February 10. In Italy, after the outbreak of the war with USA, Tuffolino, by Federico Petrocchi and Pier Lorenzo De Vita, replaces Topolino (Mickey Mouse), until then the only American comic tolerated by the Fascist censure. The new comic, a shameless plagiarism of the Disney original, with human characters instead of animals, lasts until December 1943.[2]
May 15: In the U.S. internment camp for Japanese-Americans, Santa Anita, California at the Assembly Center, Chris Ishii creates the comic strip Li'l Neebo for the prisoners.[7] The series is later continued by, respectively, Tom Okamoto [8] and Jack Ito until 1944.[9]
May 16: The British comics magazine Funny Wonder merges with another magazine Wonder.
In Al Capp's Li'l Abner the comic-within-a-comic Fearless Fosdick makes its debut, though only as a reference. For his first adventure within the series itself readers have to wait until 19 June 1944.[13]
John Devlin, American comics artist (assistant of Rube Goldberg, continued Looy Dot Dope) and editor (Quality Comics), dies at age 36. [26]
Charles H. Wellington, American comics artist (Pa's (Imported) Son-In-Law), dies at age 48.[27]
May
May 12: George William Wakefield, British comics artist (worked for Film Fun, made comics based on Laurel & Hardy), dies from a stroke at age 54.[28]
May 14: René Bull, Irish comics illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 79.[29]
June
June 21: Victor T'Sas, A.K.A. Vias, Belgian painter, advertising illustrator and illustrator (made various picture stories and text comics for Le Globe Illustré, Le Patriote Illustré, Pourquoi Pas? and publishing company Brepols), dies at age 75. [30]
July
July 11: Antonio Salemme, Italian comics artist (Il Principe Azzurro), dies at age 48 or 49.[31]
July 21: Giove Toppi, Italian comics artist (Topo Lino, Renato Gallo), dies at age 53.[32]
August
August 10: Albert Guillaume, French caricaturist, illustrator and poster designer who also made some occasional pantomime comics, dies at age 69.[33]
^Wallace, Daniel (2010). "1940s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 40. ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9. DC scored a coup by luring to their ranks the popular artist and writer team of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, who [in 1942] introduced the Newsboy Legion, the Guardian, and the Boy Commandos.
