2024 in comics

Events

January

• January: Jan Vriends officially becomes the new Stripmaker des Vaderlands in the Netherlands, whose task is to promote the comics medium.
• January 1: The classic French comic series Bécassine enters public domain.
• January 10: The first issue of Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto is published. This version of Spider-Man is set on Earth-6160 and follows a 35-year-old Peter Parker, who is married to Mary Jane Watson and has two children with her and was not bitten by the radioactive spider when he was teenager, as he deals with his new-found heroic responsibilities.
• January 15: Dutch comic artist Wilma van den Bosch wins the annual Stripschapprijs. De Inktpot, a Utrecht collective of comics creators, receives the annual P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs. The ceremony takes place on March 17.
• January 24: Belgian publishing company Plantyn announces that in the fall all their children's magazines, namely Zonneland, Zonnekind, Zonnestraal, Doremi and Doremini will cease to be printed on paper. Zonneland in particular was Belgium's oldest still-running children's magazine and the oldest to contain comics.
• January 25: Posy Simmonds receives the career award Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, which marks the first time in the festival's history that a British comic artist has been awarded this prize.

March

• March 15: Publishing company Standaard Uitgeverij sends a letter to all surviving former artists of Willy Vandersteen's studio, informing them that they are no longer allowed to make or sign drawings with the Suske en Wiske characters for fans or at book signings, without the publisher's permission. The letter was made public and caused a lot of controversy, not only among the general audience, but also the veteran artists themselves. Standaard Uitgeverij eventually reacted and acknowledged miscommunication on their part. The artists are still allowed to sign books they have drawn themselves, but no longer drawings on loose pieces of paper.

April

• April 9: A rare copy of the very first Superman issue sells for $6 million at an auction, breaking a record as the most expensive sale of a comic book ever.

May

• May 20: Russell Myers, best known for the newspaper gag comic Broom-Hilda, enters the Guinness Book of World Records with the title longest-running daily cartoon strip by a single author.
• May 24: The Belgian capital Brussels recognizes comics as intangible cultural heritage.
• May 28: Chris Ware is honoured as a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et de Lettres.

September

• September 3: A comic mural devoted to Gabrielle Vincent's Ernest et Célestine is inaugurated in Brussels as part of the Brussels' Comic Book Route.
• September 6: Brecht Evens receives the comics award Bronzen Adhemar.
• September 7: In Mouscron, Belgium, a comic mural is inaugurated, devoted to Marcel Marlier's series Martine.
• September 24: In Turnhout, Belgium, a comic mural, designed by Jan Bosschaert, is inaugurated, depicting characters by all past Bronzen Adhemar winners since 1977. It is also the largest comic mural of Belgium.
• September 28: The Marc Sleen Foundation announces that, as of January 1, 2025, all comics by Marc Sleen will enter public domain prematurely.

October

• October 31: After criticism of supposed racial and sexist stereotyping in the latest Spirou et Fantasio album, Spirou et la Gorgone Bleue, drawn by Dany, publishing company Dupuis orders all copies to be retrieved from the market.

Deaths

January

• January 1: David Kunzle, American comic historian, writer and journalist, dies at age 87.
• January 2: Attila Futaki, Hungarian comic artist and art director of the Hungarian comic magazine Roham, dies at age 29.
• January 3: Jan Smet, Belgian archivist, comic journalist, historian and author, dies at age 78.
• January 10: Walmir Amaral, Brazilian comic artist, dies at age 84.
• January 12: Haruo Takahashi, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 76.
• January 18: Trini Tinturé, Spanish comic artist and illustrator, dies at age 88.
• January 19: Marti Riera, A.K.A. Marti, Spanish comic artist, dies at age 68 or 69.
• January 20: Alain De Kuyssche, Belgian journalist, comics writer, biographer and chief editor of Spirou, dies at age 77.
• January 28: Jean-François Debaty, A.K.A. Schmurl, Belgian comic writer and colorist, dies at age 59.
• January 29: Hinako Ashihara, Japanese manga writer and artist, dies at age 50.

February

• February 5:
• * José Delbo, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 90.
• * Walter van den Broeck, Belgian playwright and comics writer, dies at age 82.
• February 7: Alfredo Castelli, Italian comics writer, dies at age 76.
• February 10:
• * Jack Higgins, American editorial cartoonist, dies at age 69.
• * Paul Neary, British comic writer and artist, inker and chief editor of Marvel UK, dies at age 74.
• February 15: Enrique Badía Romero, Spanish comic artist, dies at age 93.
• February 24:
• *Benoît van Innis, Belgian cartoonist, painter and illustrator, dies at age 63.
• * Ramona Fradon, American comics artist, dies at age 97.

March

• March 1:
• *Akira Toriyama, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 68.
• *Chance Browne, American comic writer and artist, dies at age 75.
• March 5: Jos Looman, Dutch illustrator and comic artist, dies at age 82.
• March 6: Yū Asai, manga creator and wife of manga creator Motoyuki Asai, dies in a car accident.
• March 7: Stéphane Rosse, French comic writer and artist, dies at age 61.
• March 10: Roger Noel Cook, British comics writer, dies at age 77.
• March 14: Marty Elkin, American comic artist, dies at age 96.
• March 22:
• * Laurent de Brunhoff, French children's book writer and illustrator, dies at age 98.
• * Dave Darrigo, Canadian comic book writer dies at age 69.
• March 24: Don Wright, American cartoonist, dies at age 90.
• March 25:
• * Alejandro Fried, Uruguayan-Argentine animator and comic artist, dies at age 58.
• * Enrique Ventura, Spanish comics artist, dies at age 77.
• March 27:
• *James A. Moore, American novelist, role-playing game author and comic writer, dies at age 58.
• *Robert Beerbohm, American comic book retailer and historian, dies at age 71.
• *M.D. Bright, American comic book artist, dies at age 68.

April

• April 1: Ed Piskor, American comic writer and artist, dies at age 41.
• April 6: Ziraldo, Brazilian painter, journalist and comic writer & artist, dies at age 92.
• April 10: Trina Robbins, American comic writer, artist, author and activist, dies at age 85.

May

• May 2: Walter Hanel, German editorial cartoonist, dies at age 93.
• May 5: Fred Dewilde, French comic artist, dies at age 58.
• May 14: Don Perlin, American comics artist, dies at age 94.
• May 16: June Mendoza A.K.A. Chris Garvey, Australian painter and comic artist, dies at age 99.
• May 17: Peter Bennett, American art director and comic book artist, dies at age 56.
• May 23: Petra Coria, Spanish-Belgian colorist and wife of William Vance, dies at age 87.
• May 25: Carlo J. Caparas, Filipino comic artist, dies at age 80.
• Specific date in May unknown: Jon Haward, British comic artist, dies at age 58 or 59.

June

• June 1: John Kenneth Adcock, Canadian cartoonist, illustrator and comics scholar, dies at age 74.
• June 6: José Ramon Bernado, Spanish comic artist, dies at age 59.
• June 8:
• *Ben Potter, AKA Comicstorian, American YouTuber and comic book writer, dies at age 40.
• *Nanae Sasaya, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 74.
• June 16: Étienne Willem, Belgian comic artist, commits suicide at age 51.
• June 19: Jan Cremer, Dutch novelist and comic strip writer, dies at age 84.
• June 20:
• * Peter B. Gillis, American comic book writer, dies at age 71.
• * Luc Mazel, Belgian comic artist and animator, dies at age 92.

July

• July 2: Wim Hazeu, Dutch poet and writer, dies at age 84.
• July 8: Michael Zulli, American comic book artist, dies at age 71.
• July 9: Josse Goffin, Belgian artist and comic book artist, dies at age 85.
• July 22: Nobuhiro Sakata, Japanese manga creator, dies at age 76.
• July 25: Gérard Deuquet, A.K.A. Géday, Belgian painter and comic artist, dies at age 87.
• July 29: Chris Berg, American-Dutch comic artist, dies at age 55.
• July 31:
• *André Juillard, French comic writer and artist, dies at age 76.
• *Taral Wayne, Canadian artist and comic book writer and artist, dies at age 72.

August

• August 1: Joyce Brabner, wife of Harvey Pekar & American comics writer and editor, dies at age 72.
• August 13: Luuk Klazenga, Dutch comic artist, dies at age 60.
• August 17:
• * John Graziano, American illustrator and comic artist, dies at age 62.
• * Philippe Ory, French comic colorist, dies at an unknown age.
• August 20: Maximino Tortajada Aguilar, Spanish comic artist, dies at age 62.
• August 27:
• * Sergio Asteriti, Italian comic writer and artist, dies at age 94.
• * Julius de Goede, Dutch illustrator, comic artist, writer and publisher, dies at age 80.
• August 29: Yoon Jun-hwan, South Korean cartoonist, dies at age 83.

September

• September 2: Bernie Mireault, Canadian comic writer and artist and colorist, commits suicide at age 63.
• September 9: John Cassaday, American comic book artist, dies at age 52.
• September 10: Kazu Yuzuki, Japanese manga artist, dies at age 69–70.
• September 11: Peter Klashorst, Dutch painter, dies at age 67.
• September 12: Karl Moline, American comic book artist, dies at age 51.
• September 19: Stefan Verwey, Dutch comic artist and editorial cartoonist, dies at age 78.
• September 28: Larry Todd, American comic artist, dies at age 76.
• September 29: Ed McLachlan, British editorial cartoonist and illustrator, dies at age 84.
• September 30:
• * Bob Foster, American animator, storyboard artist, comic writer and editor, dies at age 81.
• * Karl Mostert, South African comic artist, dies at age 43.

October

• October 3: Pierre Christin, French comics writer, novelist and journalist, dies at age 86.
• October 4:
• *Marina Voskanyants, Russian cartoonist, dies at age 90.
• *Dina Kathelyn, Belgian comic book artist, dies at age 90.
• October 5: Giorgio Trevisan, Italian comic artist, dies at age 89.
• October 8: Job, Swiss comic writer, dies at age 96.
• October 16: Peter van Leersum, Dutch art director, chief editor, comics writer and columnist, dies at age 77.
• October 18: Mahasen Al-Khatib, Palestinian web cartoonist, dies at age 30 or 31.
• October 21: Massimiliano Frezzato, Italian comic book artist, dies at age 57.
• October 27: René Uilenbroek, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 63.
• October 28: Kazuo Umezu, Japanese manga creator, dies at age 88.
• October 31: Greg Hildebrandt, American illustrator and comic artist, dies at age 85.

November

• November 4: Daniel Ceppi, Swiss comic artist, dies at age 73.
• November 9: Jack Staller, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 81 or 82.
• November 11: Christian Godard, French comic writer and artist, dies at age 92.
• November 20: Peter Maddocks, English editorial cartoonist, comic artist and animator, dies at age 96.
• November 25: Frans van Wensholt, Dutch composer and comics artist, dies at age 66.

December

• December 16: David A. McIntee, British writer and comic book writer, dies at age 55.
• December 19:
• *Michael Leunig, Australian cartoonist, dies at age 79.
• *Barry N. Malzberg, American writer and comic book writer, dies at age 85.