2001 in comics

Year overall

Marvel Comics withdraws from the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system for its publications.

The merger of AOL and Time Warner, parent of DC Comics was completed, the merger name was AOL Time Warner.

WildStorm founded its Eye of the Storm imprint.

CMX established by DC Comics.

January

January 10: Carol Voges, creator of De Avonturen van Pa Pinkelman, dies at age 75.

January 23: Leo Nowak, Golden Age artist and the first to portray Lex Luthor as bald, dies at age 93.

January 23: Fred Ray, Superman's primary cover artist of the 1940s, dies at age 80.

March

March 4: Fred Lasswell, long-time cartoonist of Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, dies at age 84.

March 26: Bill Yates, for many years the comic strip editor for King Features Syndicate, and a talented cartoonist in his own right, dies at age 79.

April

April 3: Ray Osrin, long-time editorial cartoonist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, dies at age 72.

April 4: Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, artist, cartoonist, illustrator, pinstriper and custom car designer and builder, dies at age 69.

April 19: Henry Boltinoff, humor cartoonist, dies at age 87.

June

June 1: Hank Ketcham, creator of Dennis the Menace, dies at age 81.

June 22: George Evans dies at age 81.

July

July 16: Morris, creator of Lucky Luke, dies at age 77.

August

August 25: Chuck Cuidera (usually credited as "Charles Nicholas") dies at age 85.

September

September 13: Johnny Craig, long-time EC Comics artist, dies at age 75.

November

November 6: Gray Morrow dies at age 67.

December

December 19: Dan DeCarlo, long-time Archie Comics artist, dies at age 82.

Awards

Ted Goff receives the Silver T-Square award from the National Cartoonist Society in a unanimous vote.

Exhibitions

August 26–September 30: "Historic Virtuoso Cartoonists" (7th Festival of Cartoon Art, Columbus Recreation and Parks Department Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, Ohio) — featuring Thomas Nast, Joseph Keppler, Frederick Burr Opper, Richard Felton Outcault, Winsor McCay, Nell Brinkley, George Herriman, Edwina Dumm, Rube Goldberg, Milton Caniff, Walt Kelly, Charles M. Schulz, Willard Mullin, James Thurber, Oliver Harrington, Art Young, Jay Norwood Darling, Rollin Kirby, and Jeff MacNelly

Conventions

February 17–18: Alternative Press Expo (Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco)

February 25: Portland Comic Book Show (Memorial Coliseum at Rose Quarter, Portland, Oregon) — guests include Bernie Wrightson, Val Mayerik, Steven Grant, Anne Timmons, and Pete Woods

March 2–4: MegaCon (Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida) — guests include George Pérez, Mark Waid, Steve Epting, Rick Magyar, Scot Eaton, Andrew Hennessy, Wil Quintana, Barbara Kesel, Steve McNiven, Tom Simmons, Morry Hollowell, Bart Sears, Andy Smith, Michael Atiyeh, Ron Marz, Greg Land, Drew Geraci, Brandon Peterson, John Dell, Andrew Crossley, Jim Chuen, Don Hillsman II, and Caesar Rodriguez

March 9: National Comic Book, Art, Toy, and Sci-Fi Expo I (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City)

March 31: Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (S.P.A.C.E.) (Ohio Expo Center, Rhodes Center, Columbus, Ohio) — 440 attendees; special guest: Dave Sim. First presentation of the Howard Eugene Day Memorial Award ("the Day Prize")

March 31–April 1: Chicago ComicFest (Ramada Plaza Hotel O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois) — produced by the organizers of the Motor City Comic Con

April 1–3: WonderCon (Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, California)

April 27–29: Pittsburgh Comicon (Radisson Hotel Pittsburgh ExpoMart, Monroeville, Pennsylvania) — guests include Frank Miller, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Frank Cho, Dave Cooper, Dan Clowes, Mark Schultz, Scott McDaniel, Tom Savini, Chyna, Michonne Bourriague, Paul Blake, Claire Stansfield, Alexandra Tydings, Jeff Smith, Terry Moore, Dean Haspiel, and Josh Neufeld

May 18–20: Motor City Comic Con I (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan) — guests include Sergio Aragonés, Todd Dezago, David Finch, Franchesco, Andy Lee, Steve Lieber, Paul Jenkins, Jason Moore, James O'Barr, Michael Avon Oeming, Brian Pulido, Stan Sakai, Chris Sprouse, J. Michael Straczynski, Michael Turner, Randy Zimmerman, Murphy Anderson, Pam Bliss, Mark Crilley, Marshall Dillon, Dick Giordano, David W. Mack, Eddy Newell, Martin Nodell, Mike Okamoto, Diana Okamoto, Jim Ottaviani, Greg Rucka, Billy Tucci, and Chris Yambar

May 26–27: Comics 2001 (Bristol, England, U.K.) — presentation of the National Comics Awards; official guests include Eddie Campbell, D'Israeli, Gary Spencer Millidge, Tony Rollinson, Tim Sayer, Dave Gibbons, Staz Johnson, Sean Phillips, Charlie Adlard, Greg Staple, Metaphrog, Bob Schreck, Alan Grant, John McCrea, Dez Skinn, and Steve Conley

June 8–10: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina) — guests include Bob Almond, Jim Amash, Murphy Anderson, Mark Bagley, John Beatty, Dan Brereton, Frank Brunner, Steven Butler, Nick Cardy, K.C. Carlson, Richard Case, Sean Chen, Mark Chiarello, Alan Davis, Todd Dezago, Johnna Draper Carlson, Dick Giordano, Jimmy Gownley, Cully Hamner, Scott Hampton, Scott Hanna, Tony Harris, Irwin Hasen, Adam Hughes, Jamal Igle, Georges Jeanty, Phil Jimenez, Drew Johnson, Dan Jolley, Nat Jones, Greg Keyes, Jim Krueger, Bob Layton, Mark Lipka, David W. Mack, Nathan Massengill, Pop Mhan, Phil Noto, Michael Avon Oeming, Paul Pope, James Pruett, Joe Pruett, Joe Quesada, Robin Riggs, Budd Root, Craig Rousseau, Julius Schwartz, Walter Simonson, Louise Simonson, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Roy Thomas, Tim Townsend, George Tuska, Dexter Vines, Loston Wallace, Karl Waller, and Mike Wieringo

July 6: National Comic Book, Art, Toy, and Sci-Fi Expo II (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City)

July 19–22: Comic-Con International (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California): 53,000 attendees; official guests: Brian Michael Bendis, John Buscema, Michael Chabon, Frank Cho, Julie Doucet, Brian Froud, Wendy Froud, Gene Ha, Joe R. Lansdale, Russell Myers, P. Craig Russell, Kim Stanley Robinson, Spider Robinson, Alvin Schwartz, Dan Spiegle, Jhonen Vasquez, Judd Winick, and Bernie Wrightson

August 17–19: Wizard World Chicago (Rosemont Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois) — 40,000+ attendees; guest of honor: Alex Ross; special guests: Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Gene Simmons, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Kimmie Kappenberg from Survivor, James Marsters, and Juliet Landau

August 18–19: "Love is... CAPTION 2001" (Oxford Union Society, Oxford, England)

August 24–26: Fan Expo Canada (Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) — 15,359 attendees; guests include William Shatner, James Doohan, Peter Mayhew, Traci Lords, Ethan Phillips, Ted Raimi, Ian Churchill, Jeph Loeb, Carlos Pacheco, Mika Akitaka, and Scott McNeil

August 30–September 2: Dragon Con (Hyatt Regency Atlanta/Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia) — 20,000+ attendees; guests include Don Bluth, Alice Cooper, Anthony Daniels, and James Doohan

September 14–16: Small Press Expo/International Comics and Animation Festival (SPX/ICAF) (Bethesda, Maryland) — events canceled due September 11 attacks

September 16: SP-Xiles (Brooklyn, New York) — created to replace canceled Small Press Expo; raises $1,925.00 for the American Red Cross and the New York Fire Fighter's 9-11 Relief Fund

September 15–16: HoustonCon (Holiday Inn, Houston, Texas) — sponsored by Bedrock City Comics; guests include Harry Knowles, John Lucas, and Scott Gilbert

October 12–13: National Comic Book, Art, Toy, and Sci-Fi Expo III (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City) — run as a charity event to benefit victims of the September 11 attacks

October 19–21: Bat.con (Dallas, Texas) — celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Batman TV show. Featured guests include: Mark Waid, Craig Rousseau, Dan Brereton, Norm Breyfogle, Adam West, Burt Ward, Yvonne Craig, Julie Newmar, Frank Gorshin, and Van Williams

October 19–21: Great American Comic Book and Sci-Fi Expo (Hynes Convention Center, Boston, Massachusetts) — guests include Andy Kubert, Adam Kubert, Joe Kubert, Joe Quesada, Ed McGuinness, and David Wahl

November 2–5; Coco Bulles (Culture Palace of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire)

November 9–11: National Comic Book, Art, Toy, and Sci-Fi Expo IV (Metropolitan Pavlion, New York City) — featured guests include Klaus Janson and Joe Staton

November 17–18: Motor City Comic Con II (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan) — guests include Aaron Bordner, Peter David, Guy Davis, Marshall Dillon, Vince Locke, Jason Moore, Mark Schultz, William Stout, Randy Zimmerman, Chase Masterson, Vaughn Armstrong, Julie Caitlin Brown, Jeremy Bulloch, Angus McGinnis, Garek Hagon, and Kenneth Colley

November 23–25: UnCommonCon 2001 (Wyndham Anatole Hotel, Dallas, Texas) — events cancelled due to sharp drop in domestic travel after 9/11 and slow dealer tables sales

November 24–25: Mid-Ohio Con (Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio) — guests include Dave Gibbons and John Byrne

First issues by title

7 Seeds

Release: November by Shogakukan (Betsucomi). Author: Yumi Tamura.

Angel Cup

Release: by Tokyopop. Writer: Youn Jae-ho. Artist: Kim Dong-wook.

Fakta fra verden

Release: by Karstein Volle

Pearls Before Swine

Release: December 31 by The Washington Post. Writer: Stephan Pastis Artist: Stephan Pastis.

Sgt Mike Battle: The Greatest American Hero!

Release: August by Pier-C Comics. Writer & Artist: Graham Pierce.

The Surgeon

Release: by Rough Cut Comics

Trip to Tagaytay

Release: by Tala Comics Publishing. Writer & Artist: Arnold Arre.

Initial appearances by character name

Onimar Synn in JSA #24 (June) written by David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns, published by DC Comics.