January 1: The direct-to-DVD movie Hulk Vs was released.[1]
January 6: The third and final volume of Hollow Fields has been released.
January 28: The Dutch comics magazine Eppo returns to the market after having discontinued a decade ago. It manages to remain in print, as of today. [2]
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.[5]
April
In honor of Wolverine's 35th anniversary, Marvel Comics announced that numerous Marvel titles would feature Wolverine Art Appreciation Variant covers in April 2009.[6] Styles will be reminiscent of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol.[7] 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.[8]
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.[19]
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.[26]
Deaths
January
January 12: Susanne Wenger, Austrian illustrator and comics artist (worked for Unsere Zeitung), dies at age 93. [27]
January 21: Claude Moliterni, French comics writer (Scarlett Dream), critic and historian and co-founder of the Angoulême International Comics Festival, dies at the age of 76.[28]
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. [30]
March
March 8: Mike Van Audenhove, American-Swiss comics artist (Koch Comix, Zürich by Mike), dies at age 51. [31]
March 31: Juan Bernet Toledano, Spanish comics artist (Altamiro de la Cueva) dies at age 84.[32]
May
May 1: Ric Estrada, Cuban-American comics artist (worked for DC Comics), passes away at age 81 from prostate cancer.[33]
May 21: Giorgio Bellavitis, Italian comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 72 or 73. [34]
April 3: Harry Schlegel, German comics artist (Kapitäns Jonathan Pappendick, Pedro und Coco, Pats ReiseabenteuerMax und Maxi), dies at age 78 or 79. [36]
April 4: Fritzi Harmsen van Beek, Dutch comics artist (continued Flipje van Tiel), dies at age 81.[37]
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. [38]
April 24: José Miguel Heredia, Argentine comics artist (Perro Mundo, El Doctor Vudú, El Cuaderno Rojo, Ferranio), dies at age 75.[39]
June
June 9: Dave Simons, American comics artist and animator (worked for Marvel and DC Comics), dies at age 54.[40]
June 19: Piet Tibos, Belgian comics artist and cartoonist (De Avonturen van Sebedeus en zijn Ploeg), dies at age 78.[41]
July
July 3: Martin Vaughn-James, British painter, illustrator and comics artist (Elephant, The Projector, The Park, The Cage), dies at age 65.[42]
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.[43]
July 21: Heinz Edelmann, German graphic designer, illustrator, animator, cartoonist and comics artist (Yellow Submarine), dies from heart disease at age 75.[45]
July 22: John Ryan, British comics artist and animator (Harris Tweed, Extra Special Agent, Captain Pugwash), dies at age 88.[46]
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. [47]
August 15: Matej Nemecek, Czech comics artist, dies at age 28. [50]
September
September 25: Jean Vermeire, aka Jiv, Belgian comics artist and illustrator (Les Aventures de M. Ding, Les Aventures de Bob), passes away at age 88.[51]
September 26: Carlos Roume, Argentine comics artist, dies at age 85 or 86. [52]
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.[59]
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.[67]
Xavier Musquera, aka Chris, Spanish comics artist (Melly Brown, Peggy Press, Monsieu Wens, Angie, Miss Blondie), passes away at age 66. [68]
December 10: Jean-Marie Brouyère, Belgian comics writer (Archie Cash, L'Épervier Bleu), dies at age 66.[69]
December 14: Minami Keizi, Brazilian novelist and comics artist (Tupãzinho), dies at age 54.[70]
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), passes away at age 89.[71]
December: Nel van Beek, aka Koten, Dutch feminist, poster designer and comics artist (Dol en Mina, Floor Blom), dies at age 75 or 76.[72]
September 4–7: Dragon Con (Hyatt Regency Atlanta/Marriott Marquis/Atlanta Hilton/Sheraton, Atlanta, Georgia, USA) — 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, USA)
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