the North American blizzards in 1977 and 1978, which both disrupted distribution and curtailed consumer purchases. Furthermore, the effects of ongoing economic inflation, recession, and increased paper and printing costs, led to declines in both the profitability of the entire comic book industry and the number of readers. In response, company executives ordered that titles with marginal sales and several new series that were still in development be cancelled. During these meetings, it was decided that DC's long-running flagship title Detective Comics was to be terminated with #480 — until the decision was overturned following strenuous arguments on behalf of saving the title within the DC office, and Detective was instead merged with the better-selling Batman Family. On June 22, 1978, DC Comics announced staff layoffs and the cancellation of approximately 40% of its line. Editors Al Milgrom and Larry Hama were two of the employees laid off. Cancelled titles As a result of the Implosion, 17 series were cancelled abruptly. Fourteen other titles were cancelled in 1978, for the most part "planned" cancellations announced in DC promos and in the final issues of the comics themselves. The following titles were cancelled due to the Implosion, with the following as their final issue: All Star Comics #74 (Sept. cover date) — issue #75 later published in Adventure Comics #461 (Jan.–Feb. 1979) and 462 (March 1979); the feature continued there until #466 Army at War #1 (Nov.) — war title Batman Family #20 (Nov.) — merged into Detective Comics as of issue #481 (Dec. 1978–Jan. 1979) Battle Classics #1 (Sept.) — reprint title Black Lightning #11 (Sept.) — issue #12 later published in World's Finest Comics #260 (Dec. 1979–Jan. 1980) Claw the Unconquered #12 (Aug.–Sept.) Doorway To Nightmare #5 (Sept.) — merged into The Unexpected Dynamic Classics #1 (Sept.) — reprint title Firestorm #5 (Oct.) — issue #6 reworked into The Flash #294–296 (February–April 1981); the story was published in the trade paperback Firestorm: The Nuclear Man (2011) House of Secrets #154 (Oct.–Nov.) — merged into The Unexpected Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth #59 (Sept.–Oct.) — the "OMAC" back-up stories by Jim Starlin appeared in The Warlord #37–39 (Sept.–Nov. 1980) Our Fighting Forces #181 (Sept.–Oct.) Secrets of Haunted House #14 (Oct.–Nov.) — revived a year later with issue #15 (August 1979); the title continued until issue #46 (March 1982) Showcase #104 (Sept.) — the Deadman story for #105 appeared in