January 1: The direct-to-DVD film Hulk Vs is released.[1]
January 6: The third and final volume of Hollow Fields has been released.
January 15: Dutch cartoonist Tom Janssen wins his second Inktspotprijs for Best Political Cartoon.[2]
January 28: The Dutch comics magazine Eppo returns to the market, after being discontinued for a decade. It manages to remain in print, as of today.[3]
To celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama, Amazing Spider-Man #583 presented an all-new story teaming up President Obama and Spider-Man in "Spidey Meets the President!" The title featured five variant covers.[7]
Apriledit
April 19: In Boechout, Belgium, a memorial plaque is attached to the former house of comic author George Van Raemdonck. A local park and street are renamed after him, with a sculpture of him and his characters Bulletje en Boonestaak inaugurated in the park.[8]
In honor of Wolverine's 35th anniversary, Marvel Comics announced that numerous Marvel titles would feature Wolverine Art Appreciation Variant covers in April 2009.[10] Styles will be reminiscent of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol.[11] The first issues to feature a Wolverine Art Appreciation variant cover were Captain Britain and MI13 #12, Amazing Spider-man #590, Hulk #11, Uncanny X-Men #508, and Secret Warriors #3.[12]
June 18: In the Zandstraat/Rue de Sable in Brussels, Belgium, the Marc Sleen Museum opens its doors, the first museum dedicated to a Belgian comics artist while the artist in question, Marc Sleen, is still alive. King Albert II of Belgium officially opens the building.[19]
Augustedit
August 30: A statue of Mafalda is placed on the Plaza Mafalda (named in 2005) in Buenos Aires.[20]
September 9: It was announced that Paul Levitz would step down as president and Publisher of DC Comics to serve as the Contributing Editor and Overall Consultant for the newly formed DC Entertainment and Diane Nelson would serve as President of the new division.[23]
September 11: The lifeless body of Japanese manga artist Yoshito Usui (best known for the series Crayon Shin-chan) is found at the bottom of a cliff. He was only 51.[24]
Iván and Andrés Ramírez Ortiz establish the alternative Costa Rican comics magazine Revista Fotocopia, which will run under the name Ultracomics from August 2010 on and eventually bring out its final issue in 2014.[31]
Deathsedit
Januaryedit
January 12: Susanne Wenger, Austrian illustrator and comics artist (worked for Unsere Zeitung), dies at age 93.[32]
January 21: Claude Moliterni, French comics writer (Scarlett Dream), critic and historian and co-founder of the Angoulême International Comics Festival, dies at age 76.[33]
February 20: Joan Marti Aragonés, aka Petronius, Spanish painter and comics artist (made various romance comics for Selecciones Ilustradas, Roxy, Valentine and Marilyn), dies at age 72.[35]
Marchedit
March 8: Mike Van Audenhove, American-Swiss comics artist (Koch Comix, Zürich by Mike), dies at age 51.[36]
March 31: Juan Bernet Toledano, Spanish comics artist (Altamiro de la Cueva) dies at age 84.[37]
Mayedit
May 1: Ric Estrada, Cuban-American comics artist (worked for DC Comics), dies at age 81 from prostate cancer.[38]
May 21: Giorgio Bellavitis, Italian comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 72 or 73.[39]
May 26: Ding Cong, Xiao Ding, Chinese illustrator, cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 93.[40]
April 3: Harry Schlegel, German comics artist (Kapitäns Jonathan Pappendick, Pedro und Coco, Pats ReiseabenteuerMax und Maxi), dies at age 78 or 79.[42]
April 23: Jaap van der Pol, aka Larry Oblomov, Dutch photographer, painter, illustrator, collage artist, teacher and comics artist (Het Schoolarchief), dies at age 70.[44]
April 24: José Miguel Heredia, Argentine comics artist (Perro Mundo, El Doctor Vudú, El Cuaderno Rojo, Ferranio), dies at age 75.[45]
Juneedit
June 9: Dave Simons, American comics artist and animator (worked for Marvel and DC Comics), dies at age 54.[46]
June 19: Piet Tibos, Belgian comics artist and cartoonist (De Avonturen van Sebedeus en zijn Ploeg), dies at age 78.[47]
Julyedit
July 3: Martin Vaughn-James, British painter, illustrator and comics artist (Elephant, The Projector, The Park, The Cage), dies at age 65.[48]
July 6:
Alfons Figueras, Spanish animator and comics artist (Aspirino y Colodión or Topolino, el último héroe, worked on Rabatino y Cebollita), dies at age 86.[49]
July 21: Heinz Edelmann, German graphic designer, illustrator, animator, cartoonist and comics artist (Yellow Submarine), dies from heart disease at age 75.[51]
July 22: John Ryan, British comics artist and animator (Harris Tweed, Extra Special Agent, Captain Pugwash), dies at age 88.[52]
July 25: Francisco Hidalgo, aka Yves Roy, Spanish comics artist (Doctor Nieblba, Dick Tober, Angel Audaz, Blason d'Argent, Bob Mallard, Teddy Ted) and photographer, dies at age 80.[53]
October 23: Michel Motti, French comics artist (Le Petit Roi Ibello, Nicolas et Nicolette, Disney comics, continued Pif le chien and Placid et Muzo), dies at age 74.[67]
October 26: Fred McCarthy, creator of Brother Juniper, the only religious-themed comic ever syndicated in daily newspapers internationally, dies at age 91.
Govind Brhamania, Indian comics artist (Bahadur), dies at age 71.[75]
Xavier Musquera, aka Chris, Spanish comics artist (Melly Brown, Peggy Press, Monsieu Wens, Angie, Miss Blondie), dies at age 66.[76]
December 10: Jean-Marie Brouyère, Belgian comics writer (Archie Cash, L'Épervier Bleu), dies at age 66.[77]
December 14: Minami Keizi, Brazilian novelist and comics artist (Tupãzinho), dies at age 54.[78]
December 27: Geoffrey Bond, aka Alan Jason, British comics writer (Luck of the Legion, Claudia of the Circus, Arty and Crafty, Justin Tyme - ye Hapless Highwayman), dies at age 89.[79]
December: Nel van Beek, aka Koten, Dutch feminist, poster designer and comics artist (Dol en Mina, Floor Blom), dies at age 75 or 76.[80]
Specific date unknownedit
Wei Qimei, Chinese comics artist, dies at age 84 or 85.[81]
June 28–August 7: "From Yellow Kid to Conan: American Cartoons from the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection" (Hopkins Hall Gallery + Corridor, Cartoon Library and Museum, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio)[83]
September 4–7: Dragon Con (Hyatt Regency Atlanta/Marriott Marquis/Atlanta Hilton/Sheraton, Atlanta, Georgia, US) — 30,000+ attendees; guests include William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, Adam Savage, Terry Gilliam, Malcolm McDowell, Lois McMaster Bujold, Mike Mignola, and Tom Felton
October 24–25: Adventure Con 2009 — Fall (Pigeon Forge Convention Center, Grand Hotel, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, US)
October 31-November 1: Manitoba Comic Con (Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) — guests include Adam West, Julie Newmar, Marv Wolfman, Tommy Castillo, Nigel Sade, Echo Chernik, and Lucie Brouillard
November 8: Comica Comiket (ICA Theatre, London, England) — co-sponsored by Alternative Press, We Are Words+Pictures, and Nobrow Press[92]
November 28: Genghis Con (Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio) — first edition of this show, organized by local retailer Scott Rudge and comics creator John G.;[93] guests include Derf Backderf, Mike Gustovich, Gary Dumm, and Greg Budgett[94]
^Leach, Ben (2009-02-04). "Jonathan Ross donates rare £40,000 Spider-Man comic to Comic Relief The BBC presenter Jonathan Ross will donate one of the world's rarest comics - a £40,000 Spider-Man cartoon strip - to Comic Relief". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
^"Ultimate X-Men #100". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
^"Ultimate Fantastic Four #60". Marvel.com. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
^"Spider-Man and Barack Obama team up | Marvel.com News". Marvel.com. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^"George van Raemdonck". Lambiek.net. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
^"Willy Vandersteen". lambiek.net. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
^"Wolverine as Masterpiece". The Washington Post. March 18, 2009. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
^"Marvel prepares to showcase Wolverine from a very different perspective | Marvel.com News". Marvel.com. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^"News | Marvel Announces "Wolverine Art Appreciation Month"". Comicspriceguide.com. 2009-03-19. Archived from the original on 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^"SDCC '08 - DC Nation 2, Neil Gaiman to Write Batman". Retrieved 7 April 2018.
^"Sammy T. 40 : Boy – Par Jean-Pol et Cauvin – ed. Dupuis".
^"Jean-Pol stopt met succesreeks 'Sammy' | De Morgen". 27 January 2009.
^McClintock, Pamela (2007-10-17). "'Wolverine' claws on May '09 date". Variety. Archived from the original on 2009-09-19. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
^"Rolf Kauka". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
^Wilkerson, David B. (August 31, 2009). "Disney to Acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4B". MarketWatch. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011.
^"Hajime Isayama". lambiek.net. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
^Rogers, Vaneta (September 9, 2009). "Warner Bros. Creates DC Entertainment To Maximize DC Brands". Newsarama. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013.
^"Yoshito Usui". lambiek.net. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
^"Barbara Stok wint Stripschapprijs". Het Parool. Aug 17, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
^"Wei Qimei". lambiek.net. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
^"Underground Classics: The Transformation of Comics into Comix, 1963-1990" (Press release). Madison, Wisconsin: Chazen Museum of Art. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010.
^ ab"Original cartoons – from funny to political – on display at Ohio State". Ohio State News (Press release). Ohio State University. Jun 21, 2009.