Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for October 23-29, 2020...

110 years ago October 29, 1910 Chase Craig is born. The writer-artist-editor creates Mary Jane (of Mary Jane and Sniffles) and is West Coast Editor of many Gold Key titles.

105 years ago October 24, 1915 Bob Kane is born. The Batman artist is long credited (incorrectly) as the character’s sole creator. (Hat tip here to writer Bill Finger.)

100 years ago October 23, 1920 Writer-artist Bob Montana is born. His creations for Archie Andrews’ world (in comics and strips) are fundamental.

100 years ago October 24, 1925 Writer-artist-editor Albert Feldstein is born. He’s best known for his work for EC, including editorship of Mad.

100 years ago October 29, 1920 Hall of Fame artist Nick Cardy is born (as Nicholas Viscardi). He’s known for his work on such characters as Lady Luck, Aquaman, Teen Titans, and Bat Lash.

95 years ago October 28, 1925 Writer-artist Leonard Starr is born. The comic book freelancer in the 1940s and 1950s created the On Stage strip and works on the ThunderCats TV show and on the revival of Little Orphan Annie.

85 years ago October 29, 1935 Director, animator, writer, and producer Isao Takahata is born. He’s the co-founder of Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki.

75 years ago October 26, 1945 La Legione del Mistero begins in the Italian Fulmine Giornale.

60 years ago October 25, 1960 Artist and teacher June Brigman is born. She co-creates Power Pack with Louise Simonson in 1984 and draws Brenda Starr in the late 1990s.

50 years ago October 24, 1970 Dutch artist Job Denijs dies at age 77.

50 years ago October 26, 1970 Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau begins.

50 years ago October 26, 1970 Momma by Mell Lazarus begins.

45 years ago October 26, 1975 Finnish artist Asmo Alho, known for Kieku ja Kaiku, dies at age 72.

40 years ago October 24, 1980 Eric Schreurs is established as a Guinness Book of Records champ for drawing comics for 25 hours and 8 minutes straight.

35 years ago October 23, 1985 Editor and Golden Age artist Adolphe Barreaux dies at age 86. The creator of Sally the Sleuth and The Enchanted Stone of Time was head of Majestic Studios, creating comics features.

35 years ago October 26, 1985 British artist Cecil Langley Doughty dies at age 71.

30 years ago October 29, 1990 Belgian writer-artist and musician François Gianolla dies at age 83.

20 years ago October 28, 2000 Writer-artist and educator Irving Phillips dies at age 95. He was best known for his pantomime panel cartoon The Strange World of Mr. Mum.

15 years ago October 24, 2005 Artist and teacher Bill Fraccio dies at age 85. His career began in the Golden Age, and he worked for Charlton for more than two decades, often anonymously.

15 years ago October 26, 2005 Award-winning reporter, columnist, and novelist Michael Kilian dies at age 66. His work included writing the Dick Tracy strip.

10 years ago October 24, 2010 Writer-editor-artist-publisher Mike Esposito dies at age 83. The Hall of Fame honoree often teamed with Ross Andru, drawing such characters as Spider-Man and Wonder Woman; he also drew many stories for Archie.

10 years ago October 25, 2010 Belgian artist Leo de Budt dies at age 91. He signed his work “Buth” and created Thomas Pips.

10 years ago October 27, 2010 Influential underground comix publisher (via his Apex Novelties) Don Donahue dies of cancer at age 68.

5 years ago October 23, 2015 Prolific artist Murphy Anderson dies at age 89. In a career spanning more than five decades, he began drawing comics in the Golden Age and was especially known for his Silver Age DC work.