1999 in comics
Events and publications
- Rough Cut Comics founded
- WildStorm founded the America's Best Comics imprint
- Kitchen Sink Press collapses
January
- DC Comics completes the takeover of WildStorm Productions.
March
- The Incredible Hulk is canceled by Marvel with issue #474.
April
- April 4: The Dutch comics magazine Sjosji Striparazzi which changed its name into Striparazzi, publishes its final issue, marking the end of a long history under many different names.
May
- Anarky, vol. 2 - DC Comics
June
- June 26: Alex Raymond's Rip Kirby is concluded after 53 years of continuous syndication.
July
- July 1: James Sanchez begins publishing the webcomic Bigtime Consulting.
- July 3: Graeme MacKay's newspaper comic Gridlock makes its debut. It will run until 2003.
- July 16: Words & Pictures Museum of Fine Sequential Art closes its doors to the public, becoming the Virtual Words & Pictures Museum.
- July 28: André Franquin's heirs and copyright holders win the trial against the Walt Disney Animation Studios over their animated TV series version of Franquin's comics character Marsupilami, citing breaches of its license contract: Disney had failed to produce thirteen half-hour episodes or use its "best efforts" to secure a commitment from a network to air the show, and it launched its marketing campaign during a time when the show was not being broadcast. Marsu also accused Disney of fraudulent concealment; the judge noted that Disney had decided to not devote sufficient resources to the Marsupilami project, and had concealed this fact from Marsu. Disney pays back the damage and hands the rights to the series back to Franquin's company Marsu Productions.
August
- 100 Bullets, by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, debuts under the Vertigo imprint.
October
- October 9-10: During the Stripdagen in Den Bosch Peter de Wit receives the Stripschapprijs. Kees Kousemaker, founder of Amsterdam comics store Lambiek, wins the P. Hans Frankfurther Prijs.
November
- November 1: The Dutch comics store Lambiek launches its online comics encyclopedia, nicknamed The Comiclopedia, listing illustrated biographies of all possible comics artists and writers in existence.
- Strange Adventures vol. 2, #1 - Vertigo
Deaths
January
- January 15: Bozidar Veselinović, Serbian comics artist, passes away at age 77.
- January 23: Jaroslav Foglar, Czech novelist and comics writer, dies at age 91.
- January 25: Jean-Gérard Imbar, French novelist, screenwriter and comics writer, dies at age 54.
February
- February 3: Vin Sullivan, American comics artist and editor, dies at age 87.
- February 26: John L. Goldwater, American comics publisher, co-founder and long-time editor-of-chief of Archie Comics, dies at age 83.
March
- March 8: Giovan Battista Carpi, Italian comics artist, dies at age 71.
- March 12: Lee Falk, American comics writer and artist, dies at age 88.
- March 14: John Broome, American comic book writer, dies at age 85.
April
- April 3: Kay Wright, American animator, TV producer and comics artist, passes away at age 79.
- April 6: Charles Okerbloom, American comics artist, dies at age 90.
- April 10: Cliff Roberts, American photographer, cartoonist, animator and comics artist, dies at age 69.
- April 12:
- * Ricardo Barreiro, Argentine comic book writer, dies at age 49.
- * Werner Büchi, Swiss caricaturist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 83.
- April 13: Filip van der Schalie, Dutch comics artist, radio producer and presenter, dies at age 75.
- April 14: Vic Herman, American illustrator, designer, cartoonist, puppeteer, TV producer and comics artist, dies at age 79.
- April 16: Charles McKimson, aka Chuck McKimson, American comics artist and animator, dies at age 84.
- April 20:
- * Berend Dam, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 71.
- * Tekin Aral, Turkish comics artist, dies at age 57.
- April 26: Raymond Reding, Belgian comics artist, passes away at age 79.
May
- May 2: Jean-Paul Dethorey, French comics artist, dies at age 64.
- May 12: Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American cartoonist, dies at age 84.
- May 23: John Prentice, American comics artist, dies at age 78.
- May 30: Paul S. Newman, American comics writer, dies at age 75.
June
- June 11: Jan Wesseling, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 64.
- June 13: Yasuji Tanioka, Japanese comics artist, dies at age 56.
- June 15: John Glashan, Scottish painter, illustrator, playwright and comics artist, dies at age 71.
July
- July 3: Wim van Wieringen, Dutch comics artist, caricaturist and photographer, dies at age 83.
- July 14: Sal Trapani, American comics artist, dies at age 72.
August
- August 8: Yolanda Vargas Dulché, Mexican comics writer, died at age 73.
- August 10: Henri Gillain, Belgian comics writer, passes away at the age of 85-86.
- August 13: John Geering, British comics artist, dies at age 58.
- August 19: Arthur Pinajian, Armenian-American painter, comics writer and artist, dies at age 85.
- August 30: Raymond Poïvet, French comics artist, dies at age 89.
September
- September 14: Joel Beck, American underground cartoonist, dies from complications from alcoholism at age 56.
- September 17: Antal Szemere, Hungarian comics artist, dies at age 76.
- September 29: Alfred J. Buescher, American comics artist, dies at age 96.
- September 30: Antoni Batllori Jofré, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 84.
October
- October 29: Greg, Belgian comics artist and writer , dies at age 68.
November
- November 2: Dick Turner, American comics artist, dies at age 90.
- November 14: Jacky Pals, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 52 from legionnaires' disease.
December
- December 1: Thornton Robyn Utz, American illustrator and comics artist, passes away at age 85.
- December 10: Al Stahl, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 83.
- December 15: Rune Andréasson, Swedish comics artist, dies at age 74.
- December 16: Marcel Remacle, Belgian comics artist, passes away at age 73.
- December 23: Captain Roscoe Fawcett, American comics writer, passes away at age 86.
- December 27: Wilfred Limonious, Jamaican comics artist and illustrator, passes away at age 50.
- December 31: Roger Lécureux, French comics writer, dies at age 74.
Specific date unknown
- Erwin Hess, American comics artist, dies at age 86.
- Juan Sarompas, Spanish comics artist, passes away at age 55 or 56.
- Jon St. Ables, British-Canadian comics artist, dies at age 94.
- George Wilson, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 77 or 78.
- Bang Yeong-jin, South-Korean comics artist, passes away at age 59 or 60.
Exhibitions and shows
Conventions
- February 27–28: Alternative Press Expo
- March 5–7: MegaCon
- April 2–4: Comics 99 — first iteration of Comic Festival; 2,500 attendees; presentation of the National Comics Awards; guests include Phil Winslade, Steve Pugh, Steve Dillon, Scott Dunbier, Peter Hogan, Grant Morrison, Charlie Adlard, Kev Sutherland, Glenn Fabry, Metaphrog, Al Davison, Dave Gibbons, Bryan Talbot, Shelly Roeberg, Kyle Baker, John McCrea, Rich Johnston, Gary Spencer Millidge, and Jamie Delano
- April 16–18: WonderCon
- April 23–25: Pittsburgh Comicon — 7,500 attendees; guests include Martin Nodell, Alley Baggett, Lou Ferrigno, George Steele, and Steve Lieber
- May 7–9: New York Comic and Fantasy Creators Convention —300 exhibitors, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Harris Comics, Crucial Comics, Visage Studios, and Wizard Entertainment; guests include Joe Simon and John Romita, Jr.
- May 14–16: Motor City Comic Con I
- Summer: "Space CAPTION 99" — guests include Bryan Talbot
- June 18–20: Heroes Convention
- July 1–4: Dragon Con —19,000 attendees
- July 9–11: Wizard World Chicago
- August 13–16, Comic-Con International —42,000 attendees; special guests include Tom Batiuk, Chuck Cuidera, Samuel R. Delany, Paul Dini, Arnold Drake, Neil Gaiman, Sam Glanzman, Larry Gonick, Irwin Hasen, Patrick McDonnell, Mike Mignola, Mark Mothersbaugh, Jerry Robinson, Art Spiegelman, Jim Steranko, Jill Thompson, Bruce Timm, and Barry Windsor-Smith
- August 27–29: Fan Expo Canada —9,620 attendees; guests include Jeri Ryan, Kevin Smith, Kenny Baker, Warwick Davis, Lou Ferrigno, Joe Quesada, Michael Turner, Mark Waid, Leinil Francis Yu, Keu Cha, and C.B. Cebulski
- September 17–19: Small Press Expo — guests include Charles Burns, Eddie Campbell, Jeff Smith, Jason Lutes, and James Kochalka. Held in conjunction with SPX are the fifth annual International Comic Arts Festival and PACER, the Professional Association of Comics Entertainment Retailers
- October 23–24: Motor City Comic Con II — guests include David W. Mack, Tim Vigil, David Quinn, Vincent Locke, Jill Thompson, Guy Davis, Mark Waid, Devin Grayson, and William Messner-Loebs
- November 12–14: National Comic Book, Comic Art, and Toy Show
- November 27–28: Mid-Ohio Con
Awards
First issues by title
;100 Bullets;E.V.E. Protomecha
;Exit
;The Mythology Class
;Strange Adventures
;Vampire Girl