Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for March 8-14, 2019...
140 years ago March 14, 1879 French comics pioneer Louis Forton is born. He creates Les Pieds Nickelés and Bibi Fricotin.
100 years ago March 13, 1919 The wife of Green Lantern creator Marty Nodell, Carrie Nodell, is born. She joins him as a beloved comics convention attendee.
60 years ago March 14, 1959 Art teacher and Innovation painter Felipe Echevarria is born.
55 years ago March 11, 1964 Writer-artist Lea Hernandez is born. She co-creates (with Gail Simone) Killer Princesses and creates Rumble Girls and The Garlicks.
55 years ago March 11, 1964 Kolosso by Carlo Porciani and Mario Faustinelli is introduced.
30 years ago March 14, 1989 With #642, DC ends weekly publication of Action Comics Weekly, begun the year before. Numbering will continue with Action Comics #643 (July 1989).
25 years ago March 10, 1994 Italian artist Aurelio Galleppini dies, age 76. He worked as “Galep” and was co-creator (with Gian Luigi Bonelli) of Occhio Cupo and Tex Willer.
25 years ago March 10, 1994 Animator and artist Reuben Timmins dies at age 84. His comic book work included Laurel and Hardy stories.
20 years ago March 8, 1999 Italian animator and writer-artist Giovan Battista Carpi dies at age 71. His work on Disney characters included the Donald Duck spinoff “Paperinik.”
20 years ago March 12, 1999 Award-winning writer, artist, and theater director and producer Lee Falk dies of heart failure at age 87. He created The Phantom (which he initially drew) and co-created (with Phil Davis) Mandrake the Magician.
20 years ago March 14, 1999 Award-winning DC writer John Broome dies at age 85. His career began in the Golden Age, and he co-created such characters as Detective Chimp, Phantom Stranger, Atomic Knights, Kid Flash, Elongated Man, and the Silver Age Green Lantern.
20 years ago March 14, 1999 Cartoonist Tex Blaisdell dies at age 78. He estimated for the NCS that he had worked on “22 synd. features and 69 million comic book pages.” The award-winning artist and teacher was a comic strip assistant on such series as Prince Valiant and Little Orphan Annie.
