January: Jan Vriends officially becomes the new Stripmaker des Vaderlands (Comic Artist of the Mother Country) in the Netherlands, whose task is to promote the comics medium.[1][2][3]
January 10: The first issue of Marvel's Ultimate Spider-ManbyJonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto is published. This version of Spider-Man is set on Earth-6160 and follows a 35-year old Peter Parker, who is married to Mary Jane Watson and has 2 kids with her and wasn't bitten by the radioactive spider when he was teenager, as he deals with his newfound heroic responsibilities.[4]
January 15: Dutch comic artist Wilma van den Bosch wins the annual Stripschapprijs.[5][6][7] De Inktpot, a Utrecht collective of comics creators, receives the annual P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs.[8][9] The ceremony takes place on 17 March.[10]
January 24: Belgian publishing company Plantyn announces that in the fall all their children's magazines, namely Zonneland, Zonnekind, Zonnestraal, Doremi and Doremini will cease to be printed on paper. Zonneland in particular was Belgium's oldest still-running children's magazine and the oldest to contain comics.[11][12][13]
March 15: Publishing company Standaard Uitgeverij sends a letter to all surviving former artists of Willy Vandersteen's studio, informing them that they are no longer allowed to make or sign drawings with the Suske en Wiske characters for fans or at book signings, without the publisher's permission. The letter is made public and causes a lot of controversy, not only among the general audience, but also the veteran artists themselves. Standaard Uitgeverij eventually reacts and acknowledges miscommunication on their part. The artists are still allowed to sign books they've drawn themselves, but no longer drawings on loose pieces of paper.[16][17][18]
April 9: A rare copy of the very first Superman issue (Action Comics 1) sells for $6 million at an auction, breaking a record as the most expensive sale of a comic book ever.[19][20]
January 1: David Kunzle, American comic historian, writer and journalist (author of the books The Early Comic Strip, The History of the Comic Strip in the 19th Century, Rebirth of the English Comic Strip, Father of the Comic Strip Rodolphe Töpffer), dies at age 87.[25][26]
January 2: Attila Futaki, Hungarian comic artist and art director of the Hungarian comic magazine Roham, dies at age 29.[27]
January 3: Jan Smet, Belgian archivist, comic journalist (chief editor of the comic information magazine Stripgids), historian and author (co-wrote a 1985 biography about Marc Sleen,[28] author of the book Duizend Bommen en Castraten. Censuur in de Strip, about censorship in comics), dies at age 78.[29]
January 10: Walmir Amaral, Brazilian comic artist (O Vingador, Zhor, O Atlanta, Zorro, Alex e Cris, made local versions of The Phantom, continued Aventuras do Anjo), dies at age 84.[30][31]
January 12: Haruo Takahashi, Japanese manga artist (Iwayuru Hitotsu no Chō-san Shugi), dies at age 76.[32]
January 18: Trini Tinturé, Spanish comic artist and illustrator (Emma es Encantadora, Oh, Tinker, Curly, Biggi, Micky, Siska), dies at age 88.[33][34]
January 19: Marti Riera, A.K.A. Marti, Spanish comic artist (Taxista, Doctor Vértigo), dies at age 68 or 69.[35]
January 20: Alain De Kuyssche, Belgian journalist, comics writer (Didi, Germain et nous..., Gaston), biographer (wrote biographical books about Jacques Martin, Dino Attanasio, Eddy Paape and Raoul Cauvin) and chief editor of Spirou (1978–1982), dies at age 77.[36]
January 28: Jean-François Debaty, A.K.A. Schmurl, Belgian comic writer (Arpo) and colorist (Yvain et Yvon, Jordan), dies at age 59. [37]
Robert Beerbohm, American comic book retailer (Comics and Comix, Best of Two Worlds, The Funny Pages, Best Comics) and historian (did research after 19th-century comics, particularly the work of Rodolphe Töpffer), dies at age 71.[69]
April 10: Trina Robbins, American comic writer, artist (It Ain't Me Babe, Wimmen's Comix, scripted stories for Wonder Woman and GoGirl!), author ((co)-wrote Womens and the Comics, A Century of Women Cartoonists, The Great Women Superheroes, From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Women's Comics from Teens to Zines, The Great Women Cartoonists, Pretty in Ink) and activist (co-founder of Friends of Lulu), dies at age 85.[75][76]
May 16: June Mendoza A.K.A. Chris Garvey, Australian painter and comic artist (drew comics for K.G. Murray Publishing, Gem Comics and Girl), dies at age 99. [82]
May 17: Peter Bennett, American art director and comic book artist (SpongeBob SquarePants), dies at age 56.[83]
May 23: Petra Coria, Spanish-Belgian colorist (XIII) and wife of William Vance, dies at age 87. [84]
June 1: John Kenneth Adcock, Canadian cartoonist, illustrator and comics scholar (creator of the comics blog Yesterday's Papers, devoted to 19th-century and early 20th-century comics), dies at age 74. [86]
June 6: José Ramon Bernado, Spanish comic artist (Disney comics), dies at age 59. [87]
June 8:
Ben Potter, AKA Comicstorian, American Youtuber (channel dedicated to comic book reviews and other comic-related videos) and comic book writer (Bloodshot), dies at age 40.[88]
June 16: Étienne Willem, Belgian comic artist (Vieille Bruyère et Bas de Soie, L'Épée d'Ardenois, Les Ailes du Singe, La Fille de l'Exposition Universelle, Les Artilleuses, Le Paris des Merveilles), commits suicide at age 51. [90][91]
June 19: Jan Cremer, Dutch novelist and comic strip writer (New Comic Strip Scandal 000), dies at age 84. [92]
