2008 in comics

Events

January

• January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.
• January 17: Trik wins the Inktspotprijs for Best Political Cartoon.
• January 22: Webcomic Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery by Rick Smith begins publication.
• January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.

  February

• February 11: Belgian comic artist Marc Sleen is declared a honorary citizen of Turnhout.
• Ji Kangmin begins the Korean webcomic ''Welcome to Convenience Store''

  March

• March 5: Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham softcover edition released under the Vertigo imprint.

  April

• April 1: Acclaimed historian, political scientist and social critic Howard Zinn releases A People's History of American Empire. The book was co-authored by historian Paul Buhle and cartoonist Mike Konopacki.
• April 3: Graphic novel Britten and Brülightly by Hannah Berry is published by Random House under their Jonathan Cape imprint
• April 7: Jessica Hagy's webcomic Indexed is voted best blog of the year by Time.com.
• April 20: At the New York Comic Con, Marvel announces Marvel Apes, which will start in October.
• April 23: Countdown to Final Crisis concludes.
• April 28: Universal Studios announce that they have optioned Oni Press' Resurrection by Marc Guggenheim, to be produced by Scott Stuber.
• April 30: Barry Allen returns to the DC Universe proper 23 years after his death in Crisis on Infinite Earths. The return came in DC Universe #0.

  May

• May 2: The Iron Man film, based on the character of the same name, is released in theaters.
• May 28: Final Crisis #1 is released.

  June

• Me and My Ainia by Lai Ann wins the Outstanding Comics Award from the Institute for Compilation and Translation of Taiwan
• Tiny Titans released by DC Comics

  July

• July 9: A comics mural, depicting a scene from Willem Elsschot's graphic novel adaptation of Gerard Reve's novel Cheese is inaugurated in Antwerp, as part of the city's Comic Book Route.
• The Dark Knight takes in a record $155.34 million in its opening weekend, topping the previous best of $151.1 million for Spider-Man 3 in May 2007.
• Wildstorm's World's End event begins in the aftermath of Number of the Beast.
• Comic Book Tattoo, the comic book anthology based on the lyrics of Tori Amos makes its debut at San Diego Comic-Con.

  August

• August 2: To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the British comics magazine The Beano, Nick Park is guest editor.

  September

• September 10: In the Netherlands René Schoenmakers and Marc Jansen, co-found Catawiki, a compendium of collector's catalogues.
• September 27: During the Stripdagen in Houten, The Netherlands, Erik Kriek receives the Stripschapprijs. Pim Oosterheert, author of various books about Marten Toonder, receives the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs. Bob van den Born and Jaap Kramer receive the Bulletje en Boonestaak Schaal.

  October

• Hellboy: In The Chapel Of Moloch, the first Hellboy series written and drawn by Mike Mignola since 2005, is scheduled to ship.
• October 8: Archaia Studios Press confirm they have been bought by Kunoichi, the company established by Joshua Blaylock, former President at Devil's Due Publishing.

  November

• November 14: French cartoonist Piem is named Knight in the Ordre National du Mérite.
• November 18: Jonas Geirnaert's comic strip Kabouter Wesley makes its debut in HUMO.
• The non-fiction book Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero is published by E. Paul Zehr.

  December

Specific date unknown

• Seung-Jin Park and Kim Jung Gi launch the webcomic series TLT - Tiger the Long Tail, which will run until 2010.
• Ryan K. Hudson launches his webcomic series Channelate.

  Deaths

January

• January 3: Johan van Dijk, Dutch comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 90.
• January 6: Marty Links, American comics artist, dies at age 90.
• January 18: Joaquin Cervante Bassoco, Mexican comics artist, dies at age 89.
• January 19: Rik Clément, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 87.

  February

• February 2: Gus Arriola, Mexican-American comics artist, dies at age 90.
• February 10: Steve Gerber, American comic book writer, dies from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at age 60.
• February 11: Stéphane Peru, French comics artist and colorist, dies at age 26.
• February 22: Steve Whitaker, British comics colourist, dies at age 53.

  March

• March 2: Francesco Pescador, Italian comics artist, dies at age 93.
• March 8: Franco Paludetti, Italian animator and comic artist, dies at age 83.
• March 10: Dave Stevens, American comic book artist, dies of hairy cell leukemia at age 52.
• March 17: Daniel Traver Griñó, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 76.
• March 18: Wes Alexander, American comics artist, dies at age 41.
• March 19: Hugo Claus, Belgian novelist, playwright, poet and film director, dies from euthanasia at age 78.
• March 21: Raymond Leblanc, Belgian comics publisher and animated film producer. Founder of the Belgian comics magazine Tintin, dies at age 92.
• March 21: Maurice Maréchal, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 85.
• March 30: Jim Mooney, American comic book artist and writer, dies at age 88.

  April

• April 2: Roger Blachon, French teacher, journalist, book illustrator, editorial cartoonist and comic artist, dies at age 66.
• April 14: Ollie Johnston, American animator, dies at age 95.
• April 15: Robert Vandersteen, Belgian comics artist and son of Willy Vandersteen, dies at age 68.

  May

• May 3: Ted Key, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 95.
• May 5: Edith Hegenbarth, German comics artist, dies at age 83.
• May 12: Virgilio Martínez Gaínza, Cuban comic artist, dies at age 77.
• May 13: Mike Western, British comics artist, dies at age 83 following a heart attack and a stroke.
• May 15: Will Elder, American comics artist, dies at age 86.
• May 19: Rory Root, American comics store owner, dies at age 50.
• May 21: Mel Casson, American comics artist, dies at age 87.
• May 27: Ed Arno, American comics artist, cartoonist, caricaturist and illustrator, dies at age 91.

  June

• June 5: Pete Tumlinson, American comics artist, dies at age 87.
• June 8: Vladimiro Missaglia, aka Miro, Italian comics artist and animator, dies at age 75.
• June 27: Michael Turner, American comics artist, dies at age 37 from bone cancer.

  July

• July 17: Creig Flessel, American comics artist, dies at age 96.

  August

• August 2: Fujio Akatsuka, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 72.
• August 5: Jack Kamen, American comics artist, dies at age 88.
• August 6: Arnold H. Clerkx, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 88.
• August 7:
• * Eugênio Colonnese, Italian-Brazilian comics artist, dies at age 78.
• * Stefan Nagy, Swedish comics artist, dies at age 56 or 57.
• August 13: Martin Berthommier, French comic artist, dies at age.
• August 15: Carlos Meglia, Argentine animator and comics artist, dies at age 50.

  September

• September 2: Bill Melendez, American animator, dies at age 91.
• September 15: Gedeone Malagola, Brazilian comics artist, dies at age 84.
• September 26: Raymond Macherot, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 91.

  October

• October 15: Guus Boissevain, aka Gub, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 79.
• October 16: Mark Buck, American comics artist, dies at age 41 in a motorcycle accident.
• October 20:
• * Les Barton, British comics artist, dies at age 84.
• * Ken Hunter, British comics artist, dies at age 91 or 92.
• October 31: Mongo Sisé, Congolese comics artist, dies from a stroke at age 60.

  November

• November 11: Lasse Sandberg, Swedish comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 84.
• November 15:
• * Janusz Christa, Polish comic artist, dies at age 74
• * Cláudio Seto, aka Chuji Seto Takeguma, Brazilian comics artist, dies at age 64.
• November 17: Guy Peellaert, Belgian painter, album cover designer, illustrator and comics artist, dies from cancer at age 74.
• November 25: Sergio Rosi, Italian comics artist, dies at an unknown age.
• November 28: Enrico De Seta, Italian comics artist, cartoonist and caricaturist, dies at age 100.
• November 28: Leon Lazarus, American comics writer and editor, dies at age 89.

  December

• December 4: Fritz Behrendt, German-Dutch political cartoonist, dies at age 83.
• December 6: Gérard Lauzier, French comics artist, dies at age 76.
• December 11: Maddie Blaustein, American comic writer, dies at age 48.
• December 16: Vic Donahue, American comics artist, dies at age 90.
• December 23: Pietro Gamba, Italian comics artist, dies at age 83.

  Specific date unknown

• Rik Jottier, Belgian comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 81 or 82.
• Marits Rietdijk, Dutch illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 87 or 88.
• Lui Yu-tin, Chinese comics artist, dies at age 80 or 81.