Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles and ends, this time for February 24 to March 2, 2017...

140 years ago February 26, 1877 Rudolph Dirks is born. He creates The Katzenjammer Kids, which later changes its name to Hans and Fritz and, later still, The Captain and the Kids.

130 years ago February 27, 1887 British comic book artist Edgar Henry Banger is born. His work includes features “Enoch Hard,” “Tubby and Trot,” “Jolliboy Farm,” “Koko the Pup,” and “Kiddyfun.”

115 years ago March 2, 1902 National Cartoonists Society president, syndicate owner, art editor, and cartoonist Al Smith is born. He draws Mutt and Jeff for 48 years.

110 years ago February 28, 1907 Award-winning writer-artist Milton Caniff is born. He creates Terry and The Pirates, Male Call, and Steve Canyon and co-founds the National Cartoonists Society. His donated collection helps form the basis for the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University.

100 years ago February 28, 1917 Political cartoonist and teacher Taizo Yokoyama is born. The creator of Pu-san (“Mr. Poo”), he helps found the magazine Eheh.

100 years ago March 2, 1917 Cartoonist Alex S. Graham is born. The Fred Basset creator also draws the classic March 1953 New Yorker cartoon in which aliens say to a horse, “Kindly take us to your president.”

95 years ago March 1, 1922 EC publisher and co-editor William M. Gaines is born. He presides over MAD for decades.

65 years ago February 24, 1952 Award-winning writer-artist Bryan Talbot is born. His work includes The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and The Tale of One Bad Rat.

65 years ago March 1, 1952 Joyce Brabner is born. The writer is a sometime-collaborator with her husband, Harvey Pekar.

65 years ago March 2, 1952 Comics and animation writer, editor, expert, interviewer, blogger—and historian—Mark Evanier is born.

60 years ago March 1, 1957 Caricaturist George Kochell is born.

55 years ago February 27, 1962 Artist Andy Kubert is born. He’s especially known for his work on X-Men and Batman projects.

40 years ago February 26, 1977 IPC’s 2000 AD #1 introduces “Tharg the Mighty” as editor and revives Dan Dare.

35 years ago March 1, 1982 Long-time fan writer Carol Kalish goes to work at Marvel as Mike Friedrich’s assistant sales manager.

30 years ago February 27, 1987 Smokey Stover creator Bill Holman dies at age 83.

30 years ago February 27, 1987 Artist Darrell McClure dies at age 84. He took over the Little Annie Rooney comic strip from Ben Batsford in the 1930s.

25 years ago February 28, 1992 CBS begins the Fish Police TV series from Hanna-Barbera: a series based on Steve Moncuse’s comic book.

10 years ago February 28, 2007 The 30th anniversary issue of 2000 AD (Prog #1526) kicks off Nikolai Dante by Robbie Morrison and Simon Fraser and Savage by Pat Mills and Charlie Adlard.

10 years ago March 1, 2007 BeanoMAX #1 is a monthly spinoff of The Beano.

5 years ago February 24, 2012 Cartoonist Jan Berenstain dies of a stroke at age 88. With her husband, Stan, she co-created the It’s All in the Family magazine cartoon series and the “Berenstain Bears” series of kid’s books.

5 years ago February 29, 2012 Singer-songwriter, musician, and actor Davy Jones dies of a heart attack at age 66. The Monkees band member was featured on photo covers of Dell’s Monkees series.

5 years ago February 29, 2012 Artist Sheldon Moldoff dies at age 91. Known for his Golden Age Hawkman art and for long-term ghosting of work signed by Bob Kane, he co-created Poison Ivy (with Robert Kanigher), Mr. Freeze (with Dave Wood), and Bat-Mite (with Bill Finger), among other characters.

And here are the anniversaries spanning the month of March...

80 years ago March 1937 Dell’s The Comics #1 cover-features its announcement of a Tom Mix feature, his first comic book appearance. Other features cover-announced are Arizona Kid, Eric Noble, G Man Jim, Magic Pages, Myra North, Prairie Bill, Tom Beatty, Sky Clipper, and Stamp Page. Not named on the cover are Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy (clearly not drawn by Roy Crane, though the feature inside is). And the features include several others from NEA. (The series is, by the way, not to be confused with The Comics Magazine from 1936 with its early Walt Kelly comic book feature.)

80 years ago March 1937 Is the most notable thing about Detective Comics #1 that it may have the first comics cover to feature a villain? (It’s Fu Manchu, by the way.) Is it that it introduces Slam Bradley (created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster) and Speed Saunders (by E.C. Stoner and Creig Flessel)? Or is it that this issue kicks off a series that will introduce Batman eventually—and give its name to the entire line of comics?

75 years ago March 1942 Quality’s Police Comics #8 introduces Manhunter in a story by Tex Blaisdell and Alex Kotzky.

75 years ago March 1942 Street and Smith’s Shadow Comics #15 (which it numbers as Vol. 2 #3) introduces “a riot!” in Supersnipe. Created by George Marcous, Koppy McFad is a comics obsessive with whom many of his readers can (cough) identify.

55 years ago March 1962 “Now that I have the entire Justice League at my fingertips, nothing can stop me from casting my evil spells over the Earth!” Eek! DC’s Justice League of America #10 introduces Felix Faust in “The Fantastic Fingers of Felix Faust!” by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, and Bernard Sachs.

55 years ago March 1962 “In this great, collectors’-item issue, you will see, for the first time: the amazing Fantasti-Car, the colorful new Fantastic Four costumes, and other startling surprises!” In Marvel’s Fantastic Four #3, you, “Also, learn the secret of the Fantastic Four’s skyscraper hide-out!!”

55 years ago March 1962 “Forged out of fire—spring the world’s most startling heroes—the battling Metal Men—Platinum, Gold, Mercury, Iron, Lead and Tin … in the book-length blockbuster … ‘The Flaming Doom!’” That about says it. DC’s Showcase #37 introduces the team, created by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito.

50 years ago March 1967 Gold Key publishes its first (and only) issue of Space Ghost, featuring art by Dan Spiegle.

50 years ago March 1967 “The world’s most out-numbered crime fighter returns!” but #2 is the last issue of Harvey Comics’ The Spirit. Sigh. Guess that’s the last we’ll ever hear of Will Eisner’s character. Well …

45 years ago March 1972 Marvel Team-Up #1 begins the second ongoing Spider-Man series. Spidey teams with The Human Torch in “Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas!” by Roy Thomas, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito.

45 years ago March 1972 Gold Key launches Mystery Comics Digest, with the first issue devoted to Ripley’s Believe It or Not!—which, if you go by this anthology, seems to focus largely on weird events. (The cover describes the contents as, “Weird! Eerie! Authentic!”)

45 years ago March 1972 Marvel’s Amazing Adventures #11 (whose cover announces, “Featuring BEAST,” and “Lo! A Beast is born!”) introduces Hank McCoy’s leaving The X-Men and mutating into the furry Beast. “The Beast!” (yes, that’s the title) is by Gerry Conway, Tom Sutton, and Syd Shores.

45 years ago March 1972 Stan Lee is promoted to publisher and editorial director of Marvel Comics Group, which is made a separate division of Magazine Management Co. by owner Cadence Industries.

45 years ago March 1972 William M. Gaines informally joins the staff of DC Comics as a consultant.

40 years ago March 1977 DC kicks off its 80-page Dollar Comics format (64 pages of new stories) with House of Mystery #251 (“Your friends will hate you if you reveal the endings of the 7 chilling tales inside!”—the previous price being 30¢) and The Superman Family #182 (“Sensational new stories”—the previous price being 50¢).

40 years ago March 1977 The previous issue, #301, was Our Army at War. DC retitles it Sgt. Rock (“blasting into his own battle book”) beginning with #302.

40 years ago March 1977 Such DC comics as Detective Comics #468 introduce Jenette Kahn as the company’s new publisher.

40 years ago March 1977 As noted last month, comics that used to be published by National Periodical Publications, Inc. have this publication date on titles published by the newly named DC Comics Inc.

40 years ago March 1977 Created by John Albano and Tony DeZuniga for All-Star Western #10 five years earlier, Jonah Hex gets his very own title with DC’s Jonah Hex #1. (“The weirdest Western hero now in his own magazine!”)

35 years ago March 1982 Marvel’s The Spectacular Spider-Man #64 cover-features the introduction of Cloak and Dagger in a story by Bill Mantlo, Ed Hannigan, and Al Milgrom.

35 years ago March 1982 Quality’s Warrior #1 celebrates the return of psychotic Alex Pressbutton. But look what’s being teased on the left of the cover. Not only is there a plug for the new series “V for Vendetta” (by Alan Moore and David Lloyd), but there’s also a silhouette teasing about “A Hero Reborn.” Who could that be? Well, that hero also happens to be in a story written by Alan Moore; the artist is Garry Leach. And who’s back? That’d be Marvelman. (Maybe you know him as Miracleman. There was a name change eventually for U.S. readers.)

35 years ago March 1982 “A 72-page anniversary epic,” DC’s Justice League of America brings fans a “super-sized, star-studded 200th issue” featuring a “jam” story.

35 years ago March 1982 “Have no fear … The Zoo Crew is here!” Following their introduction in New Teen Titans #16, DC’s Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! begins, with the team sharing the cover with a kryptonite-endangered Superman. “The Pluto Syndrome!” is by Roy Thomas, Scott Shaw!, Ross Andru, and Bob Smith.

35 years ago March 1982 “This is it!” What is it? It’s Marvel Fanfare #1, a title aimed at the fan market. This issue features contributors Chris Claremont, Michael Golden, Al Milgrom, Roger McKenzie, Paul Smith, Terry Austin, Frank Miller, and Jim Shooter.

35 years ago March 1982 Easy Reader says, “This comic book is easy to read!” Marvel’s Spidey Super Stories #57 is the last issue of the collaboration between Marvel Comics and The Electric Company.

30 years ago March 1987 The Puppet Master gets the cover of Marvel’s Fantastic Four #300, in which Johnny Storm marries Alicia Masters—but (Spoiler Warning!) there will turn out to be, shall we say, even more complications.

30 years ago March 1987 Time to say goodbye to a couple of long-running series: Archie’s Pep #411 is its last issue, and DC’s G.I. Combat #288 announces on the cover that it’s the “Action-packed final issue!”

30 years ago March 1987 DC brings a new Captain Atom to comics. He’s General Wade Eiling and is introduced in Captain Atom #1. “After they blow him to bits … the adventure begins!” “Point of Origin” is by Cary Bates, Pat Broderick, and Bob Smith.

25 years ago March 1992 In “The Return of Scarface” by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, Rene Montoya is introduced in Batman #475.

25 years ago March 1992 Cletus Kasady was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #344, but now … In #360 Carnage makes a brief appearance in “Death Toy!” by David Michelinie, Chris Marrinan, and Keith Williams.

15 years ago March 2002 “Now, More than Ever—For Truth, Justice & The American Way!” DC’s Adventures of Superman #600 is a “super-sized anniversary issue!” Features bring readers up to date, including “life ended fighting Doomsday!” and continuing, “And still he returned.”

10 years ago March 2007 DC’s Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #214 (featuring Deadshot) is its last issue.

5 years ago March 2012 Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples team to bring readers the science fiction story Saga from Image. Awards will be forthcoming.