Notable events of 1991 in comics.
Events
Year overall Publishers Cartoon Books, Comic Zone Productions, Personality Comics, and Boneyard Press all enter the arena; First Comics stops publishing. Egmont UK bought Fleetway Publications. They merge it with London Editions to form Fleetway Editions.
January January 7: Big Nate debuts. The Indian comics magazine Target discontinues Ajit Ninan's detective comic Detective Moochhwala. Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33. El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16. Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15. Alien Legion: On The Edge is canceled with issue #3. Avengers Spotlight is cancelled with #40. Tuareg by Guido Nolitta and Roberto Diso (Mister No series; Bonelli).
February February 24: The final episode of Ralph Graczak's Our Own Oddities is published. The Amazing Spider-Man #344 - First appearance of Cletus Kasady, who later becomes the super-villain Carnage. Frank by Jim Woodring debuts in the second issue of Buzz. New Mutants #98 - Introduction of Deadpool, Domino, and Gideon. (Marvel Comics) Power Pack is canceled by Marvel with issue #62. Heathcliff is cancelled with issue #56. Gian Luigi Bonelli ends his run as comics author, more than fifty years long, with a Tex Willer’s adventure, Il medaglione spagnolo (designed by Guglielmo Letteri).
March "Weapon X" begins in Marvel Comics Presents. With #12, Stalkers is cancelled by Epic Comics. With #4, The Last American is cancelled by Epic Comics.
April New Mutants #100, the title's final issue, featuring the debut of X-Force (Marvel Comics). With #6 Cadillacs & Dinosaurs is cancelled. With #5, Hollywood Superstars is cancelled. First issue of Seth's Palookaville Nightcat a one-shot comic book published by Marvel featuring real-life singer Jacqueline Tavarez. Written by Barry Dutter and drawn by Denys Cowan and Jimmy Palmiotti. The cover art by Joe Jusko was also used on the compact disc and cassette tape release of Tavarez's music album.
May May 11: The British girls' comics magazine Mandy merges with Judy.Comics UK W. B. Park receives the National Cartoonist Society Advertising and Illustration Award. Little Archie #1, relaunched as The New Little Archie that only ran for nine issues.
June June 15: In Turnhout, Belgium, a statue of Adhemar (from Marc Sleen's The Adventures of Nero) is revealed, made by Frank-Ivo Van Damme.Janssen, Stijn, 30 jaar bronzen Adhemar : een geschiedenis van het Turnhoutse Stripfestival. Strip Turnhout vzw, Turnhout (2007), page 40. The final issue of Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman's Raw is published. Armageddon 2001 crossover event. Agente speciale Alfa by Antonio Serra and Claudio Castellini, first album of the Nathan Never series (Bonelli).
July July 13: René Windig and Eddie de Jong (Heinz) receive the Stripschapprijs. The Jaarprijs voor Bijzondere Verdiensten (nowadays the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs) goes to publishing company Big Balloon. In Brussels, Belgium, the first mural depicting a famous Belgian comics series (Frank Pé's Broussaille), is inaugurated. This launches the Brussels' Comic Book Route project. Superman: The Man of Steel #1 - debut issue of fourth ongoing Superman title. Written by Louise Simonson and drawn by Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Bob McLeod, Dan Jurgens, Dennis Janke, Jerry Ordway, and Brett Breeding. Wizard publishes its premiere issue. The Marvel Comics event "Muir Island Saga" begins. With #10, Mighty Mouse is cancelled. With #80, The Transformers is cancelled by Marvel Comics. With #25, Yummy Fur moves to Drawn & Quarterly La casa degli uomini perduti by Tiziano Sclavi and Giampiero Casertano (Dylan Dog series; Bonelli)
August New Gods vol. 3 is canceled by DC with issue #28. With #19, Cloak & Dagger is cancelled.
September Alpha Flight #100: "The Final Option, Part Four: Decisions of Trust," written by Fabian Nicieza. With #2, Impossible Man Summer Vacation Spectacular is cancelled. With #4, Car Warriors is cancelled. With #3, Samurai Cat is cancelled. With #4, Damage Control v3 is cancelled. Everything's Archie is canceled by Archie Comics with issue #157.
October In the Dutch monthly magazine Doen, Marnix Rueb's comic series Haagse Harry makes its debut. It will grow from a cult hit into a nationally popular phenomenon. Crisis is canceled by Fleetway with issue #63. With #2, Legion of Night is cancelled. With #3, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is cancelled. With #4, Alpha Flight Special is cancelled. With #6, Sweet XVI is cancelled. With #10, Foolkiller v1 is cancelled.
November November 21 – the Marathi comic strip Chintoo is first published. Alpha Flight #102: Introduction of Wild Child as Weapon Omega. Maze Agency is canceled by Innovation Comics with issue #23. With #12, Marvel Comics' Zorro is cancelled. Daniel Clowes' Art School Confidential is prepublished in Eightball.
December December 1: In the Italian Disney magazine Topolino, the first episode of the Mickey Mouse story Topolino e un favore da nulla, by Carlo Panaro and Corrado Mastantuono is published. It marks the debut of Pierino and Pieretto, the two nephews of Peg-Leg Pete. December 31: The final episode of Marten Toonder's Panda is published. Running for 45 years it was his longest-running series in syndication. The Incredible Hulk #388: Jim Wilson revealed to be HIV-positive.
Specific date unknown The final episode of Costa Rican artist Fernando Zeledón Guzmán's satirical comic strip La Semana en Serio in the communist magazine Adelante is published. Belgian comic artists Edouard Aidans, Guy Bara, François Craenhals, Bob De Moor, André-Paul Duchâteau, André Franquin, Fred & Liliane Funcken, Michel Greg, Raymond Macherot, Jacques Martin, Eddy Paape, Tibet and Albert Weinberg are all knighted in the Order of Leopold II. In the Greek newspapaer Eleftherotypia, debut of the strip Χαμηλές πτήσεις (Low flights) by Arkas.
Deaths
January January 1: Dean Miller, American comics artist (Mighty O' Malley, continued Vic Flint), dies at age 52. January 5: John Lehti, American comics artist (Tommy of the Big Top), dies at age 78. January 16: Maurieta Wellman, American illustrator, painter and comics artist (Goofus and Gallant), dies at age 88. January 19: Giovanni Sinchetto, Italian comic artist (member of EsseGesse, co-creator of Captain Miki, Il Grande Blek, Comandante Mark, Kinowa and Alan Mistero), dies at age 68. January 24: J.H. Koeleman, jr., Dutch illustrator and comics artist (Pinkie Pienter, aka Ronny Roberts), dies at age 64.
February February 11: Michel Mahy, Belgian comics artist (De Spookjes, assisted on Bessy), dies at age 42. February 15: Hans Borrebach, Dutch comic artist, dies at age 87. February 16: Franco Bignotti, Italian comics artist (Il Piccolo Centauro, drew comics for Sergio Bonelli and Amalgamated Press), dies at age 60. February 19: Gradie Knipscheer, Dutch comics artist and musician (Keesje Konijntje), dies at age 76.
March March 15: Govindan Aravindan, Indian film director and comic artist (Cheriya Manushyarum Valiya Lokavum, Ramuvinte Sahasika Yathrakal, Guruji), dies at age 56. March 29: Sytze Henstra, Dutch illustrator, cartoonist and painter (sports cartoons for De Telegraaf), dies at age 96.
April April 4: Graham Ingels, American comics artist (EC Comics), dies at age 75 from stomach cancer. April 17: Jacques Armand, French comics artist (Gérard Lambert, Black-Out, Ric Brio, Le Corporal Rouge, Le Roi Vert), dies at age 33. April 19: Frederik Bramming, Danish animator and comics artist (Frederik, Chas, Motorskatten), dies at age 79. Charles Popineau, French comic artist and illustrator (worked on Le Crime Ne Paie Pas and Les Amours Célèbres), dies at age 65.
May May 1: Adolfo Samper, Colombian comics artist (Mojicón, La Hermana de Mojicón, Los Filipicines, Godofredo Cascarrabias, Don Amancise), dies at age 91. May 6: Guido Martina, Italian comics writer (L'Inferno di Topolino), dies at age 85. May 8: Kathleen O'Brien, Australian comics artist (Wanda the War Girl), dies at age 76. May 10: Adolfo Aizen, Brazilian journalist and comic publisher, dies at age 83. May 14: Joy Batchelor, British animator and film director (Halas & Batchelor), dies at age 77. May 20: Milko Bambič, Slovene illustrator, painter, novelist and comics artist (Zamorček Bu-ci-bu, in English best known as Little Negro Bu-ci-bu), dies at age 86. May 27: Ed Dodd, American comics artist (Mark Trail), dies at age 88. May 29: Hans Brouwer, aka Ipse, Dutch comics artist (Fed en Vetertje), dies at age 74. Harry Haenigsen, American comics artist (Simeon Batts, Our Bill, Penny), dies at age 90. May 31: Paul Campani, Italian comic artist (Mister X, Gey Carioca, Tita Dinamita, Bull Rocket, worked on Asso di Picche), dies at age 67.
June June 3: Vince Colletta, Italian-American comics artist and inker (drew many romance comics and worked for Marvel Comics and DC Comics), dies at age 67. June 6: Gianni De Luca, Italian comics artist (Commissario Spada), dies at age 64. June 10: Jean Bruller, aka Vercors, French novelist, illustrator and comics artist (Le Mariage de Monsieur Lakonik), dies at age 89. June 10: Milorad Dobrić, Yugoslavian (Serbian) comics artist (Pera Pesak, Ljuba Truba, Kurir Fica, Slavuj Gilsa, Inspektor Zuca), dies at age 66. June 27: Virginia Huget, American comics artist (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Babs in Society, Campus Capers, Miss Aladdin, Molly the Manicure Girl, continued Skippy and Oh Diana!), dies at age 91.
July July 4: Fernand Cheneval, Swiss-Belgian comics artist and publisher (founder of the magazine Heroïc Albums), dies at age 73. Art Sansom, American comics artist (The Born Loser), dies at age 70. July 6: Nicholas P. Dallis, American comics writer (Rex Morgan, M.D., Judge Parker, Apartment 3-G), dies at age 89. July 9: Petr Sadecký, Czech comics artist (Octobriana), dies. July 11: Paul McCarthy, American comics artist (Gertie O'Grady), Silly-Ettes, drew Sad Sack, Fun At The Zoo and Holly of Hollywood), dies at age 81. July 18: Robert B. Leffingwell, American comics artist (assisted on Little Orphan Annie, continued Little Joe), dies at age 80. July 31: Jess Benton, American comics artist (Jasper Jooks), dies at age 90.
August August 10: Jerzy Wroblewski, Polish comic artist (Risk, Underground Front, Captain Zbik), dies at age 50. August 18: Rick Griffin, American underground comix artist (Flying Eyeball, Murphy, Man From Utopia) dies at age 47 in a motorcycle accident. August 24: Reynold Brown, American poster designer and comics artist (continued Tailspin Tommy), dies at age 73. Specific date in August unknown: James De Carlo, American comic artist (Archie Comics), dies at age 43.
September September 4: Bing Coughlin, Canadian advertising illustrator and comics artist (Herbie), dies at age 86. September 5: Carol Kalish, American comics publisher and vice President of New Product Development at Marvel Comics, dies at age 36 from a brain aneurysm. September 13: Edmond Good, Canadian illustrator and comics artist (Rex Baxter, Johnny Law, Sky Ranger, assisted on Scorchy Smith, Bruce Gentry - Daredevil of the Skies, Casey Ruggles and Dixie Dugan), dies at age 81. September 18: Vinicio Berti, Italian painter and comics artist (Atomino, Chiodino, Ciondolino, Gian Burrasca), dies at age 70. September 24: Dom Orejudos, American illustrator and comics artist (Meatman, Startrick), dies at age 58 from AIDS. Dr. Seuss, American children's novelist, illustrator, animator and comics artist (Hejji), dies at age 87.
October October 2: George Vakalo, Greek painter, set designer, costume maker, writer and comic artist, dies at age 86 or 87 . October 16: Henricus Kannegieter, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (made various one-shot comics in the 1930s), dies at age 93. October 23: Antonio Canale, Italian comics artist (Amok), dies at age 76.