Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for August 9-15, 2019...
105 years ago August 9, 1914 Political cartoonist and Hans Christian Andersen medal-winning Finnish writer-artist Tove Jansson is born. She creates the Moomins.
100 years ago August 13, 1919 Artist Jim Mooney is born. Best known for his defining work drawing Supergirl, he starts his career at Fox in the Golden Age and freelances to several companies before working primarily for DC, then moving to Marvel, then freelancing to companies including Claypool.
90 years ago August 9, 1929 Fred Fredericks is born as Harold Fredericks. The Dell, Gold Key, Marvel, and DC artist begins drawing the newspaper strip Mandrake the Magician in 1965 and writes the strip after Lee Falk dies.
90 years ago August 9, 1929 Influential German artist Heinrich Zille dies, age 71.
85 years ago August 13, 1934 Al Capp’s Li’l Abner begins. Its successes include product endorsements, adaptation into movies and a musical, and the tradition of Sadie Hawkins Day.
80 years ago August 14, 1939 Writer-artist T.E. Powers dies, age 69.
75 years ago August 13, 1944 Shermund’s Sallies by Barbara Shermund begins in Pictorial Review.
70 years ago August 13, 1949 Pepo’s Condorito strip is introduced in the magazine Okey.
65 years ago August 9, 1954 Artist Mark Braun is born.
65 years ago August 9, 1954 Writer-artist Lou Manna is born. He creates Salem St. James, draws a Phantom graphic novel for Moonstone, and produces illustrated history books.
65 years ago August 13, 1954 Writer-artist Rob Davis is born. His work includes contributions to Judge Dredd and Doctor Who Adventures and an adaptation of Don Quixote; he co-edits the Nelson graphic novel project with Woodrow Phoenix.
65 years ago August 13, 1954 Cartoonist Robin Ator is born. The animator co-creates Kyra with Larry R. Heller.
65 years ago August 15, 1954 Writer Lamar Waldron is born. He co-creates MICRA with Ted Boonthanakit.
60 years ago August 11, 1959 “Good Girl” artist Matt Baker dies, age 37. He was especially known for art for Phantom Lady and Flamingo.
60 years ago August 11, 1959 Archeologist and British Amalgamated Press artist Bert Wymer dies, age 68.
60 years ago August 14, 1959 Artist and letterer Ken Holewczynski is born.
55 years ago August 9, 1964 Cartoonist Fontaine Fox dies at age 80. He created the Toonerville Folks panel.
55 years ago August 10, 1964 Carlo Cossio dies at age 57. He was the Italian artist of the Dick Fulmine series for Audace magazine.
55 years ago August 11, 1964 Award-winning artist, writer, editor, and publisher Jim Lee is born. Gaining fans as a Marvel artist, he co-founds Image Comics and founds WildStorm Productions before becoming DC Comics co-publisher in 2010.
55 years ago August 11, 1964 Letterer Pat Brosseau is born.
55 years ago August 12, 1964 Artist Rusty Haller is born. He creates “Ace and Queenie” for Furrlough.
50 years ago August 11, 1969 Letterer Shelley Braga is born.
50 years ago August 12, 1969 Alain Saint-Ogan’s Zig et Puce (rebooted by Greg) ends.
40 years ago August 10, 1979 German artist Emmerich Huber dies, age 75.
40 years ago August 15, 1979 Smitty creator Walter Berndt dies at age 79. The Berndt Toast Gang, a group of Long Island cartoonists, was named for him.
35 years ago August 10, 1984 Cartoonist Virgil Partch dies, age 67, in an auto accident with his wife. He often signed his work, “VIP,” wrote gags for New Yorker, and was especially known for his strips Big George and The Captain’s Gig.
25 years ago August 13, 1994 One of the earliest staffers of the Toonder studios, Dutch artist Richard Klokkers dies at age 70.
20 years ago August 10, 1999 Belgian teacher and writer Henri Gillain dies at age 85 or 86.
20 years ago August 13, 1999 British artist John Geering dies, age 58. He was noted for his work for DC Thomson and created Bananaman.
15 years ago August 11, 2004 George Breisacher dies of a heart attack at age 65. His work included Knobs and Mutt and Jeff, he edited the NCS newsletter from 1987 to 1997, and he served as NCS president from 1997 to 1999.
10 years ago August 9, 2009 Writer-artist Frank Borth dies at age 91. The Golden Age artist created The Spider Widow and Ken Stuart, contributed to Treasure Chest and Cracked, and scripted There Oughta Be a Law.
10 years ago August 13, 2009 Belgian colorist for Hergé (and wife of cartoonist Jo-El Azara) Josette Baujot dies at age 88.
5 years ago August 13, 2014 King Features staffer and Dell comics artist freelancer Hal Campagna dies at age 101.