2000 in comics

Events

Year overall

• German website Comicforum goes live
• Rebellion Developments takes over the 2000 AD from Fleetway.
• The merger of AOL and Time Warner is announced.

  January

• January 4: The British comics magazine Buster ends its run after 40 years.

  February

• February 13: After nearly half a century of publication the final episode of Charles M. Schulz's long-running and best-selling newspaper comic Peanuts is published. Schulz had announced his retirement a month earlier. The episode happens to coincide with Schulz' death, a day before the final episode is published. Both events make headlines all over the world.
• The final episode of Daniel Clowes' David Boring is prepublished in Eightball.

  March

• Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 3 is canceled by DC with issue #125.
• The discontinuation of Big Panda results in the formation of Keenspot.

  May

• May 27: The final episode of Mort Walker's Boner's Ark is published.
• May 28: After 87 years of publication Bringing Up Father is terminated.

  August

• August 25: The death of Donald Duck comics artist Carl Barks makes headlines on a global scale, but predominantly in Europe and Latin-America where his comics are far more beloved than in his home country.

  September

• The final issue of the Flemish comics magazine Stipkrant, a weekly children's supplement of the newspapers Het Nieuwsblad, De Standaard, Het Handelsblad, De Gentenaar and De Landwacht, is published.
• September 29: The first episode of Hanco Kolk and Peter de Wit's comic strip S1NGLE appears in the newspaper Het Parool.

  October

• 23-24 October: During the Stripdagen in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, cartoonist Willem wins the Stripschapprijs. Karin van Wylick of the library of Rotterdam wins the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs.

  Publications by release date

Year overall

February

• Strange Adventures vol. 2, #4, final issue cover-dated February

  October

• JSA Annual #1

  Deaths

January

• January 1: Chon Day, American cartoonist, passes away at age 92.
• January 5: Goseki Kojima, Japanese comics artist, dies at age 71.
• January 6: Don Martin, American comics artist, dies at age 68.
• January 14: Pat Boyette, American comics artist, dies at age 76.
• January 31: Gil Kane, American comics artist, dies at age 73.

  February

• February 1: Bill Holroyd, British comics artist, dies at age 80.
• February 12: Charles M. Schulz, American comics artist, passes away at age 77.
• February 18: Steven Hughes, American comics artist, passes away at age 46.
• February 18: Will, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 72.
• February 19: George Roussos, American comics inker and colorist, dies at age 84.
• February 20:
• * Elliot Caplin, American comics writer dies at age 86.
• * Fred Rhoads, American comics artist, dies at age 78.
• February 26: György Szitás, Hungarian comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 73.

  March

• March 3: Nicole Van Goethem, Belgian cartoonist, animator and film director, dies at the age of 58.
• March 10: John Henry Rouson, American painter, cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 91.
• March 20: Johan Anthierens, Belgian journalist, columnist, critic, writer, publisher and comics writer, passes away from cancer at age 62.

  April

• April 8: Alfredo Alcala, Philippine comics artist, dies at age 74 from cancer.
• April 15: Edward Gorey, American novelist, illustrator and comics artist passes away at age 75.
• April 23: Shigeru Sugiura, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 92.

  May

• May 10: Dick Sprang, American comics artist, dies at age 84.
• May 13: Fred Schwab, American comics artist, dies at age 82.
• May 18: Denis Gifford, British comics artist and historian, dies at age 72.
• May 25: Elizabeth Durack, Australian painter and comics artist, dies at age 84.

  June

• June 8:
• * Hart Amos, Australian comics artist, dies at age 86.
• * Jeff MacNelly, American cartoonist and comics artist, passes away at age 52.
• June 24: Frans Verschoor, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 44.
• June 26: Tove Jansson, Finnish novelist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 86.

  July

• July 14:
• * Bowen, Swedish comics artist, passes away at age 71.
• * Pepo, Chilean comics artist, passes away at age 88.
• * Ies Spreekmeester, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 86.
• July 17: Philippe Vandooren, Belgian novelist, journalist and publisher, passes away at age 65.
• July 28: Chic Stone, American comics artist and inker dies at age 77.
• July 31: Lars Jansson, Finnish comics writer and artist, dies at age 73.

  August

• August 8: Glenn Schmitz, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 70.
• August 25: Carl Barks, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 99.

  September

• September 5: Palle Nielsen, Danish illustrator, graphic and comics artist, dies at age 80.
• September 9: Takashi Fukutani, Japanese manga artist, dies at the age of 48, from a pulmonary edema.
• September 13: Rolf Kauka, German comics artist and animated film director, passes away at the age of 83.
• September 20: Sururi Gümen, Turkish-American comics artist, dies at age 80.
• September 29: Wim Bijmoer, Dutch comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 86.

  October

• October 16: Ed Nofziger, American animator and comics artist and writer, dies at age 87.
• October 28: Irving Phillips, American comics artist, playwright, TV scriptwriter, novelist, illustrator and educator, passes away at age 95.

  November

• November 2: Carlo Santachiara, Italian comics artist and sculptor, passes away at age 62.
• November 8: Dupa, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 55.
• November 20: Vyacheslav Kotyonochkin, Russian animator and comics artist, dies at age 73.
• November 23: Ray Burns, American comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 66.
• November 27: Dorothy Woolfolk, American comics editor and writer dies at age 87.

  December

• December 21: Jan Sanders, Dutch cartoonist and illustrator, passes away at age 81.
• December 27: Radovan Devlić, Croatian comics artist, dies at age 49 or 50.

  Conventions

• February 5: Alternative Press Expo
• March: Big Apple Comic Book Art, and Toy Show
• March 31–April 1: MegaCon — guests include Stan Lee and Joe Quesada
• April 7–9: WonderCon
• April 9–16: Making Waves — Comic Book Legal Defense Fund benefit luxury cruise to Mexico; creators include Neal Adams, Kurt Busiek, Zander Cannon, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Linda Medley, Frank Miller, Martin Nodell, Brian Pulido, P. Craig Russell, Jeff Smith, Jill Thompson, Adrian Tomine, Matt Wagner, Mark Waid, Chris Ware, and Judd Winick
• April 15: Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo — 49 small press comics artist, writers, and publishers converge for the first annual S.P.A.C.E. show, organized by Bob Corby and Back Porch Comics
• April 23–24: Comics 2000 — presentation of the Eagle Awards, MC'd by Simon Pegg; guests include Steve Pugh, Jim Valentino, Dave Gibbons, Mike Carlin, Gary Spencer Millidge, Alan Grant, Laura DePuy, Karen Berger, Chris Staros, Dave McKinnon, James Hodgkins, Dez Skinn, Gary Marshall, Al Davison, and Grant Morrison
• April 28–30: Pittsburgh Comicon — 10,000 attendees
• May 19–21: Motor City Comic Con I — guests include James Doohan
• June 9–11: All Time Classic New York Comic Book Convention — one-time event focused on Silver Age comics. Guest of honor: Barry Windsor-Smith; other guests include Carmine Infantino, Joe Kubert, Marie Severin, Roy Thomas, Julius Schwartz, and Henry Boltinoff
• June 16–18: Heroes Convention — guests include Jim Amash, Terry Austin, John Beatty, Cliff Biggers, Frank Brunner, Kurt Busiek, Nick Cardy, K.C. Carlson, Richard Case, Todd Dezago, Johanna Draper Carlson, Steve Epting, Lou Ferrigno, Franchesco, Ron Garney, Drew Geraci, Dick Giordano, Sam Glanzman, Gene Gonzales, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, Cully Hamner, Scott Hampton, Tony Harris, Irwin Hasen, Dave Hoover, Adam Hughes, Greg Hyland, Jamal Igle, Stuart Immonen, Carmine Infantino, Georges Jeanty, Nat Jones, Karl Kesel, Barry Kitson, Jim Krueger, Bob Layton, Steve Lieber, Mark Lipka, Nathan Massengill, Angel Medina, Pop Mhan, Philip Moy, Mart Nodell, Phil Noto, George Pérez, Joe Pruett, Joe Quesada, Budd Root, Craig Rousseau, Julius Schwartz, Mike Shoemaker, Steve Skeates, Chris Sprouse, J. David Spurlock, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Roy Thomas, Tim Townsend, Coy Turnbull, Michael Turner, George Tuska, Dexter Vines, Mark Waid, and Mike Wieringo
• June 23–25: New York Comic and Fantasy Creators Convention — 2nd annual show; guests include Jim Starlin, Walt Simonson, Keith Giffen, and John Romita, Jr.
• June 29–July 2: Dragon Con — 20,000 attendees
• July 20–23: Comic-Con International — 48,500 attendees; special guests: Kyle Baker, Will Elder, Ric Estrada, Al Feldstein, Phoebe Gloeckner, Jack Kamen, Ben Katchor, Harry Knowles, Harry Lampert, Jeff Loeb, Scott McCloud, Tim Sale, Marie Severin, Kevin Smith, Bryan Talbot, Angelo Torres, Lewis Trondheim, Al Williamson, Gahan Wilson, and Janny Wurts
• August 4–6: Wizard World Chicago
• August 12–13: CAPTION: "You Cannot Kill That Which is Already Dead"
• August 25–27: Fan Expo Canada — 12,763 attendees; guests include Jonathan Frakes, Anthony Head, Roxann Dawson, Hudson Leick, Jeremy Bulloch, Richard Biggs, Peter David, Chris Claremont, Barry Windsor-Smith, Adam Kubert, David Finch, Jae Lee, and Brian Michael Bendis
• August 25–27: Sports Card, Comic Book and Toy Expo — guests include William Tucci and Rudy Nebres
• September 16: Small Press Expo
• October 20–November 5: FIBDA — 11th edition of the festival; guests include Rick Veitch, Dave Gibbons, Peter David, Joe Kubert, Jerry Robinson, and Luke Ross
• October 21–22: Motor City Comic Con II — guests include Dick Ayers, Terri Boyle, Frank Brunner, Sal Buscema, Guy Davis, Dan DeCarlo, Franchesco, Cully Hamner, Adam Hughes, Georges Jeanty, Joseph Michael Linsner, Vince Locke, William Messner-Loebs, Jason Moore, James O'Barr, Mike Okamoto, David Quinn, Greg Rucka, Marie Severin, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Randy Zimmerman, and Bob May
• November 10–12: National Comic Book, Art, Toy, and Sci-Fi Expo — guests include James Doohan, Jerome Blake, Ron Palillo, Apollo Smile, Richard Herd, Pamelyn Ferdin, Carmine Infantino, Jeff Jones, Erik Larsen, Russ Heath, Dick Giordano, Joe Simon, Julie Schwartz, Joe Giella, Frank McLaughlin, Michael Kaluta, Dave Cockrum, Paty Cockrum, Irwin Hasen, Glenn Fabry, John Romita Sr., Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Arnold Drake, Murphy Anderson, Gray Morrow, Mike Esposito, Tom Gill, Andrew Pepoy, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Mark Texeira, David Wohl, Joseph Michael Linsner, William Tucci, Janet Lupo, Kevin Eastman, Sarah Dyer, Evan Dorkin, Don McGregor, Jim Shooter, Dan DeCarlo, George Tuska, Gill Fox, George Tuska, Graig Weich, Mercy Van Vlack, Ken Gale, Tim Vigil, and David Quinn
• November 24–26: UnCommonCon — 1,200 attendees; guests include author Aaron Allston, author Tracy Hickman, author P.N. Elrod, actor Ted Raimi, Melissa Benson, Babylon 5 actor Jason Carter, The Incredible Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno, actor Victor Lundin, artist Bryan Talbot
• November 25–26: Mid-Ohio Con

  First issues by title

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Independent titles

Initial appearances by character name

• Nemesis in JSA annual #1, created by David S. Goyer and Uriel Caton, published by DC Comics.