2002 in comics

Events

 * Chuck Rowles and Steve Rowles begin the webcomic Gods of Arr-Kelaan
 * First KomMissia festival held in Moscow.

March

 * Adventures of Superman #600: super-sized anniversary issue by Joe Casey, Mike Wieringo, and Jose Marzan, Jr. (DC Comics)

April

 * Batman #600: "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive," part one, 64-page giant, written by Ed Brubaker.

May

 * May 4: The first Free Comic Book Day is established..
 * The British satirical cartoon magazine Punch, which had ended in 1992 but briefly revived since 1996, is once again disestablished.

June

 * June 3: Webcomic A Miracle of Science by Jon Kilgannon and Mark Sachs debuts.
 * After 59 years of continuous serialisation Albert Chartier's comic Onésime comes to an end.

July

 * July 7: The final episode of Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise is published. Its final artist was Dick Giordano.

September

 * September 14-15: During the Stripdagen in Den Bosch, Eric Schreurs wins the Stripschapprijs. The Teken mijn verhaal foundation wins the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs.
 * Art Spiegelman's graphic novel In The Shadow Of No Towers about the 9/11 terrorist attacks is prepublished in Die Zeit, since no U.S. magazine dares to publish it.

November

 * November 30: In the Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels the first Stripvos awards are handed out. Marc Sleen is the first person to receive a statue.
 * Time Warner was announced to drop the AOL name.

December

 * December 16: Paul Geerts is knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion.
 * December 31: After 55 years of continuous publication Marc Sleen ends his long-running newspaper comic The Adventures of Nero.

January

 * January 10: John Buscema, American comics artist (Silver Surfer) passes away at age 74.
 * January 13: Pierre Joubert, French illustrator and comics artist (Gribouille, Scout), dies at age 91.
 * January 24: Kurt Schaffenberger, American comics artist (continued Captain Marvel and Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane), dies at age 81.
 * Specific date unknown: Susumu Nemoto, Japanese manga artist (Kuri-chan), passes away from heart disease at age 86.

February

 * February 15: Vincenzo Monzi, Italian comics artist (Goldrake, continued Joselito, Tex Willer), dies at age 60.
 * February 22: Chuck Jones, American animator, film director and comics artist (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, Crawford), passes away at age 89.

March

 * March 15: Rand Holmes, Canadian underground cartoonist (The Adventures of Harold Hedd), dies at age 60.
 * March 16: Paul Schindeler, Dutch comics artist (assistant on Sjef van Oekel), dies at an unknown age.
 * March 18: Marcel Denis, Belgian comics writer (Hultrasson) and artist (continued Tif et Tondu), passes away at age 79.
 * March 28: Nicola Del Principe, Italian comics artist (comics for Renato Bianconi, Angelica, Il Camionista, Tom & Jerry comics), dies at age 74.

April

 * April 19: Alberto Beltrán, Mexican comics artist, painter and illustrator, dies at age 79.
 * April 22: Denis McLoughlin, British comics artist (adventure comics for DC Thomson), dies at age 84.
 * April 23: Alfredo Pons, Spanish comics writer (Los Amores de Juan Eclipse) and artist, dies at age 44.

May

 * May 3: Tom Sutton, American comics artist (Vampirella) dies at age 65.
 * May 6: Ionaldo Cavalcanti, Brazilian painter, comics artist (Crimes que Abalaram São Paulo ("Crimes that shook São Paulo")), and comics scholar (O Mundo dos Quadrinhos, Esses incríveis heróis de papel), dies at age 57 or 59.
 * May 7: Robert Kanigher, American comics writer (Wonder Woman, Enemy Ace and most of DC Comics' war comics line), dies at age 86.
 * May 17: Dave Berg, American comics artist (The Lighter Side of...), passes away at age 81.

June

 * June 7: Waldyr Igayara de Souza, Brazilian comics artist (Disney comics), dies at age 68.
 * June 13: Vincent Fago, American animator and comics artist (Terrytoons comics, continued Peter Rabbit), dies at age 83.
 * June 17: Rafael Araiza, El Che, Mexican comics artist (A Batacazo Limpio), passes away at age 86.

July

 * July 8: Ward Kimball, American animator and one of Disney's Nine Old Men, dies at age 88.
 * July 11: Jorge Zaffino, Argentine comics artist (worked on Nippur de Lagash and Punisher), dies at age 42 or 43 from a heart attack.
 * July 23: Đorđe Lobačev, Russian-Serbian comics artist and illustrator (Gospodar Smrti), dies at age 93.
 * July 25: Lucia Pamela, American outsider musician and illustrator (made a colouring book to go along with the narrative of her music album Into Outer Space with Lucia Pamela In The Year 2000), dies at age 98.

August

 * August 5: Grass Green, American comics artist (Xal-Kor the Human Cat, Wildman and Rubberroy), dies at age 63 from lung cancer.
 * August 13: Flavio Colin, Brazilian comics artist (Sepé, Vizunga, Mulher-Diaba no rastro de Lampião, O Boi das Aspas de Ouro and Estórias Gerais), dies at age 72.

September

 * September 7: Len Dworkins, American comics artist (assisted on Draftie and Wade Cabot and continued Buck Rogers and Skyroads), dies at age 80.
 * September 13: Fred Guardineer, American comics writer and illustrator (Durango Kid, Zatara) passes away at age 88.

October

 * October 22: Robert Nixon, British comics artist (Ivy the Terrible, The 12½p Buytonic Boy), dies at age 63.

November

 * November 14: Charles Dupuis, Belgian comics publisher (Dupuis), dies at age 84.

December

 * December 18: Mic Delinx, Belgian comics artist (La Jungle en Folie), passes away.
 * December 27: Renzo Restani, Italian comics artist (Dave Devil, Baby Bang, Moses, Yal Brunn), dies at age 74.

Specific date unknown

 * Fieke Asscher, Dutch illustrator, graphic artist and comics artist (De Rare Belevenissen van Professor Stap-door-den-Tijd), dies at age 76.

Exhibitions and shows

 * January 22 — February 7: "Heroes Among Us" (New York City Firehouse Museum, New York City) — featuring original artwork from Marvel Comics' Heroes and Alternative Comics' 9-11: Emergency Relief 9/11 benefit books, including creators such as John Romita, Sr., Neal Adams, Alex Ross, Frank Cho, Dean Haspiel, Josh Neufeld, Joe Quesada, Stuart Moore, Renée French, Ted Rall, Tom Hart, Michael Kupperman, Tomer Hanuka, Neil Kleid, Will Eisner, and Nick Bertozzi; later traveled to Wayland Baptist University's Abraham Art Gallery (Plainview, Texas); and Lloyd Center (Portland, Oregon)
 * March 7 – May 26: Whitney Museum of American Art (New York City) — Whitney Biennial features original pages by Chris Ware

Conventions

 * January 19: Big Apple Comic Book Art and Toy Show (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City) — guests include Guy Gilchrist, Ethan Van Sciver, Bill Plympton, Irwin Hasen, Dick Ayers, The Iron Sheik, April Hunter, Wagner Brown, Tammy Lynn Sytch, Chris Candido, and Virgil
 * February 9–10: Alternative Press Expo (Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco)
 * February 22–24: MegaCon (Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida) — guest of honor: Kevin Smith; other guests: George Pérez, Butch Guice, Mark Waid, Erin Gray, June Lockhart, David Prowse, Michonne Bourriague, Eugene Roddenberry Jr., Bob May, and Mark Rolston
 * March: Granada Comics Festival (Granada, Spain) — 7th annual show; controversy as awards are given out in a mock terrorist attack.
 * March 9–10: Chicago ComicFest (Rosemont, Illinois)
 * March 23–24: Planet Comicon (Kansas City, Kansas)
 * April 20: Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (S.P.A.C.E.) (Ohio Expo Center, Rhodes Center, Columbus, Ohio) — special guests: Dave Sim and Gerhard
 * April 19–21: WonderCon (Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, California)
 * April 26–28: Pittsburgh Comicon (Pittsburgh Expomart, Monroeville, Pennsylvania) — guests include Carmine Infantino, Billy Tucci, George Pérez, Ted Dibiase, Nikolai Volkoff, Frank Cho, Julius Schwartz, Al Williamson, Kenny Baker, Michonne Bourraigue, and Jerome Blake
 * May: inaugural London MCM Expo
 * May 5: Alberta Comic Collectors Association Comic & Toy Show (Red & White Club, McMahon Stadium, Alberta, Canada)
 * May 11: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (Ritter Hall, Walk Auditorium, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — first annual show; guests include Arvell Jones, William H. Foster, III, Lance Tooks, and Jerry Craft
 * May 10–12: Wizard World East (Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
 * May 17–19: Motor City Comic Con I (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan) — c. 14,000 attendees; guests include Cindy Williams, Frank Cho, Guy Davis, Christopher Golden, Carmine Infantino, Joseph Michael Linsner, Vince Locke, Andy Lee, David W. Mack, Tom Mandrake, Dan Mishkin, Bill Morrison, Mike Okamoto, Scott Rosema, Thomas E. Sniegoski, Brian Stelfreeze, Roy Thomas, S. Clay Wilson, and Randy Zimmerman
 * June: Phoenix Comicon (Ahwatukee, Arizona) — first edition of this show; 432 attendees
 * June 1–2: Adventure Con (Knoxville Expo Center, Knoxville, Tennessee) — first iteration of this annual show
 * June 1–2: Comics 2002 (The Empire and Commonwealth Museum, Temple Quay, Bristol, Avon, England, U.K.) — presentation of the National Comics Awards; official guests include Joe Quesada, Jamie S. Rich, Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, John McCrea, William Christensen, Terry Wiley, Woodrow Phoenix, Bevis Musson, Gary Spencer Millidge, Rich Johnston, Patty Jeres, Lee Kennedy, Roger Langridge, James Hodgkins, Heidi MacDonald, Dave Gibbons, and Lee Barnett
 * June 14–16: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina) — guests include Arthur Adams, Murphy Anderson, Dan Brereton, Nick Cardy, Ron Garney, Butch Guice, Tony Harris, Irwin Hasen, Adam Hughes, Terry Moore, Kevin Nowlan, Carlos Pacheco, George Pérez, Joe Quesada, Julius Schwartz, Brian Stelfreeze, Roy Thomas, Tim Townsend, Charles Vess, and Mike Wieringo
 * June 23: MoCCA Festival (Puck Building, New York City) — inaugural MoCCAFest
 * June 28–30: New York International Sci-Fi and Fantasy Creators Convention (Madison Square Garden, New York City) — 3rd annual show; guests include George Pérez, Peter David, Chris Claremont, Michael Kaluta, Jae Lee, Kevin Eastman, and Mark Bagley
 * July 5–7: Wizard World Chicago (Rosemont Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois) — guest of honor: Marc Silvestri; special guest: Stan Lee
 * July 12–13: Big Apple Comic Book Art and Toy Show (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City) — guests include Michael Berryman, Dennis O'Neil, James O'Barr, Gerard Christopher, Joseph Michael Linsner, Graig Weich, and Virgil
 * August 1–4: Comic-Con International (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California) — 63,000 attendees; official guests: Dick Ayers, Mike Carey, Howard Chaykin, Peter David, Roman Dirge, Devon Grayson, Frank Jacobs, Chip Kidd, Bub Lubbers, Jason Lutes, Craig McCracken, Todd McFarlane, Tony Millionaire, Kevin Nowlan, Bob Oksner, Lew Sayre Schwartz, Eric Shanower, Hal Sherman, Herb Trimpe, George Woodbridge, and William Woolfolk
 * August 17–18: "CAPTION Noir" (Oxford Union Society, Oxford, England)
 * August 23–25: Canadian National Expo (Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) — 16,600 attendees; guests include Brent Spiner, Nicholas Brendon, Nichelle Nichols, John Billingsley, Billy Dee Williams, Andy Hallett, Adam Kubert, Joe Kubert, John Romita Jr., John Cassaday, and Darwyn Cooke
 * August 30–September 2: Dragon Con (Hyatt Regency Atlanta/Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia) — 20,000+ attendees; guests include Carmine Infantino, Nichelle Nichols, and Jefferson Starship
 * September 6–8: Small Press Expo (Bethesda, Maryland)
 * September 13–14: Big Apple Comic Book Art and Toy Show (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City) — guests include Jim Steranko, Bill Plympton, Dave Cockrum, Paty Cockrum, Jon B. Cooke, Herb Trimpe, Linda Fite, Gene Colan, Flo Steinberg, Michael Avon Oeming, Dick Ayers, Steve Rude, George Tuska, Neil Vokes, Irwin Hasen, Ray Lago, and John Workman
 * October 5–6: FallCon 2002 ( Education Building at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, Bloomington, Minnesota USA) — sponsored by the Minnesota Comic Book Association
 * October 6: Capital Associates Monthly Comic, Toy & CCG Show (Tysons Westpark Hotel, McLean, Virginia USA) — 400 attendees
 * October 12–13: Dallas Comic Con & Sci-Fi Expo (Plano Centre, Plano, Texas) — guests include Amanda Conner, Jim Daly, Nick Derington, Richard Dominguez, Ben Dunn, Steve Erwin, Kerry Gammill, Miles Gunter, Michael Lark, Jaime Mendoza, John Lucas, Joseph Michael Linsner, Terry Moore, Mark Murphy, Don Punchatz, Kelsey Shannon, Cal Slayton, Kenneth Smith, and Dave Stevens
 * October 15: Los Angeles Comic & SF Con (Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, Los Angeles, California USA)
 * October 19–20: Kansas City ComiCon ( Jack Reardon Civic Center, Kansas City, Kansas USA)
 * October 18–November 3: FIBDA XIII (Amadora, Portugal)
 * October 26–November 3: Lucca Comics & Games (Fair Point, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy) — 50,000 attendees
 * October 26–27: Baltimore Comic-Con (Shearton Hotel, Towson, Maryland)


 * October 26–27: Motor City Comic Con II (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan) — guests include Richard Herd, James Horan, Michael Edmunds, David Prowse, Shannon Baska, Glori Anne Gilbert, Patrick Bauchau, Jon Gries, and Richard Marcus
 * November 8–10: National Comic Book, Art, Toy, and Sci-Fi Expo (Metropolitan Pavilion, New York City) — first annual presentation of the Golden Panel Awards for Excellence in Comic Book Art and Story Telling (from the New York City Comic Book Museum); c. 6,000 attendees; guests include Nichelle Nichols, Sarah Douglas, Sergio Aragonés, Jim Lee, Gene Colan, Nutopia, Sam Kieth, Michael Kaluta, Brian Michael Bendis, David W. Mack, Joe Jusko, Andy Lee, Tim Vigil, and Graig F. Weich
 * November 30–December 1: Mid-Ohio Con (Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio)

First issues by title

 * Cavalcade of Boys
 * Release: by Poison Press. Writer and Artist: Tim Fish


 * Festering Season
 * Release: September by Stickman Graphics. Writer: Kevin Tinsley Artist: Tim Smith 3


 * Global Frequency
 * Release: October by Wildstorm. Writer: Warren Ellis Artists: various. Cover by: Brian Wood.


 * Hawaiian Dick
 * Release: December by Image Comics. Writer: B. Clay Moore Artist: Steven Griffin.


 * Point Blank
 * Release: August by Wildstorm. Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Colin Wilson.


 * The Pro
 * Release: July by Image Comics. Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti.


 * Strange Killings
 * Release: February by Avatar Press. Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Mike Wolfer.


 * Ultimate War
 * Release: December 8 by Marvel Comics. Writer: Mark Millar Artist: Chris Bachalo.