2014 in comics

Events

January

• January 16: Joann Sfar, Jean-Yves Ferri, Jean-Pierre Gibrat and comics festival curator Maurice Herve are elevated to Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

  March

• March 7: Mafalda becomes the first fictional character to be awarded with the Légion d'Honneur. On 22 March, her creator Quino is also honoured with the same award.
• March 8–9: During the Stripdagen in Gorinchem, Fred de Heij is awarded the Stripschapprijs, while the Hans P. Frankfurtherprijs is awarded to Rob van Bavel, chief editor of Eppo and publisher. The comics writer and translator Frits van der Heide wins the Bulletje en Boonestaakschaal.
• Bill Jemas founds Double Take Comics, a comic imprint for video game publisher and distributor Take-Two Interactive.
• March 12: The first episode of Georgia Dunn's Breaking Cat News is published.

  April

• Specific date in April unknown: Mimi Pond's graphic novel Over Easy is published.

  May

• May 15: The entire archive of Pieter J. Kuhn is donated to the archives of the city Groningen.
• May 27: A plate from a Tintin comic by Hergé is auctioned at the Artcurial in Paris and sold for €2.519 million.

  June

• A third attempt to launch a Lucky Luke magazine is made.

  July

• July 5: Nero receives a comics mural in Antwerp.

  August

• August 23: In Iran, cartoonist Atena Farghadani is jailed over a cartoon mocking the Iranian government. She is imprisoned until 6 November.
• August 30: Idaho Comics Group is founded.

  September

• September 26: A financial settlement is reached between Marvel and the estate of Jack Kirby.

  October

• October 2: Bas van der Schot wins the Inktspotprijs for Best Political Cartoon.
• October 14: A Love Is... cartoon indicating that 'No' means 'maybe' and 'maybe' means 'yes' causes controversy for glorifying rape culture. The next day, The Chicago Sun issues an official apology.
• October 19: The final episode of Ed Stein's newspaper gag comic Freshly Squeezed appears in print.

  November

• November 6: Atena Farghadani, imprisoned earlier this year for making a cartoon that mocked the Iranian government, is released from jail, but jailed again on 28 December after going public about her sentence and treatment in prison.

  December

• December 17: A fire in Montréal, Canada, also ravages comics store Komico. They are forced to move to a new address afterwards.

  Specific date unknown

• French comic writer Jean-David Morvan and South Korean artist Kim Jung Gi release the series SpyGames.
• Tom Fonder launches his webcomic Business Cat.
• Joris Vermassen releases his graphic novel Het Zotte Geweld.

  Deaths

January

• January 8: Massimo Liorni, A.K.A Simo, A.K.A. Franco Carini, A.K.A. Lima, A.K.A. Max Liorn, Italian comics artist, writer and editor, dies at age 88.
• January 16: Gary Arlington, American comics artist, editor, comics store owner and publisher, dies at age 75 from complications of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and crushed leg.
• January 21: Bill Kresse, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 80.
• January 25: Morrie Turner, American comics artist, dies at age 90.
• January 28: Philippe Delaby, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 53 from heart failure.

  February

• February 4: Henri Samouilov, French painter and comics artist, dies at age 83.
• February 8: Gill Van Dessel, aka Mister Kit, Belgian comics artist, dies at an unknown age.
• February 9: André-François Barbe, French comic artist, dies at age 77.
• February 12: Sid Caesar, American comedian and comics writer, dies at age 91.
• February 13: Gordon Bell, British comics artist, dies at age 79 or 80.
• February 18: Ralston Jones, American comics artist, dies at age 87.
• February 19: Franco Origone, Italian comics artist, dies at age 63.
• February 22: Leo Vroman, Dutch poet, scientist and comics artist, dies at age 98.
• February 27: Jan Hoet, Belgian art curator, dies at age 77.

  March

• March 16: Steve Moore, British comics writer, dies at age 64.
• March 24: David A. Trampier, American illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 59.

  April

• April 3: Fred Kida, American comics artist, dies at age 93.
• April 28: Barbara Fiske Calhoun, known professionally as "Barbara Hall," American comics artist, dies at age 94.
• April 29: Al Feldstein, American comics artist and editor, dies at age 88.

  May

• May 2: Pom, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 94.
• May 4: Dick Ayers, American comics artist, dies at age 90.
• May 12: H.R. Giger, Swiss illustrator, graphic designer, painter and illustrator, dies at the age of 74.
• May 16: Guillem Cifré, Spanish comic artist, dies at age 61 or 62.
• May 18: Morris Weiss, American comics artist and writer, dies at age 98.

  June

• June 15:
• * Sören Axén, Swedish comics writer and artist, dies at age 74.
• * Daniel Keyes, American novelist and comics writer, passes away at age 86 from pneumonia.
• June 16: Charles Barsotti, American comics artist and cartoonist dies at age 80 from brain cancer.
• June 24: Amadee Wohlschlaeger, American comics artist, dies at age 102.
• June 25: Etta Hulme, American cartoonist, dies at age 90.

  July

• July 1: Frank Cummings, Venezuelan-American comics artist, dies at age 54.
• July 29: Jo Teodorescu, Romanian illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 75.

  August

• August 5: Pran Kumar Sharma, Indian comics artist, dies at age 75.
• August 13: Hal Campagna, American comics artist, dies at age 101.
• August 25: Lars Mortimer, Swedish comics artist, dies at age 68.
• August 31: Stan Goldberg, American comics artist and colorist, dies at age 82.

  September

• September 5: Paolo Del Vaglio, Italian comics artist, dies at age 86.
• September 7: Frederic Mullally, British journalist, novelist and comics writer, dies at the age of 96.
• September 11: Antônio Cedraz, Brazilian comics artist, dies at age 69.
• September 14: Tony Auth, American cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 72 from brain cancer.

  October

• October 1: Michel Demarets, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 79.
• October 15: Giorgio Rebuffi, Italian comics artist, dies at age 95.
• October 18: Enrique Villagrán, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 73 or 74.
• October 23:
• * Roland Vagnier, aka Bindle, French comics artist and cartoonist, passes away at age 95.
• * Marnix Rueb, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 59.
• October 26: Antonio Terenghi, Italian comics artist, dies at age 92.

  November

• November 3: Jeremy Dale, American comics artist, dies at age 34.
• November 8: Hannes Hegen, German comics artist, dies at age 89.
• November 28: Brumsic Brandon Jr., American comics artist, dies at age 87.

  December

• December 4: Peter Woolcock, British comics artist and political cartoonist, dies at age 88 after being hit by a car.
• December 7: Marie Marcks, German caricaturist, cartoonist and comics artist, passes away at age 92.
• December 16: Bruno De Dieuleveult, French comic artist, dies at age 72.
• December 18: Arno van Dijk, Dutch comics artist and illustrator, passes away from cardiac arrest at the age of 69.

  Specific date unknown

• José Geraldo Barreto, Brazilian comics artist, dies at age 89 or 90.
• Zoe Skiadaresi, Greek comics artist, dies at age 82 or 83.

  Exhibitions

• 2 May – 19 August: Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK — curated by John Harris Dunning and Paul Gravett with the British Library's Head of Printed Historical Sources, Adrian Edwards and Dave McKean as artistic director; with events including: Bryan and Mary Talbot; Neil Gaiman with Tori Amos; Woodrow Phoenix; Dave McKean, Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis on superheroes; Melinda Gebbie; Alejandro Jodorowsky; Pat Mills, Dave Gibbons and Frazer Irving on 2000 AD; Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton plus those involved in the ‘Oz Trial’; Posy Simmonds and Steve Bell; and Bryan Lee O’Malley.
• September 25 – November 9: "From Here to Here: Richard McGuire Makes a Book" — exhibition tracking the process behind Richard McGuire's "Here" and expanding the story to a full-length graphic novel; produced in collaboration with the New York Public Library

  Conventions

• January 30 – February 2: Angoulême International Comics Festival
• March 1: New York Comic Book Marketplace
• March 1–2: STAPLE!
• March 21–23: MegaCon — guests include Stan Lee, John Barrowman, Torchwood’s Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd, Manu Bennett, Karl Urban, The Walking Dead's David Morrissey, Danai Gurira, Steven Yeun, Emily Kinney, and Sonequa Martin-Green, Buffy's Eliza Dushku and James Marsters, Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Battlestar Galacticas's Herbert Jefferson, Jr. and Anne Lockhart, Smallville's Allison Mack, John Glover and Laura Vandervoort, Wil Wheaton, Jon Heder, Jason David Frank, Ivy DoomKitty, Bryan Johnson, Comic Book Men's Ming Chen and Mike Zapcic, Matthew Senreich, Robot Chicken's Zeb Wells and Tom Root, Peter Mayhew, Vic Mignogna, Jennifer Hale, George Lowe, Phil Lamarr, Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Quinton Flynn, Richard Horvitz, Tom Kane, and Arne Starr
• March 28–30: Emerald City Comicon
• April 4–6: St. Louis Comicon
• April 5–6: MoCCA Festival
• April 12–13: Asbury Park Comic Con — guests included Jim Steranko, Chris Claremont, Ann Nocenti, J.H. Williams III, Cliff Chiang, Denis Kitchen, Mark Schultz, Box Brown, Andrew Aydin, Don McGregor, Jay Lynch, Jamal Igle, and Peter Bagge
• April 12–13: Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo
• April 17–19: Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience - guests include Patrick Stewart, Nathan Fillion, Karen Gillan, and Karl Urban
• April 18–20: WonderCon
• April 19: FLUKE Mini-Comics & Zine Festival
• April 25–27: C2E2
• May 10–11: Comic Expo
• May 10–11: Toronto Comic Arts Festival
• May 16–18: Dallas Comic Con
• May 16–18: Motor City Comic Con
• May 17: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention
• May 31–June 1: Chicago Alternative Comics Expo — special guests: Tony Millionaire, Edie Fake, Anya Davidson, Inés Estrada, Lizz Hickey, Hellen Jo
• June 5–8: Phoenix Comicon — guests include Bruce Campbell, Nathan Fillion, John Barrowman, Adam West, John Rhys-Davies, Mark Sheppard, Don Rosa, Mark Bagley, Patrick Rothfuss, Danny Glover, John Ratzenberger, Stan Lee, Brian Posehn, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Todd McFarlane, Walter Jones, David Yost, Austin St. John, Richard Dean Anderson, Charlaine Harris, Manu Bennett, Dean Lorey, Crispin Freeman, Jim Butcher, Todd Haberkorn, Jason Spisak, Cary Elwes, Stephen Amell, Michael Rooker, Kelly Le Brock, Catherine Bach, Amber Benson, Dean Lorey, Sonny Strait, and Paul and Storm
• June 13–15: Denver Comic Con — 3rd annual event
• June 14–15: EternalCon
• June 14–15: New York Comic Fest
• June 14–15: New York Comic Con Special Edition NYC
• June 20–22: Heroes Convention
• June 20–22: Wizard World Philadelphia )
• July 24–27: San Diego Comic-Con
• August 16: Comica Comiket — exhibitors include Jade Sarson, Gareth Brookes, Hannah Berry, Amber Hsu, Cristian Ortiz, Knockabout Comics, Soaring Penguin, and The Dessinators; Drawing Parade participants include Sarson and Emmanuel Guibert
• August 21–24: Wizard World Chicago
• August 29 – September 1: Dragon*Con
• September 4–6: Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience
• September 5–7: Baltimore Comic-Con
• September 13–14: Small Press Expo
• September 27: Wildcat Comic Con
• October 4–5: Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo
• October 9–12: Komikazen — guests include Eddie Campbell and Gipi
• October 9–12: New York Comic Con
• October 20–November 19: Comica — London International Comics Festival — guests include Jacques Tardi, Junko Mizuno, Carol Swain, Darryl Cunningham, E. M. Carroll, Jason Atomic, Pat Mills, Danny Dorling, Isabel Greenberg, ILYA, Rob Davis, Paul Rainey
• October 31–November 2: Comikaze Expo — guests include Stan Lee, Elvira, Kevin Smith, Kevin Conroy, Burt Ward, Gwendoline Christie, Alfie Allen, Stephen Moyer, Kristin Bauer, Barbara Eden, Mindy Sterling, John Barrowman, Jewel Staite, Tara Strong, Howie Mandel, James Hong, Eric Roberts, Original Power Rangers, Cast of AMC's Comic Book Men, and Tommy Wiseau
• October 31 – November 2: Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
• November 1–2: Rhode Island Comic Con — guests included Karan Ashley, Colin Baker, Michael Biehn, Eliza Dushku, Gigi Edgley, David J. Fielding, Anthony Michael Hall, Richard Horvitz, Walter Koenig, Peter Mayhew, Eddie McClintock, Vic Mignogna, Samantha Newark, Nichelle Nichols, Ray Park, John Rhys-Davies, Saul Rubinek, William Shatner, Mark Sheppard, Orli Shoshan, Rikki Simons, Austin St. John, George Takei, Veronica Taylor, John Coppinger, Seth Gilliam, Michael Kingma, Michael Rooker, Scott Wilson, and Matthew Wood, Neal Adams, Jim Beaver, Belle Chere, Abby Fellows, Alaina Huffman, Destiny Nickelsen, Jonny Ruckus, Jim Steranko, Steven Williams, and Rick Worthy
• November 13–15: International Comic Arts Forum — guests include John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell, Phoebe Gloeckner, Hanneriina Moisseinen, Jeff Smith, Justin Green, Carol Tyler, Dash Shaw, and Tom Spurgeon
• November 30: Genghis Con — guests include Derf Backderf
• December 6: Comic Arts Los Angeles — inaugural event; featured guests: Sam Alden, Mimi Pond