Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles and ends, this time for April 20-26, 2018...
90 years ago April 21, 1928 Shanghai Manhua #1 is released.
90 years ago April 23, 1928 Swedish artist and magician Gösta Gummesson is born.
85 years ago April 21, 1933 Pop culture expert and historian Jim Harmon is born.
80 years ago April 21, 1938 Belgian comics magazine Le Journal de Spirou begins, introducing Spirou by François Robert Velter.
75 years ago April 24, 1943 Award-winning Dutch writer-artist Dick Matena is born. His work includes Grote Pyr, Virl, Disney characters in comic books, biographical comics, and adaptations of classic novels.
75 years ago April 26, 1943 Fantasy-film historian Bill Warren is born. He writes for Warren (no relation) comics.
75 years ago April 26, 1943 New York World cartoonist Frank Ladendorf dies at age 82 after a long illness.
70 years ago April 24, 1948 Italian comics series Pantera Bionda by Gian Giacomo Dalmasso and Ingam begins.
65 years ago April 23, 1953 Cynthy J. Wood is born. She writes and edits for Innovation and edits for Sirius Comics.
50 years ago April 20, 1968 Katzenjammer Kids writer-artist Rudolph Dirks dies at age 91. He created the newspaper feature that, in an ownership dispute, changed its name to Hans and Fritz and, later, The Captain and the Kids.
50 years ago April 22, 1968 Flemish artist Jan Waterschoot dies at age 85.
30 years ago April 23, 1988 2000 AD #571 begins The Journal of Luke Kirby.
25 years ago April 20, 1993 Belgian artist Charles Degotte, known for his work at Spirou, commits suicide at age 59.
25 years ago April 23, 1993 Dutch writer Bertus Aafjes dies at age 78.