1996 in comics

Events

Year overall

• The Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute creates Enviro-babies to help promote endangered species awareness

  February

• February 14: Ilah's Cordelia debuts in the Flemish newspaper De Morgen.
• The New Titans is canceled by DC with issue #130.
• Star Trek vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #80.

  March

• With issue #75, The Sandman ends its run.

  April

• Marvel discontinues its Marvel Edge imprint

  June

• Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme is canceled by Marvel with issue #90.

  July

• Diamond Comic Distributors acquires Capital City Distribution.
• The Avengers #400: "History Repeats Itself," by Mark Waid, Mike Weiringo, and Tom Palmer.

  August

• Detective Comics #700: "," Part I, "Progeny of the Demon," by Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan, and Scott Hanna.
• Captain America is canceled by Marvel with issue #454.

  September

• The British satirical cartoon magazine Punch, which went bankrupt in 1992, is revived. It will run until 2002.
• Fantastic Four is canceled by Marvel with issue #416.
• The Avengers is canceled by Marvel with issue #402.
• Iron Man is canceled by Marvel with issue #332.
• Newspaper strip A Couple of Guys begins publication

  October

• October 11: The 30th Asterix story is published, La Galère d'Obélix. In the story Obelix drinks the magic potion for the first time since he was a child, with dire consequences.
• October 12–13: During the Stripdagen in Breda, the Netherlands, Hanco Kolk receives the Stripschapprijs. Het Nederlands Stripmuseum receives the first P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs, named after P. Hans Frankfurther, who died in a drowning accident in August.

  December

• ': Clark Kent marries Lois Lane.
• December 27''': Marvel Entertainment files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

  Deaths

January

• January 19: Bernard Baily, American comics artist, writer and publisher , dies at age 79.
• January 22: Arthur Piroton, Belgian comics artist, passes away at age 64.
• January 28:
• * Jerry Siegel, American comics writer, dies at age 81.
• * Burne Hogarth, American comics artist dies at age 84.
• January 31: Claus Deleuran, Danish comics artist, dies at age 49.

  February

• February 5: Roberto Raviola, aka Magnus, Italian comics artist passes away from cancer at age 56.
• February 6:
• * Boody Rogers, American comics artist, dies at age 91.
• * Franco Tarantola, Italian comics artist, dies at age 53.
• February 13: Cara Sherman-Tereno, American comics artist dies of leukemia at the age of 44.
• February 26: Cork, Dutch cartoonist,, dies at age 64.

  March

• March 6: Jack Abel, American comics artist and inker, dies at age 68.
• March 7: Ramon Monzon, French comics artist, dies at age 65.
• March 14: Jack Berrill, American comics artist, dies of cancer at age 72.
• March 15: Homer Groening, Canadian-American film director, cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 76.
• March 25: Mike Roy, Canadian comics artist, passes away at age 75.

  April

• April 12: Bob Zschiesche, American comics artist, dies at age 67 from an aneurysm.
• April 20: Håven, Swedish cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 74.

  May

• May 7: Piet Worm, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 95.
• May 9: Carl Fallberg, American comics writer and artist dies at age 80.
• May 26: Francis Paid, Dutch comics artist, passes away at age 71.

  June

• June 11: Gin, Spanish comics artist, animator, and illustrator, passes away at age 65.
• June 15: Nonkel Fons, Belgian priest, publisher, and comics writer dies at age 84.
• June 19: Curt Swan, American comics artist, dies at age 76.

  July

• July 2: Mike Parobeck, American comics artist dies from diabetes at age 30.
• July 23: Jim Pabian, American animator, animated film director and comics artist, dies at age 87.

  August

• August 12: Mark Gruenwald, American comics writer and editor dies at age 43.
• August 28: P. Hans Frankfurther, Dutch film & TV producer, activist and organizer, drowns at age 64, trying to save his son.

  September

• September 3: Petar Grigorov, Bulgarian painter and comics artist, dies at age 83.
• September 23: Hiroshi Fujimoto, Japanese manga artist, passes away at age 62.
• September 26: Alex Kotzky, American comics artist and writer, passes away at age 73.

  October

• October 14: Ferd Johnson, American comics artist, dies at age 90.

  December

• December 2: Don Dohler, American film director, publisher and comics artist, passes away at age 60.
• December 7:
• * Paul Ollswang, American comics artist, dies at age 50 or 51.
• * Giuseppe Perego, Italian comics artist, dies at age 81.
• December 22: Jack Hamm, American comics artist, dies at age 80.

  Specific date unknown

• Jim Davis, American animator and cartoonist, dies at age 80 or 81.
• Zoltán Forrai, Hungarian-Dutch comics artist, dies at age 94 or 95.
• Rick Hoover, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 55 or 56.
• Malcolm Jones III, American comics artist, commits suicide at circa age 37.
• Wang Letian, Chinese comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 78 or 79.
• Terry Patrick, British comics artist, dies at age 66 or 67.
• Albert Tolf, American comics artist, dies at age 84 or 85.

  Conventions

• March 2: Halleluja Con — produced on the spur of the moment after the sudden cancellation of the scheduled Great Eastern Conventions New York show. First iteration of the Big Apple Convention.
• March 22–24: Motor City Comic Con I
• March 23: Alternative Press Expo
• April 19–21: Pittsburgh Comicon — guests include Stan Lee, Jim Shooter, and Julius Schwartz
• April 26–28: WonderCon — 10th annual convention
• May 18: Ramapo Comic Con X — "EC Tribute" with guests Al Williamson and Marie Severin; other guests include Julius Schwartz, Murphy Anderson, Dick Ayers, Joe Sinnott, Joe Staton, Eric Shanower, Mark Schultz, Walt Simonson, Louise Simonson, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, David Mazzuchelli, and Howard Cruse
• Summer: "Lazy CAPTION"
• Summer: Canadian National Comic Book Exposition — c. 2,900 attendees; guests include Dale Keown, Adam Hughes, Stuart Immonen, Pat Lee, Ken Lashley, Mike Zeck, and Dave Ross
• June: Heroes Convention — guests included Alex Ross, Mike Wieringo, Ron Garney, George Pérez, Nick Cardy, Dan Jurgens, and Tom Smith
• June 2: Houston Comix Fair & Toy Show XIV — final edition of Comix Fair; guests include Mart Nodell and Shannon Wheeler
• June 21–23: Chicago Comicon — 25,000 attendees; Guest of honor: Will Eisner; other guests: Harlan Ellison, Larry Marder, Heidi MacDonald, Mike Richardson, Kurt Busiek, Sergio Aragonés, Evan Dorkin, Paul Levitz, Julius Schwartz, Mercy Van Vlack, and George Pérez
• June 21–23: Dragon Con — 13,400 attendees; guests include Neil Gaiman, John Byrne, Peter David, Kevin Nowlan, Chris Claremont, Al Feldstein, Robert Williams, Mark Bodé, Al Williamson, William Stout, Mark Schultz, Jeff Smith, Reed Waller, Rich Buckler, John Kricfalusi, and Bob Burden.
• July 4–7: San Diego Comic-Con — 36,000 attendees. Special guests include Donna Barr, David Brin, Paul Chadwick, Steve Dillon, Mort Drucker, Ben Edlund, Garth Ennis, Dave Gibbons, Joe Giella, Dave McKean, Jim Mooney, Kurt Schaffenberger, and François Schuiten
• July 26–28: Dallas Collectors Con — substitute event for cancelled Dallas Fantasy Fair; official include Bernie Wrightson, Howard Cruse, Rob Liefeld, and Kurt Busiek.
• July 27–28: Dallas Fantasy Fair — cancelled at the last minute; the Harvey Awards were scheduled to be presented there and had to be rescheduled for later in the year
• September 20: Small Press Expo – guests include Jeff Smith, Charles Vess, Evan Dorkin, Jimmy Gownley, David Lapham, and Shannon Wheeler
• October 12–13: Motor City Comic Con II
• October 25–27: Dynamic Forces New York Comic Book Convention — official guests include Barry Windsor-Smith and Dan Jurgens
• November 1–3: Atlanta StarCon & Comics — produced by the former organizer of the Atlanta Fantasy Fair; official guests include George Pérez, Michael O'Hare, Kane Hodder, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy.
• November 29 – December 1: Mid-Ohio Con — guests include Roger Stern, Darryl Banks, Dick DeBartolo, Tom and Mary Bierbaum, Tony Isabella, Paul Jenkins, Mark Waid, Leah Adezio, Dan Mishkin, Berni Wrightson, Mark Crilley, P. Craig Russell, Jim Shooter, Murphy Anderson, Dick Ayers, Tom Batiuk, John Byrne, Dick DeBartolo, Julius Schwartz, and Jeff Smith

  First issues by title

Independent titles

Marvel Comics

• Onslaught: X-Men
• Onslaught: Marvel Universe
• The Avengers #1
• Captain America #1
• Fantastic Four #1
• Iron Man #1