Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for January 8-14, 2021...

130 years ago January 12, 1891 Illustrator Raeburn van Buren is born. He draws the Abbie an’ Slats newspaper strip.

125 years ago January 14, 1896 Dutch artist Henri van de Velde is born.

120 years ago January 9, 1901 Blondie creator writer-artist Murat (“Chic”) Young is born.

115 years ago January 14, 1906 Worden Wood continues Richard Outcault’s Buster Brown in its original newspaper after Outcault leaves.

110 years ago January 8, 1911 Canadian writer-artist Odette Fumet Vincent is born (as Odette Fumet). She works with her husband, Rodolphe Vincent.

110 years ago January 10, 1911 Dutch comics writer-artist Tjalie Robinson is born.

110 years ago January 11, 1911 Sports cartoonist Hardin J. (“Jack”) Burnley is born. He follows Joe Shuster on the Superman comic book feature and co-creates Starman with Gardner Fox.

105 years ago January 9, 1916 Golden Age artist Ernie Schroeder is born. He’s best known for drawing and co-writing The Heap.

105 years ago January 9, 1916 Uruguayan writer-artist Emilio Cortinas is born. Lambiek says he’s considered one of the first grand masters of Uruguayan comics. His most famous series is Vito Nervio.

100 years ago January 8, 1921 Lee J. Ames is born. A member of the “Berndt Toast Gang” of comics pros and creator of the Draw series, he also works on comic book features.

100 years ago January 14, 1921 Artist John Tartaglione is born. He works in a variety of genres including romances, movie adaptations, superheroes, and biographies.

95 years ago January 11, 1926 Guglielmo Letteri is born. He’s especially known for his work on Tex Willer.

80 years ago January 8, 1941 Painter Boris Vallejo is born. He specializes in fantasy and science fiction images.

80 years ago January 9, 1941 Tintin and Captain Haddock meet in The Crab with the Golden Claws by Hergé.

65 years ago January 11, 1956 French artist Charles Genty dies at age 79.

65 years ago January 13, 1956 Lyonel Feininger dies at age 84. The “fine artist” created the comic strips The Kin-der-Kids and Wee Willie Winkie’s World.

60 years ago January 9, 1961 Producer and screenwriter Al Jean is born. He’s especially known for his work on The Simpsons.

60 years ago January 13, 1961 Artist Jerry Acerno is born.

55 years ago January 8, 1966 Italian comics magazine Il Vittorioso ends.

55 years ago January 8, 1966 James and Joe Pruett are born. Joe is an award-winning editor, writer, and publisher known for his work at Caliber Comics, his work on X-Men titles, his founding of Desperado Publishing, and his co-creation (with James) of the Negative Burn anthology. James is an editor and writer also known for (yes) Negative Burn.

55 years ago January 9, 1966 A new episode of Will Eisner’s The Spirit is published for the first time since 1952.

50 years ago January 10, 1971 The Marten Toonder studio is destroyed in a fire at the Netherlands castle of Nederhorst den Berg.

35 years ago January 10, 1986 Artist Marvin Bradley dies at age 72. He was the original artist of Rex Morgan, M.D.

35 years ago January 11, 1986 Japanese artist (and voice artist) Kazuo Kamimura dies of a pharynx tumor, age 45. He was especially known for collaboration with Kazuo Koike on Lady Snowblood.

20 years ago January 12, 2001 Writer-artist Giovanni Luigi Bonelli dies at age 92. He co-created Tex Willer with Aurelio Galleppini and founded the Bonelli comics publishing firm.

15 years ago January 8, 2006 German cartoonist Manfred Bofinger dies at age 64.

15 years ago January 8, 2006 Belgian animator and artist Jacques Michel (who worked as Jamic) dies at age 69. He co-created Les Télé-Graphistes with Serge Gennaux.

15 years ago January 9, 2006 Marvel and Hasbro announce a Marvel toy deal.

15 years ago January 14, 2006 French artist Jacques Faizant dies at age 87.

5 years ago January 11, 2016 Italian artist Franco Oneta dies at age 81. He was especially known for Zembla and for contributions to Il Giornalino.

5 years ago January 14, 2016 Brazilian comedian and cartoonist Francisco Jozenilton Veloso [who worked as Shaolin] dies at age 44 of a heart attack following a traffic accident.