Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for October 18-24, 2019...
130 years ago October 20, 1889 Artist Frank Godwin is born. He’s best known for his comic strips Rusty Riley and Connie and is a vice president of the Society of Illustrators.
120 years ago October 24, 1899 Cartoonist Burr Shafer is born. He creates the feature Through History with J. Wesley Smith.
115 years ago October 19, 1904 Theo Funke Kupper is born. He’s the Dutch comics artist of De Verstrooide Professor.
115 years ago October 21, 1904 Writer Edmond Hamilton is born. Though he’s one of the primary writers of pulp science fiction, he’s especially known in the comic book field for his stories set in Superman’s DC universe.
110 years ago October 21, 1909 L’Espiègle Lili by André Vallet and Jo Valle begins.
85 years ago October 21, 1934 A test issue published on June 1 is followed by the first official publication of the French Disney comics magazine Le Journal de Mickey.
85 years ago October 22, 1934 Terry and the Pirates by Milton Caniff begins.
75 years ago October 21, 1944 Artist Nell Brinkley dies, age 58. She was especially known for her “Brinkley Girl” art.
75 years ago October 23, 1944 Dutch teacher and artist Gerrit Rotman dies at age 51. The Netherlands comics pioneer was especially known for his Mijnheer Pimpelmans strip.
65 years ago October 18, 1954 Hi and Lois by Mort Walker and Dik Browne begins.
65 years ago October 22, 1954 Cartoonist George McManus dies at age 70. He created Bringing up Father.
60 years ago October 18, 1959 Cartoonist, teacher, artist-writer-editor, and letterer Jim Massara is born.
60 years ago October 19, 1959 The Perishers by Dennis Collins begins.
60 years ago October 21, 1959 Writer-artist, toy designer, and Gizmo creator Michael Dooney is born.
60 years ago October 24, 1959 The British story paper The Hotspur transforms into a comic book, The New Hotspur.
50 years ago October 18, 1969 The British comics magazine Whizzer and Chips is published and introduces Mike Lacey’s “Sid’s Snake” and Terry Bave’s “Odd Ball.”
50 years ago October 19, 1969 Italian-Egyptian artist Mario Morelli di Popolo dies, age 67 or 68. He created The Adventures of ZouZou, a pioneering African comics series.
30 years ago October 18, 1989 Dutch artist Henk J. Rotgans, creator of Robbie en Ringo, dies at age 79.
25 years ago October 18, 1994 Award-winning Brazilian artist Manoel Messias De Mello dies at age 88.
10 years ago October 20, 2009 Hungarian animator and artist Attila Dargay dies at age 82. He was known for stories featuring Kajla Kutya.
10 years ago October 20, 2009 The award-winning Belgian artist Jef Nys dies at age 82. He created the “Jommeke” series.
10 years ago October 21, 2009 French artist Robert Dalmasso (also known as Robert Devil) dies, age 78 or 79.
10 years ago October 23, 2009 French teacher and writer-artist Michel Motti dies at age 74. He worked on Disney comics and produced much other comics work.
5 years ago October 18, 2014 Argentine comics artist Enrique Villagrán dies at age 73 or 74. He was co-founder of the Nippur IV studios with Ricardo and Carlos Villagrán and Robin Wood and worked for a number of U.S. publishers.
5 years ago October 23, 2014 Dutch writer-artist Marnix Rueb dies of lung cancer at age 59. He created the character Haagse Harry.
