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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
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