Notable events of 2005 in comics.
Events
January January 11: debut of the Italian web-comic Mostrip, by Alberto Turturici; in May, the strip is published on paper. January 14: French cartoonist Piem is named Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres. January 20: Dutch cartoonist wins his first (edition 2004) for Best Political Cartoon. During the same ceremony Joep Bertrams receives his first Inktspotprijs too January 31: John R. Norton begins the George comic strip. Decimation: House of M, The Day After by Chris Claremont, Randal Green and Aaron Lopresti (Marvel). In Iron Man, the story arc Extremis, by Warren Ellis and Adi Ganov, begins (Marvel). The New Avengers 1 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch (Marvel). Top 10: The forty-niners by Alan Moore and Gene Ha (America's Best Comics) Hero Squared X-tra Sized Special by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis and Joe Abraham (Atomeka press) ; debut of the Hero Squared series. The gambler smurfs by Luc Parthoens, Thierry Culliford and Ludo Borecki (Le Lombard). The cycle of water by Hub (Humbert Chabuel), first album of the Okko series (Delcourt). Progetto Dakota by Claudio Nizzi and Luigi Siniscalchi; in the last album of the Nick Raider series, the hero marries his eternal fiancé Violet McGraw.
February Batman: The man who laughs by Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke (DC Comics). First issue of Legion of Super-Heroes 5th series, the first with the 2004 team (DC comics).
March 2 March: first chapter of Ultimate Iron Man by Orson Scott Card and Andy Kibert (Marvel comics). 16 March: first chapterof Revenge of the Sith's comic version, by Miles Lane and Doug Weathley (Dark Horse). Dust by Jean Giraud, last album of the Blueberry series (Dargaud). Cinque cuori di pietra (Five stone heaths) by Lorenzo Bartoli and Walter Venturi; team-up between John Doe and Dago (Eura Editoriale).
April April 13: DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 AD titles. Powerade and DC Comics show the first of four new online comics starring LeBron James as superhero "King James". Written by Ron Perazza with art by Rick Leonardi (Batgirl). April 20: DC Comics launches the new DC Direct website. April 26: Artist Ed Benes (Superman) extends his exclusive agreement with DC Comics for an additional three years. April 28: Marvel Enterprises and Paramount Pictures announce an agreement under which Paramount will distribute up to ten films over an eight-year period to be produced by Marvel. Marvel Enterprises announces settlement of all pending litigation with Stan Lee over claims for participation in profits from various sources. Marvel Comics announces the creation of a custom comic book written by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers) and featuring superheroes such as Spider-Man, Captain America and the Fantastic Four in a military-themed storyline. More than one million copies of the "Salute Our Troops" comic book were to be distributed to the troops and their families in May. Booze, Broads, & Bullets by Frank Miller (Dark Horse). Seven soldiers by Grant Morrison (DC comics).
May May 1: At Clickburg, The Netherlands, the first Clickies are awarded, awards for webcomics. The awards will continue up until 2010. May 5: Artist George Pérez (The New Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, Justice League of America) signs a 5-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics. May 6: debut of Brad Barron, the first Bonelli miniseries, in 18 episodes, with the album Non umani by Tito Faraci and Bruno Brindisi. Its hero, with the George Clooney's face, fights against the alien invaders in the USA of the Fifties. May 12: on Comicgenesis, the webcomic Sorcery 101, by Kel McDonald, appears. May 18: in Spirou, first chaper of Le septieme code by Roger Leloup. May 19: Artist J. G. Jones (Villains United, Wonder Woman) signs a 2-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. May 31: Artist Bart Sears (Captain America and the Falcon) signs a 2-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics. In Topolino, first chapter of Paperina di Rivondosa, by Silvia Ziche, pardoy of Elisa di Rivombrosa. At the Cannes Festival, two films taken from comics (A history of violence and Sin city) are in competition.
June June 6: Artists Adam Kubert (Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate X-Men) and Andy Kubert (Marvel 1602, Origin, Ultimate Iron Man, Ultimate X-Men) sign 3-year exclusive agreements with DC Comics. June 11: Harvey Awards winners announced. June 21: Belgian comic artist Marc Sleen is declared an honorary citizen of Brussels. June 22: The first comic to carry the Boom! Studios logo, Zombie Tales #1, is published June 28: Artist Justiniano (Day of Vengeance, The Human Race) signs a 2-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. In Spirou, L'homme qui ne voulait pas mourir by Jean-David Morvan and José Luis Munuera (Spirou et Fantasio series). Day of vengeance by Bill Willingham (DC comics). The Marvel comics storyline House of M, by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel begins. In Nickelodeon magazine, debut of Avatar, the last airbender – The lost adventures, by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (Dark Horse). With La guerra di Toro Seduto (Sitting Bull's war) by Gianfranco Manfredi and Darko Petrovic, the Magico Vento's saga about the great Siox war begins (Bonelli). First issue of the Italian hard-boiled miniseries Detective Dante by Lorenzo Bartoli and Roberto Recchioni (Eura editoriale).
July July 12: Writer Bill Willingham (Fables) renews his exclusive contract with DC Comics for an additional two years. July 13: DC Online launches a new website for kids featuring Johnny DC. DC Comics' DC Direct announces the new Looney Tunes Golden Collection action figure series. The sculptures would be officially unveiled later in the week at San Diego Comic-Con. July 15: Eisner Awards ceremony is held at San Diego Comic-Con. July 19: Joe Quesada extends his contract agreement with Marvel Comics, and in addition to his current role as Editor-in-Chief, he will take on the added role as the Chief Creative Officer, Publishing. July 26: Writer Mark Waid (Legion of Super-Heroes, Empire) signs a 2-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics. Turkish cartoonist Oğuz Aral receives a statue in Istanbul. Rann-Thanagar war by Dave Gibbons and Ivan Reis and Villains united by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham (DC comics).
August August 2: Artist Tony Daniel (Teen Titans, Spawn, X-Force) signs a 2-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics. August 8: In the Danish magazine Jumbobo, The legacy, by Andreas Phil and Mårdøn Smet; debut of the gentleman thief Fantomius.The character, already often mentioned in the Paperinik stories but never appeared until then, has later had a more fortunate version by the Italian Author Marco Gervasio. August 30: A square in San Telmo, Buenos Aires, is named after Mafalda. August 30: The webcomic Crying Macho Man by Jose Cabrera goes live. Justice by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger (DC comics). Old times by Peter David and Fernando Goni (Dark Horse).
September September 6: The New York Times is to carry a comic strip by Chris Ware within its pages. Marvel has changed its corporate name to Marvel Entertainment, Inc and is to produce its own movies based upon comics characters such as Captain America, Nick Fury and the Avengers September 8: Contributors have been announced for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's annual SPX anthology. Scott Morse and Jordan Crane are amongst the forty creators September 12: Doonesbury is dropped and then promptly reinstated by The GuardianThe Comics reporter September 13: The Ignatz Awards nominees are announced, with Gilbert Hernandez receiving three nominationsThe Comics Reporter Dynamic Forces acquire license to print comics based on the Highlander films and television series September 18: first issue of Sonic X (Archie Comics) September 19: Joe Ferrara is elected to the Board of Directors of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund September 20: Marvel Comics announce Neil Gaiman's next project as being related to The Eternals September 21: Art Spiegelman's next project, Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@?*!, is to be serialised in the Virginia Quarterly Review, commencing in the Fall 2005 issueThe Comics Reporter September 22: Bill Watterson answers fifteen selected questions from fans around the world to publicise the upcoming release of The Complete Calvin and Hobbes September 23: The two-day Small Press Expo opens with Harvey Pekar as special guest. September 25: The 2005 Ignatz Awards are announced at the Small Press Expo. Amongst the winners were David B, voted the Outstanding Artist and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, voted Outstanding Graphic NovelThe Comics Reporter First issue of All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder by Frank Miller and Jim Lee; it inaugurates the imprint All Star DC Comics. Randall Munroe begins publishing the webcomic xkcd on his personal website. Le boucher de Cincinnati by François Corteggiani and Michel Blanc-Dumont (La jeunesse de Blueberry series ; Dargaud). L’or de Maximilien by William Vance and Jean Van Hamme (XIII series ; Dargaud). Qualcosa è cambiato by Guido Nolitta and eight various pencillers (Bonelli); with this very long saga (18 albums and 1508 plates) the Mister No series virtually ends.
October October 1: Lea Hernandez steps down as editor of Girlamatic.com, to be replaced by Lisa Jonté October 3: Jay Stephens launches his own blog Cute Creeps From Pop CultureThe Comics Reporter October 4: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes is releasedThe Comics Reporter October 5: Matt Madden is interviewed by Bookslut October 8: Art Spiegelman is one of 196 inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences October 10: Dark Horse licenses the rights to reprint a number of manga titles, including Juon Peter Schjeldahl of The New Yorker analyses graphic novels October 11: Marvel 1602 wins the inaugural graphic novel Quill AwardThe Comics Reporter First volume of Dramacom by Svetlana Chamkova (Tokyopop). October 13: The tenth annual International Comic Arts Festival begins in Washington, D.C. Ddebut of the Italian fantasy webcomic Nalshael by Studio Dardanidi. October 14: Lynd Ward is profiled by In These Times The Oberlin Review profiles Marjane Satrapi Maus and Beyond, an exhibition looking at comic book and graphic novel portrayals of the Shoah, opens at the Centennial College, Toronto. It runs until November 30 Asterix and the falling sky by Albert Uderzo (Les éditions Albert-Renè). October 16: Bob Andelman, biographer of Will Eisner, picks 10 graphic novels for a beginner to start with October 17: Charles Burns is interviewed by The Book Standard The Melvin Gelman Library of George Washington University is to add 300 graphic novels to its collection The New York Times profile Little Nemo in Slumberland: So Many Splendid Sundays!, a collection of Little Nemo strips publishing them as originally printed Hunt Emerson has adapted John Ruskin's Unto This Last into comics format, retitling the work How To Be Rich. Two-thirds of the 15,000 print run will be distributed to secondary schools in the United Kingdom October 18: Dale Eaglesham signs a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics Watchmen is named as one of Time magazine's top 100 English language novels published since 1923 Carla Speed McNeil launches the online serialisation Carla Speed McNeil of Finder. McNeil has suspended the publication of the work in comic book format, although serials will still be collected and published as graphic novelsThe Comics Reporter October 20: Dave Sim and Al Nickerson place a DC Comics contract, as annotated by Sim,Spurgeon, Tom. "Go Read Dave Sims' DC Contract", The Comics Reporter (October 20, 2005). on the web. See also: Creator's Bill of Rights