April 1977 to June 1977

Red Sonja #4.

The estimated newsstand availability date is April 5, 1977. Edited by Roy Thomas. The comic features the story “The Lake of the Unknown,” by Roy Thomas & Frank Thorne, with Clair Noto. Cover illustration by Frank Thorne. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: July 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Note

The copyright date is March 8, 1977.

Star Wars #1.

The estimated newsstand availability date is April 5, 1977. Edited by Roy Thomas. The comic features the story “Star Wars,” by Roy Thomas & Howard Chaykin. Cover illustration by Howard Chaykin, with Tom Palmer. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: July 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Notes

The copyright date is March 8, 1977.

The comic features the first episode in a six-issue adaptation of director-screenwriter George Lucas’s phenomenally successful 1977 film Star Wars. The series continued as an ongoing title after the adaptation’s conclusion.

The adaptation was a enormous sales success in the original comic-book series, as well as in republications in a pair of tabloid-magazine Marvel Special Edition issues, and in a mass-market paperback book published by Del Rey Books. Marvel was struggling financially in 1977 and 1978, and Jim Shooter, Marvel’s associate editor in 1977 and editor-in-chief between 1978 and 1987, credits the adaptation’s sales with maintaining the company’s publishing operations during that time.

Heavy Metal, Vol. 1, No. 2.

Published on April 12, 1977. Edited by Sean Kelly & Valerie Marchant. The magazine features both original material and English-language translations of comics stories that were published in the French magazine Métal Hurlant. The stories include “MEAOBbIN MECRU,” by Jacques Tardi, “Den (Part 2),” by Richard Corben, “Agorn,” by Philippe Druillet, “Harzak,” by Moebius (Jean Giraud), and “Sunspot (Part 2),” by Vaughn Bodé. Cover illustration by Moebius. Magazine format. Color interiors. 100 pages. New York: HM Communications (National Lampoon). Cover/indicia date: May 1977. Cover price: $1.50.

Omega the Unknown #9.

The estimated newsstand availability date is April 12, 1977. Edited by Steve Gerber. The comic features the story "Fightin' Fools!," by Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes, and Jim Mooney. Cover illustration by Gil Kane, with Frank Giacoia. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: July 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Note

The copyright date is March 15, 1977.

Mad’s Dave Berg Takes a Loving Look.

Published on April 15, 1977. The book features new material by cartoonist Dave Berg. Cover illustration by Dave Berg. Mass-market paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 196 pages. New York: Warner Books. Cover/indicia date: April 1977. Cover price: $1.25.

Rip Off Comix #1.

Published on April 15, 1977. The comic features new material by Joe Brown, Justin Green, Bill Griffith, Ted Richards, Gilbert Shelton, Dave Sheridan, and Foolbert Sturgeon (Frank Stack). Cover illustrations by Gilbert Shelton (main and “Freak Brothers” inset), and Ted Richards, Dave Sheridan, and Foolbert Sturgeon (insets). Standard-format comic book. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. San Francisco: Rip Off. Cover/indicia date: 1977. Cover price: 75¢.

Note

This is the first issue of the long-running Rip Off Press comics-anthology series. Thirty issues would be published between 1977 and 1991.

Whack Your Porcupine and Other Drawings, B. Kliban.

Published on April 15, 1977. The book features original single-panel cartoons by B. Kliban. Cover illustration by B. Kliban. Trade-paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 260 pages. New York: Workman. Cover/indicia date: 1977. Cover price: $2.95.

Howard the Duck #14.

The estimated newsstand availability date is April 19, 1977. Edited by Steve Gerber. The comic features the story “A Duck Possessed!,” by Steve Gerber & Gene Colan, with Klaus Janson. Cover illustration by Gene Colan, with Tom Palmer. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: July 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Notes

The copyright date is March 22, 1977.

Iron Fist #14.

The estimated newsstand availability date is May 3, 1977. Edited by Archie Goodwin. The comic features the story “Snowfire,” by Chris Claremont & John Byrne, with Dan Green. Cover illustration by Al Milgrom, with Dave Cockrum. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: August 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Notes

The copyright date is April 5, 1977.

“Snowfire” is the first appearance of the villain Sabretooth (Victor Creed).

Heavy Metal, Vol. 1, No. 3.

Published on May 10, 1977. Edited by Sean Kelly & Valerie Marchant. The magazine features both original material and English-language translations of comics stories that were published in the French magazine Métal Hurlant. The stories include “Fear of the Blue-Eyed Sloane,” by Jacques Tardi, “Den (Part 3),” by Richard Corben, the Lone Sloane episode “Gail (Part 1),” by Philippe Druillet, “Arzak,” by Moebius (Jean Giraud), and “Sunspot (Part 3),” by Vaughn Bodé. Cover illustration by Moebius. Magazine format. Color interiors. 100 pages. New York: HM Communications (National Lampoon). Cover/indicia date: June 1977. Cover price: $1.50.

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #5.

Published on May 15, 1977. The comic features new The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy’s Cat strips by Gilbert Shelton & Dave Sheridan. Cover illustration by Gilbert Shelton & Dave Sheridan. Standard-format comic book. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. San Francisco: Rip Off. Cover/indicia date: May 1977. Cover price: 75¢.

Mad #192.

Published on May 17, 1977. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The contributors include Sergio Aragonés, Dave Berg, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker, Jr., Jack Davis, Dick DeBartolo, Mort Drucker, Elaine Dunn, Don “Duck” Edwing, Stan Hart, Frank Jacobs, Al Jaffee, Bob Jones, Tom Koch, Don Martin, Harry North, Esq., Jack Rickard, Lou Silverstone, and Angelo Torres. Cover illustration by Bob Jones. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. New York: E. C. Cover/indicia date: July 1977. Cover price: 50¢.

The X-Men #106.

The estimated newsstand availability date is May 24, 1977. Edited by Archie Goodwin. The comic features the story “Dark Shroud of the Past!,” by Bill Mantlo & Bob Brown, with Chris Claremont & Dave Cockrum, and Tom Sutton. Cover illustration by Dave Cockrum. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: August 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Note

The copyright date is April 26, 1977.

Howard the Duck #15.

The estimated newsstand availability date is May 31, 1977. Edited by Steve Gerber. The comic features the story “The Island of Dr. Bong!,” by Steve Gerber & Gene Colan, with Klaus Janson. Cover illustration by Gene Colan, with Tom Palmer. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: August 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Note

The copyright date is May 3, 1977.

Red Sonja #5.

The estimated newsstand availability date is June 7, 1977. Edited by Roy Thomas. The comic features the story “Master of the Bells!,” by Roy Thomas & Frank Thorne, with Clair Noto. Cover illustration by Frank Thorne. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: September 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Note

The copyright date is May 10, 1977.

Heavy Metal, Vol. 1, No. 4.

Published on June 10, 1977. Edited by Sean Kelly & Valerie Marchant. The magazine features both original material and English-language translations of comics stories that were published in the French magazine Métal Hurlant. The stories include “Approaching Centauri,” by Philippe Druillet & Moebius (Jean Giraud), “The Long Tomorrow (Part 1), by Dan O’Bannon & Moebius, “Den (Part 4),” by Richard Corben, “Harzakc,” by Moebius, and “Sunspot (Part 4),” by Vaughn Bodé. Cover illustration by Moebius. Magazine format. Color interiors. 100 pages. New York: HM Communications (National Lampoon). Cover/indicia date: July 1977. Cover price: $1.50.

A Mad Scramble.

Published on June 15, 1977. The book features selections originally published in Mad #138-145. The contributors include Sergio Aragonés, Dave Berg, Paul Coker, Jr., Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Frank Jacobs, Al Jaffee, Tom Koch, Don Martin, Norman Mingo, Antonio Prohias, Jack Rickard, Larry Siegel, Lou Silverstone, and Angelo Torres. Cover illustration by Norman Mingo. Mass-market paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 196 pages. New York: Warner. Cover/indicia date: June 1977. Cover price: $1.25.

Howard the Duck #16.

The estimated newsstand availability date is June 28, 1977. Edited by Steve Gerber. The comic features the illustrated text story “Zen and the Art of Comc Book Writing,” by Steve Gerber. The contributing artists are John Buscema, Gene Colan, Dave Cockrum, Dick Giordano, Ed Hannigan, Al Milgrom, Mike Nasser (Netzer), Tom Palmer, and Alan Weiss, Cover illustration by Gene Colan, with Tom Palmer. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: September 1977. Cover price: 30¢.

Note

The copyright date is May 31, 1977.

Mad #193.

Published on June 28, 1977. Edited by Albert B. Feldstein. The contributors include Sergio Aragonés, Dave Berg, Bob Clarke, Paul Coker, Jr., Jack Davis, Dick DeBartolo, Mort Drucker, Don “Duck” Edwing, Stan Hart, Frank Jacobs, Al Jaffee, Don Martin, Harry North, Esq., Antonio Prohias, Jack Rickard, Larry Siegel, Lou Silverstone, Angelo Torres, and George Woodbridge. Cover illustration by Jack Rickard. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. New York: E. C. Cover/indicia date: September 1977. Cover price: 60¢.

Next: July to September 1977.