2005 in comics

January

• January 31: John R. Norton begins the George comic strip

April

• April 13:
  • DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 AD titles.
  • Powerade and DC Comics show the first of four new online comics (at http://www.flava23.com) starring LeBron James as superhero "King James". Written by Ron Perazza with art by Rick Leonardi (Batgirl).
• April 20: DC Comics launches the new DC Direct website (at http://www.dcdirectonline.com).
• April 26: Artist Ed Benes (Superman) extends his exclusive agreement with DC Comics for an additional three years.
• April 28:
  • Marvel Enterprises and Paramount Pictures announce an agreement under which Paramount will distribute up to ten films over an eight-year period to be produced by Marvel.
  • Marvel Enterprises announces settlement of all pending litigation with Stan Lee over claims for participation in profits from various sources.
  • Marvel Comics announces the creation of a custom comic book written by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, The New Avengers) and featuring superheroes such as Spider-Man, Captain America and the Fantastic Four in a military-themed storyline. More than one million copies of the "Salute Our Troops" comic book were to be distributed to the troops and their families in May.

May

• May 5: Artist George Pérez (The New Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, Justice League of America) signs a 5-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics.
• May 19: Artist J. G. Jones (Villains United, Wonder Woman) signs a 2-year exclusive contract with DC Comics.
• May 31: Artist Bart Sears (Captain America and the Falcon) signs a 2-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics.

June

• June 6: Artists Adam Kubert (Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate X-Men) and Andy Kubert (Marvel 1602, Origin, Ultimate Iron Man, Ultimate X-Men) sign 3-year exclusive agreements with DC Comics.
• June 11: Harvey Awards winners announced.
• June 28: Artist Justiniano (Day of Vengeance, The Human Race) signs a 2-year exclusive contract with DC Comics.

July

• July 12: Writer Bill Willingham (Fables) renews his exclusive contract with DC Comics for an additional two years.
• July 13:
  • DC Online launches a new website for kids (at http://www.dccomics.com/dckids/) featuring Johnny DC.
  • DC Comics' DC Direct announces the new Looney Tunes Golden Collection action figure series. The sculptures would be officially unveiled later in the week at San Diego's Comic-Con.
• July 15: Eisner Awards ceremony is held at the Comic-Con International convention in San Diego.
• July 19:
  • Joe Quesada extends his contract agreement with Marvel Comics, and in addition to his current role as Editor-in-Chief, he will take on the added role as the Chief Creative Officer, Publishing.
• July 26: Writer Mark Waid (Legion of Super-Heroes, Empire) signs a 2-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics.

August

• The webcomic Crying Macho Man by Jose Cabrera goes live
• August 2: Artist Tony Daniel (Teen Titans, Spawn, X-Force) signs a 2-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics.

September

• September 6:
  • The New York Times is to carry a comic strip by Chris Ware within its pages. Editor and Media magazine
  • Marvel has changed its corporate name to Marvel Entertainment, Inc and is to produce its own movies based upon comics characters such as Captain America, Nick Fury and the Avengers. Newsarama
• September 8: Contributors have been announced for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's annual SPX anthology. Scott Morse and Jordan Crane are amongst the forty creators. Newsarama
• September 12: Doonesbury is dropped and then promptly reinstated by The Guardian. The Comics reporter
• September 13:
  • The Ignatz Awards nominees are announced, with Gilbert Hernandez receiving three nominations. The Comics Reporter
  • Dynamic Forces acquire license to print comics based on the Highlander films and television series. Newsarama
• September 19: Joe Ferrara is elected to the Board of Directors of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Newsarama
• September 20: Marvel Comics announce Neil Gaiman's next project as being related to The Eternals. Newsarama
• September 21:
  • Art Spiegelman's next project, Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@?*!, is to be serialised in the Virginia Quarterly Review, commencing in the Fall 2005 issue. The Comics Reporter
• September 22: Bill Watterson answers fifteen selected questions from fans around the world to publicise the upcoming release of The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. Andrews McMeel press release
• September 23:The two-day Small Press Expo opens with Harvey Pekar as special guest.
• September 25: The 2005 Ignatz Awards are announced at the Small Press Expo. Amongst the winners were David B, voted the Outstanding Artist and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, voted Outstanding Graphic Novel. The Beat The Comics Reporter

October

• October 1: Lea Hernandez steps down as editor of Girlamatic.com, to be replaced by Lisa Jonté. comixpedia
• October 3: Jay Stephens launches his own blog . The Comics Reporter
• October 4: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes is released. The Comics Reporter
• October 5: Matt Madden is interviewed by Bookslut. Bookslut
• October 8: Art Spiegelman is one of 196 inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Boston.com
• October 10:
  • Dark Horse licenses the rights to reprint a number of manga titles, including Juon. ICv2.com
  • Peter Schjeldahl of The New Yorker analyses graphic novels. The New Yorker
• October 11: Marvel 1602 wins the inaugural graphic novel Quill Award. The Comics Reporter
• October 13: The tenth annual International Comic Arts Festival begins in Washington, D.C.. ICAF
• October 14:
  • Lynd Ward is profiled by In These Times. InTheseTimes
  • The Oberlin Review profiles Marjane Satrapi. Oberlin Review
  • Maus and Beyond, an exhibition looking at comic book and graphic novel portrayals of the Shoah, opens at the Centennial College, Toronto. It runs until November 30. Newsarama
• October 16: Bob Andelman, biographer of Will Eisner, picks 10 graphic novels for a beginner to start with. Detroit News
• October 17:
  • Charles Burns is interviewed by The Book Standard. The Book Standard
  • The Melvin Gelman Library of George Washington University is to add 300 graphic novels to its collection. GWHatchet
  • The New York Times profile Little Nemo in Slumberland: So Many Splendid Sundays!, a collection of Little Nemo strips publishing them as originally printed. New York Times
  • Hunt Emerson has adapted John Ruskin's Unto This Last into comics format, retitling the work How To Be Rich. Two-thirds of the 15,000 print run will be distributed to secondary schools in the United Kingdom. New Statesman
• October 18:
  • Dale Eaglesham signs a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. Newsarama
  • Watchmen is named as one of Time magazine's top 100 English language novels published since 1923. Time
  • Carla Speed McNeil launches the online serialisation of Finder. McNeil has suspended the publication of the work in comic book format, although serials will still be collected and published as graphic novels. The Comics Reporter
• October 20: Dave Sim and Al Nickerson place a DC Comics contract, as annotated by Sim,^[1][2] on the web. [See also: Creator's Bill of Rights]
• October 23: Joe Sacco is profiled by The Oregonian. The Oregonian
• October 24:
  • Roger Stern is interviewed by Newsarama. newsarama
• October 26: Stephen King is to launch a comic book series with Marvel Comics based upon his Dark Tower series. Newsarama
• October 27:
  • The latest Xeric grants are announced. Newsarama
  • Image Comics launches a new website. Newsarama
  • Thomas N. Thornton, CEO of Andrews McMeel Publishing, responds to perceived criticisms of the company's new Calvin and Hobbes collection. Editor & Publisher
  • Todd McFarlane is to be guest of honor at February 2006's inaugural New York Comic-con. The Beat
• October 31:
  • Carly Berwick laments the lack of great female comic book artists. Art News Online
  • The Guardian profiles Chris Ware. The Guardian

November

• November 2:
  • Scott Morse announces he is to launch his own imprint, Red Window. He has established a distribution deal for his imprint with AdHouse Books. ICv2.com
• November 3: Mark Millar announces he is to take a six-month sabbatical from comics for health reasons. Newsarama
• November 4:
  • The Harvey Awards have ended their ties with New York's Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art and are now to be presented at the Baltimore Comic-Con, with the 19th awards to be presented on Saturday, September 9, 2006. Newsarama
  • Don Bluth donates over a million pieces of artwork to the Savannah College of Art and Design. The donation consists of animation cels, preliminary sketches and associated drawings. Newsarama
  • Alan Moore is interviewed in The Independent. The Independent
• November 6: It is reported that Thomas Haden Church is to play Sandman in the Spider-Man 3 movie. Newsarama
• November 7:
  • Slate present a slide show essay on Calvin and Hobbes. Slate
  • Newspapers in the United States are reported to be considering carrying manga strips from January 2006. The two strips reportedly up for inclusion are Van Von Hunter and Peach Fuzz. Seattle Post Intelligencer
• November 8: Alan Moore is profiled by Publishers Weekly. Publishers Weekly
• November 9:
  • Marvel releases its third quarter financial statement. Newsarama
  • IDT Entertainment announce an animated Hellboy project. Newsarama
• November 10: Paramount has optioned the movie rights to Charles Burns' recently completed graphic novel, Black Hole. Fantagraphics
• November 11:
  • Arnold Drake is interviewed by newsarama. newsarama
  • Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Ramirez discusses the L.A. Times decision to let him go. Editor and Publisher
  • David Simpson is fired by Tulsa World amid allegations of plagiarism. Associated Press
• November 12: The Los Angeles Times profiles selected artists featured in the "Masters of American Comics" exhibition, which opens at Los Angeles' Hammer Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art on November 20. Los Angeles Times
• November 14: Chris Morgan, (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) is hired to draft a script for Universal's adaptation of DC Comics The Psycho, by James Hudnall and Dan Brereton. Newsarama
• November 15: Daniel Acuña signs an exclusive contract with DC Comics. Newsarama
• November 16:
  • Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher, editorial cartoonist of The Baltimore Sun, has been offered a buyout along with other members of the paper's staff. Editor & Publisher
  • Harvey Pekar takes his American Splendor series to Vertigo, with a mini-series slated for 2006 with Dean Haspiel handling some of the art chores. Newsarama
• November 17:
  • Steve Lafler moves to self publishing his next works. Lafler's blog
  • Doug Harvey writes of 10 Comics That Shook The World in LA Weekly LA Weekly
• November 18: The trailer for Superman Returns is released. Newsarama
• November 19: Nominees for the second Grand Prix RTL de la BD are announced. ActuaBD
• November 20:
  • The New York Times reviews Absolute Watchmen, an expanded collection of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' comic book series of the 1980s. The New York Times
  • It is reported that Posy Simmonds and Raymond Briggs are to be featured on the cover of the 2006 edition of the Royal Society of Literature's annual magazine, having been made fellows of the society earlier this year. The Observer
• November 21:
  • Time magazine has archived its articles related to comics - Time archive. The Comics Reporter
• November 22: The United Kingdom's Press Gazette names its 40 most influential journalists, and includes three cartoonists, Gerald Scarfe, Carl Giles, and Matt Pritchett. Media Bulletin
• November 23:
  • Duncan Fegredo is to provide art for the 2006 Hellboy miniseries, Darkness Calls. Newsarama
  • Marvel Comics allows fans to vote on writer Chris Claremont's next project via its website. Newsarama
  • Marvel also launch the podcasting of company press conferences via its website. newsarama
• November 27: Claypool Comics asks for consumer help to ensure Diamond Comics Distributors continue to carry their products. Newsarama
• November 28:
  • The Association des Critiques de Bande Dessinee announces the fifteen works it is considering for its Prix de la Critique . Joe Kubert's Yossel: 19 Avril 1943 is amongst those in the running for the award, won in 2004 by the French edition of Blankets by Craig Thompson. The Comics Reporter
  • Malaysian cartoonist Lat is awarded a Special Jury Award at the 2004 Malaysian Press Institute (MPI)-Petronas Journalism Awards. New Straits Times
  • Archie Comics and The Veronicas settle their dispute over the rights to the name The Veronicas. Business Wire
  • The New York Times explores the use the two biggest American comic book publishers have made of the epic storyline in their releases this year. The New York Times
  • RK Laxman's Brushing Up the Years: A Cartoonist's History of India 1947-2004 is published. NDTV.Com
• November 29:
  • Christian Lax wins the second Grand Prix RTL de la BD. ToutenBD
  • According to reports, the Cartoon Network will not be commissioning a sixth series of the animated Teen Titans series. Newsarama
• November 30, 2005:
  • Slate magazine re-evaluate Watchmen in the wake of the release of the Absolute Watchmen edition. Slate

December

• December 1, 2005:
  • Lorenzo Mattotti is awarded the Grand Prix by the jury at the Blois comics festival. The Comics Reporter
  • Selected DC Comics superheroes are to appear on United States postage stamps in 2006. The Comics Reporter
  • Four of the seven charges against comics retailer Gordon Lee have been dropped. Lee still faces three misdemeanor counts of Distribution of Harmful to Minors Material charges. The Comics Reporter
• December 3, 2005:
  • The That's Life panel, by Mike Twohy, ends. The Comics Reporter
  • Marvel Comics: The line of comics based upon Stephen King's Dark Tower series is to be pushed back until February 2007. Newsarama
• December 4, 2005: Pakisatini based group Jamaat-e-Islami, have placed a price of around €7,000 upon the head of what it believes to be one cartoonist of 12 cartoons. The cartoons were actually drawn by separate illustrators, and were solicited by Denmark newspaper Jyllands-Posten as part of an editorial point regarding commentary on public figures. The Comics Reporter
• December 5, 2005:
  • It is reported that Fox are to make a sequel to this year's Fantastic Four movie, with a proposed release date of July 4, 2007. Newsarama
  • The Webcomics Examiner announces its Web comics of 2005. Web Comics Examiner
  • Les Mauvaises Gens, by Etienne Davodeau, wins Grand Prix de la Critique for 2005. The prize is awarded by L'Association des Critique et Journalistes de Bandes Dessinees. BdZoom
  • The trailer for X3 is launched online. Newsarama
• December 6, 2005:
  • ICv2 announces it is to host a Graphic Novel Conference at the New York Comic-Con. ICv2
  • Chris Batista signs an exclusive agreement with DC Comics. Newsarama
  • It is reported Stephen King's role in the line of comics based on his Dark Tower series will be "Executive Editor and Creative Director". Newsarama
  • Bill Jemas announces plans to launch a comic book line. ICv2
• December 7, 2005:
  • The Angoulême Festival announces the nominees under consideration for awards at the 2006 festival. Charles Schulz, Jeff Smith, Chris Ware and Jaime Hernandez are amongst the many contenders. The Comics Reporter
  • Italian cartoonist Gipi wins the Prix Goscinny, an annual prize awarded by jury and named in honour of Rene Goscinny. The Comics Reporter
• December 8, 2005:
  • Pierre Wazem wins the Swiss Prix International de la Ville de Geneve. Papiers-gras.com
  • Warren Ellis is to revamp Marvel's New Universe line, originally launched in 1986 by Jim Shooter. newsarama
  • Jonathan Shapiro, cartoonist for the Cape Times under the pen name Zapiro, wins the Principal Prince Claus Award. IOL
  • Canada's Doug Wright Awards are to become an annual affair. The Comics Reporter
• December 9, 2005: Bill Griffith and James Sturm are interviewed by Washington Post comics page editor Suzanne Tobin online. The Washington Post
• December 11, 2005: Roger Sabin reviews recent graphic novels in The Observer. The Observer
• December 12, 2005:
  • American cartoonists participate in "Black Ink Monday", producing cartoons for publication based upon the decline in the number of newspapers which keep an editorial cartoonist on staff. The Comics Reporter
  • Tom Spurgeon interviews Comic Book Legal Defence Fund Executive Director Charles Brownstein. The Comics Reporter
• December 13, 2005: The Village Voice nominates three graphic novels within its favorite 25 books of the year. The Village Voice
• December 14, 2005: Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson's run on the Flash Gordon strip is to be collected by Image Comics and Eva Ink Publishing. Newsarama
• December 15, 2005:
  • Marvel Comics settles its lawsuit with City of Heroes over trademark and copyright issues. Out-Law.com
  • The judges for the 2006 Eisner Awards are announced. The Comics Reporter
• December 17, 2005:
  • Jacques Faizant, cartoonist on Le Figaro, retires. The Times
  • Andrew Arnold of Time opinion on the ten best comics works released in 2005. Time
• December 19, 2005: It is reported that cartoonist Joe Martin is to launch his own syndicate to better promote his own work. He was previously syndicated by Tribune Media Services. Editor & Publisher
• December 20, 2005:
  • Ben Katchor's new strip is to be debuted in The Forward. Open Public Relations
  • Comixpedia names its 25 People in Webcomics for 2005. Comixpedia
• December 26, 2005:
  • Marvel Comics is to produce custom sized comic book inserts featuring Spider-Man for distribution via newspapers. The Comics Reporter
• December 28, 2005:
  • Cartoonists Mike Luckovich and Mike Peters nominate some of their favorite editorial cartoons of the year. npr
  • Audrey Puente reports on A New Golden Age of Comics for CBS. CBS
  • Kurt Busiek signs an exclusive two-year agreement with DC Comics. Newsarama
  • It is reported that Robert Crumb has filed suit against Amazon regarding usage of his Keep on Truckin' image. The Comics Reporter
• December 29, 2005: A sale of cartoon art opens in London, with artwork of Dan Dare strips by Frank Hampson amongst the work offered for sale. BBC
• December 30, 2005:
  • Scott McCloud is planning to tour the United States in support of his forthcoming book, Making Comics. The Comics Reporter, China Daily
  • A Turkish court of appeal has overturned a decision which saw the newspaper Evrensel fined $8000 because of a cartoon by Sefer Selvi which caused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to sue for defamation. The Comics Reporter
• December 31, 2005:
  • Modern Tales announces it is to expand its operations and launch free webcomic strips, supported by advertising. Talk About Comics blog

January

• January 2: Frank Kelly Freas, American illustrator and comics artist (covers and advertising parodies for Mad), dies at age 82. ^[3]
• January 3: Will Eisner, American comics artist (Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, The Spirit, Contract with God), dies at age 87. ^[4]
• January 5: Sean, a.k.a. Shawn or Buckshot, American activist and comics artist (made erotic comics for various gay magazines), passes away at age 69 from lung cancer. ^[5]
• January 10: Professeur Choron, French comedian, journalist, comics writer and singer (co-founder of Hara-Kiri and Charlie Hebdo), dies at age 75.
• January 25: Chad Grothkopf, American comics artist and animator (Hoppy the Marvel Bunny), dies at age 90 or 91. ^[6]
• January 25: Jill Elgin, American illustrator and comics artist (continued Girl Commandos), dies at age 82. ^[7]
• Specific date unknown: Jim Turnbull, Scottish comics artist, painter and political cartoonist (Pinky & Perky, continued Freddie the Frog and The Merry Tales of Mimi and Marny), dies at age 74. ^[8]

February

• February 15: Dudu Geva, Israeli comics artist, cartoonist and caricaturist (The Duck), passes away at age 54 from a heart attack. ^[9]

March

• March 13: Hal Seeger, American animator, comics writer and comics artist (Batfink, Milton the Monster, assisted on the Betty Boop and Leave It to Binky comic strips), dies at age 87. ^[10]

April

• April 5: Dale Messick, American comics artist (Brenda Starr), dies at age 98. ^[11]
• April 13: Juan Zanotto, Italian-Argentine comics artist (Bárbara, Yor (Henga)), dies at age 69. ^[12]
• April 22: Erika Fuchs, German comics translator (translated Carl Barks' Donald Duck comics in a colourful sophisticated way which had a profound impact on German language), dies at age 98. ^[13]
• April 23: Romano Scarpa, Italian comics artist, writer and animator (Disney comics), dies at age 77. ^[14]
• April 23: Walter Merhottein, Belgian puppet performer and brother of comics artist Merho, on whose puppets his main protagonist Marcel Kiekeboe from De Kiekeboes was based, passes away at age 65. ^{[15] [16] [17]}
• April 25: Ko Woo-young, South-Korean comics artist (Samgukji, Iljimae), passes away at age 66. ^[18]
• April 28: Zeke Zekley, American comics artist (assisted on Bringing Up Father), dies at age 90. ^[19]

May

• May 2: Sahap Ayhan, Turkish comics artist (Gültekin, Turkish versions of The Phantom and Flash Gordon), dies at age 78 or 79. ^[20]
• May 23: John Albano, American comics writer (co-creator of Jonah Hex), dies at age 82 from a heart attack.
• May 31: Eduardo Teixeira Coelho, a.k.a. ETC, a.k.a. Martin Sièvre, Portuguese comics artist and illustrator (Ragnar le Viking, Yves Le Loup, Ayak Le Loup Blanc, Robin Hood), dies at age 85. ^[21]

June

• June 1: Willem van Malsen, Dutch painter, illustrator, writer, inventor and comics artist (Amoebe), passes away at age 64 or 65.^[22]
• June 10: Shinji Nagashima, Japanese comics artist (Wanderer, Miracle Girl Limit-chan, Night on the Galactic Railroad), passes away at age 67. ^[23]
• June 17: Charlie Schlingo, French cartoonist (Josette de Rechange, Désiré Gogueneau, Tamponn Destartinn, Gogueneau), dies at age 49 from the result of an accidental fall. ^[24]
• June 23: Sam Kweskin, American comics artist (Marvel Comics), passes away at age 81. ^[25]

July

• July 1: Manuel Cuyás, Spanish comics artist (Cristina y sus Amigas), passes away at age 83. ^[26]
• July 7: Rudy van Giffen, Indonesian-Dutch comics artist (Vliegtuig Vermist), dies at age 74. ^[27]
• July 7: Paul Deliège, Belgian comics writer (Sam et l'Ours, Pétit-Cactus, Youk et Yak, Sibylline, Bonaventure, L'Envahisseur) and artist (Bobo, Les Krostons, Le Trou du Souffleur), dies at the age of 74.^[28]
• July 19: Jim Aparo, American comics artist (DC Comics), dies at age 72. ^[29]
• July 22: Jerry Marcus, American comics artist (Trudy), dies at age 81. ^[30]
• July 27: Marten Toonder, Dutch comics artist (Tom Poes, Panda, Kappie, Koning Hollewijn), dies at age 93. ^[31]

August

• August 10: Mar Amongo, Filipino comics artist (DC Comics), dies at age 68. ^[32]

September

• September 13: Raymond Chiavarino, a.k.a. Maric, French comics artist and writer (wrote, among others for Les Pieds Nickelés, Valentin and Bibi Fricotin), dies at the age of 78. ^{[33] [34]}
• September 21: Mort Leav, American comics artist (co-creator of The Heap), dies at age 89. ^[35]
• Specific date unknown: Horn, Belgian cartoonist and comics artist (Jim et sa Bande, Le Week-end Sportif), passed away at age 95. ^[36]

October

• October 17: Tom Gill, American comics artist (continued The Lone Ranger), dies at age 92. ^{[37] [38]}
• October 24: Bill Fraccio, American comics artist (Charlton Comics), dies at age 85. ^{[39] [40]}
• October 26: Michael Kilian, American journalist, author and comics writer (continued Dick Tracy), dies at age 66.

^[41]

November

• November 11: Lucho Olivera, Argentine comics artist (Nippur de Lagash), dies at age 63. ^[42]
• November 20: Lou Myers, American cartoonist (worked for The New Yorker), dies at age 90. ^[43]
• November 21: David Austin, British cartoonist (Hom Sap), dies at age 70. ^[44]
• November 26: Stan Berenstain, American writer and illustrator (co-creator of The Berenstain Bears), dies at age 82. ^[45]
• November 30: Jim Sasseville, American comics artist (assistant on Peanuts and It's Only a Game), dies at age 78.

^{[46] [47]}

December

• December 18: Rafael Fornés Collado, Cuban comics artist (José Dolores), dies at age 88. ^{[48] [49]}
• December 26,: Bud Blake, American comics artist (Tiger), dies age 87. ^{[50] [51]}
• December 29: Henk Sprenger, Dutch comics artist (Piloot Storm, Kick Wilstra), dies at age 85. ^[52]
• December 30: Jean Ollivier, French comics writer and chief editor of Vaillant, dies at age 80. ^{[53] [54]}
• December 31: Maurice Dodd, British comics writer and artist (continued The Perishers), dies at age 83. ^{[55] [56]}