Events and publications

January

* Specific date in January unknown: Dutch cartoonist wins the ''Inktspotprijs'' for ''Best Political Cartoon''. He will win the award again next year.

February

* February 13: Comic artist

Willy Vandersteen Willy Vandersteen (15 February 1913 – 28 August 1990) was a Belgian creator of comic books. In a career spanning 50 years, he created a large studio and published more than 1,000 comic albums in over 25 series, selling more than 200 million c ...

receives a statue in Antwerp, Belgium. * ''

Superman Red/Superman Blue ''Superman Red/Superman Blue'' refers to two different comic book storylines published by DC Comics featuring Superman. Silver Age story The original Superman-Red/Superman-Blue tale is an " Imaginary Story" that first appeared in ''Superman'' #16 ...

'' begins. * ''

Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...

'', vol. 3., 1990 series, cancelled by Marvel with issue #93

March

* March 11: The Flemish newspapers Het Laatste Nieuws and De Nieuwe Gazet change the title of their weekly children comics supplement ''De Samson en Gert Krant'', based on the popular TV show '' Samson en Gert'', into ''De Plopkrant'', based on the children's show ''

Kabouter Plop The Dutch Wikipage of Kabouter Plop Kabouter plop (''Plop the Gnome'') is the eponymous protagonist in a children's television series by Studio 100. History Kabouter Plop was born on August 27, 1997. Then the first episode, entitled "The ...

''. * '' Batman: Cataclysm'' begins.

May

* May 29: In the Danish magazine Anders And the first episode of '' The Black Knight'' by

Don Rosa Keno Don Hugo Rosa (), known simply as Don Rosa (born June 29, 1951), is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his Disney comics stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck, and other characters which Carl Barks created for Di ...

is published, which marks the debut of Arpin Lusene. * The first episode of

Daniel Clowes Daniel Gillespie Clowes (; born April 14, 1961) is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter. Most of Clowes's work first appeared in '' Eightball'', a solo anthology comic book series. An ''Eightball'' issue typi ...

' ''

David Boring ''David Boring'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. It was serialized in issues #19–21 of Clowes's comic book '' Eightball'' and appeared in collected form from Pantheon Books in 2000. The book depicts the misadventures ...

'' is prepublished in '' Eightball''. *

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

' ''

Identity Crisis In psychology, identity crisis is a stage theory of identity development where it involves resolution of a conflict over the 8 stages of the lifespan.(Schultz, 216) The term was coined by German psychologist Erik Erikson. The stage of psychosoci ...

'' begins. * ''Batman: Cataclysm'' concludes.

Spring

* ''

Gay Comix ''Gay Comix'' (later ''Gay Comics'') is an underground comics series published from 1980–1998 featuring cartoons by and for gay men and lesbians. The comic books had the tagline “Lesbians and Gay Men Put It On Paper!” Much of the early c ...

'' ( 1980 series), with issue #25, publishes its final issue (

Bob Ross Robert Norman Ross (October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995) was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He was the creator and host of '' The Joy of Painting'', an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994 on ...

)

June

* '' Emerald Knights'' begins. * ''Identity Crisis'' concludes. * ''Superman Red/Superman Blue'' concludes.

August

* August 24: The Dutch comics magazine '' Sjosji'' changes its name again into ''Sjosji Striparazzi''.It will continue until 1999, after which it changes its name into ''Striparazzi''.

September

* September 9: Through a long trial

Albert Uderzo Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; ; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo, was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the '' Astérix'' series in collaboration with ...

wins the profits and rights to all his ''

Asterix ''Asterix'' or ''The Adventures of Asterix'' (french: Astérix or , "Asterix the Gauls, Gaul") is a ''bande dessinée'' comic book book series, series about a village of indomitable Gaulish warriors who adventure around the world and fight th ...

''-related merchandise and albums from previous publisher

Dargaud Société Dargaud, doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud (), publishing its first comics in 1943. ...

October

* October 10-11: During the Stripdagen in Breda

Joost Swarte Joost Swarte (born 24 December 1947 in Heemstede) is a Dutch cartoonist and graphic designer. He is best known for his ligne claire or ''clear line'' style of drawing, a term he coined. Comic series and characters by Swarte include ''Katoen en ...

receives the

Stripschapprijs The Stripschapprijs is a Dutch prize awarded to comic creators for their entire body of work. It is awarded annually by the ''Stripschap'', the Dutch Society of comics fans, since 1974. The prize is non-pecuniary, but is considered the most import ...

. Publisher Hansje Joustra wins the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs. *

Toy Biz Toy Biz (also stylized as ToyBiz), was a toy company which later became a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment and was renamed to Marvel Toys. It was best known for producing action figures and toys and holding the Marvel Comics license from 1990 t ...

buys

* The " Emerald Knights" storyline concludes * '' The Gathering of Five'', taking place over Spider-Man's four main ongoing series * '' Daredevil'' vol. 1, 1964 series, is canceled by Marvel with issue #380 * ''

Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...

'' is canceled by Marvel with issue #125 * ''

The Sensational Spider-Man ''The Sensational Spider-Man'' is a comic book series starring Spider-Man published by Marvel Comics for 35 issues (#0–33, with # -1 published in July 1997 between #17 and #18), from January 1996 until November 1998. Publication history '' ...

'' is canceled by Marvel with issue #33

November

* ''

DC One Million ''DC One Million'' is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled, weekly miniseries and through special issues of almost all of the "DCU" titles published by DC Comics in November 1998. It featured a vision of the DC Univer ...

'' takes place. * '' The Final Chapter'' begins and concludes, taking place over Spider-Man's three main ongoing series * The imprint

Marvel Knights Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Comics that contained standalone material taking place inside the Marvel Universe (Earth-616). The imprint originated in 1998 when Marvel outsourced four titles (''Black Panther'', ''Punisher'', '' Daredevil ...

debuts with three new titles: ** '' Daredevil'' vol. 2 — the "

Guardian Devil "Guardian Devil" is an eight-issue Daredevil story arc originally published by Marvel Comics in ''Daredevil'' (vol. 2) #1-8. It features the hero suddenly caring for an infant that may be either the Messiah or the Antichrist. The issues were writt ...

" storyline begins ** '' Black Panther'' vol. 3 ** ''

Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...

'' vol. 2 * ''

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is a comic book and magazine series starring Spider-Man and published by Marvel Comics. Following the success of Spider-Man's original series, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', Marvel felt the character could support ...

'' is canceled by Marvel with issue #263. * ''

Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...

'' vol. 2 is canceled by Marvel with issue #146. * ''

What If What If may refer to: Film * ''What If'', a 2006 TV film starring Niall Buggy * ''What If...'' (2010 film), an American film * ''What If...'' (2012 film), a Greek film * ''What If'' (2013 film) or ''The F Word'', a Canadian-Irish film Telev ...

'' vol. 2 is canceled by Marvel with issue #114. * November 18: The first page of

Jerry Holkins Jerry Holkins (born Parkinson"Holkins is a combination of Holcomb (hers) and Parkinson (mine)." https://twitter.com/TychoBrahe/status/12073336701; February 6, 1976) is an American writer. He is the co-creator and writer of the webcomic ''Penny Ar ...

and

Mike Krahulik Michael Krahulik (; born September 25, 1977) is an American artist for the webcomic ''Penny Arcade'' and co-founder with Jerry Holkins of Child's Play, a charity that organizes toy drives for children's hospitals. He goes by the online moniker ...

's '' Penny Arcade'' is uploaded to the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

December

* December 8: In ''

Topolino ''Topolino'' (from the Italian name for Mickey Mouse) is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932 as a comics magazine. It is currently published by Panin ...

'', Donald Duckling ( Donald Duck as a child) makes his debut in a tale by Paola Mulazzi and Alessandro Barbucci. *''

The Hunt for Xavier "The Hunt For Xavier" is an X-Men storyline that ran in the fall of 1998. Plot The X-Men attempt to find the location of Professor Xavier, who has been missing ever since the authorities arrested him in the wake of the Onslaught disaster. Thei ...

'' begins. * ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly per ...

'' and '' Peter Parker: Spider-Man'' are both restarted with new #1 issues.

Specific date unknown

Jim Lee Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...

announced that

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

would take over

WildStorm Productions Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wildst ...

. *

MU Press MU Press (officially Miscellanea Unlimited Press) was an independent comic book publisher based in Seattle, Washington, which operated 1990 – c. 2006. MU Press was one of the industry's most prolific " furry" comic publishers, while its mid-199 ...

publishes ''

Those Annoying Post Bros ''Those Annoying Post Bros.'' is an independent comic mostly by Matt Howarth about two fun-loving bad boys, Ron Post and Russ Post, from the fictional Bugtown. Equally inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, Philip K. Dick, and ambient electronic music, th ...

.'' #63, the final issue of that title.

Births

Deaths

January

* January 5: Gustavo

Martz Schmidt Martz Schmidt or Schmidt is the pseudonym of the Spanish comic author Gustavo Martínez Gómez ( Cartagena, Murcia, 3 July 1922 -Barcelona, 5 January 1998). He is part of the second generation the Bruguera school alongside Figueras, Gin, Ibáñ ...

, Spanish comics artist (''Toribio'' ''Doctor Cascarrabias'', ''El Doctor Cataplasma'', ''Troglodito'', ''Camelio Majareto'', ''El profesor Tragacanto'', ''Deliranta Rococó'', ''La Pandilla Cu-Cux Plaf'', ''El Sherrif Chiquito'', continued '' Doña Urraca''), dies at age 75. * January 7: Eli Bauer, American comics artist and animator (''Kermit the Hermit'', ''Norman''), dies at age 69. * January 11:

Win Mortimer James Winslow Mortimer (May 1, 1919 – January 11, 1998) Note: The Marvel Comics 1978 Calendar merchandise lists Mortimer's birth date as June 23 and ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' lists it as May 23 per was a Canadians, Canadian comic book and comic ...

, American comics artist (co-creator of ''

Ripley's Believe It Or Not ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' fea ...

''), dies at age 78. * January 18: Adolfo Buylla, Spanish comics artist (''Diego Valor'', ''Yago Veloz''), dies at age 70 or 71. * January 28:

Shotaro Ishinomori was a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and , creating several immensely popular long-running series such as '' Cyborg 009,'' the ''Super Sentai'' series (later adapted into the ''Power Rangers'' series), ...

, Japanese manga artist ('' Kamen Rider'', ''

Cyborg 009 is a Japanese science fiction manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different Japanese magazines, including '' Monthly Shōnen King'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', '' Shōnen Big Comic'', ''COM'', ' ...

'', ''Sandarobotchi''), dies at age 60 of heart failure.

February

* February 8: John Miles, British cartoonist and comics artist (''Perkins''), passes away at age 63. * February 14:

Thomas McKimson Thomas Jacob McKimson (March 5, 1907 – February 14, 1998) was an American animator, best known for his work at the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio. He was the older brother of animators Robert and Charles McKimson. Tom McKimson was born in Denv ...

, American comics artist and animator ('' Looney Tunes'' comics, Disney comics, worked on the

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

comic strip), dies at age 90. * February 16: Gervy, French comics artist (''Pat'Apouf''), passes away at age 89. * February 28:

Antonio Prohías Antonio Prohías (January 17, 1921 – February 24, 1998) was a Cuban-American cartoonist. He was the creator of the satirical comic strip ''Spy vs. Spy'', which he illustrated for '' Mad'' magazine from 1961 to 1987. Biography In 1946, Proh� ...

, Cuban-American comics artist (''

Spy vs. Spy ''Spy vs. Spy'' is a wordless comic strip published in '' Mad'' magazine. It features two agents involved in stereotypical and comical espionage activities. One is dressed in white, and the other in black, but they are otherwise identical, and ...

''), dies at age 77.

March

* March 1: Archie Goodwin, American comics writer (''

Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...

'', '' Manhunter'', ''

Secret Agent X-9 ''Secret Agent X-9'' is a comic strip created by writer Dashiell Hammett ('' The Maltese Falcon'') and artist Alex Raymond (''Flash Gordon''). Syndicated by King Features, it ran from January 22, 1934 until February 10, 1996. Premise and publ ...

'', ''

Captain Kate ''Captain Kate'', is a US newspaper comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text i ...

'', worked for '' Blazing Combat'', ''

Creepy Creepiness is the state of being wikt:creepy, creepy, or causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or wikt:unease, unease. A person who exhibits creepy behaviour is called a creep. Certain traits or hobbies may make people seem creepy to others. The ...

'' and ''

Eerie ''Eerie'' was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like '' Mad'', it was a black-and-white magazine intended for newsstand distribution and did not submit its stories to the comic book industry's volunta ...

'') and artist (assisted on '' Mary Perkins on Stage''), dies at age 60. * March 3: Olaf Stoop, Dutch activist and underground comics artist (''Roza's Lotgevallen''), dies at the age of 52 from a heart attack. * March 23: John Sikela, Slovakian-American comics artist (worked on '' Superman'', ''

Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...

''), dies at age 90 or 91.

April

* April 7:

Alex Schomburg Alexander A. Schomburg, born Alejandro Schomburg y Rosa (; May 10, 1905Alejandro Schomburg Y Rosa

, Puerto Rican-American comics artist (''

Timely Comics Timely Comics is the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely Publications became the name ...

''), dies at age 92. * April 8:

Lee Elias Lee Elias (May 21, 1920 – April 8, 1998) was a British-American comics artist. He was best known for his work on the ''Black Cat'' comic book published by Harvey Comics in the 1940s. Biography Emigrating to the United States from Manchester ...

, British-American comics artist (''

Beyond Mars ''Beyond Mars'' was a science fiction comic strip written by Jack Williamson and drawn by Lee Elias. The Sunday strip ran in the '' New York Daily News'' from February 17, 1952, to March 13, 1955, initially as a full tabloid page and, near the ...

'', '' Black Cat''), dies at age 77. * April 17: E.E. Hibbard, American painter and comics artist (worked on ''

The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

'', ''

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

'' and was the first artist to illustrate a ''

Justice Society Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

'' story), dies at age 89. * April 23: Enrique Riverón, Cuban-American cartoonist, animator and comics artist, dies at age 95 or 96. * April 26: Bill Crooks, American comics artist (assisted on ''

Captain Easy '' Captain Easy, Soldier of Fortune '' is an American action/adventure comic strip created by Roy Crane that was syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association beginning on Sunday, July 30, 1933. The strip ran for more than five decades until it ...

''), dies at age 80.

June

* June 13:

Reg Smythe Reginald Smyth (10 July 1917 – 13 June 1998) was a British cartoonist who created the popular, long-running ''Andy Capp'' comic strip. Early life and military service He was born in Hartlepool, County Durham, England, the son of Richa ...

, British comics artist (''

Andy Capp ''Andy Capp'' is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, seen in the ''Daily Mirror'' and the ''Sunday Mirror'' newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four panels. The s ...

''), dies at age 80.

July

* July 16: Tony Sgroi, American animator and comics artist ( Disney comics), dies at age 73.

August

* August 1: ** René Bonnet, French comics artist (''Fripounet et Marisette''), dies at age 92. ** Florenci Clavé, Spanish comics artist (''Rémy Herphelin''), dies at age 62. * August 15: Wim Hessels, aka Woeloem, Dutch comics artist (''Stoffertje Zuig'', ''Manusje van Alles'', ''Boerensloot'', ''Spatje'', ''Muisje Nisje''), dies at age 70. * August 20: Robert Rigot, French illustrator, caricaturist and comics artist (''Chantal'', ''Frédéri le Gardian'', ''Les Rapaces''), dies at age 89.

September

* September 1:

Francisco Coching Francisco V. Coching (January 29, 1919
lambiek.net – September 1, 1998) was a Filipino ...

, Filipino comics artist (''Marabini'', '' Hagibis'', '' Sabas, ang Barbaro'' ''

Pedro Penduko Pedro Penduko is a Filipino comic book character styled as a folk hero or superhero, created by National Artist for Literature Francisco V. Coching and debuted on the magazine ''Liwayway''. In his numerous incarnations, Pedro Penduko is an ordin ...

'', ''El Indio''), dies at age 86. * September 3: Vincent Alascia, American comics artist (''American Avenger'', worked on '' Captain America''), dies at age 84.Vincent Alascia
at the Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved October 18, 2011
Archived
from the original October 18, 2011

October

* October 28: Les Carroll, American comics artist (''The Tillers'', ''Life with the Rimples'', assisted ''

Boots and Her Buddies ''Boots and Her Buddies'' was an American comic strip by Edgar Martin that ran from 1924 to 1968, syndicated by the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Some newspapers presented the strip under the shortened title ''Boots''. The character of Boots ...

'' and ''

Alley Oop ''Alley Oop'' is a syndicated comic strip created December 5, 1932, by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced a cast of colorful characters an ...

'', continued ''

Our Boarding House ''Our Boarding House'' is an American Panel (comics), single-panel cartoon and comic strip created by Gene Ahern on October 3, 1921 and syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association. Set in a boarding house run by the sensible Mrs. Hoople, it d ...

''), dies at age 86.

November

* November 2: Enric Sió, Spanish comics artist (''La Guerra de los Poetas'', ''Mara'', ''Mis Miedos''), dies from a stroke at age 56. * November 3:

Bob Kane Robert Kane (born Robert Kahn ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book writer, animator and artist who co-created Batman (with Bill Finger) and most early related characters for DC comics. He was inducted into the comi ...

, American comics artist ('' Batman''), dies at age 83.Boxer, Sarah
"Bob Kane, 83, the Cartoonist Who Created 'Batman,' Is Dead"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' November 7, 1998 * November 17: Bill Ward, American comics artist ('' Torchy''), dies at age 79. * November 24: Jacques Eggermont, Belgian comics artist and animator (''Bicky'', ''Kaatje en Klopje''), passes away at age 80.

December

* December 10:

Ray Goossens Ray Goossens (14 August 1924 – 10 December 1998) was a Belgian artist, animator, writer, and director best known for creating the cartoon character Musti. Biography Ray Goossens was born in Merksem, Belgium in 1924. Interested in animation fr ...

, Belgian comics artist (''Reynaert de Vos'', ''Ouwe Taaie'', ''Mr. Snor'', ''Tijl Uilenspiegel'' (sometimes titled ''Tijl en Lamme''), ''Pimmeke'', ''Snops'', ''Tsjoem'') and animator ('' Musti''), dies at age 74. * December 13: Jean Vern, French musician and comics artist (collaborated with scriptwriter

Pierre Christin Pierre Christin (; born 27 July 1938) is a French comics creator and writer. Biography Christin was born at Saint-Mandé in 1938. After graduating from the Sorbonne, Christin pursued graduate studies in political science at SciencesPo and be ...

and comics artist Jacques Lob), dies at age 58. * December 21: André LeBlanc, Haitian-American-Brazilian comics artist (''Intellectual Amos'', ''Morena Flor'', ''Our Bible in Pictures'', assisted on ''

The Spirit The Spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16-page, tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the Sunday edition of Register and Trib ...

'', '' Flash Gordon'', ''

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...

''), dies at age 77. * December 23:

Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando (April 4, 1927 – December 23, 1998) was an Italian American illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades. He was the associate publisher of '' Mad'' and the vice president of DC Comics, ...

, American comics artist (co-creator of the '' Weird Science,

Weird Fantasy ''Weird Fantasy'' is an American dark fantasy and science fiction anthology comic that was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. The companion comic for ''Weird Fantasy'' was '' Weird Science''. Over a four-year span, ''Weird Fantasy'' ra ...

'' series), dies at age 71. * December 29:

Jean-Claude Forest Jean-Claude Forest (11 September 1930 – 30 December 1998) was a French writer and illustrator of comics and the creator of character Barbarella. Biography Jean-Claude Forest was born in Le Perreux-sur-Marne, a Paris suburb and graduated f ...

, French comics artist ('' Barbarella''), dies at age 68. * December 31: Sándor Gugi, Hungarian comics artist (''Talál Tamás'', ''Der Arme Leopold'', adaptations of literary novels), dies at age 81. * Specific date unknown: Reginald Ben Davies, British illustrator and comics artist (''Jill Crusoe in the Land of the White Queen'', ''Katy of Cedar Creek''), passes away at age 90 or 91.

Specific date unknown

* Kim Young-hwan, aka Gita Koji, Korean comics artist (''Kojubu Samgukji''), passes away at age 85 or 86.

Conventions

* January 22–25:

Angoulême International Comics Festival The Angoulême International Comics Festival (french: Festival international de la bande dessinée d'Angoulême) is the second largest comics festival in Europe after the Lucca Comics & Games in Italy, and the third biggest in the world after ...

(Angoulême, France) * February 21–22:

Alternative Press Expo The Alternative Press Expo (APE) was a comic book festival and alternative comics convention that operated from 1994 to 2017. Founded by Slave Labor Graphics publisher Dan Vado, APE focused on self-published, independent, and alternative cartoon ...

(San Jose, California) * March 13–15:

MegaCon MegaCon, short for Mega Convention, is a large speculative fiction convention that caters to the comic book, sci-fi, anime, fantasy, and gaming communities, often occurring in spring at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Th ...

(Orlando Expo Center, Orlando, Florida, USA) — guests include Stephen Furst and Robin Downs of ''

Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tele ...

'' * March 21–22:

United Kingdom Comic Art Convention The United Kingdom Comic Art Convention (UKCAC) was a British comic book convention which was held between 1985 and 1998. As a complement to UKCAC, from 1990 to 1995 the organizers put on the Glasgow-based Glasgow Comic Art Convention (GlasCAC), ...

(Manchester, England) — guests include

Joe Sacco Joe Sacco (; born October 2, 1960) is a Maltese-American cartoonist and journalist. He is best known for his comics journalism, in particular in the books '' Palestine'' (1996) and '' Footnotes in Gaza'' (2009), on Israeli–Palestinian rela ...

, Alex Ross,

Eddie Campbell Eddie Campbell (born 10 August 1955) is a British comics artist and cartoonist who now lives in Chicago. Probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of ''From Hell'' (written by Alan Moore), Campbell is also the creator of the semi-au ...

Colleen Doran Colleen Doran is an American writer-artist and cartoonist. She illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, including the autobiographical graphic novel of Marvel Comics editor and writer Stan Lee entitled ''Amazing Fant ...

, Woodrow Phoenix, William Messner-Loebs, Alan Grant (writer), Alan Grant, and Dave Taylor (comics), Dave Taylor ; presentation of the National Comics Awards; final iteration of the UKCAC * April 17–19: WonderCon (Oakland, California) * April 25–26: Pittsburgh Comicon (Pittsburgh ExpoMart, Monroeville, Pennsylvania) — guests include Kevin Smith and Jim Mahfood * May 15–17: Motor City Comic Con I (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan) * May 16: Ramapo Comic Con XII (Ramapo High School, Spring Valley, New York) — guests include Barry Blair, Howard Cruse, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Dave Cockrum, Joe Quesada, Jimmy Palmiotti, Fred Hembeck, and Amanda Conner * Summer: "The Death of CAPTION" (Oxford Union Society, Oxford, England) * June 3–5: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina) — guests include "Trilogy Tour" II members Jeff Smith (cartoonist), Jeff Smith, Charles Vess, Linda Medley, Mark Crilley, Jill Thompson, and Stan Sakai * June 26–28: Fan Expo Canada (Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) — 6,778 attendees; guests include Joe Quesada, Greg Capullo, Joseph Michael Linsner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Humberto Ramos, Christina Z, Amanda Conner, Chester Brown, Joe Matt, and Seth (cartoonist), Seth * July 17–19: Wizard World Chicago (Rosemont Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois) — 25,000 attendees; guest of honor: Todd McFarlane; special guests: David Prowse and Kenny Baker (English actor), Kenny Baker; other guests include "Trilogy Tour" II members Jeff Smith (cartoonist), Jeff Smith, Charles Vess, Linda Medley, Mark Crilley, Jill Thompson, and Stan Sakai * July 17–18: Zinefest (Los Angeles and Orange, California) * Aug. 11–12: Pro/Con (San Diego, California) — 6th Pro/Con moves from Oakland to San Diego; held right before Comic-Con International * August 13–17: Comic-Con International (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California) — 42,000 attendees. Special guests include John Broome (writer), John Broome,

, Nick Cardy, Mark Crilley,

, Lorenzo Mattotti, Terry Moore (comics), Terry Moore, Paul S. Newman, James Robinson (comics), James Robinson, Joe Simon, Paul Smith (comics), Paul Smith, Vin Sullivan, Naoko Takeuchi, Chris Ware, and Robert Williams (artist), Robert Williams * September 3–6: Dragon Con (Hyatt Regency Atlanta/ AmericasMart, Atlanta, Georgia) — 18,000 attendees * September 11–12: Big Apple Comic Con I (Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City) * September 26–27: Small Press Expo (Holiday Inn Select, Bethesda, Maryland) * October 9–10: Festival of Cartoon Art (Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio)Kannenberg, Gene. "One-of-a-kind: The Ohio State University Festival of Cartoon Art, October 9–10, 1998, A Personal View," ''Comics Journal'' (Dec. 1998), pp. 9–14. — 6th edition * October 10: Big Apple Comic Con II (Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City) * October 10–11: Motor City Comic Con II (Dearborn Civic Center, Dearborn, Michigan) * October 17–18: SuperCon III (Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, California) * November 13–15: The Graphic Novel: a 20th Anniversary Conference on an Emerging Literary and Artistic Medium (the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts) — program book features a brief essay by Will Eisner, "Twentieth Anniversary Reflections on ''A Contract with God''" * November 13–14: Big Apple Comic Con III (Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City) * November 28–29: Mid-Ohio Con (Adam's Mark Hotel, Columbus, Ohio) — guests include "Trilogy Tour" II members Jeff Smith (cartoonist), Jeff Smith, Charles Vess, Linda Medley, Mark Crilley, Jill Thompson, and Stan Sakai

First issues by title

* ''Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1998 In Comics 1998 in comics,