July 1986 - August 1986

American Flagg! Special #1.

Edited by Laurel Fitch. The comic features the story "Time²," by Howard Chaykin. Cover illustration by Howard Chaykin. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Chicago: First. Cover/indicia date: November 1986 (July 1986). Cover price: $1.75.

Notes

The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration was filed. First Comics cover-dated their standard color comics four months ahead of the release date.

The story is a prelude for Howard Chaykin's Time² series of Euro-album graphic novels.

Batman: The Dark Knight #3.

Edited by Dick Giordano & Denny O’Neil. The comic features the story “Hunt the Dark Knight” (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Book Three), by Frank Miller, with Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley. Cover illustration by Frank Miller, with Lynn Varley. Perfect-bound comic-book format. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: DC. Cover/indicia date: 1986 (July 1986). Cover price: $2.95.

Notes

The official copyright date is April 22, 1986. This was not when the comic was published. It was most likely the originally scheduled date for it to go on press. The publishing format would have required advance reservations with the printer and binder, and those likely ended up being used for a printing of Batman: The Dark Knight #1, for which demand considerably exceeded initial orders. Anecdotal recollections from various parties place the availability date for the third issue in late June or early July.

There were two printings of the comic.

Cerebus #88.

The comic features the story “Out with the In Crowd” (Church & State, Chapter 36), by Dave Sim & Gerhard. Cover illustration by Dave Sim. Standard-format comic book. Black-and-white interiors. 28 pages. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Aardvark-Vanaheim. Cover/indicia date: July 1986. Cover price: $1.70.

Note

The exact publication date is unknown. This is a Canadian publication. No copyright registration has been filed in the United States.

Love and Rockets #18.

Edited by Gary Groth. The magazine includes the Locas story “8:01 a.m.-11:15 a.m.,” by Jaime Hernandez, and the Palomar story “Duck Feet, Part Two,” by Gilbert Hernandez. Cover illustration by Gilbert Hernandez. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 36 pages. Agoura, CA: Fantagraphics. Cover/indicia date: September 1986 (July 1986). Cover price: $2.25.

Note

The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration has been filed.

Miracleman #9.

Edited by Cat Yronwode. The comic features the story “Scenes from the Nativity (Book Two, Chapter 12),” by Alan Moore & Rick Veitch, with Rick Bryant. Cover illustration by John Totleben. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. Guerneville, CA: Eclipse. Cover/indicia date: July 1986. Cover price: 95¢.

Notes

The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration was filed.

Neat Stuff #5.

Edited by Gary Groth. The magazine features material by cartoonist Peter Bagge. Cover illustration by Peter Bagge. Magazine format. Black-and-white interiors. 36 pages. Agoura, CA: Fantagraphics. Cover/indicia date: December 1986 (July 1986). Cover price: $2.25.

Note

The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration has been filed.

Terry and the Pirates, No. 2: Marooned with Burma, Milton Caniff.

The book features the material first published between July 25, 1935 and April 28, 1936 during Milton Caniff's run on the Terry and the Pirates daily-newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Milton Caniff. Trade-paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 68 pages. New York: NBM. Cover/indicia date: 1986 (July 1986). Cover price: $5.95.

Note

The exact publication date is unknown. No copyright registration was filed.

Mad’s Brain Ticklers, Puzzles, and Lousy Jokes, Al Jaffee

Published on July 7, 1986. The book features new material by cartoonist Al Jaffee. Cover illustration by Al Jaffee. Mass-market paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 196 pages. New York: Warner. Cover/indicia date: July 1986. Cover price: $2.95.

Sergio Aragonés’ Groo the Wanderer #21.

Published on July 8, 1986. Edited by Archie Goodwin. The comic features the story “Groo and the Witches of Brujas,” by Sergio Aragonés, with Mark Evanier. Cover illustration by Sergio Aragonés. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Epic (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: November 1986. Cover price: 75¢.

Watchmen #3.

Published on July 8, 1986. Edited by Len Wein. The comic features the story “The Judge of All the Earth” (Chapter 3), by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons. Cover illustration by Dave Gibbons. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: DC. Cover/indicia date: November 1986. Cover price: $1.50.

Steve Canyon #14.

Published on July 13, 1986. Edited by Peter Poplaski & Dave Schreiner. The magazine features the material published between August 6 and November 15, 1951 in Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon daily-newspaper strip. It also includes the material published between June 25 and July14, 1934 in Noel Sickles’ Scorchy Smith daily-newspaper strip. Introduction by Milton Caniff. Cover illustration by Milton Caniff & Peter Poplaski. Magazine-format. Black-and-white interiors. 76 pages. Princeton, WI: Kitchen Sink. Cover/indicia date: February 1986. Cover price: $4.95.

Elektra: Assassin #2.

Published on July 15, 1986. Edited by Archie Goodwin. The comic features the story “The Ugly Man” (Chapter 2), by Frank Miller & Bill Sienkiewicz. Cover illustration by Bill Sienkiewicz. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Epic (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: September 1986. Cover price: $1.50.

Swamp Thing #54.

Published on July 22, 1986. Edited by Karen Berger. The comic features the story “The Flowers of Romance,” by Alan Moore & Rick Veitch, with Alfredo Alcala. Cover illustration by Stephen R. Bissette. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: DC. Cover/indicia date: November 1986. Cover price: 75¢.

Work Is Hell, Matt Groening.

Published on July 29, 1986. The book features select material from Matt Groening’s Life in Hell weekly-newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Matt Groening. Trade-paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 52 pages. New York: Pantheon. Cover/indicia date: 1986. Cover price: $6.95

Cerebus #89.

The comic features the story “Dead Friends” (Church & State, Chapter 37), by Dave Sim & Gerhard. Cover illustration by Dave Sim. Standard-format comic book. Black-and-white interiors. 28 pages. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Aardvark-Vanaheim. Cover/indicia date: August 1986. Cover price: $1.70.

Note

The exact publication date is unknown. This is a Canadian publication. No copyright registration has been filed in the United States.

The Mad Book of Horror Stories, Yecchy Creatures, and Other Neat Stuff, Larry Siegel & Harry North.

Published on August 4, 1986. The book features new material by scriptwriter Larry Siegel & artist Harry North, Esq. Cover illustration by Harry North, Esq. Mass-market paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 196 pages. New York: Warner. Cover/indicia date: August 1986. Cover price: $2.95.

Bloom County Babylon, Berke Breathed.

Published on August 5, 1986. The book features material originally published in Berke Breathed’s Bloom County daily newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Jim Newport. Trade-paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 228 pages. New York: Little, Brown. Cover/indicia date: 1986. Cover price: $12.95.

Moonshadow #10.

Published on August 5, 1986. Edited by Archie Goodwin. The comic features the story “A Liberal Dosage,” by J. M. DeMatteis & Jon J Muth, with Kent Williams & Sherri Van Valkenburgh. Cover illustration by Jon J Muth. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Epic (Marvel): October 1986. Cover price: $1.50.

It Came from the Far Side, Gary Larson.

Published on August 6, 1986. The book collects material originally published in Gary Larson’s The Far Side daily-newspaper strip. Cover illustration by Gary Larson. Trade-paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 108 pages. Kansas City: MO: Andrews and McMeel. Cover/indicia date: 1986. Cover price: $5.95.

Sergio Aragonés’ Groo the Wanderer #22.

Published on August 12, 1986. Edited by Archie Goodwin. The comic features the story “Groo and the Ambassador,” by Sergio Aragonés, with Mark Evanier. Cover illustration by Sergio Aragonés. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Epic (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: December 1986. Cover price: 75¢.

The Spirit #21.

Published on August 12, 1986. Edited by Denis Kitchen. The comic features stories first published in 1947 in Will Eisner’s The Spirit Sunday-newspaper comic-book insert. The stories include “Sign of the Octopus” (08-10-1947), “Picnic” (08-17-1947), “Showdown with the Octopus” (08-24-1947), and “Blind” (08-31-1947). Introduction by Dave Schreiner. Cover illustration by Will Eisner. Standard-format comic book. Black-and-white interiors. 36 pages. Princeton, WI: Kitchen Sink. Cover/indicia date: July 1986. Cover price: $1.95.

Watchmen #4.

Published on August 12, 1986. Edited by Len Wein. The comic features the story “Watchmaker” (Chapter 4), by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons. Cover illustration by Dave Gibbons. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: DC. Cover/indicia date: December 1986. Cover price: $1.50.

Elektra: Assassin #3.

Published on August 19, 1986. Edited by Archie Goodwin. The comic features the story “Rough Cut” (Chapter 3), by Frank Miller & Bill Sienkiewicz. Cover illustration by Bill Sienkiewicz. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Epic (Marvel). Cover/indicia date: October 1986. Cover price: $1.50.

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, Art Spiegelman.

Published on August 19, 1986. The book collects the first six chapters of Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. The chapters were originally published in Raw, Vol. 1, Nos. 2-7. Cover illustration by Art Spiegelman. Trade-paperback book. Black-and-white interiors. 168 pages. $10.95.

Note

This is the first volume of a two-volume work. The second volume was published in 1992.

The book was nominated for the 1986 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography and Autobiography. It was the first comics work to be short-listed by the organization for an award in any category.

The book was one of the first graphic novels to enjoy sales success in the bookstore market, and was central to most of the "Comics Aren't Just for Kids Anymore" articles in mainstream newspapers and magazines during 1986 and 1987.

The ‘Nam #1.

Published on August 19, 1986. Edited by Larry Hama. The comic features the story “First Patrol,” by Doug Murray & Michael Golden, with Armando Gil. Cover illustration by Michael Golden. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: Marvel. Cover/indicia date: December 1986. Cover price: 75¢.

Note

The goal of the book was to provide a grunt’s-eye view of the Vietnam War. The approach anticipated that of the Oscar-winning film Platoon, which was released in December. The series scriptwriter, Doug Murray, was a Vietnam War veteran. The comic quickly became one of Marvel's top sellers, and saw mention in the "Comics Aren't Just for Kids Anymore" articles that accompanied the bookstore releases of Maus: A Survivor's Tale and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

Batman: The Dark Knight #4.

Published on August 26, 1986. Edited by Dick Giordano & Denny O’Neil. The comic features the story “The Dark Knight Falls” (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Book Four), by Frank Miller, with Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley. Cover illustration by Frank Miller, with Lynn Varley. Perfect-bound comic-book format. Color interiors. 52 pages. New York: DC. Cover/indicia date: 1986. Cover price: $2.95.

Swamp Thing #55.

Published on August 26, 1986. Edited by Karen Berger. The comic features the story “Earth to Earth,” by Alan Moore & Rick Veitch, with Alfredo Alcala. Cover illustration by Stephen R. Bissette. Standard-format comic book. Color interiors. 36 pages. New York: DC. Cover/indicia date: December 1986. Cover price: 75¢.

Next: September to October 1986.