2003 in comics

January

 * January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.

March

 * March 2: Bill Woggon, creator of Katy Keene, dies at age 92.

April

 * Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau. (DC Comics)
 * April 19: Webcomic Bigtime Consulting comes to a conclusion

May

 * May 27: Al Hartley, long-time Archie Comics and Christian comics artist, dies at age 81.

June

 * Wolverine vol. 2 is canceled by Marvel with issue #189.
 * June 10 - Manhwa Dragon Hunter begins publication

July

 * July 24: Warren Kremer, long-time Harvey Comics creator, passes away at age 82.

October

 * October 12: Pete Morisi dies at age 75.

November

 * November 12: Long-time Marvel Comics inker John Tartaglione dies at age 81.
 * November 30: Kin Platt dies at age 92.

December

 * December 5: Donald Duck comics writer/artist Bob Gregory dies at age 82.
 * December 27: Western Publishing artist Pete Alvarado dies at age 83.
 * December 29: British cartoonist Don Lawrence dies at age 75.

Conventions

 * January 25: Big Apple Comic Book Art, and Toy Show I (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City)
 * January 31–February 2: Creation Comic Book & Pop Culture Convention (Pasadena, California)
 * February 1–2: Alternative Press Expo (Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco)
 * February 9: Emerald City ComiCon (Qwest Field, West Field Plaza, Seattle, Washington) — first annual event; 2,500 attendees; guests: Erik Larsen, John Cassaday, Scott Morse, Pia Guerra, Darick Robertson, Sean Chen, Greg Rucka, Ford Gilmore, Jim Mahfood, Steve Skroce, Mike Huddleston, Steve Rolston, Ian Boothby, Jay Faerber, Matt Haley, Kathleen Webb, John Lustig, David Hahn, Stefano Gaudiano, Donna Barr, Roberta Gregory, Rick Hoberg, Jason Hall, and Brian Snöddy
 * February 28–March 2: MegaCon (Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida) — guests include J. Scott Campbell, Scott McDaniel, Chuck Dixon, Frank Cho, George Pérez, Roy Thomas, Greg Land, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Robert Rodi, Bart Sears, Brian Pulido, and Adam Hughes
 * March 18–20: Wizard World Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
 * March 22–24: East Coast Hobby Show 2003 (Ft. Washington Expo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
 * March 23: Toronto Comic Con I (Toronto Hilton Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
 * March 29–30: Planet Comicon (Overland Park International Trade Center, Overland Park, Kansas)
 * April: Phoenix Comicon (Glendale, Arizona)
 * April 5–6: Dallas Comic Con 2.0 (Richardson Civic Center, Plano, Texas) — guests include Tim Bradstreet, Adam Hughes, Dave Dorman, and Frank Cho, Scott Kurtz, Kerry Gammill, Cal Slayton, and Michael Lark. A collectible program book produced with dual covers by artists Dave Dorman and Adam Hughes.
 * April 5: Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (S.P.A.C.E.) (Ohio Expo Center, Rhodes Center, Columbus, Ohio) — special guests: Dave Sim and Gerhard
 * April 25–27: Pittsburgh Comicon (Pittsburgh Expomart, Monroeville, Pennsylvania) — guests include Terry Austin, Terry Moore, Wayne Wise, Adam Hughes, Bill Morrison, Erin Gray, George Pérez, Joseph Michael Linsner, Jim Balent, and Michael Turner
 * April 26–27: WonderCon (Moscone Center, San Francisco, California) — convention moves from Oakland
 * April 27: MicroCon 2003 (Maplewood Community Center, Maplewood, Minnesota)
 * May 2–3: Big Apple Comic Book Art, and Toy Show II (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City) — guest of honor Jim Steranko; other guests: Russ Heath, Billy Tucci, Graig Weich, Tony Isabella, Guy Gilchrist, Jim Krueger, Jamal Igle, Robin Riggs, and Jim Salicrup
 * May 2–3: Hershey Comicon I (Cocoaplex Cinema, Hershey, Pennsylvania)
 * May 16–18: Motor City Comic Con I (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan) — guests include Aaron Bordner, Mark Bode, Dan Brereton, Norm Breyfogle, Guy Davis, Dan Fogel, Frank Kelly Freas, Laura Freas, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Vince Locke, William Messner Loebs, James O'Barr, Jim Pitts, Paul Ryan, William Stout, Billy Tucci, Neil Vokes, and Larry Welz
 * May 17: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — 50 attendees; guests include William H. Foster, III, Jerry Craft, and Anthony Jappa
 * May 23–24: Comics 2003 (Bristol, Avon, England, U.K.) — presentation of the National Comics Awards; guests include Jim Lee, Jeff Smith, Dez Skinn, Mike Conroy, Duncan Fegredo, Steve Yeowell, Gary Spencer Millidge, Phil Winslade, Sean Phillips, Mike Carey, Chris Weston, Chris Francis, Phil Hall, Bryan Talbot, Dave Gibbons, John McCrea, John Cassaday, D'Israeli, Staz Johnson, Gary Erskine, Rich Johnston, Nick Locking, and David Hitchcock
 * May 30–June 1: Wizard World East (Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
 * May 31–June 1: Adventure Con 2 (Knoxville Expo Center, Knoxville, Tennessee)
 * June 13–15: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina) — guests include Bob Almond, Jim Amash, Pat Broderick, Frank Brunner, Sal Buscema, Nick Cardy, Richard Case, Steve Conley, Shane Davis, Kim DeMulder, Todd Dezago, Tommy Lee Edwards, Michael Eury, Tom Feister, Lou Ferrigno, Dick Giordano, Cully Hamner, Scott Hampton, Tony Harris, Irwin Hasen, Adam Hughes, Matt Hughes, Greg Hyland, Jamal Igle, Dan Jolley, Bruce Jones, Nat Jones, Jason Latour, Bob Layton, Jon Lewis, David W. Mack, Pop Mhan, Phil Noto, Jeff Parker, George Pratt, Budd Root, Craig Rousseau, Julie Schwartz, Bill Sienkiewicz, Roxanne Starr, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Roy Thomas, Rich Tommaso, Tim Townsend, Koi Turnbull, George Tuska, Neil Vokes, Loston Wallace, Daniel Way, and Mike Wieringo
 * June 13–14: Lexington Sci-Fi Comic Con (Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, Kentucky)
 * June 20–21: Hershey Comicon II (Cocoaplex Cinema, Hershey, Pennsylvania)
 * June 22: MoCCA Festival (Puck Building, New York City)
 * July 12–13: Big-D Collectible Show (Hampton Inn Military Pkwy & Hwy 635 Mesquite, Dallas, Texas) — 1500 attendees
 * July 17–20: Comic-Con International (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California) — 70,000 attendees; official guests: Brian Azzarello, Charles Berberian, Sal Buscema, Philippe Dupuy, Neil Gaiman, Jackson "Butch" Guice, Nalo Hopkinson, Steve Jackson, Geoff Johns, Larry Lieber, Carla Speed McNeil, Kevin O'Neill, Howard Post, and R.A. Salvatore
 * July 18–20: Hawaii All-Collectors Show (Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, Honolulu, Hawaii)
 * August: "Cyber CAPTION" (Oxford Union Society, Oxford, England) — guests include Carla Speed McNeil
 * August 3: Atlanta Comic Convention (Atlanta Marriott Century Center, Atlanta, Georgia)
 * August 8–10: Wizard World Chicago (Rosemont Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois)
 * August 22–24: Fan Expo Canada (Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) — 20,655 attendees; guests include Leonard Nimoy, Ray Park, Adrian Rayment & Neil Rayment Twins (The Matrix), J. August Richards, Connor Trinneer, Denise Crosby, Brian Michael Bendis, Francisco Herrera, Ed McGuinness, Ken Steacy, Darwyn Cooke, Josh Blaylock, and Fred Gallagher
 * August 29–September 1: Dragon Con (Hyatt Regency Atlanta/Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia) — 20,000+ attendees
 * September 5–6: Big Apple Comic Book Art, and Toy Show III (St. Paul's Church Auditorium, New York City)
 * September 5–7: Small Press Expo (Holiday Inn Select, Bethesda, Maryland)
 * September 12–14: Raptus 2003 (Bergen Konferanse Senter, Skandic Hotel Bergen, Bergen, Norway) — 4,500 attendees
 * September 20–21: Baltimore Comic-Con (Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland)
 * September 20–21: Royalfest 2003 (Gateway Center, Collinsville, Illinois) — 3,000–4,000 attendees
 * October 3–5: Adventure Con 2.5 (Gatlinburg Convention Center, Gatlinburg, Tennessee)
 * October 4–5: FallCon (Education Building at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul, Minnesota)
 * October 18–19: Motor City Comic Con II (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan) — guests include Kurt Busiek, Andy Lee, and David W. Mack
 * October 19: Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention (Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, Los Angeles, California)
 * October 19: Maine Comic Book Spectacular (Verrillo’s Convention Center, Portland, Maine)
 * October 25–26: Dallas Comic Con ("DCC3") (Plano Centre, Plano, Texas) — guests include Tim Bradstreet, Phil Noto, Adam Hughes, Scott Kurtz, John Lucas, Ben Dunn, Jaime Mendoza, Cal Slayton, and Erik Reeves
 * October 31–November 3: Las Vegas Comic-Con (Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada) — first annual event
 * October 31–November 2: Lucca Comics and Games (Fair Point, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy) — 50,000 attendees
 * November 1: Comic Festival Winter Special (Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, London, England, U.K.) — guests include Steven Appleby, Mark Buckingham, John M. Burns, Laurence Campbell, Al Davison, Alex Collier, Mike Conroy, Andy Diggle, Simon Donald, Christian Dunn, Ian Edginton, Carl Flint, Paul Gambaccini, Phil Gascoigne, Ian Gibson, Jon Haward, Morris Heggie, P. J. Holden, Jock, Davey Jones, Euan Kerr, Roger Langridge, Metaphrog, Gary Spencer Millidge, Robbie Morrison, Paul Palmer, Siku, Dez Skinn, Kev F. Sutherland, and Lee Townsend
 * November 6–9: Coco Bulles (Culture Palace of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire)
 * November 7–9: Toronto Comic Con II (National Trade Centre, Queen Elizabeth Building, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) — guests of honor: Jim Starlin and Michael William Kaluta
 * November 15–16: Kansas City ComiCon (Shawnee Civic Center, Shawnee, Kansas)
 * November 21–23: Wizard World Texas (Arlington Convention Center, Arlington, Texas)
 * November 28–30: Big Apple Comic Book Art, and Toy Show IV (Metropolitan Pavilion, New York City)
 * November 29–30: Mid-Ohio Con (Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio)
 * December 7: Boston Comic Book Spectacular (Boston Radisson Hotel, Amesbury, Massachusetts) — 1,000 attendees

First issues by title

 * Confidential Assassination Troop
 * Release: by Tong Li Comics. Writer & Artist: Fung Chin Pang


 * Fluffy
 * Release: by Jonathan Cape. Writer & Artist: Simone Lia


 * Opus
 * Release: November 23 by The Washington Post Company. Writer: Berkeley Breathed Artist: Berkeley Breathed.


 * xxxHolic
 * Release: February 24 by Kodansha. Authors: Clamp.