australian illustrator and comics artist (The Strange Adventures of Percy the Pommy), dies at age 71.
  • December 18: Bruce Russell, aka Bruce Barr, American sports cartoonist and comics artist (Rollo Rollingstone), dies at age 60.

Specific date unknown

  • Shaka Bontaro, Japanese comic artist (drew an illegal Mickey Mouse comic), dies at age 71 or 72.
  • Gilbert Lawford Dalton, British comics writer (Wilson the Wonder Athlete), dies at age 48 or 49.
  • Andrés Guevara, Paraguayan illustrator and comics artist (Blanca Nieve y Pío-Pío), dies at age 58 or 59.
  • Katsuishi Kabashima, Japanese illustrator and comic artist (The Adventures of Sho-Chan), dies at age 74 or 75.
  • Harry Mace, American comics artist (Amy), dies at age 40.
  • Arthur Mansbridge, British illustrator and comics artist (worked for the magazine Golden), dies at age 85.
  • Norman McMurray, Australian comic artist (Fish and Chips, Googles), dies at age 72 or 73.
  • Pierre Saint-Loup, French comic artist (L'Oncle Pacifique), dies at age 68 or 69.
  • Les Such, Australian comics artist (Buster Braddock, Rip Weston), dies at age 62 or 63.
  • Arnold Warden, British comics artist (Snowdrop's Zoo, Tuffy and His Magic Tail), dies at age 70 or 71.

Awards

National Cartoonists Society Division Awards

First issues by title

DC Comics

Metal Men

Release: April/May. Writer: Robert Kanigher. Artist: Ross Andru & Mike Esposito

Marvel Comics

The Amazing Spider-Man

Release: March. Writer: Stan Lee. Artist: Steve Ditko

The Avengers

Release: September. Writer: Stan Lee. Artist: Jack Kirby

Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos

Release: May. Writer: Stan Lee. Artist: Jack Kirby

The X-Men

Release: September. Writer: Stan Lee. Artist: Jack Kirby

Other publishers

Das Kampf

Release: by Vaughn Bodē (self-published). Writer/Artist: Vaughn Bodē

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Independent publishers