Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles and ends, this time for February 9-15, 2018...
160 years ago February 10, 1858 Writer-artist Walter McDougall is born. He illustrates Bill Nye’s newspaper features, which may make him the first syndicated newspaper artist. He also writes and draws McDougall’s Good Stories for Children for the New York Herald.
100 years ago February 12, 1918 Cartoonist Bud Blake is born. He creates the award-winning Tiger newspaper feature.
95 years ago February 10, 1923 Award-winning editorial cartoonist Hy Rosen is born.
90 years ago February 9, 1928 Iconic fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta is born. Creator of Thun’da for comic books and Johnny Comet for comic strips, he begins his career in Bernard Baily’s studio and then freelances with comics work including assists on Li’l Abner and Little Annie Fanny. His work includes paintings that illustrate works of heroic fantasy.
90 years ago February 11, 1928 The Rover #304 introduces Dudley D. Watkins’ Morgyn the Mighty.
85 years ago February 15, 1933 Animator, film producer, and comics artist Pat Sullivan dies of pneumonia at age 47.
80 years ago February 11, 1938 Artist Arnie Levin is born. He is the animation director for Electra Studio, a New Yorker cartoonist, and an art teacher.
75 years ago February 13, 1943 Norwegian comics artist Håkon Aasnes is born. The creator of Seidel og Tobram draws other features, as well, including such characters as Donald Duck and Fantomen.
70 years ago February 15, 1948 Underground comix writer-artist-editor Art Spiegelman is born. He wins the Pulitzer Prize for Maus.
55 years ago February 15, 1963 Writer-artist Marc Hansen is born. His creations include Ralph Snart, Weird Melvin, and Doctor Gorpon.
45 years ago February 10, 1973 Spider-Man Comics begins from Marvel UK, edited by Tony Isabella.
45 years ago February 15, 1973 Actor Wally Cox dies of a heart attack at age 48. His roles included the Mr. Peepers character in the TV series of that name. As a voice artist, he played characters including Underdog.
40 years ago February 9, 1978 Award-winning political cartoonist Warren King dies, age 62. His career included MLJ comic books and assisting Rube Goldberg.
40 years ago February 9, 1978 Woody Gelman dies of a stroke at age 62. The writer-artist, Nostalgia Press publisher, and Topps editor and art director co-created Bazooka Joe, Mars Attacks, and Popsicle Pete. He also created and wrote “The Dodo and the Frog.”
35 years ago February 10, 1983 Wally Robertson dies at age 80. The Scots artist was known for work on Charlie Chaplin comics.
35 years ago February 11, 1983 Krause Publications takes over publication of The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom from creator Alan Light, initially changing the name to The Comics Buyer’s Guide. The new editors are Don and Maggie Thompson.
30 years ago February 11, 1988 Italian comics artist Lino Landolfi dies at age 62.
30 years ago February 13, 1988 Ron Embleton, British artist of Wulf the Briton and Wicked Wanda, dies of a heart attack at age 57.
15 years ago February 14, 2003 Daredevil opens with Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, and Colin Farrell as Bullseye in a script written by director Mark Steven Johnson and, obviously, based on the Marvel character co-created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett.
10 years ago February 10, 2008 Emmy-winning comics writer Steve Gerber dies of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at age 60. His career included co-creating Howard the Duck with artist Val Mayerik, initially as the comedy relief offered by a “funny animal” trapped in a human world.
5 years ago February 10, 2013 William Watts Biggers dies of a heart attack at age 85. The Underdog co-creator and co-writer (with Chet Stover) also wrote the Underdog theme.
