1953 in comics

Events and publications

Year overall

• National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications is settled out of court; Fawcett agrees to quit using the Captain Marvel character(s) and pay DC Comics the sum of $400,000. Subsequently, Fawcett leaves the comics publishing business.
• Tut le Blanc's comic strip An Altar Boy Named Speck begins syndication

March

• Al Gordon's art career begins with Trojan Comics' Attack! #6 and Beware #14.

April

• Master Comics, with issue #133, canceled by Fawcett.

June

• Whiz Comics, with issue #155, canceled by Fawcett.
• Captain Marvel Jr., with issue #118, canceled by Fawcett.

November

• Captain Marvel Adventures (1941 series), with issue #150, canceled by Fawcett Comics.
• Hopalong Cassidy, with issue #85, canceled by Fawcett Comics.
• Two-Gun Kid (1948 series), with issue #11, revived by Marvel.
• Weird Fantasy, with issue #22, merges with Weird Science to become Weird Science-Fantasy — EC Comics

First issues by title

Atlas Comics/Marvel Comics

• Bible Tales for Young Folk
• Buck Duck
• Crazy
• Homer Hooper
• Little Lizzie
• Lorna the Jungle Queen
• Menace (Mar.)
• Monkey and the Bear, The
• Patsy and her Pals
• Secret Story Romances
• Speed Carter, Spaceman
• Wendy Parker Comics

Other publishers

• Atomic Mouse (Mar.) — Charlton Comics
• Classics Illustrated Junior (Oct.) — Gilberton
• Little Dot (Sept.) — Harvey Comics
• Princess Knight, by Osamu Tezuka, first serialized in Kodansha's Shōjo Club (Jan.)
• The Topper #1 (Feb. 7) - D.C. Thomson and Co.
• Uncle Scrooge (Dec.) — Dell Comics

Renamed titles

Atlas Comics/Marvel Comics

• Battle Brady #10 renamed from Men in Action
• Bible Tales for Young People #3 renamed from Bible Tales for Young Folk
• Combat Casey #6 renamed from War Combat
• Miss America #50 renamed from Miss America Magazine
• Young Men #21 renamed from Young Men on the Battlefield
• Young Men in Action #24 renamed from Young Men

Other publishers

• United States Marines #7-11 renamed from Fighting Leathernecks - Toby Press

Initial appearances by character name

DC Thomson & Co.

• Beryl the Peril, in The Topper #1 (Feb. 7)
• General Jumbo, in The Beano #583 (19 Sept.)
• Little Plum, in The Beano #586 (10 Oct.)
• Minnie the Minx, in The Beano #596 (19 Dec.)
• Roger the Dodger, in The Beano #561 (18 Apr.)

Other publishers

• Atomic Mouse, in Atomic Mouse #1 (Charlton Comics, Mar.)
• Captain 3-D, in Captain 3-D #1 (Harvey Comics, Dec.)
• Captain Harlock, in Adventures of a Honeybee
• Little Lotta, in Little Dot #1 (Harvey Comics, Sept.)
• Richie Rich, in Little Dot #1 (Harvey Comics, Sept.)
• Ringo Kid, in The Ringo Kid Western #1 (Atlas Comics, Aug.)
• Superduperman, in Mad #4 (EC, Apr./May)
• Zombie, in Menace #5 (Atlas Comics, July)