Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles and ends, this time for May 18-24, 2018...

150 years ago May 23, 1868 Kit Carson dies of an abdominal aortic aneurysm at age 58. The scout became a pop-culture favorite via dime novels; appearances included a seven-issue comics series from Avon.

125 years ago May 21, 1893 Walter McDougall creates the first cartoon that is printed in color in a U.S. newspaper. “The Possibilities of the Broadway Cable Car” appears in the New York World.

65 years ago May 18, 1953 Award-winning writer-artist Arthur Suydam is born. He creates Cholly and Flytrap and is known for work on Heavy Metal and Penthouse Comix and on covers for such titles as Marvel Zombies and Deadpool.

60 years ago May 22, 1958 Artist Jim Rohn is born.

55 years ago May 18, 1963 Inker James L. Sanders III is born.

55 years ago May 19, 1963 Artist Reggie Byers is born. He creates Shuriken and Kidz of the King.

50 years ago May 19, 1968 Letterer and artist Robert Bostick is born.

30 years ago May 19, 1988 Actor Daws Butler dies of a stroke at age 71. He voiced a wide variety of characters, from Chilly Willy and Huckleberry Hound to Yogi Bear and Cap’n Crunch.

30 years ago May 24, 1988 Action Comics #601 kicks off the series’ publication as a weekly anthology title for almost a year.

10 years ago May 19, 2008 Retailer Rory Root dies at age 50 of complications from hernia surgery. The owner of the Comic Relief comics shop in Berkeley was awarded the Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award.

10 years ago May 22, 2008 Science fiction and fantasy writer Robert Asprin dies at age 61. His MythAdventures series is adapted to comics format in the 1980s.