1996 in comics

Year overall

The Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute creates Enviro-babies to help promote endangered species awareness

February

The New Titans is canceled by DC with issue #130.

Star Trek vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #80.

March

With issue #75, The Sandman ends its run. (DC/Vertigo)

April

Marvel discontinues its Marvel Edge imprint

June

Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme is canceled by Marvel with issue #90.

July

Diamond Comic Distributors acquires Capital City Distribution.

The Avengers #400: "History Repeats Itself," by Mark Waid, Mike Weiringo, and Tom Palmer. (Marvel Comics)

August

Detective Comics #700: "Legacy," Part I, "Progeny of the Demon," by Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan, and Scott Hanna.

Captain America (1968 series) is canceled by Marvel with issue #454.

September

Fantastic Four (1961 series) is canceled by Marvel with issue #416.

The Avengers (1963 series) is canceled by Marvel with issue #402.

Iron Man (1968 series) is canceled by Marvel with issue #332.

Newspaper strip A Couple of Guys begins publication

December

Superman: The Wedding Album: Clark Kent marries Lois Lane (DC Comics).

December 27: Marvel Entertainment files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

January

January 19: Bernard Baily, American comics artist, writer and publisher (co-creator of The Spectre and Hourman), dies at age 79.

January 28:

Jerry Siegel, American comics writer (Superman), dies at age 81.

Burne Hogarth, American comics artist (Tarzan) dies at age 84.

February

February 5: Roberto Raviola, aka Magnus, Italian comics artist (Alan Ford, Kriminal, Satanik, Lo Sconosciuto, Necron) passes away from cancer at age 56.

Specific day unknown: Cara Sherman-Tereno, American comics artist (Life With The Vampire) dies of leukemia at the age of 44.

March

March 6: Jack Abel, American comics artist and inker (Star Spangled War Stories, Our Fighting Forces, Legion of Super-Heroes), dies at age 68.

May

May 7: Piet Worm, Dutch comics artist (De Vrolijke Vaderlandse Geschiedenis, Professor Zegellak), dies at age 95.

May 9: Carl Fallberg, American comics writer and artist (Disney Comics) dies at age 80.

June

June 19: Curt Swan, American comics artist (worked on Superman), dies at age 76.

July

July 2: Mike Parobeck, American comics artist (Batman Adventures) dies from diabetes at age 30.

August

August 12: Mark Gruenwald, American comics writer and editor (Marvel Comics) dies at age 43.

December

December 2: Don Dohler, American film director, publisher and comics artist (Pro Junior), passes away at age 60.

December 22: Jack Hamm, American comics artist (Drawing the Head and Figure, Cartooning the Head and Figure), dies at age 80.

Specific date unknown

Jim Davis, American animator and cartoonist (Fox and the Crow), dies at age 80 or 81.

Malcolm Jones III, American comics artist (Sandman), commits suicide at circa age 37.

Boody Rogers, American comics artist (Sparky Watts, Babe), dies at c. age 92.

Conventions

March 2: Halleluja Con (Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City) — produced on the spur of the moment after the sudden cancellation of the scheduled Great Eastern Conventions New York show. First iteration of the Big Apple Convention.

March 22–24: Motor City Comic Con I (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan)

March 23: Alternative Press Expo (San Jose, California)

April 19–21: Pittsburgh Comicon (ExpoMart/Radisson, Monroeville, Pennsylvania) — guests include Stan Lee, Jim Shooter, and Julius Schwartz

April 26–28: WonderCon (Oakland, California) — 10th annual convention

May 18: Ramapo Comic Con X (Spring Valley, New York) — "EC Tribute" with guests Al Williamson and Marie Severin; other guests include Julius Schwartz, Murphy Anderson, Dick Ayers, Joe Sinnott, Joe Staton, Eric Shanower, Mark Schultz, Walt Simonson, Louise Simonson, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, David Mazzuchelli, and Howard Cruse

Summer: "Lazy CAPTION" (Oxford Union Society, Oxford, England)

Summer: Canadian National Comic Book Exposition (Holiday Inn on King, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) — c. 2,900 attendees; guests include Dale Keown, Adam Hughes, Stuart Immonen, Pat Lee, Ken Lashley, Mike Zeck, and Dave Ross

June: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina) — guests included Alex Ross, Mike Wieringo, Ron Garney, George Pérez, Nick Cardy, Dan Jurgens, and Tom Smith

June 2: Houston Comix Fair & Toy Show XIV (Medallion Hotel, Houston, Texas) — final edition of Comix Fair; guests include Mart Nodell and Shannon Wheeler

June 21–23: Chicago Comicon (Chicago, Illinois) — 25,000 attendees; Guest of honor: Will Eisner; other guests: Harlan Ellison, Larry Marder, Heidi MacDonald, Mike Richardson, Kurt Busiek, Sergio Aragonés, Evan Dorkin, Paul Levitz, Julius Schwartz, Mercy Van Vlack, and George Pérez

June 21–23: Dragon Con (Atlanta Hilton & Towers/Westin Peachtree Plaza/Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, Georgia) — 13,400 attendees; guests include Neil Gaiman, John Byrne, Peter David, Kevin Nowlan, Chris Claremont, Al Feldstein, Robert Williams, Mark Bodé, Al Williamson, William Stout, Mark Schultz, Jeff Smith, Reed Waller, Rich Buckler, John Kricfalusi, and Bob Burden.

July 4–7: San Diego Comic-Con (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California) — 36,000 attendees. Special guests include Donna Barr, David Brin, Paul Chadwick, Steve Dillon, Mort Drucker, Ben Edlund, Garth Ennis, Dave Gibbons, Joe Giella, Dave McKean, Jim Mooney, Kurt Schaffenberger, and François Schuiten

July 26–28: Dallas Collectors Con (Plano Convention Center, Plano, Texas) — substitute event for cancelled Dallas Fantasy Fair; official include Bernie Wrightson, Howard Cruse, Rob Liefeld, and Kurt Busiek.

July 27–28: Dallas Fantasy Fair (Market Hall, Dallas, Texas) — cancelled at the last minute; the Harvey Awards were scheduled to be presented there and had to be rescheduled for later in the year

September 20: Small Press Expo (Bethesda, Maryland) – guests include Jeff Smith, Charles Vess, Evan Dorkin, Jim Gownley, David Lapham, and Shannon Wheeler

October 12–13: Motor City Comic Con II (Dearborn Civic Center, Dearborn, Michigan)

October 25–27: Dynamic Forces New York Comic Book Convention (Sheraton New York Hotel, New York City) — official guests include Barry Windsor-Smith and Dan Jurgens

November 1–3: Atlanta StarCon & Comics (Marriott North Central Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia) — produced by the former organizer of the Atlanta Fantasy Fair; official guests include George Pérez, Michael O'Hare, Kane Hodder, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy.

November 29–December 1: Mid-Ohio Con (Columbus, Ohio) — guests include Roger Stern, Darryl Banks, Dick DeBartolo, Tom and Mary Bierbaum, Tony Isabella, Paul Jenkins, Mark Waid, Leah Adezio, Dan Mishkin, Berni Wrightson, Mark Crilley, P. Craig Russell, Jim Shooter, Murphy Anderson, Dick Ayers, Tom Batiuk, John Byrne, Dick DeBartolo, Julius Schwartz, and Jeff Smith

Independent titles

Allegra

Release: August by Image Comics. Writer: Steven T. Seagle. Artist: Scott Clarke

Cyberpunx

Release: March by Image Comics. Writer: Robert Loren Fleming Artist: Ching Lau

Keyhole

Release: June by Millennium Publications. Writers: Dean Haspiel, Josh Neufeld, R. Walker, Chris Cliadakis, Linda Perkins. Art by: Haspiel, Neufeld, and Perkins.

Tim Curry

Release February by Curry Comics.

Marvel Comics

Onslaught: X-Men

Release August

Onslaught: Marvel Universe

Release October

The Avengers (1996 series) #1

Release November

Captain America (1996 series) #1

Release November

Fantastic Four (1996 series) #1

Release November

Iron Man (1996 series) #1

Release November