1995 in comics

Notable events of 1995 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events

Year overall

• Broadway Comics, Tekno Comix, Class Comics, Fantasy Flight Publications, Moonstone Books, A is A, and Ace Comics all debut; WildStorm introduces its Homage Comics imprint; Defiant Comics ceases publishing

January

• After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse is launched. All X-titles change to different names for the next four months.
• Thor marks his 400th appearance in Marvel Comics with issue #482.
• Silver Surfer vol. 2 #100: by Ron Marz, Joe Phillips, and Tom Grindberg.

February

• Doom Patrol vol. 2 is canceled by DC Comics with issue #87.
• February 23: Don Heck, co-creator of Iron Man and long-time Avengers artist, dies at age 66.

March

• Jerry Ordway launches The Power of Shazam for DC Comics. The title has a March 1995 cover date.
• Marvel Comics Presents vol. 1 is canceled by Marvel with issue #175.
• March 9: Marvel Comics (through its Fleer subsidiary) buys trading card manufacturer SkyBox International for $150 million.
• March 29: Golden Age artist Mort Meskin passes away at age 78.

April

• The Amazing Spider-Man #400: "A Death In the Family." Die-cut embossed cover. (Marvel Comics)
• April 30: DC Comics announces its products will be distributed exclusively by Diamond Comics Distribution, Inc.

May

• Fantastic Four #400: "Even the Watchers Can Die!" by Tom DeFalco, Paul Ryan, and Dan Bulanadi.
• X-Men: Omega is released and the X-titles revert to their normal continuity.
• Loki makes an appearance in issue #21 of the Malibu Ultraverse title Hard Case.
• Superman (vol. 2) #100: "The Death of Clark Kent," by Dan Jurgens.

July

• Savage Sword of Conan, with issue #235, is cancelled by Marvel.
• The Punisher is canceled by Marvel with issue #104. The Punisher takes on Bullseye.
• Punisher War Journal is canceled by Marvel with issue #80.
• July 20: George Caragonne, Marvel Comics writer and Penthouse Comix editor, commits suicide at c. age 30.
• July 24: Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics announce they will be exclusively distributed by Diamond Comic Distributors.

August

• Deadline is canceled by Deadline Publications Ltd with issue #70 (Aug./Sept.).
• August 20: Italian cartoonist Hugo Pratt, creator of Corto Maltese, dies at age 68.
• Johnny the Homicidal Maniac debuts.

September

• Malibu Comics relaunches its Ultraverse titles with the Infinity promotion. The most popular characters, such as Prime, Mantra, Exiles, and Rune, come back with all-black covers and an infinity symbol on the cover.
• September 30: Nestor Redondo dies at age 67.

October

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures is canceled by Archie Comics with issue #72.

November

• Animal Man is canceled by DC Comics with issue #89.
• November 2: Ollie Harrington, pioneering African-American cartoonist and creator of Dark Laughter, dies at age 83 in Berlin, Germany.

December

• December 5: L. B. Cole dies at age 77
• December 31: Publication of final Calvin and Hobbes comic strip

Exhibitions

• December 7, 1995-February 11, 1996: "Classic Comics â€" A Selection of Stories from EC Comics," featuring the work of, among others, John Severin (Words & Pictures Museum, Northampton, Massachusetts)

Conventions

• January 15: Albuquerque Comic Con (Albuquerque Marriott, Albuquerque, New Mexico) â€" guests include Sheldon Moldoff and Tom Grindberg
• January 22: Great Eastern Conventions Boston (57 Park Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts) â€" c. 750 attendees
• February 24â€"26: The New York Comic Book Spectacular (Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City)
• Spring: MegaCon (Orlando, Florida) â€" guests include Gil Kane, Dick Giordano, and Howard Chaykin
• March: Motor City Comic Con I
• March 25: Spirits of Independence Columbus (Hyatt Downtown, Columbus, OH) â€" guests include organizer Dave Sim and Gerhard, Paul Pope, Steve Bissette, and M'Oak
• April: Pittsburgh Comicon (Monroeville, Pennsylvania)
• April 15â€"16: Dallas Fantasy Fair I (Harvey Hotel, Irving, Texas) â€" guests include Adam Hughes, Susie Owens, and Mark Goddard
• April 21â€"23: WonderCon (Oakland, California) â€" held in conjunction with Pro/Con
• May 19: Alternative Press Expo (San Jose, California)
• Summer: CAPTION (Oxford Union Society, Oxford, England)
• June 23: Small Press Expo (Bethesda, Maryland) â€" second annual show
• June 30â€"July 2: Chicago Comicon (Rosemont Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois) â€" 20,000 attendees; guest of honor: Peter David; special guests: Sal Buscema, Roy Thomas, John Romita Sr., Chris Claremont, Jim Shooter, and Julius Schwartz
• July: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina) â€" special guest: Todd McFarlane
• July 13â€"16: Dragon Con/International Starfleet Conference (Atlanta Hilton & Towers, Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel & Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, Georgia) â€" 14,312 attendees; guests of honor: George Alec Effinger, Harlan Ellison, Timothy Zahn, Michael Whelan, and Bjo Trimble
• July 27â€"30: Comic-Con International (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California) â€" 34,000 attendees; special guests include Mike Baron, Simon Bisley, Charles Burns, Alan Davis, Ramona Fradon, Neil Gaiman, James Gurney, Greg Hildebrandt, Tim Hildebrandt, Ryoichi Ikegami, Gil Kane, Stan Lee, Irv Novick, Harvey Pekar, Stan Sakai, Joe Sinnott, Tom Sito, Jeff Smith, and Andrew Vachss. Comic-Con officially changes its name to Comic-Con International, and introduces its new "eye" logo designed by Richard Bruning
• August 12: Spiritsâ€"Chicago Independent Comics Expo (I.C.E.) (Radisson Suites Hotel O'Hare, Rosemont, IL) â€" guests include Jessica Abel, Steve Bissette, Joe Chiapetta, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Matt Feazell, Troy Hickman, David Lapham, Larry Marder, Mark Oakley, Paul Pope, Alex Robinson, Andrew Robinson, Dave Sim & Gerhard, Jim Valentino, and Joe Zabel
• August 11â€"13: Dallas Fantasy Fair II (Dallas Market Hall Convention Center, Dallas, Texas) â€" presentation of the Harvey Awards; keynote speaker and master-of-ceremonies: Jim Starlin; official guests include Sergio Aragonés, Kurt Busiek, Rob Liefeld, Terry Moore, David W. Mack, Martin Nodell, Julius Schwartz, Mark Schultz, Jeff Smith, William Stout, Chris Ware, Al Williamson, and Jim Woodring
• August 12â€"13: Canadian National Comic Book Exposition, (Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) â€" c. 1400 attendees; guests include J. Scott Campbell, Kelley Jones, Joe Jusko, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bernie Wrightson, Brian Hotton, Stephen Platt, Ken Lashley, and Ty Templeton
• August 25â€"26: Festival of Cartoon Art (Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio) â€" official guests include Garry Trudeau, Jeff MacNelly, Lynn Johnston, Bill Amend, Robb Armstrong, Stephen Bentley, Bruce Beattie, and Bill Griffith
• September 9â€"10: Great Eastern Conventions New York II (Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City) â€" final comic convention in the Javits Center until the New York Comic Con in 2007
• October 7â€"8: Motor City Comic Con II (Dearborn Civic Center)
• November 25â€"26: Dallas Fantasy Fair III (Harvey Hotel, Irving, Texas) â€" guests include Julie Newmar
• November 25â€"26: Mid-Ohio Con (Columbus Ohio) â€" Special guest: Barry Windsor-Smith; other guests: Mark Evanier, Roger Stern, William Messner-Loebs, John Byrne, Sergio Aragonés, Brian Michael Bendis, Martin Egeland, Dick Giordano, David Mack, Joe Pruett, Beau Smith, Jim Shooter, Jeff Smith, and Bernie Wrightson

First issues by title

DC Comics

• Power of Shazam
• Sovereign Seven

Delcourt

• De cape et de crocs

Malibu Ultraverse

• Godwheel

Marvel Comics

• Amazing X-Men
• Astonishing X-Men
• Avengers: The Crossing
• Gambit and the X-Ternals
• Generation Next
• Prime
• Skrull Kill Crew
• Weapon X
• X-Calibre
• X-Men: Omega

Vertigo Comics

• Preacher

Independent

• Dark Town by Mad Monkey Press Writer:Kaja Blackley Artist: Vanessa Chong
• Stray Bullets (by Él Capitan)

References