Quantcast

Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for April 19-25, 2019...

120 years ago April 24, 1899 Writer Allen Saunders is born. He writes Big Chief Wahoo (which becomes Steve Roper), Mary Worth, and Kerry Drake.

115 years ago April 23, 1904 “La Famille Citrouillard” by René-Charles Béliveau begins in La Patrie.

95 years ago April 22, 1924 New Yorker cartoonist Robert Weber is born.

90 years ago April 24, 1929 The first published editorial cartoon by “Herblock” appears in the Chicago Daily News.

75 years ago April 25, 1944 Writer-artist George Herriman dies of “non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver” at age 63. He created the classic newspaper strip Krazy Kat.

70 years ago April 20, 1949 Writer John Ostrander is born. He co-creates Grimjack (with Timothy Truman) and (with Kim Yale) revamps Barbara Gordon into Oracle, among many other projects including Star Wars: Legacy.

70 years ago April 21, 1949 Artist Philippe Bertrand is born. He creates “Linda Aime l’Art” for Pilote and material for a variety of adult comics.

70 years ago April 25, 1949 Flook begins in The Daily Mail, created by Wally Fawkes/Trog.

65 years ago April 19, 1954 Steve Schanes is born. He co-founds Pacific Comics (with his brother, Bill) and Blackthorne Publishing (with Ann Fera).

65 years ago April 21-22, 1954 As the result of resolutions by Senators Estes Kefauver and Robert C. Hendrickson to make “a full and complete study of juvenile delinquency in the United States,” Senate hearings on comic books include testimony from psychiatrists, publishers, comics creators, and newsdealer representatives. Fredric Wertham and Entertaining Comics Publisher William Gaines are among those appearing.

65 years ago April 22, 1954 Writer-artist David A. Trampier is born. He illustrates material for Dungeons & Dragons and creates the Wormy strip.

60 years ago April 23, 1959 Artist Dave Wilson is born.

55 years ago April 24, 1964 Writer Randy Carpenter is born.

50 years ago April 19, 1969 The Serbian and Yugoslav comic strip Dikan by Nikola Lekić and Lazlo Sredanović is introduced.

45 years ago April 22, 1974 Dutch comics writer-artist Tjalie Robinson dies, age 63.

15 years ago April 24, 2004 Nat Gertler and About Comics organize the first annual 24 Hour Comics Day.

15 years ago April 25, 2004 Carrie Nodell dies of heart failure at age 85. She was the wife of Golden Age artist Marty Nodell and accompanied him to comics conventions for many years.