2015 in comics

Events

January

• January 7: Charlie Hebdo shooting: In Paris terrorists invade the office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and murder 12 people, injuring 11. They acted out of constant ridicule of the Prophet Muhammad in the magazine's pages. Among the cartoonists murdered that morning are Cabu, Charb, Philippe Honoré, Tignous and Georges Wolinski. The tragedy brings about a huge rally of national unity under the name Je suis Charlie. Two days later the assassins are shot by the police.

  March

• March 4:
• * American Gothic Press is founded.
• * Ken Bald makes the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest active comics artist in the world. He will break this record again on 8 May 2017.
• March 7–8: During the Stripdagen in Gorinchem, Marcel Ruijters wins the Stripschapprijs. The Dutch comics magazine Tina wins the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs. Thom Roep wins the Bulletje en Boonestaakschaal.

  April

• April 1: Taylor Robins' webcomic Never Satisfied makes its debut.
• April 20: The 533th issue of Mad Magazine is guest-edited by Weird Al Yankovic and Patton Oswalt.

  May

• May 3: The final episode of the long-running comic panel Grin and Bear It, originally created by George Lichty, is published.

  June

• June 20: The First chapter of the long-awaited sequel to the Dragon Ball series Dragon Ball Super is published.

  November

• November 13: In Paris terrorist attacks take place at the Bataclan concert hall. One of the people to witness this tragic events at the theater is cartoonist Fred Dewilde, who will adapt the experience into the graphic novel Mon Bataclan one year later.
• November 22: The final episode of the long-running comics series Apartment 3-G, originally created by Nicholas P. Dallis and Alex Kotzky, is published.

  Deaths

January

• January 7: Charlie Hebdo shooting:
• * Charb, French cartoonist and editor-in-chief, killed at age 47.
• * Cabu, French cartoonist, killed at age 76.
• * Philippe Honoré, French cartoonist, killed at age 73.
• * Tignous, French cartoonist, killed at age 57.
• * Georges Wolinski, French cartoonist, killed at age 80.
• January 13:
• * Ulli Bürer, Dutch comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 49.
• * José Luis Moro, Spanish animator and comics artist, dies at age 88.
• January 20: Peter Pontiac, Dutch underground comics artist, illustrator and letterer, dies at age 63 after a lengthy battle with liver disease
• January 26: R. K. Laxman, Indian comics artist, dies at age 93.

  February

• February 3: Géri, Belgian comics artist, passes away at age 80.
• February 4: Roland Garel, French comics artist, dies at age 84 or 85.
• February 4: Dick Millington, British comics artist and writer, dies at age 81.
• February 6: Jacques Kamb, French comics writer and artist, passes away at age 81.
• February 7: Ugurcan Yüce, Turkish painter, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 68.
• February 16: Brett Ewins, British comic book artist, dies at age 59
• February 19: Talus Taylor, French novelist, dies at the age of 82.
• February 20: Gérard Calvi, French composer, dies at age 92.

  March

• March 7: Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Japanese manga artist, credited with starting the gekiga style of alternative comics in Japan, dies from lung cancer at age 79.
• March 8: Göte Göransson, Swedish comics artist, dies at age 94.
• March 9: Lou Silverstone, American TV and comics writer, dies at age 90.
• March 13: Irwin Hasen, American comics artist, dies at age 96.
• March 18: Roy Doty, American comics artist, dies at age 92.
• March 20: Jim Berry, American comics artist, dies at age 83.
• March 22: Tom Koch, American comics writer, passes away at age 89.
• March 30: Roger Slifer, American comics writer, dies at age 60 from the effects of a 2012 hit-and-run accident.

  April

• April 6: Cliff Voorhees, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 85.
• April 13: Herb Trimpe, American comics artist, dies at age 75.
• April 14: Kō Kojima, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 87.

  May

• May 7: John Dixon, Australian comics artist, passes away at age 86.
• May 17: Robert Bressy, French comics artist, dies at age 90.
• May 30: Michele Wrightson, American underground cartoonist and superhero comic colorist, as well as the former wife of both Roger Brand and Bernie Wrightson, dies at age 73.

  June

• June 19: Earl Norem, American magazine and comics illustrator known for his painted covers for Marvel Comics, dies at age 92.
• June 26: Kája Saudek, Czech comics artist, passes away at age 80.
• June 30:
• * Leonard Starr, American comics artist, dies at age 89.
• * Paolo Piffarerio, Italian comics artist and animator, dies at age 90.

  July

• July 16: Alan Kupperberg, American animator, comics writer and artist, dies of thymus cancer at age 62.
• July 20: Tom Moore, American comics artist, dies at age 86.
• July 22: Stuf, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 56 from a heart attack.
• July 31: Jean-Jacques Loup, French comics artist and caricaturist, dies at age 78 or 79.

  August

• August 7: Art Finley, American radio and TV comedian, presenter and comics writer, dies from a heart attack at age 88 or 89.
• August 8: Coyote, French comics artist, dies from cardiac arrest at age 52.
• August 11: Randy Glasbergen, American comics artist, dies from cardiac arrest at age 58.
• August 30: Brad Anderson, American comics artist, dies at age 91.

  September

• September 26: Liliane Funcken, Belgian comics artist and writer, passes away at 88.

  October

• October 8: Dennis Eichhorn, American comics writer/editor, dies of pneumonia at age 70.
• October 9: Tony Rafty, Australian caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 99, just a few days before his 100th birthday.
• October 14: Vince Musacchia, American comics artist, dies at age 63.
• October 22: Murphy Anderson, American comics artist, dies at age 89.

  November

• November 8: Félix Arburola Bustos, Costa Rican comics artist and children's book illustrator, passes away at age 77 or 78 from lymphatic cancer.
• November 16: Ingvar Persson, Swedish comics artist, passes away at age 85.
• November 17: Henri Arnold, American comics artist, dies at age 91.
• November 30: Shigeru Mizuki, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 93.

  December

• December 11: Zyx, Canadian cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 65.
• December 12: Luis Bermejo, Spanish comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 84.

  Specific date unknown

• The Pizz, American painter and comics artist, dies at age 56 or 57.

  Exhibitions

• May 14 – September 21: The Type Directors Club — "The Super Type of Ira Schnapp", curated by Arlen Schumer

  Conventions

• January 29–31: Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience — guests include Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Billie Piper, Carrie Fisher, Christopher Lloyd, Felicia Day, Tom Felton, Steven Yeun, Emily Kinney, Laurie Holden, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Brandon Routh, Ray Park, Paul Wesley, Phoebe Tonkin, Nichelle Nichols, Anthony Michael Hall, Mark Pellegrino, Alaina Huffman, Ralph Macchio, Glenn Morshower, RJ Mitte, Jim Cummings, Jess Harnell, Rob Paulsen and over 100 other guests
• January 29 – February 1: Angoulême International Comics Festival
• March 7: New York Comic Book Marketplace — guests include Jason David Frank, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Rich Buckler, Bill Plympton, Bob Camp, and Johnny Brennan
• March 7–8: STAPLE!
• March 27–29: Emerald City Comicon
• March 28: Towson Black Comic Mini-Fest
• April 3–5: WonderCon
• April 10–12: MegaCon
• April 11–12: MoCCA Arts Festival — guests of honor: Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Scott McCloud, Raina Telgemeier, and J. H. Williams III
• April 11–12: East Coast Comicon
• April 24–26: C2E2
• May 9–10: Toronto Comic Arts Festival — featured guests include Lucy Knisley, Matt Holm, Scott McCloud, Jennifer Holm, Ed Luce, and Hunt Emerson
• May 15–17: Motor City Comic Con
• May 16: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention
• May 22–24: St. Louis Comicon
• May 28–31: Phoenix Comicon — guests include Summer Glau, Jason Momoa, Paul Cornell, Mike Zeck, Edward James Olmos, Charisma Carpenter, Renee Witterstaetter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jim Beaver, William Tucci, Scott Sigler, Lou Ferrigno, Weston Ochse, Yvonne Navarro, Van Jensen, Michael Shanks, Alexis Denisof, Alyson Hannigan among others.
• May 29–31: Dallas Comic Con — guests include Stan Lee, Amanda Conner, Alex Maleev, Esad Ribić, Kaare Andrews, Greg Pak, Steve Epting, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Bob Layton
• June 6–7: Chicago Alternative Comics Expo — special guests: Eleanor Davis, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Keiler Roberts, Zak Sally, Dash Shaw, Jillian Tamaki, and Lale Westvind
• June 19–21: Heroes Convention
• July 9–12: San Diego Comic-Con International
• July 18–19: Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo
• August 20–23: Wizard World Chicago
• September 4–7: Dragon*Con
• September 18–20: Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
• September 19–20: Small Press Expo
• September 25–27: Baltimore Comic-Con
• October 1–3: Cartoon Crossroads Columbus — first annual event; featured guests include Jeff Smith, Kate Beaton, Art Spiegelman, Craig Thompson, Bill Griffith, Francoise Mouly, and animation historian Jerry Beck
• October 8–11: New York Comic Con
• October 17–18: Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo
• October 31 – November 2: Comikaze Expo — scheduled guests include Stan Lee, Elvira, Kevin Smith, Kevin Conroy, Burt Ward, Gwendoline Christie, Alfie Allen, Stephen Moyer, Kristin Bauer, Barbara Eden, Mindy Sterling, John Barrowman, Jewel Staite, Tara Strong, Howie Mandel, James Hong, Eric Roberts, Original Power Rangers, Cast of AMC's Comic Book Men, and Tommy Wiseau
• November 6–8: Rhode Island Comic Con
• November 7–8: CAB/Comic Arts Brooklyn
• December 5–6: NY Winter Comic & Sci-Fi Expo
• December 5–6: Comic Arts Los Angeles — featured guests: Jaime Hernandez, Noelle Stevenson

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