This is a list of

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

-related events in 2021. It includes any relevant comics-related events, deaths of notable comics-related people, conventions and first issues by title.

Events

January

* January 15: A rejected ''

Tintin Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to: ''The Adventures of Tintin'' * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series ** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...

'' cover for the album ''

The Blue Lotus ''The Blue Lotus'' (french: link=no, Le Lotus bleu) is the fifth volume of ''The Adventures of Tintin'', the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by the conservative Belgian newspaper for its children's supplement , it was ...

'' is auctioned and sold for the record prize of 3.2 million euros (2.8. million British pounds).

February

* February 18: The ''

'' shop in Lissabon, Portugal, is forced to close its doors forever, because of the ongoing

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

lockdown measures.

March

* March 4: Japanese publisher

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

prints a 15-meter (49-foot) tall version of an ''

Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. It is set in a world where humanity is forced to live in cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as ...

'' album. It breaks a record as the largest comic book of all time. * March 8: **

Hergé Georges Prosper Remi (; 22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), known by the pen name Hergé (; ), from the French pronunciation of his reversed initials ''RG'', was a Belgian cartoonist. He is best known for creating ''The Adventures of Tintin'', ...

's estate, Moulinsart, sues artist Xavier Marabout for copyright infringement, since he uses ''

The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 bande dessinée#Formats, ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one ...

'' characters in his paintings. He later wins his case. ** 87-year-old comic artist

José Delbo José Delbo (born December 9, 1933) is an Argentine comics artist. He is best known for his work on ''Wonder Woman'' for DC Comics and '' The Transformers'' for Marvel Comics. Career José Delbo became a professional comics artist at the age of 1 ...

sells

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

artwork as a

non-fungible token A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, that is recorded in a blockchain, and that is used to certify authenticity and ownership. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the b ...

for $1.85 million during a crypto auction, in collaboration with the Italian Hackatao duo. * March 9: Gerben Valkema, best known for the comic strip ''Elsje'', wins 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 ...

April

* April 6: A rare copy of ''

Action Comics 1 ''Action Comics'' #1 ( cover dated June 1938) is the first issue of the original run of the comic book/ magazine series ''Action Comics''. It features the first appearance of several comic-book heroes—most notably the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shu ...

'' (the first ''

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

'' comic) is auctioned for a record sale of $3.25 million at ComicConnect.com. * April 29: After 40 years, Steve Bell's long-running political comic strip '' If...'' comes to an end.

June

* June 8: DC releases '' DC Pride'', its first anthology series focusing on LGBTQ+ characters. * June 9: ** In Spain more than 300 comics artists protest and boycott the annual

Barcelona International Comic Fair Barcelona International Comic Fair is an annual fair and convention of authors, publishers and comic readers, managed by . It takes place in the city of Barcelona since 1981, and is an event of reference on the Spanish comic market. Prizes The Pri ...

, because the winner of the ''Grand Prix'' is Antonio Martin, who is not a comics writer or artist, but a comics historian and publisher. ** In

Noordwijk Noordwijk () is a town and municipality in the west of the Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water and had a population of in . On 1 January 2019, the former municipality of Noordwij ...

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, the

MoCA (Museum of Comic Art), Noordwijk The Museum of Comic Art (MoCA) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, is an international art museum that specializes in original artwork by European and U.S. comic book and newspaper comic artists. Its primary focus are original comic strips and comic bo ...

opens its doors to the general public. * June 27: In

Nieuw-Vossemeer Nieuw-Vossemeer is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Steenbergen, about 10 km northeast of Bergen op Zoom. History The village was first mentioned between 1573 and 1576 as Nijeuwe Vossem ...

, The Netherlands, a bench with a mosaic drawing depicting the comic characters

Bulletje en Boonestaak {{italic title ''Bulletje en Boonestaak'' (later spelled ''Bulletje en Bonestaak'') was one of the first very successful Dutch newspaper comic strips, the first Dutch comic moralists, and the first Dutch comic translated into other languages. It ...

is revealed to the public. * June 28: Studio Jan van Haasteren wins the annual P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs. The award is given to Jan van Haasteren and his two co-workers Rob Derks and Dick Heins.

July

* A revival of the weekly political-satirical gag comic spin-off of

Jean Tabary Jean Tabary (5 March 1930 – 18 August 2011) was a French comics artist. Biography Tabary was born in Stockholm and made his comics debut with ''Richard et Charlie'' published in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine '' Vaillant'' on 5 November ...

's ''

Iznogoud ''Iznogoud'' (pronounced "he's/is no good" with a French accent) is a French comics series featuring an eponymous character, created by the comics writer René Goscinny and comics artist Jean Tabary. The comic series chronicles the life and tim ...

'' is launched as a webcomic series on the website La Vie Française. The new scriptwriter is Olivier Andrieu and the artist Elric.

August

* August 7: A comic mural designed by Belgian comic artist Kim Duchateau is inaugurated in Antwerp, Belgium. *August 12:

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 ...

announces that Robin will be outed as bisexual in an upcoming comic book story of ''Batman: Urban Legends'', which features alternative storylines about Batman.

September

* September 9: ** A copy of the first issue of ''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...

'' is sold for the record-breaking prize of 3.6 million dollars. ** A scandal breaks out in Ontario, Canada, when it is revealed that in 2019 30 schools have burned or removed 5,000 children's books, novels, encyclopedias and comics, for depicting ''"prejudice against indigenous peoples."'' * September 17: ** In

Anderlecht, Belgium Anderlecht (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the ...

, Hotel Yooma opens its doors: the first hotel dedicated to Franco-Belgian comics. ** In

Charleroi, Belgium Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

, a statue of

Gaston Lagaffe ''Gaston'' is a Belgian gag-a-day comic strip created in 1957 by the Belgian cartoonist André Franquin in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine '' Spirou''. The series focuses on the everyday life of Gaston Lagaffe (whose surname means "the blund ...

is inaugurated at the Green Place. * September 26: Dutch comics publisher Julius Goede wins the Dutch comic award the Bulletje en Boonestaakschaal. * September 28: Belgian cartoonist

Kamagurka Luc Zeebroek (born 5 May 1956), better known as Kamagurka, is a Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, suc ...

wins the Dutch Inktspotprijs award for ''Best Political Cartoon''.

October

* October 11:

announces that Jon Kent, the 17-year-old son of

, will be outed as bisexual in an upcoming comic book story.

Deaths

January

* January 1: Norbert Morandière, aka Norma, French comics artist (''Capitaine Apache'', ''Souveniers de la Pendule'', ''Hazel et Ogan''), dies at age 74. * January 8:

Steve Lightle Steve Lightle (November 19, 1959 – January 8, 2021) was an American comics artist who worked primarily as a penciller. He was best known as the artist of DC Comics' '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''Doom Patrol'' titles. Biography Steve Light ...

, American comics artist (''

Doom Patrol Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...

'', continued ''

Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st c ...

''), dies at age 61 from cardiac arrest, brought on by

. * January 15: Liz Berube, American comics artist and colorist, known for romance comics, dies at age 78. * January 21: ** Henryk Chmielewski, aka Papcio Chmiel, Polish comics artist, illustrator and journalist (''

Tytus, Romek i A'Tomek ''Tytus, Romek i A'Tomek'' (eng. ''Tytus, Romek, and A'Tomek'') is the longest-published and one of the most popular Polish comic book series, created by Henryk Jerzy Chmielewski (aka ''Papcio Chmiel'') in 1957 and concluded in 2009. It centers ...

''), dies at age 97. **

Jean Graton Jean Graton (10 August 1923 – 21 January 2021) was a French comic book author and cartoonist. Graton created the famous character Michel Vaillant and the eponymous series in 1957. Biography Graton was born in Nantes, France, in 1923. He m ...

, French comics writer and artist (''

Michel Vaillant ''Michel Vaillant'' is a French car racing comics series created in 1957 by French cartoonist Jean Graton and published originally by Le Lombard. Later, Graton published the albums by himself when he founded Graton éditeur in 1982. Michel Vaill ...

'', '' Julie Wood'') and publisher (''Éditions Graton''), dies at age 97. * January 24:

Marcel Uderzo Marcel Uderzo (20 December 1933 – 24 January 2021) was a French comic book artist. He was the younger brother of fellow comic book artist Albert Uderzo. Biography Uderzo was born in Clichy-sous-Bois on 20 December 1933 to a family of Italian ...

, French comics artist (''Les Mémoires de Mathias'', drew a comic strip based on ''

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'' (''Les Douze travaux d'Astérix'') is a 1976 Belgian/French animated feature film based on the ''Asterix'' comic book series, and the third in the animated franchise. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the crea ...

'', assisted on his brother

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 Re ...

's ''

Tanguy et Laverdure ''Les Aventures de Tanguy et Laverdure'' is a Franco-Belgian comics (''bande dessinée'') series created by Jean-Michel Charlier and Albert Uderzo, about the two pilots Michel Tanguy and Ernest Laverdure, and their adventures in the French Air Fo ...

'' and ''

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

''), dies at age 87.

February

* February 4: Vlastimil Zábranský, Czech painter, visual artist and comics artist, dies at age 84. * February 7: **

Oscar González Loyo Oscar González Loyo (11 April 1959 in Mexico City"Oscar González Loyo"
Kees Kousem ...

, Mexican animator and comics artist ('' Karmatrón y Los Transformables''), dies at age 61. **

S. Clay Wilson Steve Clay Wilson (July 25, 1941 – February 7, 2021) was an American underground cartoonist and central figure in the underground comix movement. Wilson attracted attention from readers with aggressively violent and sexually explicit panoramas ...

, American underground comix artist (''

The Checkered Demon The Checkered Demon is a fictional character created by S. Clay Wilson, one of the leading underground comix artists of the 1960s. The character debuted in 1967 in ''Groulish'' magazine;Fox, M. Steven"The Checkered Demon" ComixJoint. Accessed J ...

'', ''Captain Pissgums and His Pervert Pirates''), dies at age 79. * February 8:

Jean-Claude Carrière Jean-Claude Carrière (; 17 September 1931 – 8 February 2021) was a French novelist, screenwriter and actor. He received an Academy Award for best short film for co-writing '' Heureux Anniversaire'' (1963), and was later conferred an Honorary ...

, French novelist, actor, screenwriter and comics writer (wrote comics for Bernard Yslaire and Pierre Étaix ), dies at age 89."Jean-Claude Carrière, scénariste et écrivain, est mort à l'âge de 89 ans"
''

Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...

'', February 9, 2021. * February 13:

George Mandel George Mandel (11 February 1920 – 13 February 2021) was an American author and artist. His first novel is considered to be an early work of the east coast Beat Generation. His novels, interviews, novellas, cartoons and short stories have been ...

, American writer and comics artist (''The Woman in Red'', comics for

Better Publications Standard Comics was a comic book imprint of American publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines (under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics) and paperback books (under the Popular Library name). Standard in t ...

), dies at age 101. * February 16:

Si Spencer Si Spencer (1961 – 16 February 2021)Si Spencer, 1961-2021
at ''

, British TV writer and comics writer (''

Harke & Burr ''Harke & Burr'' are two fictional comic book characters who appeared in their own stories for thirteen episodes in issues of British comic ''Judge Dredd Megazine''. The majority of the ''Harke & Burr'' stories were written by Si Spencer and drawn ...

'', ''The Creep'', wrote for ''

Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977), which is a British weekly anthology Comic book, comic. He is the ...

''), dies at age 69 or 70.Si Spencer, 1961-2021
at '' 2000AD''; published February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021 * February 19: Leopold Lippens, Belgian politician (namesake of the Leopold Lippens Prize at the Comics Festival of

Knokke-Heist Knokke-Heist (; french: Knocke-Heist) is a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Heist-aan-Zee, Knokke, Duinbergen, Ramskapelle and Westkapelle. On January 1, 2006 Knokke-Heist had a total ...

), dies at age 79.

March

* March 2: Claude Lacroix, aka Tartemption, Alias, French comics artist and illustrator (''Farfelune'', ''Yann Le Migrateur'', ''Fariboles Sidérales'', ''Cyann''), dies at age 76. * March 7:

Frank Thorne Benjamin Franklin Thorne (June 16, 1930 – March 7, 2021
at the Red Sonja Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino. Marvel Comics ...

'', ''Dr. Guy Bennett/ Dr. Duncan'', ''Moonshine McJugs''), dies at age 90. * March 18: Picanyol, Spanish comics artist ('' Ot el bruixot'', ''L'Illa Perduda''), dies at age 73. * March 19:

Gary Leib Gary David Leib (October 29, 1955 – March 19, 2021) was an American underground cartoonist, animator, and musician. Best known for the comic book '' Idiotland'' (a two-man anthology produced with Leib's long-time collaborator, Doug Allen), Lei ...

, American cartoonist, musician and animator (''Idiotland'') dies at age 65–66. * March 27: Chris Yambar, American comics writer (''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...

'' comics, ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' comics, revival of ''

The Yellow Kid The Yellow Kid (Mickey Dugan) is an American comic strip character that appeared from 1895 to 1898 in Joseph Pulitzer's ''New York World'', and later William Randolph Hearst's ''New York Journal''. Created and drawn by Richard F. Outcault in th ...

'') and artist (''Mr. Beat''), dies at age 59. * March 30: Gonzalo Mayo, Peruvian comics artist (worked for ''

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 voluntar ...

'' and ''

Vampirella Vampirella () is a fictional vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of ''Creepy'' ...

''), dies at age 81.

April

* April 5: **

Joye Hummel Joye Evelyn Hummel (April 4, 1924April 5, 2021) was an American comic book author. She is noted for ghost-writing more than 70 "Wonder Woman" stories between 1944 and 1947. Hummel was 19 years old when she began as a typist for the comic. She ...

, American comics writer (''

''), dies at age 97. **

Frank Jacobs Franklin Jacobs (May 30, 1929 – April 5, 2021) was an American author of satires, known primarily for his work in '' Mad'', to which he contributed from 1957 to 2014. Jacobs wrote a wide variety of lampoons and spoof, but was best known as a ve ...

, American comics writer (''

Mad Magazine Mad, mad, or MAD may refer to: Geography * Mad (village), a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia * Mád, a village in Hungary * Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, by IATA airport code * Mad River (disambiguation), several r ...

''), dies at age 91. * April 7: Michel Koeniguer, French comics artist (''The Bridge'', ''Bomb Road'', ''Misty Mission'', ''Berlin sera notre tombeau''), dies at age 49. * April 18: Cor Blok, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (''The Iron Parachute''), dies at age 87.

May

* May 1:

John Paul Leon John Paul Leon (April 26, 1972 – May 2, 2021) was an American comic book artist, known for his work on the Milestone Comics series ''Static'', and the Marvel Comics limited series ''Earth X''. Leon also provided artwork for a number of style g ...

, American comic book artist (''

Static Static may refer to: Places *Static Nunatak, a nunatak in Antarctica United States * Static, Kentucky and Tennessee *Static Peak, a mountain in Wyoming **Static Peak Divide, a mountain pass near the peak Science and technology Physics *Static el ...

'', ''

Earth X ''Earth X'' is a 1999 comic book limited series published by American company Marvel Comics. ''Earth X'' was written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian version of the Marvel Uni ...

'', '' The Winter Men''), dies at age 49. * May 2:

Pieter Aspe Pieter Aspe (officially ''Pierre Aspeslag''; 3 April 1953 – 1 May 2021) was a Belgian writer of a series of detective stories starring inspector Pieter Van In. These were adapted for the long-running TV series (2004–14) starring . He died ...

, Belgian novelist and comics writer (wrote comics in collaboration with cartoonists like Kim Duchateau, Marec,

Merho Merho, born Robert Merhottein on 24 October 1948, is a Belgian comic-book writer and artist, best known for creating the comic strip ''De Kiekeboes''. Early life Robert Merhottein was born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1948.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Mer ...

and Patrick van Oppen ), dies at age 68. * May 6:

Kentaro Miura was a Japanese manga artist. He was best known for his acclaimed dark fantasy series '' Berserk'', which began serialization in 1989 and continued until his death. As of 2021, ''Berserk'' had more than 50 million copies in circulation, making i ...

, Japanese comics/manga artist ('' Berserk''), dies at age 54 from

aortic dissection Aortic dissection (AD) occurs when an injury to the innermost layer of the aorta allows blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall, forcing the layers apart. In most cases, this is associated with a sudden onset of severe chest or ...

. * May 10: Marc Daniëls, Belgian comics writer and artist (''Stam & Pilou'', various

celebrity comics Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

) and co-founder of Studio Max!, dies at age 62 from

. * May 18: Esegé, Spanish comics artist (''Gustavo, el de la Calle del Diecinueve'', ''Tito Sidecar'', ''El Dinosaurio Jeremías''), dies at age 63. * May 19:

David Anthony Kraft David Anthony Kraft (May 31, 1952 – May 19, 2021) was an American comic book writer, publisher, and critic. He was primarily known for his long-running journal of interviews and criticism, ''Comics Interview'', as well as for work for Marvel C ...

, American comics writer (

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 ...

), critic (''David Anthony Kraft's Comics Interview'', ''Comics Revue'') and publisher, dies at age 68. * May 21: Ploeg, Belgian cartoonist and comic artist (''Prosper''), dies at age 85. * May 28:

Benoît Sokal Benoît Sokal (28 June 1954 – 28 May 2021) was a Belgian comic artist and video game developer, best known for his comics series ''Inspector Canardo'', and the ''Syberia'' adventure game franchise. Biography Benoît Sokal was born in Brussel ...

, Belgian comics artist (''

Inspector Canardo Inspector Canardo is a comics series created by the Belgian artist Benoît Sokal. He was named after the French noun ''canard'', which means "duck". History Sokal created the character Inspector Canardo after graduating from Institut Saint- ...

''), dies at age 66.

June

* June 1:

Bunny Matthews Will Bunn "Bunny" Matthews III (February 15, 1951 – June 1, 2021) was an American cartoonist and writer from the Greater New Orleans Area. He is best known for his depictions of New Orleans characters and local dialect, especially Vic and ...

, American comic artist (''Vic and Nat'ly''), dies at age 70. * June 5: André Beckers, Belgian comic artist (''La Patrouille des Aigles'', ''Lieutenant Tompson'', assisted on ''

Buck Danny ''Buck Danny'' is a Franco-Belgian comics series about a military flying ace and his two sidekicks serving (depending on the plots) in the United States Navy or the United States Air Force. The series is noted for its realism both in the drawings ...

''), dies at age 93. * June 13:

Nikita Mandryka Nikita Mandryka (20 October 1940 – 13 June 2021) was a French cartoonist. He started drawing in the '' Vaillant'' magazine, before moving to ''Pilote'' in 1967, and then created '' L'Écho des savanes'' along with Claire Bretécher and Marc ...

, French comics artist (''Le Concombre Masqué'', ''Les Clopinettes'') and publisher (co-founder of

L'Écho des Savanes ''L’Écho des Savanes'' is a Franco-Belgian comics magazine founded in May 1972 by Claire Bretécher, Marcel Gotlib and Nikita Mandryka. It featured the work of French and international authors and graphic artists in mature-oriented comics over ...

), dies at age 80. * June 14:

Tuono Pettinato Andrea Paggiaro, better known as Tuono Pettinato, (12 July 1976 – 14 June 2021) was an Italian comics writer and illustrator. Selected works * ''Apocalypso! Gli anni dozzinali'', Coniglio Editore, 2010 * ''Garibaldi. Resoconto veritiero dell ...

, Italian comics writer and illustrator (''Garibaldi. Resoconto veritiero delle sue valorose imprese, a uso delle giovini menti''), dies at age 44. * June 18: Asher Dikstein, Israeli comic artist (''The Spaceship of Time'', ''Mysteries of the Lost Continent''), dies at age 77 or 78. * June 23: Walli, Belgian children's book illustrator and comic artist (''Kommerkat'', ''Cosmic Connection'', ''Gil Sinclair'', continued ''

Modeste et Pompon ''Modeste and Pompon'' (''Modeste et Pompon'') is a Belgian comic series consisting mainly of humorous one-page short stories about a temperamental young man and his girlfriend. Created by André Franquin, it was first published in ''Tintin'' ma ...

'' and ''

Chlorophylle Chlorophylle was a Belgian comics series and Raymond Macherot's best known work, alongside '' Sibylline''. It is a fantasy comic about anthropomorphic forest animals, including the title character Chlorophylle, who is a dormouse. Description C ...

''), dies at age 69.

July

* July 5: **

Richard Donner Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker whose notable works included some of the most financially-successful films during the New Hollywood era. According to film historian M ...

, American film director and comics writer (co-wrote ''

'' stories with

Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serve ...

and

Adam Kubert Adam Kubert (; born 1959) is an American comics artist known for his work for publishers such as Marvel Comics and DC Comics, including work on ''Action Comics'', '' Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine'', ''The Incredible Hulk'', ''Ultimate Fantas ...

), dies at age 91. ** Danny Shanahan, American cartoonist (worked for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''), dies at age 64. * July 14:

Kurt Westergaard Kurt Westergaard (born Kurt Vestergaard; 13 July 1935 – 14 July 2021) was a Danish cartoonist. In 2005 he drew a cartoon of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, wearing a bomb in his turban as a part of the ''Jyllands-Posten'' Muhammad cartoons, w ...

, Danish cartoonist (

Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy The ''Jyllands-Posten'' Muhammad cartoons controversy (or Muhammad cartoons crisis, da, Muhammedkrisen) began after the Danish newspaper ''Jyllands-Posten'' published 12 editorial cartoons on 30 September 2005, most of which depicted Muhamma ...

), dies at age 86. * July 24: Carlos Romeu Müller, Spanish comics artist (''Miguelito''), dies at age 73. * July 25:

Henri Vernes Charles-Henri-Jean Dewisme (16 October 1918 – 25 July 2021), better known by his pen name Henri Vernes (), was an author of action and science fiction novels. He published over 200 titles in the action and science-fiction genre. He was most ...

, Belgian novelist and comics writer (wrote the scripts to comic book adaptations of his own novel series ''

Bob Morane ''Bob Morane'' is a series of adventure books in French, featuring an eponymous protagonist, created by French-speaking Belgian novelist Henri Vernes, the pseudonym of Charles-Henri Dewisme. More than 200 novels have been written since his in ...

''), dies at age 102. * July 31: Martin Perscheid, German comics artist (''Perscheids Abgründe''), dies at age 55.

August

* August 14: Enzo Facciolo, Italian animator and comics artist (''Clint Due Colpi'', worked on ''

Diabolik ''Diabolik'' ( or ) is an Italian comic series created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. One of the most popular series in the history of Italian comics, ''Diabolik'' was created in 1962 and consists of more than 900 volumes, and has led ...

''), dies at age 89. * August 19:

Raoul Cauvin Raoul Cauvin (26 September 1938 – 19 August 2021) was a Belgian comics author and one of the most popular in the humorist field. Biography Raoul Cauvin was born in Antoing, Belgium in 1938.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Raoul Cauvin". In België ges ...

, Belgian comics writer (''

Les Tuniques Bleues ''Les Tuniques Bleues'' (Dutch: De Blauwbloezen) is a Belgian series of ''bandes dessinées'' (comic books in the Franco-Belgian tradition), first published in '' Spirou'' magazine and later collected in albums by Dupuis."Best of Belgium's Cart ...

'', ''

Sammy Sammy is a nickname, frequently for people named Samuel, and also an English spelling of the Arabic name Sami. People Music *Sammy Adams (born 1987), American rapper and songwriter *Sammy Cahn (1913-1993), American songwriter *Sammy Davis Jr. ( ...

'', ''

Agent 212 Agent 212 is a humorous Belgian comic about a rotund police officer who usually suffers as a result of the people and situations he encounters. Created by writer Raoul Cauvin and illustrator Daniel Kox, the comic debuted in ''Spirou'' magazine ...

'', ''

Les Femmes en Blanc Les Femmes en Blanc (Women in white) is a Belgian comics humor series of 42 album volumes, for which the script was created by Raoul Cauvin and whose design was directed by Philippe Bercovici. Colours were done by Leonardo. The series debuted in 1 ...

'', ''

Pierre Tombal Pierre Tombal is a Belgian gag comic strip, drawn by Marc Hardy and written by Raoul Cauvin, about a gravedigger and the dead people at his cemetery. The series has been in syndication since 1983 and is published in the Belgian magazine Spirou b ...

'', '' Cédric'', '' Cupidon'', ''Pauvre Lampil'', ''Les Psy'', ''Taxi Girl'', ''Le Vieux Bleu'', ''Les Voraces'', also wrote stories for '' Natacha'' and ''

Spirou et Fantasio ''Spirou & Fantasio'' (french: Spirou et Fantasio, wa, Spirou eyet Fantasio) is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comics. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European comics, European ...

''), dies at age 82. * August 24:

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...

, British rock drummer (

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

) (made comic strips for his band's U.S. tour program and the back sleeve of their album ''

Between the Buttons ''Between the Buttons'' is the fifth British and seventh American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 20 January 1967 in the UK and on 11 February in the US as the follow-up to '' Aftermath''. It reflected the S ...

''), dies at age 80.

September

* September 3:

Henriette Valium Patrick Henley (May 4, 1959 – September 3, 2021), known professionally as Henriette Valium, was a Canadian comic book artist and painter based in Montreal, Quebec. Career In March 2013, some of Valium's art pieces were shown at Espace Robert ...

, Canadian painter and comics artist, dies at age 62. * September 21: Nico Visscher, Dutch cartoonist and comics artist (''De Wolken'', ''Korrel''), dies at age 88. * September 24: ** Gomaa Frahat, Egyptian political cartoonist, dies at age 80. ** Ota, Brazilian comics writer, comics artist, cartoonist and publisher (''Os Birutas'', worked for the Brazilian edition of ''

''), dies at age 67. **

Takao Saito was a Japanese manga artist, although he rejected the term and considered his work gekiga. He was best known for '' Golgo 13'', which has been serialized in ''Big Comic'' since 1968, making it the oldest manga still in publication. ''Golgo ...

, Japanese comics/manga artist (''

Golgo 13 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Saito, published in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic'' since October 1968. The series follows the title character, a professional assassin for hire. ''Golgo ...

'', ''

Kage Gari is a 1969 jidaigeki manga series by Takao Saito. It follows the adventures of three ronin - Jubei (十兵衛), Sunlight (日光), and Moonlight (月光) - who dedicate their lives to hunt down "shadows", the ninja spies of the Tokugawa shog ...

'', '' Barom-1''), dies from pancreatic cancer at age 84. * September 27: hugOKÉ, Belgian cartoonist and comics artist (''Belgman'', ''Eddy Sterk Wint... De Spelen'', ''Reynaert de Vos''), dies at age 82.

October

* October 8: Santiago Martín Salvador, Spanish comic artist (worked on the comic strip based on ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'' and drew horror comics for ''

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 ...

''), dies at age 85. * October 17: Robin Wood, Paraguayan-Argentine comics writer (''

Nippur de Lagash ''Nippur de Lagash'' ( en, Nippur of Lagash) is an Argentine historical comic series, published between 1967 and 1998. It is set in the 23rd century BC (according to the short chronology), about a fictional homonym warrior of Sumer, created by ...

'', ''

Dago Dago may refer to: Places * Dagö/Dagø, the Swedish/Danish name of Hiiumaa, Estonia * Dago, Ghana, a village * Dago, Bandung, an area in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia * Dago Creek, Alaska * The Hill, St. Louis, in St. Louis, Missouri, was r ...

'', '' Gilgamesh el inmortal'',...), dies at age 77.

November

* November 2: André Osi, Belgian comic artist (''Horizon Blanc'', ''Napoléon''), dies at age 62.

December

* December 4: Nico van Welzenes, Dutch painter and comic artist (''Peter Pik'', ''Superlul''), dies at age 85. * December 8:

Mitsutoshi Furuya was a Japanese manga artist. He made his debut as a manga artist in 1955 with kashi-hon manga. He started as an assistant of Osamu Tezuka in 1958, but was primarily known for starting out as an assistant of Fujio Akatsuka five years later. He w ...

, Japanese comic artist (''

Dame Oyaji is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mitsutoshi Furuya. It was serialized by Shogakukan in '' Shōnen Sunday'' from September 23, 1970 (issue 43) to July 28, 1982 (issue 30). ''Dame Oyaji'' received the 1979 Shogakukan Manga ...

'', ''

Bar Lemon Heart , sometimes referred to as "Bar Lemon Heart," is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mitsutoshi Furuya and Family Kikaku and published by Futabasha from 1985 to 2021. A Japanese television drama series based on the manga premie ...

''), dies at age 85. * December 9:

Don Asmussen Donald Asmussen (October 31, 1962 – December 9, 2021) was an American cartoonist working for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and Universal Press Syndicate. Career Asmussen was born in Rhode Island. Early in his career, he published collages a ...

, American comics artist (''The San Francisco Strip'', ''

Bad Reporter ''Bad Reporter'' is a semi-weekly editorial cartoon in comic strip format which first appeared in the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' on September 25, 2003. After being syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate from August 12, 2005, to 2011, it is now ...

'', ''Super Average Joe''), dies at age 59 from brain cancer. * December 11: Hiroshi Hirata, Japanese comic artist, dies at age 84. * December 18: Gérald Forton, Belgian-American comic artist (''Kim Devil'', continued ''

'', ''He-Man, Masters of the Universe'' newspaper comic), dies at age 90.

Exhibitions and shows

* August 28, 2021 – February 20, 2022: ''"

Miné Okubo Miné Okubo (; June 27, 1912 – February 10, 2001) was an American artist and writer. She is best known for her book ''Citizen 13660'', a collection of 198 drawings and accompanying text chronicling her experiences in Japanese American internmen ...

's Masterpiece: The Art of ''

Citizen 13660 Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

''"'' (

Japanese American National Museum The is located in Los Angeles, California, and dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Founded in 1992, it is located in the Little Tokyo area near downtown. The museum is an affiliate within the Smithsonian Affil ...

, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles) * September 15 – December 8: ''"Legends: An Exploration of Contemporary Storytelling from Frame to Experience"'' (Bradbury Art Museum,

Arkansas State University Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...

, Jonesboro, Arkansas)—exhibition with original art by such creators as

JooYoung Choi JooYoung Choi is a Houston-based Korean American multidisciplinary visual artist working with paintings, sculpture, and video to portray the mythology of a fictional world called the Cosmic Womb. Personal life Choi was born in Seoul, South K ...

, Michelle Czajkowski,

Peter Kuper Peter Kuper (; born September 22, 1958) is an American alternative comics artist and illustrator, best known for his autobiographical, political, and social observations. Besides his contributions to the political anthology '' World War 3 Illust ...

Josh Neufeld Josh Neufeld (born August 9, 1967) is an alternative cartoonist known for his nonfiction comics on subjects like Hurricane Katrina, international travel, and finance, as well as his collaborations with writers like Harvey Pekar and Brooke Gladsto ...

Trina Robbins Trina Robbins (born Trina Perlson; August 17, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American cartoonist. She was an early participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first female artists in that movement. In the 1980s, Robbins beca ...

, and

Eric Shanower Eric James Shanower (born October 23, 1963) is an American cartoonist, best known for his Oz novels and comics, and for the ongoing retelling of the Trojan War as '' Age of Bronze''. Early life Eric Shanower was born on October 23, 1963. Upon hi ...

. * November 13, 2021 – May 8, 2022: ''"Dark Laughter Revisited: The Life and Times of

Ollie Harrington Oliver Wendell Harrington (February 14, 1912 – November 2, 1995) was an American cartoonist and an outspoken advocate against racism and for civil rights in the United States. Of multi-ethnic descent, Langston Hughes called him "America's great ...

"'' (

Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum is a research library of American cartoons and comic art affiliated with the Ohio State University library system in Columbus, Ohio. Formerly known as the Cartoon Research Library and the Cartoon Library ...

, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio)

Conventions

August

* August 21–22: Brooklyn Comic Con (

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...

, Brooklyn, NY)—held outdoors for health & safety reasons; second day canceled due to threatened hurricane

September

* September 25–26:

Big Apple Comic Con The Big Apple Comic Con is a New York City comic book convention, the longest-running comic book/speculative fiction/pop culture convention in New York City. It was started by retailer Michael "Mike Carbo" Carbonaro in March 1996 in comics, 1996 ...

(

Wyndham New Yorker Hotel The New Yorker, A Wyndham Hotel is a mixed-use hotel building at 481 Eighth Avenue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, United States. Opened in 1930, the New Yorker Hotel was designed by Sugarman and Berger in the ...

, New York City)—Celebrity guests:

Jason David Frank Jason David Frank (September 4, 1973 – November 19, 2022) was an American actor and martial artist. He was known for his role as Tommy Oliver in ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' and other ''Power Rangers'' series. Early life Frank was born in ...

Vic Mignogna Victor Joseph Mignogna (); born August 27, 1962)Birthday tweet: * is an American voice actor and musician known for his voice-over work in the English dubs of Japanese anime shows, such as Edward Elric from the ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' series, ...

Sarah Natochenny Sarah Natochenny (born September 20, 1987) is an American voice actress and film editor. She is best known for voicing Ash Ketchum and various other characters in the English dub of ''Pokémon'' since 2006, as well as Alicia in the 2006 video game ...

. Comics guests:

Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...

Billy Tucci William Tucci is an illustrator, writer, and filmmaker best known for his creator-owned title and character, '' Shi''. Career Tucci founded Crusade Comics in Bayport, New York Its flagship title, '' Shi'', debuted in March 1994. Publisher To ...

, Keith Williams,

Amanda Conner Amanda Conner is an American comics artist and commercial art illustrator. She began her career in the late 1980s for Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, before moving on to contribute work for Claypool Comics' '' Soulsearchers and Company'' and Ha ...

Jimmy Palmiotti James Palmiotti (born August 14, 1961) is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film. Early life Palmiotti attended the High School of Art and Design in New York City. Career Palmiotti star ...

Reilly Brown Reilly may refer to: Places * Reilly, Oise, commune in France * Reilly, California, in Inyo County * Reilly Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania * Reilly, County Fermanagh, a townland in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland Other *Reilly (surn ...

. Silver Anniversary show;Fox, Kate
"Big Apple Comic Convention,"
Patch.com (September 25, 2021). workshops by

The Kubert School The Kubert School, formerly the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art and Joe Kubert School, is a private, for-profit technical school focused on cartooning and located in Dover, New Jersey. It teaches the principles of sequential art a ...

October

* October 7–10:

New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. History The New York Comic Con is a f ...

( Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City) * October 22–24:

Baltimore Comic-Con Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

(

Baltimore Convention Center The Baltimore Convention Center is a convention and exhibition hall located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The center is a municipal building owned and operated by the City of Baltimore. The facility was constructed in two separate phases: th ...

, Baltimore, Maryland)

References

{{reflist, colwidth=30em

Comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

Mass media timelines by year