Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for March 22-28, 2024...

225 years ago March 25, 1799 David Claypool Johnston is born. The political cartoonist is known for the collection Scraps.

145 years ago March 28, 1879 French artist Félix Jobbé-Duval is born.

135 years ago March 23, 1889 David Bueno de Mesquita is born. The award-winning Dutch artist is known for creating comics featuring Dutch celebrities.

135 years ago March 26, 1889 Kristoffer Aamot is born. The Norwegian editor-writer writes the comic strip Skomakker Bekk of Tvillingene Hans (drawn by Jan Lunde).

130 years ago March 24, 1894 Dutch teacher, political cartoonist, and artist Albert Funke Küpper is born in Germany.

130 years ago March 28, 1894 Pioneering animator and comic strip artist Wallace Carlson is born. He creates the Dreamy Dud animated character, animates Sidney Smith’s The Gumps in 1919, and (with Sol Hess) co-creates the comic strip The Nebbs.

115 years ago March 22, 1909 Ralph Heimdahl is born. The animator and artist works for the Disney studio in the 1930s and 1940s and draws the Bugs Bunny daily strip from its beginning in 1948, when it is written by Jack Taylor.

115 years ago March 22, 1909 Milt Kahl is born. The longtime Disney animator is known as one of Walt Disney’s “Nine Old Men.”

115 years ago March 26, 1909 Australian cartoonist Jim Russell is born. Lambiek says he shares with Russ Johnson the world record as the longest running continuously active cartoonist working without the help of an assistant: 62 years.

110 years ago March 22, 1914 Writer-artist John Stanley is born. He works anonymously for Dell Comics for most of his career and creates memorable horror stories. Best known now for his work on Little Lulu comic books, he also creates (and does get credit for) Melvin Monster.

105 years ago March 22, 1919 Leoncio Rojas Cruzat is born. The Chilean artist who works as “Leo” is co-founder of the Chilean Alliance of Artists.

105 years ago March 22, 1919 Teacher and artist Bernie Krigstein is born. He is best known for his innovative work for EC comics.

100 years ago March 23, 1924 Prolific French artist Jean Cézard is born. He’s known for “Arthur le Fantôme,” which runs in Vaillant.

95 years ago March 22, 1929 Artist and caricaturist Mort Drucker is born. He is especially known for years of contributions to Mad.

95 years ago March 26, 1929 Award-winning satiric artist, graphic designer, and writer Edward Sorel is born. With Milton Glaser, Seymour Chwast, and Reynold Ruffins, he co-founds Push Pin Studios. He is especially known for contributions to such magazines as Village Voice, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair.

90 years ago March 23, 1934 Belgian artist Henri Ghion is born. Best known for Mr. Magellan, he signs his work “Géri” and creates the character Pif (later renamed Baf).

85 years ago March 25, 1939 Dorothy (“D.C.”) Fontana is born. The award-winning TV script writer and story editor is best known for contributions to Star Trek.

85 years ago March 27, 1939 Romanian artist Jo Teodorescu is born.

75 years ago March 27, 1949 Writer, publisher, and agent Mike Friedrich is born.

65 years ago March 26, 1959 Artist and game designer Robert Kraus is born. He creates RAK Graphics.

65 years ago March 27, 1959 Lucy van Pelt opens her psychiatric booth in Charles Schulz’ Peanuts.

60 years ago March 23, 1964 Swedish comics artist pioneer Helge Forsslund dies at age 63.

60 years ago March 23, 1964 Hope Davis is born. The actress plays Joyce Brabner in American Splendor and Tony Stark’s mother Maria in Marvel movies.

60 years ago March 25, 1964 Artist Angel Medina is born. His work includes stories featuring Megaton, Sam and Twitch, and Spawn.

50 years ago March 27, 1974 Japanese writer-artist and political cartoonist Kon Shimizu dies at age 61. He created Tokyo Senichi ya Monogatari and Kappa no Kawatoro.

45 years ago March 24, 1979 Danish writer-artist Ole Lund Kirkegaard freezes to death after falling in the snow at age 38.

45 years ago March 27, 1979 Japanese manga artist Mia Ikumi is born.

40 years ago March 24, 1984 IPC publishes Scream! #1.

35 years ago March 27, 1989 Italian artist Fabrizio Caprioli dies at age 40.

30 years ago March 22, 1994 Cartoonist, animator, producer, and director Walter Lantz dies of heart failure at age 94. He was best known for his work on Woody Woodpecker.

25 years ago March 28, 1999 With the episode “Space Pilot 3000,” Futurama begins. The story is co-written by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen.

10 years ago March 22, 2014 Mafalda creator Argentinian writer-artist Joaquín Salvador Lavado (who works as “Quino”) is awarded the Légion d’Honneur.

10 years ago March 24, 2014 Writer-artist David A. Trampier dies at age 59. He illustrated material for Dungeons & Dragons and created the Wormy strip.

5 years ago March 23, 2019 Dutch alternative comics writer-artist and teacher Benno Vranken dies at age 56.

5 years ago March 24, 2019 French artist Olivier Cinna dies of cardiac arrest at age 46.

5 years ago March 27, 2019 Artist Leslie Sternbergh dies at age 58.