Events
January
January 1: Newsweek offers a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. January 1: After 109 years of continuous publication the longest-running comic strip of all time, The Katzenjammer Kids (originally created by Harold H. Knerr) comes to an end. January 2: Gabrielle, AKA 'Gaby', Scaon-Possompes, director of the comics museum Musée de la BD in Angoulême, is honoured with the title Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. January 2: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process. January 3: Todd Hignite interviews Brian Walker, co-curator of the Masters of American Comics exhibition currently on at the Hammer Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The London Metropolitan Police refuse to distribute Cops and Robbers, a comic book detailing first hand stories of criminals embracing the Christian faith. The police cite the book's failure to cover a multitude of faiths as reason. January 5: 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner Nick Anderson is to move from the Louisville Courier-Journal, where he thrived, to the Houston Chronicle. January 6: Richard Branson is launching Virgin Comics alongside mystical self-help guru Deepak Chopra, a company to be based in and cater for India. Film director John Woo is reported to be developing a series for the company. Christianity Today use Bill Watterson's position on licensing to contrast with the marketing of Aslan in the wake of the current film based upon The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Neil Gaiman is interviewed by 92nd Street Y. January 8: Jeet Heer appraises Daydreams and Nightmares, a new collection of work by Winsor McCay, for The Boston Globe. Tom Spurgeon interviews Matt Madden in the wake of the publication of his new work 99 Ways to Tell a Story. January 9: The jury selects Etienne Davodeau's Les Mauvaises Gens to receive the Prix du Public at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. Bob Greenberger is let go from his position as Collected Editions Editor by DC Comics. United Kingdom television channel Five are to broadcast a series based on the comic strip Rupert the Bear. The series is being produced by Cosgrove Hall. Jean-François Kieffer's Loupio series has been awarded Le prix de la BD chretienne Francophone, the prize awarded by a jury composed from representatives of Christian denominations. Hasbro and Marvel Comics announce a deal which allows the former to produce toys based upon the latter's comic book characters. January 10: Cartoonist Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the band Gorillaz, is nominated for the Designer of the Year award. A fund to support journalists, writers, cartoonists and artists is launched. The fund is intended to help those who become persecuted for their work in the Middle East or North Africa. The fund was developed at the International Conference on Freedom of Expression in the Arab World, held in Amman, Jordan, in December 2005. Comic book writer J. Torres is to write a series of graphic novels based on the popular television drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation. German manga Yonen Buzzs first volume is released in English by Tokyopop. January 11: Hal Foster fan Sid Weiskirch is to curate an exhibition of his work at the Noyes Cultural Center in Evanston, Illinois, where Foster was resident for 17 years. Seth is interviewed by Daniel Robert Epstein for UnderGround Online. AdHouse Books founder Chris Pitzer is interviewed at Newsarama. Pitzer discusses his opinion of the state of the industry at present and also the future. January 12: Marvel Comics unveil a new costume for Spider-Man. The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists place a report from the Business Journal of Phoenix, which comments on the future of editorial cartooning in the United States, upon their website.The Comics Reporter The Springfield News-Sun offer up their top ten Stan Lee moments. Tim Marchman reviews Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library for the New York Press.Marksman, Tim. New York Press Spike TV is to show a two-hour drama based on the comic book and media franchise character Blade. Simon & Schuster, Inc. announce that as of January 2006 they are to handle distribution within the United States for VIZ Media's book division. January 15: The Guardian review Hergé's Adventures of Tintin the musical at the Young Vic based on Tintin in Tibet. January 16: ICv2 reports on 2005 sales figures for works distributed to comics stores, noting that sales of graphic novels were up by a third. Paul Gravett reviews the Young Vic's production of Hergé's Adventures of Tintin. January 17: Drawn & Quarterly announce plans to collect Tove Jansson's Moomin comic strips. It is planned to collect the works in five volumes.