2005 in comics

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Notable events of 2005 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events[edit | edit source]

January[edit | edit source]

January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.
January 31: John R. Norton begins the George comic strip

April[edit | edit source]

April 5: Dale Messick, creator of Brenda Starr, dies at age 98
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[edit | edit source]

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 23: John Albano, co-creator of Jonah Hex, dies at age 82.
May 31: Artist Bart Sears (Captain America and the Falcon) signs a 2-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics.

June[edit | edit source]

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 23: Sam Kweskin passes away at age 81.
June 28: Artist Justiniano (Day of Vengeance, The Human Race) signs a 2-year exclusive contract with DC Comics.

July[edit | edit source]

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, California.
July 19:
- Jim Aparo dies at age 72.
- 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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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
- Raymond Chiavarino a/k/a Maric dies. The Comics Reporter
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
- Mort Leav, co-creator of The Heap, passes away at age 88.
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[edit | edit source]

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 [1]. 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
- Tom Gill, former Lone Ranger artist, dies. The Comics Reporter
October 18:
- Dale Eaglesham signs a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. newsarama
- Watchmen is named as one of Timemagazine's top 100 English language novels published since 1923. Time
- Carla Speed McNeil launches the online serialisation [2] 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
- Bill Fraccio, long-time Charlton Comics artist, dies at age 85.
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
- Michael Kilian, current writer of the Dick Tracy comic strip, dies. Chicago Tribune
- 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[edit | edit source]

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 Hayden 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 L.A. 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. L.A. 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. nesarama
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 L.A. 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:
- Cartoonist Lou Myers dies. New York Times
- The New York Times reviews Absolute Watchmen, an expanded collection of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' comic book series of the 1980s. 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:
- The Guardian cartoonist David Austin dies. BBC
- 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 26: Berenstain Bears author Stan Berenstain dies. The Comics Reporter
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. 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
- Jim Sasseville dies, aged 78. Sasseville was a former collaborator with and colleague of Charles Schulz. The Comics Reporter

December[edit | edit source]

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 death of Bill Fraccio is announced as having occurred "about three weeks ago". Fraccio, who got his start in the Golden Age, worked for EC, Hillman Publications, Dell Comics, and others, and at Charlton Comics from 1956-79. News From Me
- 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. 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. 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. [3]
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 18, 2005: Cuban cartoonist Rafael Fornes Collado dies. The Comics Reporter
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:
- Bud Blake dies aged 87 years old. The Comics Reporter
- 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:
- Maurice Dodd, writer of The Perishers strip since the late 1950s, dies. BBC
- Modern Tales announces it is to expand its operations and launch free webcomic strips, supported by Advertising. Talk About Comics blog
December 31, 2005: Jean Ollivier, French comic book creator and the writer behind Vaillant, dies. The Comics Reporter