Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles and ends, this time for August 11-17, 2017...

125 years ago August 16, 1892 Writer-artist Hal Foster is born. Despite the quality of his work on the Tarzan comic strip, he is best known for his creation of and work on the Prince Valiant comic strip.

125 years ago August 16, 1892 Animator Otto Messmer is born. He’s especially known for developing Felix the Cat.

115 years ago August 11, 1902 Jack Binder is born. The Golden Age artist (brother of writer Otto Binder) creates the Lev Gleason Daredevil, draws Mary Marvel, and is head of an art studio.

100 years ago August 11, 1917 The Reuben Award-winning cartoonist of Hi and Lois and Hagar the Horrible, Dik Browne, is born.

100 years ago August 13, 1917 Selby Kelly is born as Selby Daley. The animator and artist marries Walt Kelly.

75 years ago August 13, 1942 Walt Disney’s Bambi opens. Based on the Felix Salten novel, it makes the AFI list of top 10 animated features and is on the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. (And Wiki says that Time lists it as one of the Top 25 Horror Movies of all Time.)

65 years ago August 13, 1952 “Desert Peach” and “Stinz” creator, artist-writer Donna Barr, is born.

65 years ago August 16, 1952 Writer Dick Foreman is born. He’s especially known for his work on Black Orchid.

45 years ago August 15, 1972 Don and Maggie Thompson begin their Beautiful Balloons column in Alan L. Light’s The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom #19.

40 years ago August 15, 1977 Ray Palmer dies at age 67. The influential science fiction pioneer, writer, and editor had credits including co-editing (with Walter Dennis) what is agreed to be the first science fiction fanzine (The Comet) and presiding over such pulp-era magazines as Amazing Stories and Other Worlds. DC’s The Atom was named for him.

35 years ago August 15, 1982 Writer-artist Ernie Bushmiller dies at age 76. He took over Fritzi Ritz from creator Larry Whittington and became famous for his work starring Fritzi’s niece, Nancy.

30 years ago August 17, 1987 Retailer Bob Wayne joins the DC Comics staff in the newly created position of Retail Promotions Manager.

15 years ago August 17, 2002 Cartoonist and teacher Bill Staton dies at age 43. He co-wrote and drew “Captain Armadillo.”

10 years ago August 12, 2007 Artist Mike Wieringo dies at age 44 of aortic dissection. The co-creator of Tellos was best known for his work on Flash and Fantastic Four.

5 years ago August 12, 2012 Award-winning Joe Kubert dies at age 85 of multiple myeloma. The father of artists Adam and Andy Kubert was a writer, artist, and teacher and founded The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art.

5 years ago August 14, 2012 Award-winning actress Rosemary Rice dies of a heart attack at age 87. Although best known for her performance on the Mama TV show, she also played Betty Cooper on the Archie Andrews Show radio series.