Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for March 20-26, 2020...
125 years ago March 20, 1895 Psychiatrist Fredric Wertham is born. The author of the comics-bashing Seduction of the Innocent switches his target to TV after the Comics Code is introduced and later expresses an interest in fanzines.
120 years ago March 22, 1915 Writer-artist Bud Sagendorf is born. The Elzie Segar assistant becomes the Popeye artist.
100 years ago March 25, 1920 Actor Patrick Troughton is born. Among other roles, he plays the second incarnation of The Doctor on the BBC’s Doctor Who and is featured in comics stories of that character.
80 years ago March 23, 1940 The Big Chief Wahoo comic strip (still produced at this point by its creators, Allen Saunders and Elmer Woggon) introduces news photographer Steve Roper, who soon takes over the continuity.
75 years ago March 20, 1945 Dutch artist Arno van Dijk is born.
75 years ago March 20, 1945 Dutch teacher and comics artist Johannes Franciscus Nuijens dies at age 78. The comics pioneer signed as “Korporaal Achilles.”
75 years ago March 25, 1945 The aviation adventure strip Bruce Gentry by Ray Bailey begins.
65 years ago March 20, 1955. Dutch artist Ben Jansen is born. He co-creates the comics collective Studio Arnhem.
65 years ago March 22, 1955 Norwegian editor-writer Kristoffer Aamot dies at age 65. He wrote the comic strip Skomakker Bekk of Tvillingene Hans (drawn by Jan Lunde).
60 years ago March 20, 1960 Steven Philip Jones is born; he writes for Malibu and Caliber.
60 years ago March 20, 1960 Artist Vince Argondezzi is born. He’s especially known for his work on Next Man and Infinity, Inc.
50 years ago March 21, 1970 The Golden State Comic Book Convention is held. It will eventually become Comic-Con International: San Diego.
50 years ago March 26, 1970 The Belgian series Sammy by Raoul Cauvin and Arthur Berckmans begins in Spirou #1667.
35 years ago March 24, 1985 Animator-writer Dick Kinney dies at age 68. He wrote many Disney comics scripts and co-created Fethry Duck with Al Hubbard.
30 years ago March 20, 1990 Prolific Brazilian artist and teacher João Mottini dies at age 66.
30 years ago March 24, 1990 Comedian and writer Ray Goulding dies of kidney failure at age 68. With Bob Elliott, he was half of the comedy team Bob and Ray, which contributed to Mad.
25 years ago March 22, 1995 Dutch artist Hein Kray dies at age 93. The political cartoonist and comic strip artist was one of the founders of the artists’ group De Drentsche Schilders.
20 years ago March 20, 2000 Belgian writer Johan Anthierens dies of Hodgkin’s disease at age 62.
20 years ago March 25, 2000 The Eek and Meek strip by Howie Schneider ends.
15 years ago March 26, 2005 After a hiatus of nearly nine years (with a brief intermission in a gag skit for the charity Red Nose Day in 1999), the BBC’s Doctor Who regenerates into its second incarnation with Christopher Eccleston in the role. The first episode is “Rose,” and his Doctor appears in Titan’s Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor in 2015.
5 years ago March 20, 2015 Berry’s World writer-artist Jim Berry dies at age 83.
5 years ago March 22, 2015 Writer Tom Koch dies at age 89. He wrote for Bob and Ray, went on to write for Mad and TV, and invented “43-Man Squamish” with George Woodbridge.
