Notable events of 1988 in comics.
February
- February 1:
- February 12: Belgian comic artist François Craenhals is knighted in the Order of the Belgian Crown. [4]
- February 19:
August
- August 14: In the Italian Disney comics magazine Topolino Little Gum makes his debut in the story Paperinik e l’incredibile Little Gum by Giulio Chierchini.[16]
- August 26: Belgian comics character Jommeke receives his first statue. It is revealed in front of the library of Beveren, but is destroyed by vandals a few years later.[17]
November
- November 4-5-6: During the Stripdagen in The Hague Toon van Driel wins the Stripschapprijs.[22] Wilbert Plijnaar, Jan van Die and Robert van der Kroft win the Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdiensten (nowadays the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs).[23]
- Creator's Bill of Rights signed in Northampton, Massachusetts, by Steve Bissette, Craig Farley, Gerhard, Mark Martin, Larry Marder, Michael Zulli, Ken Mitchroney, Scott McCloud, Dave Sim, Rick Veitch, Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman, and the artists of Mirage Studios.
- Black Orchid #1 (of 3), the first American comic written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics.
- Star Trek is canceled by DC Comics with issue #56. [citation needed]
- The Draft, a New Universe one-shot, is published by Marvel Comics. [citation needed]
- Concrete vol. 1 is canceled by Dark Horse with issue #10. [citation needed]
| This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2022) |
January
- January 4: Henfil, Brazilian comics artist (Zeferino, Bode Orellana, Os Fradins, Orelhão, Urubu, Pó de Arroz, Bacalhau, Ubaldo, Paranóico, Graúna), dies at age 43 from AIDS.[29]
- January 30: Homer Brightman, American animation screenwriter and comics writer (original scriptwriter of Al Taliaferro's Donald Duck comic strip [30]), dies at age 86.[31]
February
- February 11: Lino Landolfi, Italian comics artist (Procopio), dies at age 62.[32]
- February 25: Dori Seda, American underground comics artist (Lonely Nights Comics: Stories To Read When the Couple Next Door Is Fucking Too Loud), dies of respiratory failure at age 37.[33][34]
- February 4: Frank Giacoia, American comics artist (worked on The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America), dies at age 63.[35]
- February 13: Ron Embleton, British comics artist (Wulf the Briton, Oh, Wicked Wanda) dies of a heart attack at age 57.[36]
March
- March 2:
- March 6: Jack Binder, American comics artist (Daredevil), dies at age 86.[39]
- March 8: Jan Kraan, Dutch illustrator, animator and comics artist, dies at age 87.[40]
- March 26: Rit-Ola, Swedish comics artist (Biffen och Bananen), dies at age 82.[41]
- March 31: Georges Lévis (Jean Sidobre), French comics artist, dies at age 63.[42]
April
- April 3: Milton Caniff, American comics artist (Terry and the Pirates, Dickie Dare, Steve Canyon, Male Call), dies at age 81 from lung cancer.[43]
- April 8: Clem Gretter, American comics artist (Sue to Lou, assisted Harry "A" Chesler and Ripley's Believe It or Not), dies at age 83.[44]
- April 10: Gene Fawcette, American comics artist (worked on Our New Age), dies at age 68.[45]
- April 16: Siauw Tik Kwie, Indonesian comics artist (Sie Djin Koei, Kang Lam Hiap Soe), dies at age 74.[46]
June
- June 6: Willi Kohlhoff, German illustrator and comics artist (comics based on Robinson Crusoe), dies at age 82.[48]
- June 7: Octave Joly, Belgian comics writer (Les Belles Histoires de l'Oncle Paul), dies at age 78.[49]
- June 16: Andrea Pazienza, Italian comics artist (Massimo Zanardi), dies at age 32 from a heroin overdose.[50]
- June 25: Evert Werkman, Dutch journalist, poet, columnist and comics writer (Kapitein Rob,[51] Frank, de Vliegende Hollander [52]), dies at age 73.[53]
July
- Specific date unknown: Julius Stafford Baker II, British comics artist (continued Tiger Tim), dies at age 84.[54]
September
- September 6: Roger Bussemey, French comics artist (Moky et Poupy), dies at age 67.[55]
- September 11: Roger Hargreaves, British illustrator and comics writer/artist (Mr. Men, Little Miss), dies at age 53 from a stroke.[56]
- September 12: Mars Ravelo, Filipino comics artist (Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Lastikman, Bondying, Varga, Wanted: Perfect Mother, Hiwaga, Maruja, Mariposa, Roberta, Rita, Buhay Pilipino, Jack and Jill, Flash Bomba, Tiny Tony, and Dragonna), dies at age 71.[57]
- September 25: Barrie Phillip Nichol, American novelist, poet and comics artist (Scraptures, Grease Ball Comics), dies at age 43.[58]
- September 27: Paul Reinman, American comics artist and inker for Jack Kirby, dies at age 78.[59]
- September 28: Charles Addams, American cartoonist and comics artist (The Addams Family), dies from a heart attack at age 76.[60]
December
- December 3: Jean David, French illustrator, cartoonist and comics artist (Les Amours de Barbara Smith), dies at age 82 or 83.[62]
- December 11: Frank S. Pepper, British comics writer (Roy of the Rovers, Captain Condor, Jet-Ace Logan), dies at age 78. [citation needed]
- December 12: Tarpé Mills, American comics artist (Miss Fury), dies at age 73.[63]
- December 17: Alberto Solsona (Agar-agar, Arturito King, Cartulino), dies at age 41.[64]
- December 19: Robert Bernstein aka R. Berns, American comics writer, playwright and concert impresario (DC Comics, EC Comics), dies from heart failure at age 69.[65][66]
- December 26: Herluf Bidstrup, Danish comics artist and cartoonist, dies at age 76.[67]
Specific date unknown
- Leo Bothas, German illustrator (made Nazi propaganda comics during World War II), dies at 84 or 85. [68]
- Dan Gormley, American comics artist (comics for Dell Publishing, Disney comics, worked on Nancy), dies at age 69 or 70.[69]
- June 27–August 10: Galería Esquina de la Libertad (San Francisco) — "Spain: a View from the Bottom: Posters, Comic Strips, Caricatures and More." [citation needed]
- November 25, 1988–March 4, 1989: Cartoon Art Museum (San Francisco) — "The Face Behind the Laugh: Cartoonists' Self-Caricatures from the Collections of Mark J. Cohen"
- January 29–31: Angoulême International Comics Festival (Angoulême, France) — 15th annual festival[70]
- April 23–24: Wonderful World of Comics Convention (Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, California) — 2nd iteration of what eventually becomes known as WonderCon[71]
- Summer: Dragon Con (Piedmont Plaza Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia) — 1,700 attendees
- Summer: FantaCon (Albany, New York) — horror/comics show returns after a four-year hiatus [citation needed]
- June: Heroes Convention (Charlotte, North Carolina) [citation needed]
- June 16–19: International Superman Expo (Cleveland Convention Center, Cleveland, Ohio) — commemorating Superman's 50th anniversary; official guests include Curt Swan, Jerry Ordway, George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, and Julius Schwartz[72][73]
- June 24–26: Atlanta Fantasy Fair XIII (Atlanta Hilton and Towers, Atlanta, Georgia) — guest of honor: Stan Lee; official guests include Mark Gruenwald, Archie Goodwin, Steven Grant, Bob Burden, Kevin Maguire, Julius Schwartz, and Chris Claremont[72]
- June 24–26: Comix Fair '88 (Ramada Hotel Southwest, Houston, Texas) — guests include Sergio Aragonés, Kim DeMulder, Mike Leeke, and William Messner-Loebs[74]
- June 25–26: Creation Con I (Penta Hotel, New York City)[72]
- July 1–3: Chicago Comicon (Ramada O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois) — c. 5,000 attendees; special guests: Max Allan Collins and Dick Locher; other guests: Bernie Wrightson, Michael Kaluta, Dave Stevens, and Chris Claremont[72]
- July 1–3: Dallas Fantasy Fair I (Sheraton Park Central, Dallas, Texas) — guests include Harvey Kurtzman, Burne Hogarth, and Gil Kane[72]
- July 22–24: Memphis Fantasy Convention V (Garden Plaza Hotel, Memphis, Tennessee) — guests include Michael Kaluta, Joe Staton, and John Ostrander[72]
- August 4–7: San Diego Comic-Con (Convention and Performing Arts Center and Omni Hotel, San Diego, California) — 8,000 attendees; official guests: Art Adams, Robert Asprin, Jules Feiffer, Ray Feist, David Gerrold, Matt Groening, George R.R. Martin, Matt Wagner
- October 7–9: Dragon*Con (Piermont Plaza Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia) — guests include Alan Dean Foster, Fred Saberhagen, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Gary Gygax, and Larry Elmore [citation needed]
- September 24: UKCAK88 (The Institute of Education, London, England) — presentation of the Eagle Awards [citation needed]
- November 25–27: Creation Con II (Penta Hotel, New York City)[72]
- November 25–27: Dallas Fantasy Fair II (Marriott Park Central, Dallas, Texas) [citation needed]
Eisner Awards
Presented in 1989 for comics published in 1988:
- Best Single Issue/Single Story: Kings in Disguise #1, by James Vance and Dan Burr (Kitchen Sink Press)
- Best Black-and-White Series: Concrete, by Paul Chadwick (Dark Horse Comics)
- Best Continuing Series: Concrete, by Paul Chadwick (Dark Horse)
- Best Finite Series/Limited Series: The Silver Surfer: Parable, by Stan Lee and Jean "Moebius" Giraud (Marvel Comics)
- Best New Series: Kings in Disguise, by James Vance and Dan Burr (Kitchen Sink)
- Best Graphic Album: Batman: The Killing Joke, by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland (DC Comics)
- Best Writer: Alan Moore, Batman: The Killing Joke (DC)
- Best Writer/Artist: Paul Chadwick, Concrete (Dark Horse)
- Best Artist/Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: Brian Bolland, Batman: The Killing Joke (DC)
- Best Art Team: Alan Davis and Paul Neary, Excalibur (Marvel)
- Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Phil Yeh
- Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame: Harvey Kurtzman[75]
Independent titles
Ongoing series
- AARGH (Mad Love)
- The Adventures of Tintin: Breaking Free (Attack International, April)
- Aquablue (Delcourt, April )
- Brought to Light (Eclipse Comics)
- Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (Continuity Comics, August)
- Crisis (Fleetway, September )
- Deadline (Deadline Publications Ltd., October)
- Dinosaurs for Hire (Eternity Comics, March)
- Faust: Love of the Damned (Northstar Publishing, December). Writer: David Quinn. Artist: Tim Vigil.
- The Forever War (Dupuis)
- Fright Night (Now Comics, October)
- Maze Agency (Comico Comics, December)
- The Real Ghostbusters (Now Comics, August)
- Shaloman (Mark 1 Comics)
- Taboo (Spiderbaby Grafix, Fall)
- Terminator (Now Comics, September)
- The Tick (New England Comics, June)
- The True North (Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund, August)
"Bud Grace". lambiek.net. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
"Eppo". www.lambiek.net. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
"Morris". lambiek.net. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 58. ISBN 9780472117567.
Drevets, Tricia. "From Archie to Space Ghost," Chicago Tribune (01 July 1988), p. 15.
Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 338. ISBN 9780472117567.
"Malik". lambiek.net. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
"Henfil". lambiek.net. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
"Lonely Nights Artist Dori Seda Dead At 37," The Comics Journal #121 (April 1988).
"Rit-Ola". lambiek.net. Retrieved Jul 31, 2020.
Dutrey, Jacques. "Megacon," The Comics Journal #121 (Apr. 1988), pp. 17-19.
Bizjak, Tony. "Comics Convention in Oakland: Cost of Superheroes Is Soaring," San Francisco Chronicle (23 Apr 1988), p. A3.
"Summer Comic Conventions," The Comics Journal #122 (June 1988), pp. 26–27.
Myers, Greg W. "It Was 10 Years Ago: Cleveland's International Superman Expo — June 16–19, 1988," Comics Buyer's Guide (July 17, 1998), p. 8, 10.
"Comix Fair socks it to fans," Houston Chronicle (24 June 1988), p. 15.