Notable events of 2016 in comics. See also List of years in comics.
This is a list of comics-related events in 2016. It includes any relevant comics-related events, deaths of notable comics-related people, conventions and first issues by title.
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books.
January 2: Zdravko Zupan, Serbian comics artist (Zuzuko, Munja, Disney comics) dies at the age of 65.
January 11: Franco Oneta, Italian comics artist (Zembla) dies at the age of 82.
January 14: Shaolin, Brazilian TV comedian and cartoonist, dies at age 44 from a heart attack after being involved in a car accident.
January 17: Hansrudi Wäscher, Swiss-German comics artist (Sigurd, Akim, Tibor) dies at the age of 87.
January 21: Willem Dolphyn, Belgian comics artist (Jan Zonder Vrees), dies at the age of 80.
January 26: Bernard Cookson, British cartoonist (Punch), dies from cancer at age 79.
January 29: Linus Maurer, American cartoonist and comics artist (Old Harrigan, Abracadabra), dies at age 90.
February 3: Jack Elrod, American comics artist (Mark Trail), dies at the age of 91.
February: Alvin Buenaventura, American comic book publisher (Buenaventura Press and Pigeon Press), dies at age 39.
February 21: John Caldwell, American gag cartoonist (Mad), dies at age 69.
March 5: Alberto Dose, Argentine comics artist (El Cimmarón), dies at the age of 68.
March 7: Scott Goodall, British comic book writer (Fishboy), dies at age 80.
March 7: Paul C. Ryan, American comics artist (Marvel Comics), dies at age 65.
March 16: He Youzhi, Chinese comics artist, dies as the age of 94.
March 25: Ken Barr, Scottish cover painter and occasional interior artist of American comics and comic magazines, dies at age 83.
April 2: Gallieno Ferri, Italian comics artist (Zagor) died at the age of 87.
April 3: Dick Hodgins, Jr., American comics artist (Half Hitch), dies at the age of 85.
April 6: Oto Reisinger, Croatian comics artist (Štefekove pustolovine) dies at age 89.
April 8: William Hamilton, American cartoonist and playwright (The New Yorker), dies at age 76.
April 8: Paul Fung Jr., American comics artist (Continued Blondie), dies at age 93.
April 21: Siem Praamsma, Dutch comics artist (Humpo Hotsflots, Jochem Jofel), died at the age of 95.
April 27: William Hamilton, American cartoonist (The New Yorker), is killed in a car accident at age 76.
April 27: V.T. Thomas, aka Toms, Indian comics artist (Boban and Molly), dies at age 86.
April 28: René Hausman, Belgian comics artist (Lalyna), dies at the age of 80.
April 29: Jok Church, American comics artist (You Can With Beakman and Jax), passes away at age 66 from a heart attack.
May 2: Cleet Boris, French comics artist (Super-Héros) dies at the age of 53.
May 5: Siné, French cartoonist (Charlie Hebdo, Siné Mensuel), died at the age of 87.
May 14: Darwyn Cooke, Canadian comics artist (DC Comics), dies of cancer at age 53.
May 22: George Wildman, American comics artist (Popeye, Disney comics, Hanna-Barbera comics, Warner Bros. comics), dies at the age of 88.
May 24: Mell Lazarus, American cartoonist (Miss Peach, Momma), dies at age 89.
May 27: Frank Modell, American cartoonist (The New Yorker), dies at age 98.
June 19: Rodolfo Zalla, Argentine-Brazilian comics artist (Jacaré Mendonça, Johnny Pecos), dies at age 85.
June 25: Manfred Deix, Austrian cartoonist and comic strip artist, died at age 66.
June 26: Angel Nadal Quirch, Spanish comics artist (Pasquale, Disney comics, Rolf Kauka comics, continued Buster Capp), dies at age 85.
July 3: Albert Survie, Dutch comics artist (De Vleermuis), died at the age of 75.
July 4: Didier Savard, French comics artist (Dick Hérisson, Léonid Beaudragon), died at age 65.
July 5: Nine Culliford, Belgian comic book colourist and wife of Peyo (The Smurfs), dies at the age of 86.
July 8: Frank Dickens, British cartoonist (Bristow), dies at age 84.
July 9: Geneviève Castrée, Canadian cartoonist, illustrator, and musician, dies from pancreatic cancer at age 35.
July 16: Carlos Nine, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 72.
July 27: Jack Davis, American comics artist (Mad), dies at age 91.
July 27: Brett Merhar, American comics artist (Free For All), dies at the age of 46.
July 27: Richard Thompson, American comics artist, (Cul de Sac), dies at age 58.
July 29: Guy Dessicy, Belgian comic book colorist (Studio Hergé), dies at the age of 92. He was also head of Publiart, a commercial agency specializing in comic book merchandising and co-founder of the Belgian Comic Strip Center.
August: Jukka Murtosaari, Finnish comics artist (Jake, Disney comics), died at age 53.
August 4: Gaspar Saladino, American comics letterer (DC Comics), dies at age 88.
August 17: Víctor Mora, Spanish comic book writer (Capitán Trueno, El Jabato), dies at age 85.
September 7: Sparky Moore, American comics artist (western comics, Disney comics), dies at age 91.
September 30: Ted Benoît, French comics artist (Ray Banana, continued Blake & Mortimer), dies at age 69.
October 8: Lyn Chevli, American comics artist (co-founder of Tits & Clits Comix), dies at age 84.
October 10: Carlos Roose Silva, Peruvian comics artist ('Pachochín, el Chupatintas), dies at age 87.
October 12: Benoît Gillain, Belgian-French comics artist (Bouby, Bonux-Boy), dies at age 78.
October 22: Steve Dillon, British comics artist (Judge Dredd, Hellblazer), dies at the age of 54.
October 23: Jack Chick, American comics artist (Chick tracts), dies at age 92.
October 27: Ton Beek, Dutch comics artist (Birre Beer) passes away at the age of 90.
November 1: Carlos Alberto Santos, Portuguese comics artist (historical comics), dies at the age of 73.
November 4: John Gillatt, British comics artist (Billy's Boots), passes away at the age of 87.
November 5: Averardo Ciriello, Italian comics artist (erotic comics), dies at the age of 98.
November 6: Marc Sleen, Belgian comics artist (The Adventures of Nero, Piet Fluwijn en Bolleke, De Lustige Kapoentjes, Doris Dobbel, Oktaaf Keunink, De Ronde van Frankrijk), dies at age 93.
November 12: Jerry Dumas, American cartoonist and comics writer (Beetle Bailey, Boner's Ark, Sam and Silo), dies at age 86.
November 19: Gino Gavioli, Italian comics artist and animator (Vita da Cani, Paco y Manolito), dies at age 93.
November 27: Micharmut, Spanish comics artist (Futurama), dies at the age of 63.
December 2: Liliana Fantoni, Italian comics artist (collaborator of her father Guido Fantoni and brother Mario Fantoni), died at the age of 96.
December 4: Marcel Gotlib, French comics artist (Gai-Luron, Les Dingodossiers, Superdupont, Rubrique-à-Brac, Hamster Jovial, Pervers Pépère), dies at the age of 82.
December 8: Peter van Straaten, Dutch comics artist and political cartoonist (Vader & Zoon), dies at the age of 81.
December 20: Mix & Remix, Swiss cartoonist (L'Hebdo, Siné Hebdo), passes away at the age of 58.
December 23: Paul Peter Porges, Austrian-American comics artist (Mad Magazine), dies at the age of 89.
December 25: Núria Pompeia, Spanish comics artist (Nosotras: Las mujeres objeto-ras, La Educación de Palmira, La Liberadas and Ramoneta), passes away at the age of 85.
December 26: Duck Edwing, American comics artist (Mad Magazine), dies at the age of 81 or 82.
December 28-29: Raymond Burki, Swiss political cartoonist, dies at the age of 67.
December 29: Emilio Uberti, Italian comics artist (Kociss, Diabolik), illustrator, film director and documentary maker, dies at the age of 84.
December 30: Roger Leiner, Luxembourgian cartoonist and comics artist (Superhjemp), dies at age 61.
December 30: Giovanni Degli Esposti Venturi, Italian comics artist and illustrator (La Viuda (Lady X - Lust's Captive),Sexo, amor y fantasías, Los Duelistas, La Psy), dies at age 52.
Exhibitions and shows
March 2–May 7: Society of Illustrators (New York City): "The ZAP Show: A Cultural Revolution" — featuring the work of R. Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Robert Williams, Victor Moscoso, Spain Rodriguez, Rick Griffin, and Paul Mavrides; curated by Monte Beauchamp
January 26–31: Angoulême International Comics Festival (Angoulême, France)
March 5: New York Comic Book Marketplace (Penn Plaza Pavilion, New York City)
March 5–6: STAPLE! (Marchesa Hall and Theater, Austin, Texas)
March 18–20: Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (McCormick Place Complex, Chicago, Illinois)
March 24–26: Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience (Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah)
March 25-27: WonderCon Los Angeles (Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California)
May 26–29: MegaCon (Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida)
April 2–3: MoCCA Arts Festival (Metropolitan West, New York City)
April 7–10: Emerald City Comicon (Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, Washington)
April 9–10: Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (Northland Performing Arts Center, Columbus, Ohio)
April 16–17: East Coast Comicon (Meadowlands Exposition Center, Meadowlands, New Jersey)
May 14–15: Toronto Comic Arts Festival (Toronto Reference Library, Toronto, Canada)
May 13–15: Motor City Comic Con (Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi, Michigan)
May 21: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (The Enterprise Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
June 2–5: Phoenix Comicon (Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona)
June 3–5: Fan Expo Dallas (Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, Texas)
June 11–12: Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) (The Center on Halstead, Chicago, Illinois)
June 17–19: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina)
June 18–19: St. Louis Comicon (St. Charles Convention Center, St Louis, Missouri)
July 21–24: San Diego Comic-Con International (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA)
July 29–31: Wizard World Columbus (Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio)
August 24–27: Wizard World Chicago (Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois)
September 2–5: Dragon Con (Atlanta, Georgia)
September 2–4: Baltimore Comic-Con (Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland)
September 17–18: Small Press Expo (Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, North Bethesda, Maryland)
September 24–25: Rhode Island Independent Publishing Expo (RIPE) (Providence Public Library, Providence, RI) — 3rd iteration of this event
October 6–9: New York Comic Con (Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City)
October 12–16: Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) (Columbus, Ohio)
October 28–30: Comikaze Expo (Los Angeles Convention Center)
October 29–30: Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (Lesley’s University Hall, Porter Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts)
November 5: CAB/Comics Art Brooklyn (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church & Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn, New York)
November 11–13: Rhode Island Comic Con (Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, Rhode Island)
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey
Released July by DC Comics.
Writers: Julie Benson and Shawna Benson
Artist: Claire Roe
Civil War II
Released June by Marvel Comics.
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: David Marquez
Dept H
Released April by Dark Horse Comics.
Writer & Artist: Matt Kindt
Colorist: Sharlene Kindt
Fourth Planet
Released April by ChapterHouse Comics.
Writer: Fred Kenndedy
Artist: Miko Maciaszek
James Bond 007: Hammerhead
Released September by Dynamite Entertainment.
Writer: Andy Diggle
Artist: Luca Casalanguida
Kill or Be Killed
Released August by Image Comics.
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
The Land That Time Forgot
Released July by American Mythology Productions.
Writer: Mike Wolfer
Artist: Giancarlo Caracuzzo
Motor Girl
Released November by Abstract Studios.
Writer & Artist: Terry Moore
Resident Alien: The Man with No Name
Released September by Dark Horse Comics.
Writer: Paul Hogan
Artist: Steve Parkhouse
Space Battle Lunchtime
Released May by Oni Press.
Writer & Artist: Natalie Riess
