Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for February 7-13, 2020...

110 years ago February 8, 1910 British writer Frank S. Pepper is born. He creates Roy of the Rovers and Captain Condor.

95 years ago February 11, 1925 Artist Marvin Stein is born. He begins his career in the Golden Age working for a variety of publishers and for Bell Syndicate.

90 years ago February 8, 1930 Award-winning writer-artist Gahan Wilson is born. He’s especially known for his cartoons of fantasy horror and for his Nuts strip for National Lampoon.

80 years ago February 7, 1940 Publisher Wilford Fawcett dies. He founded Fawcett Publications in 1919, and his early magazine Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang was probably connected to the naming of Fawcett’s Whiz Comics, which began newsstand distribution with an issue dated the month of his death.

75 years ago February 13, 1945 Artist Russell Keaton dies of acute melanoma at age 34. The Dick Calkins assistant created Flyin’ Jenny.

70 years ago February 9, 1950 De Lustige Kapoentjes by Marc Sleen begins in ’t Kapoentje.

65 years ago February 7, 1955 Actor and voice artist Miguel Ferrer is born. His comics connections include co-creation (with Bill Mumy) of Comet Man and Trypto the Acid Dog, performance (with co-performers Mumy, Max Allan Collins, Steve Leialoha, and John Christensen) in the Seduction of the Innocent musical group, acting as the vice president in Iron Man 3, and voicing such animated characters as Martian Manhunter and Shan Yu.

60 years ago February 7, 1960 Fairchild Publications staff artist Jim McArdle dies at age 60.

55 years ago February 13, 1965 Einstein by Jay Heavilin and Frank B. Johnson ends.

50 years ago February 11, 1970 Cartoonist Lee W. Stanley dies at age 84. He created The Old Home Town panel cartoons.

50 years ago February 13, 1970 British cartoonist H.M. Bateman dies at age 82.

45 years ago February 9, 1975 Artist Whitney Barber is born.

45 years ago February 9, 1975 Belgian writer-artist Blanche Dumoulin dies of cancer at age 80. She worked as “Davine” and was married to Spirou creator Robert Velter.

40 years ago February 10, 1980 Dan Dunn and Danny Hale creator artist Norman W. Marsh dies at age 81.

25 years ago February 13, 1995 Artist Bill Perry dies at age 89. The Frank King assistant created Ned Handy.

20 years ago February 12, 2000 Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz dies of a heart attack at age 77. The award-winning creator of Peanuts maintained ongoing friendships with his fans and produced a variety of additional material, including such releases as Happiness Is a Warm Puppy and “Teen-Ager” Is Not a Disease.

20 years ago February 13, 2000 The final episode of Peanuts is published.

10 years ago February 11, 2010 Fritz Raab dies at age 74. He wrote the Taro comic strip (drawn by Franz-Werner Richter-Johnsen).

10 years ago February 11, 2010 Artist Marvin Stein dies on his 85th birthday.