January 1969 - June 1969

Fantastic Four #85.

Published on January 9, 1969. Edited by Stan Lee. The comic features the story “Within This Tortured Land,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Cover illustration by Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Magazine Management (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: April 1969. Cover price: 12¢.

Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #342.

Published on January 30, 1969. Edited by Chase Craig. Cover illustration by Carl Barks. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Poughkeepsie, NY: Gold Key. Cover/indicia date: March 1969. Cover price: 15¢.

Yellow Dog #8.

Published in February 1969. The issue features contributions by Joel Beck, R. (Robert) Crumb, Buckwheat Florida, Jr., Jon Gierlich, Rick Griffin, Andy Martin, Gilbert Shelton, Hak Vogrin, Robert Williams, and S. Clay Wilson. Cover illustration by Robert Williams. Saddle-stitched pamphlet format. Black-and-white interiors. 16 pages. San Francisco: Last Gasp. Cover price: 25¢.

Sugar and Spike #82.

Published on February 6, 1969. Edited by Murray Boltinoff. The comic includes the story “Poof! You’re a Teen-Ager,” by Sheldon Mayer. Cover illustration by Sheldon Mayer. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: National (DC). Cover/indicia date: April-May 1969. Cover price: 12¢.

Fantastic Four #86.

Published on February 11, 1969. Edited by Stan Lee. The comic features the story “The Victims!,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Cover illustration by Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Magazine Management (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: May 1969. Cover price: 12¢.

Mad #126.

Published on February 11, 1969. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The contributors include Sergio Aragonés, Dave Berg, Max Brandel, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker, Jr., Jack Davis, Dick DeBartolo, Mort Drucker, Chris Hart, Stan Hart, Al Jaffee, Jack Kent, Don Martin, Norman Mingo, Ronnie Nathan, Antonio Prohias, Harry Purvis, Jack Rickard, Frank Ridgeway, Larry Siegel, Bruce Stark, and George Woodbridge. Cover illustration by Norman Mingo. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. New York: E. C. Cover/indicia date: April 1969. Cover price: 35¢.

B. C. Big Wheel!, Johnny Hart.

Published on February 27, 1969. The book features material from Johnny Hart's B. C. daily-newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Johnny Hart. Mass-market paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 132 pages. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Gold Medal. Cover/indicia date: 1969. Cover price: 50¢.

Asterix the Gaul, René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo.

Published on March 3, 1969. The book is an English-language translation of the 1961 French-language album published by the French-Belgian publisher Dargaud, titled Astérix le Gaulois. The story was originally serialized in the magazine Pilote between 1959 and 1960. English-language translation by Anthea Bell and Derek Brockridge. Cover illustration by Albert Uderzo. Trade-paperback book. Color interiors. 56 pages. New York: William Morrow. Cover/indicia date: $2.95.

Notes

This is the first book in the Astérix series.

A 1999 poll by the French newspaper Le Monde ranked Asterix the Gaul number 23 on a list of the best books of the 20th century. The number one choice was the novel The Stranger, by Albert Camus.

Fantastic Four #87.

Published on March 11, 1969. Edited by Stan Lee. The comic features the story “The Power and the Pride!,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Cover illustration by Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Magazine Management (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: June 1969. Cover price: 12¢.

Mad #127.

Published on March 23, 1969. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The contributors include Sergio Aragonés, Dave Berg, E. Nelson Bridwell, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker, Jr., Jack Davis, Dick DeBartolo. Earle Doud, Mort Drucker, Frank Jacobs, Al Jaffee, Don Martin, Harold Morrison, Antonio Prohias, Jack Rickard, May Sakami, Irving Schild, and Lou Silverstone. Cover illustration by Jack Rickard. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. New York: E. C. Cover/indicia date: June 1969. Cover price: 35¢.

Zap Comix #3.

Published on March 25, 1969. The comic features new material by cartoonists R. (Robert) Crumb, Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso, Gilbert Shelton, and S. Clay Wilson. Cover illustration by Rick Griffin. Standard-format comic book. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. Berkeley, CA: Print Mint. Cover/indicia date: 1969. Cover price: 75¢.

Motor City Comics #1.

The comic features new material by cartoonist R. (Robert) Crumb. Cover illustration by R. Crumb. Standard-format comic book. Black-and-white interiors. 28 pages. San Francisco: Rip Off Press. Cover/indicia date: April 1969. Cover price: 50¢.

Yellow Dog Vol. 2, No. 2 (#9-10).

Published in April 1969. The issue features contributions by Peter Almasy, R. (Robert) Crumb, Kim Deitch, Buckwheat Florida, Jr., Walter D. Frediction, Don Glut, Jay Lynch, Dave Manning, Andy Martin, Jim Osborne, Kent Perry, John Rowland, Kay Rudin, Bob Schnepf, Gilbert Shelton, John Thompson, Hak Vogrin, Robert Williams, and S. Clay Wilson. Cover illustration by R. Crumb. Saddle-stitched pamphlet format. Black-and-white interiors. 32 pages. San Francisco: Print Mint. Cover price: 50¢.

Sugar and Spike #83.

Published on April 3, 1969. Edited by Murray Boltinoff. The comic includes the story “The Squirt-Bandits’ Secret!,” by Sheldon Mayer. Cover illustration by Sheldon Mayer. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: National (DC). Cover/indicia date: June-July 1969. Cover price: 12¢.

Good ‘n’ Mad.

Published on April 6, 1969. The book features select material first published in Mad #83-85. The contributors include Sergio Aragonés, Dave Berg, Isabelle DiCaprio, Mort Drucker, Stan Hart, Frank Jacobs, Don Martin, Norman Mingo, Joe Orlando, Antonio Prohias, Jack Rickard, Larry Siegel, Wallace Wood, and George Woodbridge. Cover illustration by Norman Mingo. Mass-market paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 196 pages. New York: Signet (New American Library). Cover price: 60¢.

Creepy #27.

Published on April 10, 1969. Edited by Bill Parente. Cover illustration by Frank Frazetta. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. New York: Warren. Cover/indicia date: June 1969. Cover price: 40¢.

Note

Frank Frazetta later published the cover illustration as a poster titled “Mongol Tyrant.”

Fantastic Four #88.

Published on April 10, 1969. Edited by Stan Lee. The comic features the story “A House There Was!,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Cover illustration by Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Magazine Management (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: July 1969. Cover price: 12¢.

Dennis the Menace: Short 'n Snappy, Hank Ketcham.

Published on April 15, 1969. The book collects material originally published in Hank Ketcham's Dennis the Menace daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Hank Ketcham. Mass-market paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 116 pages. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Crest. Cover/indicia date: 1969. Cover price: 50¢.

Yellow Dog Vol. 2, No. 3 (#11-12).

Published in May 1969. The issue features contributions by Peter Almasy, Joel Beck, Vaughn Bodé, R. (Robert) Crumb, Buckwheat Florida, Jr., Justin Green, Ronald Lipking, Andy Martin, Jim Osborne, Kent Perry, Trina Robbins, Kay Rudin, Don Schenker, John Thompson, Hak Vogrin, Larry Welz, Skip Williamson, and S. Clay Wilson. Cover illustration by Skip Williamson. Saddle-stitched pamphlet format. Black-and-white interiors. 40 pages. San Francisco: Print Mint. Cover price: 50¢.

Asterix and Cleopatra, René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo.

Published on May 5, 1969. The book is an English-language translation of the 1965 French-language album Astérix et Cléopâtre, published by the French-Belgian publisher Dargaud. The story was originally serialized in the magazine Pilote in 1963. English-language translation by Anthea Bell and Derek Brockridge. Cover illustration by Albert Uderzo. Trade-paperback book. Color interiors. 56 pages. New York: William Morrow. Cover/indicia date: $2.95.

Note

This was the sixth book in the Astérix series, but the second to be published in the United States.

Fantastic Four #89.

The estimated newsstand availability date is May 13, 1969. Edited by Stan Lee. The comic features the story “The Madness of the Mole Man!,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Cover illustration by Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Magazine Management (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: August 1969. Cover price: 15¢.

Notes

The copyright date is April 15, 1969.

Beginning with color comics cover-dated August 1969, Marvel began using the printer shipping date when reporting publication dates on copyright registrations. They previously used estimated newsstand availability dates. The newsstand availablity date was always a fiction. A comic's availability from a retailer varied depending on the retailer's distance from Marvel's printer in Illinois. The efficiency of the local periodical distributor was also a factor. Depending on the area of the country, one might see a comic for sale on newsstands from a few days to up to six weeks after its printer shipping date. Because other newsstand periodical publishers, such as DC Comics, continued to use an estimated newsstand availability date, 28 days will be added to Marvel copyright dates to better reflect when specific issues shared space on the newsstands.

With Marvel, the copyright date will be resumed for the publication date with color comics cover-dated May 1981. This was about the time the comics-store market, where availability dates much more closely aligned with printer shipping dates, had become large enough to support exclusive publications from Marvel and DC. In 1981, DC also shifted to using the printer shipping date for the official publication date on copyright registrations.

Mad #128.

Published on May 13, 1969. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The contributors include Sergio Aragonés, Dave Berg, Max Brandel, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker, Jr., Jack Davis, Dick DeBartolo, Earle Doud, Mort Drucker, David Hunter, Frank Jacobs, Al Jaffee, Jack Kent, Don Martin, Joe Orlando, Antonio Prohias, Larry Siegel, and George Woodbridge. Cover illustration by Bob Clarke. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. New York: E. C. Cover/indicia date: July 1969. Cover price: 35¢.

Donald Duck #126.

Published on May 15, 1969. Edited by Chase Craig. Cover illustration by Carl Barks. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Poughkeepsie, NY: Gold Key. Cover/indicia date: July 1969. Cover price: 15¢.

R. Crumb’s Comics and Stories #1.

Published in June 1969. The book features material by R. (Robert) Crumb that was written and drawn in 1964. Cover illustration by R. Crumb. Standard-format comic book. Black-and-white interiors. 12 pages. San Francisco: Rip Off. Cover price: 35¢.

Sugar and Spike #84.

Published on June 5, 1969. Edited by Murray Boltinoff. The comic features the story “bernie the Brain’s Biggest Blunder!,” by Sheldon Mayer. Cover illustration by Sheldon Mayer. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: National (DC). Cover/indicia date: August-September 1969. Cover price: 15¢.

Captain America #117.

The estimated newsstand availability date is June 10, 1969. Edited by Stan Lee. The comic features the story “The Coming of… the Falcon!,” by Stan Lee & Gene Colan, with Joe Sinnott. Cover illustration by Gene Colan, with Joe Sinnott. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Magazine Management (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: September 1969. Cover price: 15¢.

Notes

The copyright date is May 13, 1969.

“The Coming of… the Falcon!” is the first appearance of the Falcon and his alter ego Sam Wilson.

Fantastic Four #90.

The estimated newsstand availability date is June 17, 1969. Edited by Stan Lee. The comic features the story “The Skrull Takes a Slave!,” by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Cover illustration by Jack Kirby, with Joe Sinnott. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Magazine Management (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: September 1969. Cover price: 15¢.

Note

The copyright date is May 20, 1969.

Eerie #23.
Published on June 23, 1969. Edited by Bill Parente. Cover illustration by Frank Frazetta. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 68 pages. New York: Warren. Cover/indicia date: September 1969. Cover price: 50¢.

Note

Frank Frazetta later published a revised version of the cover illustration as a poster titled “Egyptian Queen.”

Mad #129.

Published on June 24, 1969. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The contributors include Sergio Aragonés, Giuseppe Baggi, Dave Berg, Max Brandel, Paul Coker, Jr., Jack Davis, Dick DeBartolo, Earle Doud, Mort Drucker, Stan Hart, Frank Jacobs, Al Jaffee, Don Martin, Norman Mingo, Antonio Prohias, Jack Rickard, Larry Siegel, Lou Silverstone, and George Woodbridge. Cover illustration by Norman Mingo. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. New York: E. C. Cover/indicia date: September 1969. Cover price: 35¢.

Next: July to December 1969.