Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for September 6-12, 2019...
140 years ago September 6, 1879 Prolific French satiric artist Charles Amédée de Noé (also known as Cham) dies, age 61. He was called one of the first significant French comics artists.
130 years ago September 7, 1889 Italian artist Bruno Angoletta is born. He creates series for Corriere dei Piccoli and the Italian army.
115 years ago September 8, 1904 Writer-artist Boody Rogers is born (as Gordon G. Rogers). He creates Sparky Watts and Babe.
115 years ago September 10, 1904 Winsor McCay’s Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend begins.
110 years ago September 7, 1909 French writer-artist José Cabrero Arnal is born. He creates Pif le Chien and Placid et Muzo.
105 years ago September 8, 1914 Dutch writer, film director, and artist Alfred Mazure is born. He creates the hardboiled detective character Dick Bos and the strip Romeo Brown.
100 years ago September 9, 1919 Barbara Hall – the Golden Age artist on Black Cat, Girl Commandos, and more – is born.
90 years ago September 8, 1929 The Dutch artist also known as “Gub,” Guus Boissevain, is born.
90 years ago September 10, 1929 Artist Frank Hill is born. His career is conducted mostly anonymously, while he works on such features as Short Ribs and Dennis the Menace and in licensed comic books. His Senator Gassius strip runs in the 1960s.
85 years ago September 7, 1934 Cartoonist and teacher Warren Sattler is born. He draws for Barnaby, Help!, Charlton, Cracked, and Bringing up Father and he creates the strips Grubby and Swamp Brats.
85 years ago September 9, 1934 The Sunday strip of V.T. Hamlin’s Alley Oop begins as an addition to his daily strip.
80 years ago September 6, 1939 Illustrator Arthur Rackham dies of cancer at age 71. He is especially noted for his influential fantasy paintings.
80 years ago September 8, 1939 Dutch artist and teacher Elie Smalhout dies at age 49 from effects of the heart disease he suffered via the Spanish flu in 1918.
70 years ago September 6, 1949 Artist Mike Zeck is born. He draws fan attention for his work on such series as Master of Kung Fu, Captain America, and Deathstroke.
65 years ago September 7, 1954 The pioneering daily comic strip creator of Mutt and Jeff, Bud Fisher, dies at age 69.
65 years ago September 7, 1954 Writer-artist and publisher Barry Lawrence Blair is born. He’s known for Elflord and Samurai and founds Aircel Comics.
65 years ago September 8, 1954 Writer and Walt Disney Assistant General Counsel David Schwartz is born. As a writer, he is best known for Meltdown (drawn by Sean Wang).
65 years ago September 8, 1954 Writer and historian Sam Kujava is born. His comic book work includes Archie stories.
65 years ago September 11, 1954 Artist and teacher Rod Whigham is born. His work includes Gil Thorp, stories for such licensed characters as G.I. Joe and Doc Savage, and such comics series as Star Trek.
65 years ago September 11, 1954 The British comic book Tiger begins publication and introduces “Roy of the Rovers” by Frank S. Pepper and Joe Colquhoun.
60 years ago September 9, 1959 Writer and publisher Dan Vado is born. He is owner, president, and publisher of Slave Labor Graphics and founder of the Alternative Press Expo.
60 years ago September 10, 1959 Writer, novelist, and editor Nancy A. Collins is born. Her comic book work includes stories featuring such characters as Swamp Thing, Predator, and Vampirella.
55 years ago September 11, 1964 Award-winning writer-artist Jon Macy is born. He’s best known for Teleny and Camille and Fearful Hunter.
50 years ago September 6, 1969 The British magazine TV Century 21 comes to an end and will merge with Joe 90 on September 27.
45 years ago September 5, 1974 James Swinnerton dies at age 98 of complications from a broken leg. He created such features as The Little Bears, which some consider the first comic strip. He was also a landscape artist whose work included backgrounds for Chuck Jones’ animated cartoon “Mighty Hunters.”
45 years ago September 9, 1974 Spanish artist and animator Manuel Urda Marín dies, age 86.
40 years ago September 9, 1979 For Better or for Worse by Lynn Johnston begins.
40 years ago September 12, 1979 Animator Les Clark dies of cancer at age 71. One of Disney’s “Nine Old Men,” he worked as inbetweener in the creation of Mickey Mouse with Ub Iwerks.
35 years ago September 12, 1984 Dutch artist Rein Stuurman dies, age 83.
30 years ago September 9, 1989 Josette Frank dies, age 96. Her part-time position at Child Study Association of America led to work with children’s books and eventually to supporting arguments for comic books.
25 years ago September 11, 1994 Dutch artist Ben Jansen dies, age 39. He co-created the comics collective Studio Arnhem.
15 years ago September 8, 2004 Animator and writer Frank Thomas dies at age 92. An influential figure at the studio, he was one of Disney’s “Nine Old Men.”
10 years ago September 7, 2009 Frank Coghlan Jr. dies at age 93. He played Billy Batson in the 1941 The Adventures of Captain Marvel serial from Republic
5 years ago September 7, 2014 British writer Frederic Mullally dies, age 96. He wrote the Penthouse strip “Oh Wicked Wanda!”
