Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles and ends, this time for July 14-20, 2017...

105 years ago July 20, 1912 Golden Age artist John Lehti is born. His work includes Tales from the Great Book, Sgt. Rock, and The Losers.

90 years ago July 14, 1927 Writer-editor-artist-publisher Mike Esposito is born. The hall of fame honoree is often teamed with Ross Andru, and he draws such characters as Spider-Man and Wonder Woman, as well as many Archie stories.

90 years ago July 15, 1927 Artist Jack Abel is born. He works for several comics companies, sometimes as Gary Michaels, on such characters as Superman, Iron Man, and Hulk.

85 years ago July 20, 1932 Artist, editor, and DC vice president and executive editor Dick Giordano is born. He will also serve on the board of directors of The Hero Initiative.

80 years ago July 17, 1937 Abbie an’ Slats begins, created and written by Al Capp and drawn by Raeburn Van Buren.

75 years ago July 15, 1942 Wow Comics #6 introduces Commando Yank and Phantom Eagle.

75 years ago July 16, 1942 Artist, writer, and editor Russ Jones is born. He creates Warren’s Creepy magazine.

65 years ago July 17, 1952 Historian and critic Mike Tiefenbacher is born. Among his credits is his work as managing editor of The Comic Reader.

65 years ago July 19, 1952 Flaming Carrot creator artist-writer Bob Burden is born.

65 years ago July 20, 1952 Writer Mark Hamlin is born.

55 years ago July 17, 1962 Artist Steven S. Crompton is born.

45 years ago July 15, 1972 Funny Aminals from Apex Novelties goes on sale. In that anthology underground is a three-pager titled “Maus,” the start of Art Spiegelman’s classic.

45 years ago July 19, 1972 Writer-artist, art director, teacher, and editor Jamal Yaseem Igle is born. He creates Molly Danger.

35 years ago July 16, 1982 The first day of the Chicago Comicon at the Americana-Congress hotel kicks off three days of what becomes known as “Sweatcon,” thanks to its air conditioning failing to compete with the event’s major Doctor Who component. It’s the last downtown-Chicago year for the con, which moves next to the Ramada O’Hare.

25 years ago July 14, 1992 Paul T. Foxgrover is sentenced. The Michael Correa judge pleaded guilty to theft, official misconduct, and forgery and is sentenced to six years in state prison and ordered to pay $25,934 in restitution for stealing fines he’s imposed. A spinoff of the Correa case is the creation of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

25 years ago July 17, 1992 Micronauts and Rom writer and Cloak and Dagger and Rocket Raccoon creator Bill Mantlo is struck by a car while rollerblading and permanently brain-injured.