Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles and ends, this time for June 15-21, 2018...
115 years ago June 21, 1903 Caricaturist Al Hirschfeld is born.
95 years ago June 19, 1923 Moon Mullins by Frank Willard and Ferd Johnson begins.
90 years ago June 20, 1928 Martin Landau is born. Though best known for his work as an actor in such series as Mission: Impossible and for his Oscar-winning performance in Ed Wood, he begins his career as a cartoonist and assists Gus Edson on The Gumps during the 1940s and 1950s.
75 years ago June 20, 1943 Penny by Harry Haenigsen begins.
70 years ago June 17, 1948 Cartoonist and painter Bob “Chance” Browne is born. He draws Hi and Lois.
70 years ago June 18, 1948 Colorist Linda Lessmann is born.
65 years ago June 18, 1953 Writer-artist-editor Mark Gruenwald is born. Best known for his work for Marvel Comics and his detailed knowledge of its continuity, he writes and creates characters for such series as Captain America, Quasar, D.P. 7, and Squadron Supreme.
65 years ago June 20, 1953 French artist Émile-Joseph Pinchon dies at age 72. He was known for “Bécassine” and “Frimousset.”
55 years ago June 16, 1963 Artist Gary Thomas Washington is born.
40 years ago June 19, 1978 Garfield by Jim Davis begins.
35 years ago June 17, 1983 Superman III opens, directed by Richard Lester and starring Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Richard Pryor, and Annette O’Toole; it’s the last Superman film produced by Alexander and Ilya Salkind.
30 years ago June 16, 1988 Italian writer-artist Andrea Pazienza dies of a heroin overdose at age 32. He was best known for the graphic novel Pompeo.
30 years ago June 16, 1988 The Superman convention “Neverending Battle” begins in Cleveland, Ohio, celebrating Superman’s 50th anniversary.
25 years ago June 14, 1993 Alley Oop creator V.T. Hamlin dies at age 93.
5 years ago June 19, 2013 Fantagraphics vice president and writer-editor-co-publisher-translator Kim Thompson dies of lung cancer at age 56.
