1997 in comics

Events

 * Publisher Blatant Comics founded by Chris Crosby and Bobby Crosby.

April

 * Comic strip Cigarman begins publication in Smoke Magazine

July

 * July was Marvel Comics' Flashback month. All issues were released with the number −1.

November

 * Mayo Kaan takes out newspaper ads claiming to be the original model for Superman, although his allegations were later proven false.

December

 * Marvel returns the Avengers and Fantastic Four to their main continuity in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1–4

January

 * January 25: Dan Barry dies at age 73.

February

 * February 15: Jack Sparling dies at age 81.

March

 * March 10: Stan Drake dies at age 75.

June

 * Ruth Atkinson, co-creator of Patsy Walker and Millie the Model, passes away at age 78.

November

 * December 13: Samm Schwartz, long-time artist of Jughead stories for Archie Comics, passes away at age 75.

Conventions

 * February 2: Alternative Press Expo (San Jose, California)
 * March: Big Apple Comic Con (Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City)
 * March 15–16: UKCAC (Institute of Education, London, England) — guests include Joe Kubert and Dan Clowes; presentation of the inaugural National Comics Awards by Paul Gambaccini and Jonathan Ross
 * March 15–16: MegaCon (Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida): guests include J. Michael Straczynski and Peter David
 * March 21–23: Motor City Comic Con I (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan)
 * April: Northampton Comic Convention (Northampton, Massachusetts)
 * April 18–20: Pittsburgh Comicon (Monroeville ExpoMart, Monroeville, Pennsylvania) — guests include David Prowse and Carmen Electra
 * April 25–27: WonderCon (Oakland, California)
 * Summer: "EuroCAPTION" (Oxford Union Society, Oxford, England) — guests include France's David B, Spain's Max, and the Netherlands' Maaike Hartjes
 * Summer: Canadian National Comic Book Exposition (Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) — c. 3,800 attendees; guests include Marc Silvestri, Dwayne Turner, Carlos Pacheco, Dale Keown, David Wohl, and Rich Buckler
 * June 12–15: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina)
 * June 26–29: Dragon Con (Inforum Convention Center/Westin Peachtree Plaza/Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, Georgia) — 18,000 attendees
 * July 4–6: Chicago Comicon (Rosemont Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois) — c. 5,000 attendees; convention sold to Wizard Entertainment
 * July 17–20: Comic-Con International (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California) — 40,000 attendees; special guests include Brent Anderson, Dick Ayers, Steve Bissette, Terry Brooks, Kurt Busiek, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Steven Hughes, Peter Kuper, David Lapham, Carol Lay, Joseph Michael Linsner, Ralph McQuarrie, Linda Medley, Michael Moorcock, George Pérez, Brian Pulido, Alex Ross, R.A. Salvatore, Kevin Smith, George Tuska, Jhonen Vasquez, Paul Verhoeven, Mark Waid, and Al Williamson
 * September 19–21: Small Press Expo (Silver Spring, Maryland)
 * October 11–12: Motor City Comic Con II (Dearborn Civic Center, Dearborn, Michigan)
 * November 29–30: Mid-Ohio Con (Adam's Mark Hotel, Columbus, Ohio) — guests include John Byrne, Roger Stern, Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, Sergio Aragonés, Mark Evanier, Mart Nodell, Tony Isabella, Joseph Michael Linsner, Sheldon Moldoff, Terry Moore, Steve Lieber, Jim Ottaviani, Paul Smith, Alvin Schwartz, Murphy Anderson, and Bernie Wrightson

First issues by title

 * Clover
 * Release: by Kodansha (Amie). Authors: Clamp


 * Desert Punk
 * Release: August 5 by Enterbrain (Comic Beam). Author: Usune Masatoshi


 * Peach Girl
 * Release: by Kodansha (Bessatsu Friend). Author: Miwa Ueda