2017 in comics

Events and publications

February

• The Comicsgate controversy begins.

  March

• March 4–5: During the Stripdagen comics writer Willem Ritstier receives the Stripschapprijs, while Frits Jonker wins the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs. The Bulletje en Boonestaakschaal is awarded to Albert van Beek.
• March 24: The Dutch comics series Claire by The Wirojas ends it 29 years of publication in the Belgian women's magazine Flair.
• 31 March to 2 April: WonderCon.

  April

• April 9: In Antwerp, Belgium, next to the Central Station the theme park Comics Station is officially opened, which puts a spotlight on various Belgian comics characters.
• April 15: The final issue of the Belgian satirical comics and cartoons magazine Pan is published.
• April 21: Canadian comics artist Gisèle Lagacé makes headlines when she is denied entry near the U.S.-Canadian border for a couple of hours for no particular reason.

  May

• May 8:
• * Ken Bald makes the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest active comics artist in the world. He broke this record before on 4 March 2015.
• * American web comics artist Matt Furie decides to kill off his character Pepe the Frog after it became associated with white nationalism, against his will. The event makes headlines all over the Internet.
• May 11: Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn reveals that, at age 19, she was sexually intimidated by comics artist Al Capp. According to her he tried inviting her to his casting couch, which she refused, much to his anger. She'd had told this anecdote before in a 1985 interview with Playboy, but only now it receives more media attention.
• May 13: In Kansas City comics store owner James Dale, "Jim", Cavanaugh tries to stop a shoplifter, but is thrown to the ground, hitting his head. He is brought to the hospital, where he dies. He was 66 or 67 years old.

  July

• July 20–23: San Diego Comic-Con,.

  September

• September 23: The first Ringo Awards are handed out, voted by comics professionals and fans.

  November

• November 2–3: Second annual WES Feminist Comic Con held in Pakistan.
• November 10–12: Rhode Island Comic Con

  December

• December 18: Geneviève Gautier publishes her comic book Les Aventures du Pingouin Alfred. The event receives a lot of media attention since, at age 95, she is the oldest person to ever publish a comic book.

  Deaths

January

• January 1: Alfonso Wong, Chinese comics artist and animator, dies at the age of 93.
• January 12: Gerry Gersten, American caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 89.
• January 15: Jean-Luc Vernal, Belgian comics writer and chief editor of Tintin magazine, dies at the age of 72.
• January 17: Pascal Garray, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 51.
• January 17: Pascal J. Zanon, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 73.
• January 18: Raoul Giordan, French comics artist and half of the Giordan Brothers, dies at age 90.
• January 19: Jan Kruis, Dutch comics artist, dies at the age of 83.
• January 21: John Watkiss, British comics artist, dies of cancer at the age of 55.
• January 25: Jack Mendelsohn, American comics writer, artist and TV script writer, dies at the age of 90 from lung cancer.
• January 21: Alessandro Biffignandi, Italian illustrator, comics, magazine cover and film poster artist, dies at the age of 81.
• January 28: Dan Spiegle, American comics artist, dies at age 96.
• January 28: Joop Wiggers, Dutch comics artist, lay-out designer, entrepreneur and publisher, dies at age 82.

  February

• February 11: Jiro Taniguchi, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 69.
• February 15: Fabrizio Busticchi, Italian comics artist, dies at the age of 63.
• February 16: Dick Bruna, Dutch children's novelist and illustrator, died at age 89.
• February 18: Giacomo Pueroni, Italian comics artist, dies at age 53.

  March

• March 5: Dave Hunt, American comics artist, dies from cancer at age 74.
• March 5: Jay Lynch, American underground comix artist and writer and editor of the magazine Bijou Funnies, dies at age 72.
• March 12: Murray Ball, New Zealand cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 78.
• March 12: Stavro Jabra, Lebanese political cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 70.
• March 16: Skip Williamson, American underground comix artist, dies at the age of 72.
• March 17: Joost Rietveld, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 85.
• March 18: Bernie Wrightson, American comics artist, dies at age 68.
• March 21: Gerard Wiegel, Dutch comics artist, illustrator and cartoonist, dies at the age of 89.
• March 26: Chen Uen, Taiwanese comics artist, dies at age 58.
• March 27: Leone Cimpellin, Italian comics artist, dies at the age of 91.

  April

• April 9: Carolyn Kelly, American comics artist, animator and book designer, dies.
• April 10: Chris Roodbeen, Dutch comics artist, illustrator, cartoonist and courtroom artist, dies at the age of 87.
• April 15: Martin Greim, American comics writer and artist , dies from heart failure at age 74.
• April 23: Leo Baxendale, British comics artist, dies at the age of 86.
• April 27: Peter Spier, Dutch writer and illustrator, dies at age 89.
• April 30: Jidéhem, Belgian comics artist, dies at the age of 81.
• Specific date unknown: Norberto Firpo, aka Ácido Nítrico, Argentine journalist and cartoonist, dies at age 85.

  May

• May 2: Jay Disbrow, American comics artist, writer, illustrator and lecturer, dies at the age of 91.
• May 13: James Dale Cavanaugh, American comics store owner, dies at age 66 or 67 after being killed trying to stop a shoplifter.
• May 19: Rich Buckler, American comics artist, dies from cancer at the age of 68.
• May 21: Larry Wright, American comics artist, dies at age 77.
• May 24: Pierre Seron, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 75.
• May 25: Marcello Albano, Italian comics artist, writer and musician, dies at age 65.

  June

• June 1: Vic Lockman, American comics artist, dies at age 89.
• June 4: Rob Gorter, Dutch comics artist, caricaturist and illustrator, dies at 71.
• June 5: James Vance, American comics writer, dies of cancer at age 64.
• June 10: Malang Santos, Philippine painter, cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 89.
• June 18: Carlos Prunés, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 79.
• June 19: Gordon Livingstone, British comics artist, dies at age 82.
• June 30: Barry Norman, British film critic and comics writer, dies at age 83.

  July

• July 6: Juan Carlos Colombres, aka Landru, Argentine comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 94.
• July 6: Galip Tekin, Turkish comics artist, dies at age 59.
• July 8: Bob Lubbers, American comics artist, dies at age 95.
• July 10: Mangesh Tendulkar, Indian cartoonist dies at age 83 from bladder cancer.
• July 12: Sam Glanzman, American comics artist, dies at the age of 92.
• July 15: Martin Landau, American film and TV actor and cartoonist, dies at age 89.
• July 23: Flo Steinberg, American underground comics publisher and secretary of Stan Lee, dies at age 78 from a brain aneurysm and metastatic lung cancer.
• July 27: Stan Hart, American comics writer and TV comedy script writer, dies.

  August

• August 3:, Czech cartoonist, illustrator and natural scientist, professor of physics, dies at age 75.
• August 6: Dick Locher, American comics artist and cartoonist, dies at the age of 88.
• August 8: Rius, Mexican comics artist, dies at the age of 83.
• August 11: Lengkuas, Malaysian cartoonist, dies at age 53.
• August 14: Alvaro De Moya, Brazilian comics artist, journalist, TV producer, professor and comics scholar, dies at age 86 or 87.
• August 18: Alfonso Azpiri, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 70.
• August 18: Sergio Zaniboni, Italian comics artist, dies at age 80.
• August 21: Michel Plessix, French comics artist, dies from a heart attack at age 57.
• August 28: Bert Bus, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 86.
• August 31: Jan Romare, Swedish diplomat and comics artist, dies at age 81.

  September

• September 1: Barry Liebmann, American comedy and comics writer, dies at age 63.
• September 10: Len Wein, American comics writer, dies at age 69.
• September 12: Bob Moyer, American painter and comics artist, passed away at age 93.
• September 27: Hugh Hefner, American magazine publisher, chief editor and cartoonist, dies at age 91.

  October

• October 12: Erwin Moser, Austrian illustrator, novelist and comics artist, dies at age 63.
• October 25: Patrick Jusseaume, French comics artist, dies at age 65.

  November

• November 5: Renzo Calegari, Italian comics artist, dies at age 84.
• November 27: Bob van den Born, Dutch comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 90.
• November 29: Fran Hopper, American comics artist, dies at age 95.

  December

• December 6: Yves Ker Ambrun, French comics artist, dies at age 63.
• December 19: Lona Rietschel, German comics artist, dies at age 84.
• December 20: Annie Goetzinger, French comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 66.
• December 29: Jim Baikie, British comics artist, dies at age 77.

  Conventions

• March 25–26: Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo
• April 1–2: MoCCA Festival
• April 29: FLUKE Mini-Comics & Zine Festival
• May 20: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention
• June 10–11: Chicago Alternative Comics Expo
• September 9–10: STAPLE!
• September 16–17: Small Press Expo
• September 28–October 1: Cartoon Crossroads Columbus – special guests Derf, Kat Fajardo, Laura Park, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Nilah Magruder, Ann Nocenti
• November 11: Comic Arts Brooklyn — special guests Alexis Beauclair, Charles Burns, DDOOGG, Jules Feiffer, Emil Ferris, Sophie Goldstein, Bill Griffith, Paul Karasik, Peter Kuper, Miss Lasko-Gross, Jane Mai, Mark Newgarden, Patrick Kyle, Richie Pope, Nicole Rifkin, Simon Hanselmann, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Lale Westvind, Eric Kostiuk Williams, Ron Wimberly, Kelsey Wroten, Gina Wynbrandt
• December 9–10: Comic Arts Los Angeles — special guest: Michael DeForge

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