This Day in Comic Book History: June 25

This Day in Comic Book History: June 25

This Day in Comic Book History: June 25

Garfield first ever comic strip June 19 1978 by Jim Davis — high resolution 1200px scan
The very first Garfield comic strip, published June 19, 1978 by Jim Davis — the strip that Guinness certified as the world's most syndicated. A fitting image for the day we celebrate Jerry Bails, the man who built the fandom that made strips like Garfield beloved collector items.

Today is June 25 — a day that honors the very foundations of comic fandom itself. From the man who created the organized collector community to the beloved creator of one of the world's most cherished comic strips, June 25 belongs to the fans and storytellers who made comics a culture.

June 25, 1933: Birth of Jerry Bails, Father of Comic Book Fandom

1933

Jerry Bails Born — June 25

Co-founded Alter Ego (1961) · First comic book fanzine · Created organized comic fandom · Father of Comic-Con culture

Born on June 25, 1933, Jerry Bails co-founded Alter Ego — the very first comic book fanzine — with Roy Thomas in 1961, creating the organized fan community that grew into conventions, the collector market, and the entire infrastructure of modern comics culture. Without Jerry Bails, there might be no San Diego Comic-Con.

June 25, 1921: Birth of Warren Kremer, Harvey Comics Icon

1921

Warren Kremer Born — June 25

Harvey Comics artist · Defined Richie Rich, Casper, Hot Stuff, Wendy · Children's comics visual identity

Warren Kremer, born June 25, 1921, became the defining artistic voice of Harvey Comics, creating the visual identities of Richie Rich, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Hot Stuff, and Wendy the Good Little Witch — characters that defined children's comics for generations.

June 25, 2001: Death of Tove Jansson, Creator of Moomin

2001

Tove Jansson — June 25

Finnish creator of Moomin · Comic strip ran 1954–1975 · 40+ languages · Never out of print

On June 25, 2001, the world lost Tove Jansson, whose Moomin comic strip (1954–1975) and novels have enchanted readers worldwide. The strip's gentle philosophical depth about love, loss, and freedom made it one of the most internationally beloved comics in history.

June 25, 1934: Birth of Bob Weber

1934

Bob Weber Born — June 25

Creator of Moose (later Moose and Molly) · Classic American domestic comedy newspaper strip

Bob Weber, born June 25, 1934, created Moose (later Moose and Molly), a warmly funny fixture of American newspaper comic pages for decades, representing the classic domestic comedy tradition.

June 25, 2005: Debut of Venus Versus Virus

2005

Venus Versus Virus Debuts — June 25

Atsushi Suzumi · Supernatural action manga · Adapted into anime · Global 2000s manga boom

On June 25, 2005, Atsushi Suzumi launched Venus Versus Virus, a supernatural action manga that debuted during the global manga boom of the 2000s, when manga was fundamentally changing how Western readers understood comics.

🏆 Top 10 Key Comics Tied to June 25 History

  1. Alter Ego #1 (1961) — First comic book fanzine, co-founded by Jerry Bails, born this date in 1933. Created the organized fan community that became modern comics culture.
  2. Richie Rich #1 (November 1960) — First solo Richie Rich series; Warren Kremer (born this date, 1921) defined the visual look of Harvey Comics' most iconic character.
  3. Casper the Friendly Ghost #1 (September 1949) — First solo Casper series; Warren Kremer helped define Harvey's beloved ghost across decades of issues.
  4. Moomin #1 (Drawn and Quarterly, 2006) — First English Moomin strip collection; Jansson passed away on this date in 2001.
  5. Action Comics #1 (June 1938) — The key issue that launched superhero comics; a subject of the first collector discussions Jerry Bails organized through Alter Ego.
  6. Hot Stuff #1 (October 1957) — First Hot Stuff the Little Devil; Warren Kremer created and drew one of Harvey's most beloved icons.
  7. Showcase #4 (October 1956) — First Silver Age Flash; the revival Jerry Bails celebrated in Alter Ego, establishing Silver Age collector culture.
  8. Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) — First Spider-Man; collector culture pioneered by Jerry Bails elevated this into one of the most valuable comics ever.
  9. Venus Versus Virus Volume 1 (June 2005) — Debut of Atsushi Suzumi's supernatural manga on this date; part of the 2000s manga explosion.
  10. Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961) — Launch of the Marvel Age; the collector culture Jerry Bails built made issues like FF #1 the most sought-after in history.

Celebrate comic book history every day at Epic Panels Comics!

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