1997 in comics

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Notable events of 1997 in comics.

Events

This literature-related list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2021)

January

  • January 8: In Italy, the first issue of Fantacomix day (Eura editoriale), a magazine specialized in Argentine sci-fi comics; it lasts for four issues.
  • January 22: In Topolino the Mickey Mouse story Chief Casey's Longest Night, by Tito Faraci and Giorgio Cavazzano is published, which marks the debut of Brick Boulder.
  • Specific date in January unknown: Peter van Straaten wins his second Inktspotprijs for Best Political Cartoon.[1]
  • Aloys Oosterwijk's gag comic Willems Wereld debuts. It will run until 2017. [2]
  • In Shadis magazine, the first strip of Dork Tower, by John Kovalic.[3]
  • In The incredible Hulk 449 (Marvel Comics), the Thunderbolts make their debut.
  • Due, by Alessandro Sisti, Corrado Mastrantuono and Paolo Mottura (Walt Disney Italia). Two central figures of PKNA, the evil computer Due and the mysterious scientist and businessman Everett Ducklair, make their debut. In the year, the series’ supporting cast is enriched by several other recurring characters, such as the android Odin Eidolon and the secret agent Mary Ann Flagstar.

March

  • March 20: first strip of Liberty meadows, by Frank Cho.
  • March 22: The final episode of Steve Dowling's Garth is published.
  • The final episode of Daniel Clowes' Ghost World is prepublished in Eightball. In the same issue Clowes publishes his essay Modern Cartoonist.
  • In Italy, La lunga notte dell’investigatore Merlo (Detective Merlo's long night), by Leo Ortolani (Edizioni Bande Dessinée), parody of the Humphrey Bogart’s movies.[4]

April

  • April 1:
  • April 3: The first issue of Knuckles the Lark legion (later Knuckles the Echidna) by Ken Penders is published.
  • Comic strip Cigarman begins publication in Smoke Magazine
  • Marvel cancels The Punisher (1995 series) with issue #18
  • A history of violence by John Wagner and Vince Locke (Paradox press).
  • First issue of the annual magazine Il grande Diabolik (Astorina).
  • First issue of Rat-Man collection (Panini comics); the Leo Ortolani's character, till then appeared only in self-published albums, gets the general public.

May

  • May 24: The British girls' magazine Mandy and Judy, who merged in 1991, now merge with Bunty. It will run in this form until 2001.[6]
  • First issue of 2020 Visions by Jamie Delano (Vertigo).
  • In Cable 45, the crossover Operation: Zero tolerance begins.
  • Sergio Bonelli editore launches two new magazines: the semi-annual Agenzia alfa (spin-off of Nathan Never) and the annual I grandi comici del fumetto (The great authors of humoristic comics), inaugurated by Cocco Bill Diquaedilà, one of the last Benito Jacovitti’s work.[7]

June

July

  • July 7: Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman's Zits makes its debut.
  • July 15: In Topolino the story Paperino e la macchina della conoscenza, by Corrado Mastantuono is published, which marks the debut of Bum-Bum Ghigno.
  • July 31: The Belgian city Middelkerke starts an annual project where statues of famous Belgian comics characters are placed at the dijk during the summer. The first one to be honoured this way is Jommeke.[9]
  • Marvel Comics' Flashback month: all issues were released with the number −1.
  • On 200 newspapers, the first strip of Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Brogman, appear.

August

September

October

November

December

  • The final issue of the Belgian comics magazine À Suivre is published.
  • Marvel returns the Avengers and Fantastic Four to their main continuity in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1–4
  • Bad boy by Frank Miller and Simon Bisley (ONI press)

Specific date unknown

Births

Deaths

January

February

  • February 3: Geoffrey Foladori, Uruguayan comics artist (El Professor Pistacho, Pelopincho y Cachirula, Don Gumersindo, Don Tranquilo y Flia), dies at age 88.[26]
  • February 7: Nina Albright, American comics artist (Comandette, continued Miss Victory), dies at age 89.[27]
  • February 13: Hans Schlensker (Biff Baker, assisted on Buz Sawyer), dies at age 82.[28]
  • February 15: Jack Sparling, Canadian-American comics artist (Claire Voyant, Hap Hopper, Washington Correspondent), dies at age 81.[29]
  • February 23: Larry Antonette, aka Dean Carr, American comics artist (Dash Dixon, Bozo and the Baron, Calling the Duke), dies at age 87.[30]
  • Specific date unknown: Arthur Horner, Australian-British cartoonist (Colonel Pewter, The Thoughts of Citizen Doe), dies at age 80.[31]

March

April

  • April 4: Billy Graham, American comics artist (worked on Luke Cage, Black Panther), dies at age 61.[33]
  • April 11: Helge Kühn-Nielsen, Danish comics artist, teacher, painter and illustrator, dies at age 76.[34]
  • April 16: Roland Topor, French novelist, illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist, film script writer, TV script writer, animator and playwright (Hara-Kiri), dies at age 59.[35]
  • April 20: Stamatis L. Polenakis, Greek comic artist and animator (Pipis Papias, Spagorammenos), dies at age 88 or 89.[36]
  • April 27: Víctor Arriazu, Spanish comics artist (assisted on El Jabato), dies at age 61 or 62.[37]

May

June

  • June 6: Manny Stallman, American comics artist (various horror comics), dies at age 70.[41]
  • June 12: Rémy Bourles, French comics artist (Bob Mallard), dies at age 91.[42]
  • June 15: Kim Casali, New Zealand cartoonist and comics artist (Love Is...), dies of bone and liver cancer at age 55.[43]

July

  • July 6: Michele Pepe, Italian comic artist (Fury, Gli Eroi del Mare, worked on Zagor, Martin Mystère), dies at age 50.[44]
  • July 8: Clay Geerdes, American writer and photojournalist who extensively covered the underground comix movement (founded Comix World newsletter), dies of liver cancer at age 63.[45]

August

  • August 19: James Ringrose, Dutch comics artist (Tekko Taks, Blix Kater, Willie en Wop), dies at age 83.[46]

September

  • September 4: Nasjah Djamin, Indonesian illustrator and comics artist (drew a comic book about Hang Tuah), dies at age 72.[47]
  • September 15: Lode Pemmelaar, Dutch painter and comics artist (Romila the Velvet Girl), dies at age 54.[48]
  • September 25: Josep Toutain, Spanish comics artist and publisher (founder of Selecciones Ilustradas and Toutain-Editor), dies from lung cancer at age 64–65.[49]

October

  • October 8: Zhang Chongren, Chinese artist and sculptor (inspiration for the Tintin character Chang Chong-Chen), dies at age 91.[50]
  • October 16: Dick Cavalli, American comics artist and cartoonist (Winthrop, continued Norbert), dies at age 74.[51]
  • October 18: Milt Neil, American animator and comics artist (the Howdy Doody comic strip), dies at age 83.[52]
  • October 22: Per Lygum, Danish animator and comics artist (Planckton), dies at age 64.[53]
  • October 30: Nikola Mitrovic, AKA Kokan, Serbian comic artist, dies at age 73.[54]

November

December

Specific date unknown

  • Carol Carlson, American comics artist (The Adventures of Waddles), dies at age 84 or 85.[62]
  • Dennis Ellefson, American comics artist, dies at age 59 or 60.[63]
  • Kerstin Frykstrand, Swedish illustrator and comics artist (Muff och Tuff), dies at age 95 or 96.[64]
  • Frank Little, American animator and comics artist (worked for Jerry Iger's studio), dies at age 90.[65]
  • Armand Panis, A.K.A. Sinap, Belgian comics artist, caricaturist and cartoonist (Klopstok), dies at age 89 or 90.[66]
  • Jorge Pérez Del Castillo, Chilean-Argentine comics artist, dies at age 73 or 74.[67]
  • Alan Philpott, British comic artist (Robot Archie, The Deathless Men), dies at age 82 or 83.[68]
  • Roex, A.K.A. Roger Exelmans, Belgian comics artist (continued Rikske en Fikske), dies at age 60.[69]
  • Bernard Segal, A.K.A. "Seeg", American painter and comics artist (Honey and Hank, also known as Elsworth), dies at age 78 or 79.[70]
  • George Smits, A.K.A. 'Toet', Belgian painter, experimental musician and comics artist (De avonturen van Jan, member of Ercola), dies at age 52 or 53.[71]
  • Tony Velasquez, Filipino comics artist (Kenkoy), dies at age 86.[72]
  • Roland Venet, aka Rol, French comics artist (Wa-Pi-Ti), dies at age 77 or 78.[73]

Conventions

Exhibitions

First issues by title

Clover
Release: by Kodansha (Amie). Authors: Clamp
Desert Punk
Release: August 5 by Enterbrain (Comic Beam). Author: Usune Masatoshi
Peach Girl
Release: by Kodansha (Bessatsu Friend). Author: Miwa Ueda

DC Comics

Jack Kirby's Fourth World by John Byrne
Young Heroes in Love
The Flintstones and The Jetsons
Transmetropolitan
JLA: Year One by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. 12-issue maxi-series

References

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