Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for July 12-18, 2019...
185 years ago July 15, 1834 Charles Jameson Grant publishes Adventures of the Buggins’s in three strips with speech balloons in Every Body’s Album and Caricature Magazine #14.
125 years ago July 14, 1894 Animation director and producer Dave Fleischer is born. He co-owns Fleischer Studios with Max and Lou Fleischer.
100 years ago July 13, 1919 Golden Age writer Joe Gill is born. He co-creates Captain Atom, Peacemaker, and Judomaster.
95 years ago July 17, 1924 The Society of Australian Black and White Artists is created. (Later, it becomes the Australian Cartoonists’ Association.)
80 years ago July 14, 1939 Pioneering fan artist, writer, and editor Ronn Foss is born.
80 years ago July 16, 1939 Award-winning reporter, columnist, and novelist Michael Kilian is born. He writes the Dick Tracy comic strip, following Max Allan Collins as scripter.
70 years ago July 13, 1949 Writer-artist Wayne Vansant is born. He specializes in historical and military subjects.
70 years ago July 13, 1949 Artist Walt Kuhn dies, age 71.
65 years ago July 12, 1954 John Holland is born. He writes such features as “Lizards” and “Diebold” and webcomic Skye Bleu.
65 years ago July 13, 1954 Pig-Pen is introduced in Charles Schulz’ Peanuts.
65 years ago July 16, 1954 Italian artist Attilio Mussino dies, age 76.
65 years ago July 17, 1954 Writer-producer J. Michael Straczynski is born. He creates and is the showrunner for Babylon 5 and writes comics including Amazing Spider-Man.
55 years ago July 12, 1964 Gai-Luron by Marcel Gotlib begins.
50 years ago July 15, 1969 Writer-artist-editor Pat Duke is born. He co-founds Radio Comix with Elin Winkler-Suarez.
30 years ago July 12, 1989 Canadian writer-artist Rodolphe Vincent dies, age 84.
20 years ago July 14, 1999 Artist Sal Trapani dies at age 72. He began his comics career with Hillman and Gilmor in 1949, became artistic director of Cambia Animation in the early 1960s, and worked for ACG, Warren, DC, and Marvel.
10 years ago July 17, 2009 Ellie Frazetta dies of cancer at age 74. Frank Frazetta’s wife and model was also his business manager.
