2004 in comics

Events

• The Canadian publisher Arcana Studio is founded.

  February

• February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games, pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes.
• February 14: In an episode of Cathy, Irving proposes to the titular character.
• February 20: Erik Larsen becomes the new publisher of Image Comics, replacing Jim Valentino, who stepped down.

  March

• March 10: After 27 years of continuous publication Dave Sim's Cerebus the Aardvark ends 300-issue run.

  April

• April 21: Top Cow Productions launches its new property, Proximity Effect, with the first of two free online issues ; the second issue was to premiere on May 26. A 96-page trade paperback collecting the series, with additional anthology stories and a new cover by Marc Silvestri, would be [|released June 30].
• April 21: In Groningen, the Netherlands, the Dutch Comics Museum opens its doors. It will exist until 2019.
• April 24: Nat Gertler and About Comics organize the first annual 24 Hour Comics Day, after a 1990 initiative by Scott McCloud. On this day, comics creators around the world are invited to spend the day making a 24-hour comic. Many comic book stores support this event by setting up space for participating artists to work on their comic. It attracts many writers and artists, working both in print and web media.
• April 26: Cartoonist Jim Scancarelli has the character Phyllis Wallet, wife of Walt, pass away in Gasoline Alley.
• April 30: Dutch comics artist and illustrator Joost Swarte is knighted in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

  May

• May 9: Sam Linthout, son of Belgian cartoonist Willy Linthout, commits suicide at age 21. This will motivate Linthout to draw a graphic novel about his grief: Years of the Elephant.
• May 19: At the instigation of Kees Kousemaker, owner of the Amsterdam comics store Lambiek, the first buildings of the Stripheldenbuurt in the Dutch city Almere are inaugurated. This is a district where all street names are named after famous comics characters and cartoonists.

  June

• With issue #1595, Comics Buyer's Guide changes its format from a weekly tabloid to a monthly squarebound magazine. In addition, in hopes of enhancing newsstand sales, CBG adds a price guide for contemporary comics as well as other new features intended to make the magazine more appealing to those with an avid interest in comic books as an investment.
• June 3: Marvel Comics announces the creation of its first prose imprint Marvel Press. Three novels were scheduled for 2004: the young adult novel Mary Jane II would land on bookstore shelves in June, followed by an adult fantasy Wolverine title in October and a middle grade Spider-Man title in November.
• June 18: CrossGen Entertainment files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the US Bankruptcy Court in Tampa, Florida. (
• Daniel Clowes' The Death-Ray is prepublished in Eightball.

  August

• Jeroom creates his gag comic Joske Het Debiele Ei.
• August 26: Italian journalist and translator of Doonesbury in comics magazine Linus Enzo Baldoni is murdered by terrorists in Iraq.

  September

• September 29: Mark Retera wins the Stripschapprijs. Normally he would be awarded the prize during the Stripdagen in Alphen aan de Rijn a month later, but since he planned a holiday then he is given it during a broadcast of the TV show Vara Laat.

  October

• October 6: Marvel Enterprises announces an agreement with Antefilms Production to produce a new animated television series based on The Fantastic Four.
• 23-24 October: During the Stripdagen in Alphen aan de Rijn Jan Joosse of the organisation Biblion wins the P. Hans Frankfurther Prize. Nico van Dam, Bert Bus en Harry Balm receive the Bulletje en Boonestaakschaal.

  November

• November 30: Artist Michael Ryan signs an exclusive 3-year contract with Marvel Comics.

  December

• December 1: Colorist Frankie D'Armata signs an exclusive 3-year contract with Marvel Comics.
• December 2: Artist Michael Lark and colorist Morry Hollowell sign exclusive contracts with Marvel Comics.
• December 3: Artist Mark Brooks signs a 3-year exclusive contract with Marvel Comics.

  Specific date unknown

• French comic artist Jean Graton is honored as a Commandeur in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
• Gary Panter releases the graphic novel Jimbo in Purgatory.

  Deaths

January

• January 7:
• * Daniel Billon, French comics artist, dies at age 76.
• * Jerzy Skarzynski, Polish theatre artist and comics artist, dies at age 79.
• January 8: Eddy Ryssack, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 75 from a heart attack.
• January 20: George Woodbridge, American comics artist, dies at age 73 from emphysema.
• January 23: Jules Coenen, Dutch comic artist, dies at age 44.
• January 25: Guus van Cleef, Dutch comics writer and artist, dies at age 54.
• January 31: Giorgio Cambiotti, Italian comics artist, dies at age 72.

  February

• February 1:
• * Josep María Madorell, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 80.
• * James Simpkins, Canadian animator and comics artist, dies at age 93.
• February 3: Fiep Westendorp, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 87.
• February 8:
• * Julius Schwartz, American comic book writer and editor, dies at age 88.
• * Norman Thelwell, British comics artist, dies at age 80.
• February 16:
• * Tito Marchioro, Italian comics artist, dies at age 82.
• * Bill Oakley, American comics letterer dies at age 39.
• February 24:
• * Rudy Lapick, American comics inker, dies at age 77.
• * Jean-Marc Lelong, French comics artist, dies at age 55.
• February 25: Albert Chartier, Canadian illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 91.

  March

• March 5: Martin Emond, New Zealand painter, illustrator and comics artist, commits suicide at age 33.
• March 8: Mario Uggeri, Italian painter, sculptor and comics artist, dies at age 70.
• March 11:
• * Ladislaus Elischer, German comics artist, dies at age 68 or 69.
• * Gilles Nicoulaud, French comics artist, dies at age 61.
• March 30: Doug Tainsh, Australian cartoonist, gag writer, screenwriter and comics artist, dies at age 82.

  April

• April 5: Gébé, French comics artist, dies from a tumor at age 74.
• April 8: Ernö Zórád, Hungarian comics artist, painter and illustrator, dies at age 93.
• April 10: Chester Commodore, American comics artist, dies at age 89.
• April 11: Irv Novick, American comics artist artist, dies at age 93.
• April 14:
• * Harry Holt, American comics artist and animator, dies at age 93.
• * Pepe Huinca, Chilean comics artist, dies at age 61 in a car accident.
• April 15: Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 69 in a home fire.

  May

• May 1: Jørgen Mogensen, Danish comics artist, dies at age 82.
• May 5: Marco Rostagno, Italian comic artist, dies at age 68.
• May 11: Aristophane Boulon, aka Aristophane, French comics artist, dies at age 37.
• May 12: Syd Hoff, American cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 91.
• * Jack Bradbury, American comics artist, dies at age 89.
• * Gill Fox, American comics artist, dies at age 88.
• May 15: Robert Naylor, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 94.
• May 16: Remus Dimitrie Sbiera, aka Sool Sbiera, Romanian comics artist, dies at age 67.
• May 20: Marc Moallic, French comic artist, dies at age 97.

  June

• June 6: Kate Worley, American comics writer, dies of cancer at age 46.
• June 7: Karel Biddeloo, Belgian comics artist, dies from cancer at age 60.
• June 17: Todor Dinov, Bulgarian animator and comics artist, dies at age 84.
• June 24: Heinz Rammelt, German comics artist, dies at age 92.

  July

• July 2: John Cullen Murphy, American comics artist, dies at age 85.
• July 8: Chlodwig Poth, German comics artist, dies at age 74.
• July 25: Joe Buresch, American comics artist, dies at age 87.
• July 26: Oğuz Aral, Turkish comics artist, dies at age 68.
• July 28: Eugenio Zoppi, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 81.
• Specific date in July unknown: Mario Capaldi, British comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 69.

  August

• August 2: François Craenhals, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 77.
• August 11: George Breisacher, American comics artist, dies at age 64.
• August 26: Enzo Baldoni, Italian journalist and translator of Doonesbury in the Italian magazine Linus, is kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Iraq at age 55.
• August 30: Bart Huges, Dutch activist and comics writer, dies at age 70.

  September

• September 4: Bram Vermeulen, Dutch comedian, singer and comic artist, dies at age 57.
• September 5: Carlos Leopardi, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 57.

  October

• October 30: Claude Verrier, French illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 85.

  November

• November 2: Theo van Gogh, Dutch film director and comics writer, is murdered at age 47.
• November 5: Ed Moore, American comics artist, dies at age 86.
• November 6: Lars Hillersberg, Swedish caricaturist and comics artist, dies at age 67.
• November 7: Mariel Dauphin, French comic artist, dies at age 96.
• November 9: Hans Nordenström, A.K.A. Brul, Swedish architect, cartoonist, illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 77.
• November 12: Harry Hargreaves, British comics artist, illustrator and animator, dies at age 82.
• November 13: Harry Lampert, American comics artist, dies at age 88.
• November 25: Bob Haney, American comics writer, dies at c. age 78.
• November 29: Irwin Donenfeld, American comics executive, dies at age 78.