1997 in comics

Notable events of 1997 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events

January

March

April

May

June

July

  • July 7: Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman's Zits makes its debut.
  • July 15: In Topolino the story Paperino e la macchina della conoscenza, by Corrado Mastantuono is published, which marks the debut of Bum-Bum Ghigno.
  • July 31: The Belgian city Middelkerke starts an annual project where statues of famous Belgian comics characters are placed at the dijk during the summer. The first one to be honoured this way is Jommeke.
  • Marvel Comics' Flashback month: all issues were released with the number −1.
  • On 200 newspapers, the first strip of Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Brogman, appear.

August

September

October

November

December

Specific date unknown

Births

Deaths

January

February

  • February 3: Geoffrey Foladori, Uruguayan comics artist (El Professor Pistacho, Pelopincho y Cachirula, Don Gumersindo, Don Tranquilo y Flia), dies at age 88.
  • February 7: Nina Albright, American comics artist (Comandette, continued Miss Victory), dies at age 89.
  • February 13: Hans Schlensker (Biff Baker, assisted on Buz Sawyer), dies at age 82.
  • February 15: Jack Sparling, Canadian-American comics artist (Claire Voyant, Hap Hopper, Washington Correspondent), dies at age 81.
  • February 23: Larry Antonette, aka Dean Carr, American comics artist (Dash Dixon, Bozo and the Baron, Calling the Duke), dies at age 87.
  • Specific date unknown: Arthur Horner, Australian-British cartoonist (Colonel Pewter, The Thoughts of Citizen Doe), dies at age 80.

March

April

  • April 4: Billy Graham, American comics artist (worked on Luke Cage, Black Panther), dies at age 61.
  • April 11: Helge Kühn-Nielsen, Danish comics artist, teacher, painter and illustrator, dies at age 76.
  • April 16: Roland Topor, French novelist, illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist, film script writer, TV script writer, animator and playwright (Hara-Kiri), dies at age 59.
  • April 20: Stamatis L. Polenakis, Greek comic artist and animator (Pipis Papias, Spagorammenos), dies at age 88 or 89.
  • April 27: Víctor Arriazu, Spanish comics artist (assisted on El Jabato), dies at age 61 or 62.

May

June

  • June 6: Manny Stallman, American comics artist (various horror comics), dies at age 70.
  • June 12: Rémy Bourles, French comics artist (Bob Mallard), dies at age 91.
  • June 15: Kim Casali, New Zealand cartoonist and comics artist (Love Is...), dies of bone and liver cancer at age 55.

July

  • July 6: Michele Pepe, Italian comic artist (Fury, Gli Eroi del Mare, worked on Zagor, Martin Mystère), dies at age 50.
  • July 8: Clay Geerdes, American writer and photojournalist who extensively covered the underground comix movement (founded Comix World newsletter), dies of liver cancer at age 63.

August

  • August 19: James Ringrose, Dutch comics artist (Tekko Taks, Blix Kater, Willie en Wop), dies at age 83.

September

  • September 4: Nasjah Djamin, Indonesian illustrator and comics artist (drew a comic book about Hang Tuah), dies at age 72.
  • September 15: Lode Pemmelaar, Dutch painter and comics artist (Romila the Velvet Girl), dies at age 54.
  • September 25: Josep Toutain, Spanish comics artist and publisher (founder of Selecciones Ilustradas and Toutain-Editor), dies from lung cancer at age 64–65.

October

  • October 8: Zhang Chongren, Chinese artist and sculptor (inspiration for the Tintin character Chang Chong-Chen), dies at age 91.
  • October 16: Dick Cavalli, American comics artist and cartoonist (Winthrop, continued Norbert), dies at age 74.
  • October 18: Milt Neil, American animator and comics artist (the Howdy Doody comic strip), dies at age 83.
  • October 22: Per Lygum, Danish animator and comics artist (Planckton), dies at age 64.
  • October 30: Nikola Mitrovic, AKA Kokan, Serbian comic artist, dies at age 73.

November

December

  • December 3: Benito Jacovitti, Italian comics artist (Cocco Bill, Zorry Kid), dies at age 74.
  • December 8: Walter Molino, Italian illustrator and comics artist (Virus, Il Mago della Foresta Morta, Captain l'Audace, continued Kit Carson), dies at age 82.
  • December 11: Heinz Schubel, German illustrator and comics artist (Lurchi), dies at age 91.
  • December 13: Samm Schwartz, American comics artist (continued Archie Comics), dies at age 77.

Specific date unknown

  • Carol Carlson, American comics artist (The Adventures of Waddles), dies at age 84 or 85.
  • Dennis Ellefson, American comics artist, dies at age 59 or 60.
  • Kerstin Frykstrand, Swedish illustrator and comics artist (Muff och Tuff), dies at age 95 or 96.
  • Frank Little, American animator and comics artist (worked for Jerry Iger's studio), dies at age 90.
  • Armand Panis, aka Sinap, Belgian comics artist, caricaturist and cartoonist (Klopstok), dies at age 89 or 90.
  • Jorge Pérez Del Castillo, Chilean-Argentine comics artist, dies at age 73 or 74.
  • Roex, aka Roger Exelmans, Belgian comics artist (continued Rikske en Fikske), dies at age 60.
  • Bernard Segal, aka "Seeg", American painter and comics artist (Honey and Hank, also known as Elsworth), dies at age 78 or 79.
  • George Smits, aka 'Toet', Belgian painter, experimental musician and comics artist (De avonturen van Jan, member of Ercola), dies at age 52 or 53.
  • Tony Velasquez, Filipino comics artist (Kenkoy), dies at age 86.
  • Roland Venet, aka Rol, French comics artist (Wa-Pi-Ti), dies at age 77 or 78.

Conventions

Exhibitions

First issues by title

Clover
Release: by Kodansha (Amie). Authors: Clamp
Desert Punk
Release: August 5 by Enterbrain (Comic Beam). Author: Usune Masatoshi
Peach Girl
Release: by Kodansha (Bessatsu Friend). Author: Miwa Ueda

DC Comics

Jack Kirby's Fourth World by John Byrne
Young Heroes in Love
The Flintstones and The Jetsons
Transmetropolitan
JLA: Year One by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. 12-issue maxi-series

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