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All of Comic-Con’s Souvenir Book Covers!

We just announced the anniversary themes for our 2018 Souvenir Book (click here to see them, and your chance to contribute art and articles) and that occasion always gets us thinking about the book’s cover. While we can’t reveal this year’s cover subject or artist just yet (check back sometime after WonderCon for that info), we thought it would be fun to look back over the entire history of Comic-Con’s Program and Souvenir Books.

1970: The mini-con used a generic cover for its flyer promoting the schedule. That’s Balboa Park on the front.  © 2016 SDCC
1970: Jack Kirby provided the cover for the very first Comic-Con Program Book. Art © 2016 Jack Kirby Estate
1971: Carmine Infantino did this cover featuring DC Comics heroes. Art TM & © DC Comics
1972: Kirby returns with his newest DC Comics creations, The Demon and Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth (that’s Merlin from The Demon series on the right). Characters TM & © DC Comics
1973: This rather strange cover is a combination of DC Comics’ The Spectre and Deadman by Neal Adams doing battle on the back cover and a bird on the front cover (unknown artist). Characters TM & © DC Comics
1974: Milton Caniff combined his Steve Canyon with Star Trek for this Program Book cover. Art © Milton Caniff Estate. Steve Canyon © King Features Syndicate.
1975: Two firsts: Will Eisner’s The Spirit made his first (of three) appearances on the Program Book/Souvenir Book and the first full-color cover. The Spirit TM & © Will Eisner Studios, Inc.
1976: Sergio Aragonés captures the excitement for the growing convention. Art © Sergio Aragonés
1977: Cover art by and © Alex Nino
1978: Art by and © Boris Vallejo
1979: An expermental year with a Comic-Con Program Book that resembled a tabloid newspaper. Beetle Baily © King Features Syndicate; Star Wars TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.
1980: The First Kingdom art by and © Jack Katz.
1981: DC Comics heroes by Dick Giordano. TM & © DC Comics
1982: Art by and © Frank Brunner.
1983: Rick Geary focuses on the Sixties theme in this cover that uses the word “Souvenir Program Book” for the first time. Art © Rick Geary
1984: Marshall Rogers and Howard Chaykin combine for this jam cover featuring the popular 1980s characters The Foozle and Raul the Cat (from American Flagg!). Art © Marshall Rogers Estate and Howard Chaykin
1985: DC Comics’ 50th anniversary. Art by various. TM & © DC Comics
1986: Our first Marvel Comics cover with art by John Romita. © Marvel
1987: An ethereal cover by Moebius (Jean Giraud). Art © Jean Giraud Estate
1988: Superman’s 50th Anniversary by Wayne Boring. Superman TM & © DC Comics
1989: Art by and © Bill Sienkiewicz
1990: Bill Morrison’s cover includes a cast of comics characters in an old-fashioned postcard motif. Art © Bill Morrison; characters TM & © respective owners
1991: William Stout’s apocalyptic San Diego future cover. Art © William Stout
1992: Ken Steacy’s cover evokes feelings of nostalgia for both comic books and magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Art © Ken Steacy
1993: Art by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. Art © Frank Miller
1994: The Simpsons help celebrate Comic-Con’s 25th anniversary. Art © 1994 Bongo Entertainment Inc. The Simpsons © & TM Twentieth Century Fox Corporation
1995: Rick Geary’s Toucan looks none too pleased at the name change and new logo for Comic-Con International. © SDCC
1996: Art by and © Dave McKean.
1997: Star Wars’ 20th Anniversary. Art by Dave Dorman. Star Wars TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.
1998: Superman’s 60th Anniversary. Art by Alex Ross. Superman TM & © DC Comics
1999: Steranko’s Red Tide. Art © Jim Steranko
2000: William Stout’s homage to EC Comics, dinosaurs, The Spirit, the Flash and Green Lantern, and Peanuts, all celebrating anniversaries. Art © William Stout; characters TM & © respective owners.
2001: Jeff Smith’s Bone. Art © Jeff Smith
2002: MAD Magazine’s 50th Anniversary. Cover by various. MAD TM & © E. C. Publications, Inc.
2003: DC Comics heroes by Alex Ross. Characters TM & © DC Comics
2004: Jack “King” Kirby by Kirby and Mike Thibodeaux. Characters TM & © respective owners.
2005: Will Eisner’s The Spirit by Eisner. The artist and longtime Comic-Con prescence had died in January of that year. TM & © Will Eisner Studios, Inc.
2006: Lone Wolf and Cub by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. © Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima
2007: Star Wars’ 30th Anniversary by Adam Hughes. Star Wars TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.
2008: The Legion of Superheroes’ 50th Anniversary by Alex Ross. Characters TM & © DC Comics
2009: Comic-Con’s 40th Anniversary brought back Rick Geary’s Toucan and Expo Boy. Art © Rick Geary
2010: DC Comics’ 75th Anniversary by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, color art by Alex Sinclair. Characters TM & © DC Comics
2011: Comic-Con introduces the new Justice League, part of DC’s New 52. Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams, color art by Alex Sinclair. Characters TM & © DC Comics
2012: Marvel Comics’ superheroes 50th Anniversary. Art by John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson, color art by Dean White. Characters © Marvel
2013: The Sandman’s 25th Anniversary by Dave McKean. Sandman TM & © DC Comics
2014: Batman’s 75th Anniversary by Jim Lee, color art by Alex Sinclair. Batman TM & © DC Comics
2015: 75th Anniversary of Will Eisner’s The Spirit. Art by Michael Cho. The Spirit TM & © Will Eisner Studios, Inc.
2016: 75th Anniversary of Wonder Woman. Art by Babs Tarr. Wonder Woman TM & © DC Comics.
2017: 100th birthday of Jack “King” Kirby by Bruce Timm (lettering by Todd Klein). Mister Miracle, Kamandi TM & © DC Comics; Captain America and Thor TM & © 2017 MARVEL
2018: 10th Anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Matt Taylor, co-produced with Mondo © 2019 MARVEL

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