Although there is more diversity in the business today, comic books have traditionally been a male-dominated industry, and many female characters have been created just to look attractive and to appease their demographic. There’s never been a better example of that than the swimsuit special issue.
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“The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue” is one of the magazine’s most popular issues, and it didn’t take long for other magazines to copy the trend. In the 1990s, a swimsuit edition became a popular marketing tool in the world of comics and a lot of comic companies began releasing them, regardless of whether they made sense. Some, like the “Latex Alice Swimsuit Special,” vanished without a trace, while others, like Marvel’s versions, became infamous legends and went on for years. Here are the 15 weirdest swimsuit specials CBR has seen in comics.
AMAZING HEROES SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
The first swimsuit comic we’ll consider on this list is actually the first ever, courtesy of “Amazing Heroes,” which started releasing annual swimsuit specials in 1987. Unlike the other entries on this list, “Amazing Heroes” wasn’t technically a comic book; it was a respected trade magazine about the comic book medium, edited by Michael Catron and later Kim Thompson. However, that distinction didn’t stop them from doing outrageous stunts like this one.
The first was actually issue #115, and included original artwork from publishers looking to promote different projects or just have fun. The issues featured a variety of characters like Reed Waller and Kate Worley’s Omaha the Cat Dancer, Disney’s Maleficent and Marvel’s X-Calibur. Another selling point was that (despite the name) the issues actually included nudity alongside the swimsuits. It ran for several years under the terms “swimsuit issue,” “swimsuit special” and “swimsuit collection.” Reportedly, the “Amazing Heroes” swimsuit issues inspired other comic publishers like Marvel to create their own.
FATHOM SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
Written and drawn by Michael Turner, the series “Fathom” debuted in 1998. It’s about a young marine biologist who discovers she’s a member of an underwater species of humanoids, known as the Blue, before then discovering that she’s really a member of their enemy, the Black. With the ability to manipulate liquids, change into a water being, produce energy blasts and breathe underwater, she’s a critical point in the war between the two species and the human race.
Given all the action above and below the ocean in the series, it actually kind of makes sense to have a swimsuit edition for “Fathom,” which may be why their first swimsuit issue debuted in 1999. Of all the comic books on this list, this one is the least weird, because the main character swims a lot and her first appearance was in a swimsuit. “Fathom” only produced one more swimsuit special in 2000. Lesser comics with less of a reason for a swimsuit special have gotten more mileage out of it.
GOLD DIGGER SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
Written and drawn by Fred Perry, “Gold Digger” is a series written and drawn in a “manga-style” that began as a one-shot in 1991. Revolving around an adventurer named Gina Babette Digger, the series spans magic and science fiction with a lot of pop culture references. Given the Japanese influence (whose manga and anime pretty much cornered the market on fan service), it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Gold Digger has a lot of scantily-clad and curvy women, along with muscle-bound guys. It wasn’t too much of a leap to create a swimsuit special.
The first “Gold Digger Swimsuit Special” appeared in May 2000, and was released twice a year until 2010. After that, the specials came more or less yearly. Each special had dozens of guest artists, and included some original stories among the buxom babes, which included just as much scientific craziness and wide-ranging characters as the regular comics.
NINJA HIGH SCHOOL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
First published in 1987, “Ninja High School” is another manga-inspired comic book series, written and illustrated by Ben Dunn. In the series, a high school student named Jeremy Feeble became part of a love triangle between the heir to a ninja clan and an alien princess, both wanting to marry him for their own purposes. The comic features a lot of people trying to take over the Earth, and a lot of parodies of different properties such as Power Rangers, Harry Potter and Transformers.
In 1992, “Ninja High School” jumped onto the swimsuit edition bandwagon with “Ninja High School Swimsuit Edition.” A new edition was released every year until 1996, when a few years passed until it resumed in 2000, when it returned annually until 2002. Each issue featured a variety of artists, not just Dunn, and had a tongue-in-cheek approach to each pin-up. While it might seem silly to have a bunch of ninjas and aliens frolicking on the beach, the swimsuit editions were actually some of the less weird aspects of the series.
GRIMM FAIRY TALES SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
In 2005, Zenescope Entertainment began publishing “Grimm Fairy Tales,” an anthology series about Dr. Sela Mathers, a professor of literature who taught people morals through dark versions of classic fairy tales. Written by Ralph Tedesco and Joe Tyler, pencilled by Joseph Dodd and inked by Justin Holman, stories like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella and Rapunzel were updated in twisted and violent ways. Eventually, Sela discovered she was part of an ancient war against an evil force known as the Dark One to conquer Earth and mystical worlds like Oz.
The artwork in “Grimm Fairy Tales” always leaned towards buxom women and brawny men to begin with, so the swimsuit edition wasn’t too much of a stretch. Zenescope started publishing them in 2010, and made the issues more than just “cheesecake” (a term used for explicit female sexuality in comics) by setting them in thin but still existing stories, like investigating supernatural events at “Coeds Gone Crazy” beach parties. Fairy tales? No, but still “sexy.”
ELEMENTALS SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
“Elementals” was created and written by Bill Willingham in 1984, a dark and violent take on the superhero genre that upended a lot of comic book conventions. In the series, four humans who were killed by earth, air, water and fire were resurrected by the four elements with extraordinary powers. It lasted a long time, running well into the mid-’90s, and had a lot of angst and twists, considering the heroes were basically undead, and one team member quit to join their nemesis, Lord Saker.
“Elementals” has never been shy about showing skin. In fact, it’s one of the few major and critically acclaimed comic books that’s had an official series of erotica comics called “Sex Specials” featuring the main characters. That may be why “Elementals” has only had one swimsuit special in 1996, but they had a lingerie special in 1993, so they’ve had it all covered… or uncovered, as the case may be.
SMALL PRESS SWIMSUIT SPECTACULAR
In 1995, the “Small Press Swimsuit Spectacular” was published by Allied Comics with Bob Elinskas as the project coordinator. Intended as a showcase of independent cartooning, it had a collection of pin-ups with lots of curves. What set this one apart from other swimsuit editions is that at least this one had a good cause behind all the drooling over girls; all proceeds from the sale of the issue went to the American Cancer Association.
The “Spectacular” featured a wide cast from some of the big names of the 1990s small press scene. Artists included Barry Blair of Aircel Comics, who drew a lot of erotica later in his career, and Fred Hembeck, who drew parodies of himself and other characters into his comics, spoofed Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge from Archie. There were also pin-ups from Colleen Doran, Evan Dorkin, Matt Feazell, Brad Foster, Greg Hyland, Terry Moore and Don Simpson. While it was a noble effort, it’s still kind of weird to mix cancer with thongs.
RAZOR SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
In 1992, Everette Hartsoe first published “Razor” #1, with artwork and story by himself and additional art by Daniel Presedo. “Razor” was a series about a young woman named Nicole Mitchell whose father was killed and sister kidnapped, traumatizing her so badly that she ended up in a mental institution. Once released, Mitchell became Razor, an ultra-violent vigilante with blades on her arms seeking revenge for her family. Razor is best known for kickstarting the “bad girl” trend that swept the comic book world in the 1990s, and briefly teaming up with another popular independent comic, the Crow.
In 1995, numerous artists contributed to a “Razor Swimsuit Special.” This is another one of those series that wasn’t afraid to show nudity, so wearing a bikini and thongs almost made the women overdressed. Also, considering how hardcore brutal Razor could be, wearing bikinis wasn’t really her style. Then again, her regular skimpy costume showed she didn’t mind showing skin.
DARKCHYLDE SWIMSUIT ILLUSTRATED
In 1996, Randy Queen created the comic book heroine Ariel Chylde, who could transform into monsters she saw in her nightmares in the form of DarkChylde, defending her town with fire powers and the ability to shapeshift. With artwork and story by Queen, “DarkChylde” became a huge sensation, especially among female fans, and led to a merchandising empire which included a bestselling comic, trading cards, action figures, lunch boxes, action figures and clothing. And of course, a swimsuit special.
With DarkChylde’s curves, she was a natural for a swimsuit special, and she got one in 1998. It kind of makes sense that she would need to get some sun after chasing nightmarish supernatural creatures in the dead of night through the streets of her town, and that tan isn’t going to work on itself. However, seeing DarkChylde with monster claws and wings, and then showing her bent over in revealing poses is a weird combo.
STREET FIGHTER SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
First released in 1987, “Street Fighter” is a groundbreaking fighting game series whose second game, “Street Fighter II: The World Warrior,” introduced a lot of the conventions like multiple playable characters, storylines and grappling moves we associate with the genre. “Street Fighter” has been no stranger to the comic book world as well with the first adaptation in 1993, written by Len Strazewski and drawn by Don Hillsman. However, the comics turned stranger, thanks to the “Street Fighter Swimsuit Special.”
“Street Fighter II” introduced female characters who were as deadly as they were beautiful, which was rare in the video game world at the time. Chun-Li and Cammy have proven massively popular and inarguably become pop culture icons. That’s why it may surprise you that the swimsuit edition didn’t get released until 2016. The comic was heavy on the World Warriors lounging around on the beach, taking a break from their usual schedule of punching and shooting fireballs at each other.
THE BOMB SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
Artist and writer Steve Mannion created a four-issue anthology series “The Bomb” in 2006, featuring outrageous characters in wild stories. “The Bomb” had the chaotic zaniness of “MAD Magazine” with the punk apocalyptic feel of “Tank Girl,” and included the nerdy Nazi zombie hunter Fearless Dawn, and the prehistoric Jungle Chick and the Dinosaur. The series led to a “Fearless Dawn” comic series, and has been a darling of the underground comic scene.
We’re going to focus on 2006’s “The Bomb Swimsuit Special” here, written and drawn by Mannion. Mannion has a great retro artistic style where the women are always tough as nails with a touch of cuteness, so the swimsuit edition was a real treat for fans. Unlike the other series on this list, though, his drawings tend to be more down-to-earth with body parts that respond to gravity and other realistic details. For instance, this had the only swimsuit pin-up in history where the woman had a visible Band-Aid on her face.
WILDSTORM SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
Wildstorm was a hugely successful comic imprint founded by Jim Lee in 1992, named for two of its main titles, “WildC.A.T.S.” and “Stormwatch.” Wildstorm was a powerhouse of superhero comics that expanded into multimedia and merchandising, producing everything from action figures to animated TV shows. Wildstorm became known for the beautiful women hanging out on its pages (particularly in “Gen13”) and was deep in the throes of the 1990s publicity stunt phase, so a swimsuit special was a no-brainer.
The first issue appeared on shelves in 1994, just three years after Wildstorm first launched, and featured lots of characters from the imprint’s pages stripping off their leotards to bathe in the sun. A second issue was produced in 1995, and we probably would have gotten more if the imprint hadn’t begun its decline in 1996. Looking back on Wildstorm’s swimsuit edition, it seems like another attempt to grab onto the coattails of anything that might save the line.
LADY DEATH SWIMSUIT SPECIAL
In 1991, writer Brian Pulio and artist Steven Hughes created “Evil Ernie,” a comic series about an undead psychopath who wanted quite simply to destroy the world. He spent his time throughout the series trying to trigger a nuclear holocaust with an army of zombies, all for the love of one woman: Lady Death. Lady Death promised to love him forever in exchange for killing everyone, which drove his murderous rampages, but her curvaceous body was pure eye candy, which in the ’90s meant a swimsuit special was on its way.
With her distinctive white skin, voluminous flowing hair, voluptuous body and skull-themed outfit, Lady Death remains one of the most popular “bad girl” characters of the 1990s. What’s weird is that she’s technically a goddess of the dead who you wouldn’t think would spend her time lounging around in seductive poses. There’s also the fact that she already wears a bikini as her costume, so every issue of her is technically a swimsuit issue.
ROBOTECH SWIMSUIT SPECTACULAR
In 1985, the mech anime “Robotech” began airing in the United States. Set in a future where Earth reverse-engineered alien technology to fight an alien invasion, “The Macross Saga” brought a world of giant mechanical robots to US screens and captured viewers’ imagination. The series has continued in various sequels and spin-offs for decades, moving to the world of comics in 1984 with DC’s “Robotech Defenders,” and other comic adaptations quickly followed.
The one we’re concerned with is the “Robotech II: The Sentinels Swimsuit Spectacular,” published in 1992 by Eternity Comics, based on their long-running series “Robotech II: The Sentinels.” With art by John Waltrip, Jason Waltrip and Paul Mounts, the comic book had no plot, choosing to go with scantily-dressed characters from the series. Life in the world of Robotech was hard, with characters facing death on a daily basis, so it’s kind of weird to go from the heat of battle to lounging around for photo shoots.
MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIALS
With all those muscles and toned bodies in the Marvel Universe, there are a lot of characters for fans to drool over, so it makes sense that readers would jump at the chance for a swimsuit issue, which Marvel delivered in 1991 with “Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue” and kept up for five years. Whenever anyone criticizes the swimsuit edition craze of the 1990s, the Marvel Swimsuit issues are usually right where they go. Marvel Comics has done a lot of crazy stunts throughout its history, but the swimsuit issues continue to live in infamy.
Part of the reason Marvel gets mocked is that they insisted on giving equal coverage to men, which is not what the intended audience (straight males) expected or wanted to see when they opened the cover. It’s just so surreal to see characters like the Punisher wearing a skull-shaped thong. Marvel also didn’t take it too seriously. One issue included Ghost Rider, who was nothing but a flaming skeleton lounging on the beach. That’s an image you’ll never get out of your head.
Which was your favorite swimsuit special? Let us know in the comments!
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