Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for June 17-23, 2022...
145 years ago June 18, 1877 Artist James Montgomery Flagg is born. Although best known for his 1917 “Uncle Sam Wants You” poster, he’s a comics artist and creator of the Judge strip Nervy Nat.
140 years ago June 21, 1882 Graphic novel pioneer Rockwell Kent is born.
130 years ago June 23, 1892 The Chicago Inter Ocean begins a full-color comics supplement.
125 years ago June 19, 1897 Writer Monte Barrett is born, the co-creator (with artist Frank Ellis) of Jane Arden.
125 years ago June 19, 1897 Moe Howard is born as Moses Horwitz. The Three Stooges leader appears in comics and cartoons and is the father of Joan Howard, who marries comics writer-artist (and 3D comics co-creator) Norman Maurer.
110 years ago June 19, 1912 Animator and NEA staff artist Les Carroll is born.
105 years ago June 21, 1917 John Putnam is born. The writer-artist, art director, and designer of Mad magazine also creates the mascot and logo for Paul Krassner’s The Realist.
95 years ago June 17, 1927 Writer-artist Wallace Wood is born. Though probably best known for his work for EC and Marvel, he also pioneers independent comics publishing with his Witzend magazine.
95 years ago June 20, 1927 Attila Dargay is born. The Hungarian animator and artist is known for stories featuring Kajla Kutya.
95 years ago June 20, 1927 Viacheslav Kotenochkin is born. The Russian animator and artist creates “Nu, pogodil!” which also becomes an animated film.
85 years ago June 19, 1937 Writer James Matthew Barrie dies of pneumonia at age 77. His tales of Peter Pan are adapted by Walt Disney Studios.
80 years ago June 17, 1942 Harvey’s Yank, the Army Weekly #1 contains the debut of George Baker’s Sad Sack.
70 years ago June 23, 1952 The comic strip Dragnet begins.
65 years ago June 17, 1957 Artist Hilary Barta is born.
65 years ago June 17, 1957 Out Our Way comics panel creator J.R. Williams dies at age 69.
65 years ago June 21, 1957 Writer, artist, and editor Gary Carlson is born.
60 years ago June 17, 1962 Artist and researcher Richard Maurizio is born.
60 years ago June 23, 1962 Comic Art co-editors Don Thompson and Maggie Curtis marry.
55 years ago June 21, 1967 Artist Stan Kaye, Superman inker for Wayne Boring, dies at age 50.
50 years ago June 17, 1972 Richard Pini marries Wendy Fletcher, having met via the letters column of Marvel’s Silver Surfer.
50 years ago June 17, 1972 Pulp artist Frank Ellis dies at age 74. He also co-created the Jane Arden comic strip with Monte Barrett.
50 years ago June 20, 1972 Dutch artist Johanna Berhardina Midderigh-Bokhorst dies at age 92.
50 years ago June 22, 1972 Dutch artist Johan Jacob Voskuil dies at age 75.
50 years ago June 22, 1972 Image artist and Hellshock creator Jae Lee is born.
45 years ago June 22, 1977 Walt Disney’s The Rescuers opens. The animated feature is based on Margery Sharp’s “Miss Bianca” stories.
40 years ago June 17, 1982 Actor Arthur Darvill is born. Especially known for his role as Rory Williams on Doctor Who, he goes on to play DC’s Rip Hunter in Legends of Tomorrow.
30 years ago June 19, 1992 Pacific Comic Exchange announces the sale of a VG+ copy of Detective Comics #27 for $29,850. (Yeah, a VG+ copy sells via Heritage for $1,140,000 in 2022. What’s your point? $29,850 was big bucks for a comic book three decades ago.)
20 years ago June 17, 2002 Mexican artist Rafael Araiza dies at age 86 or 87. He was co-founder of the magazine Chamaco.
20 years ago June 23, 2002 The first MoCCAFest is held in New York City’s Puck Building.
15 years ago June 20, 2007 British artist John Bernard Handelsman dies at age 85. One of the first cartoonists for Playboy, he also drew for The New Yorker and Punch.
15 years ago June 22, 2007 Australian artist Jeff Wilkinson dies at age 82. He created “Dusty Malone” and “The Phantom Ranger.”
10 years ago June 19, 2012 Writer-artist Larry Nibert dies of complications of MS at age 60.
10 years ago June 20, 2012 LeRoy Neiman dies at age 91. Better known for his paintings, he also created the Femlin character.
10 years ago June 21, 2012 German artist Otto Schwalge dies at age 91.
5 years ago June 18, 2017 Spanish artist Carlos Prunés dies at age 79. He contributed to British comics as well as Spanish publications.
5 years ago June 19, 2017 British comic book artist Gordon Livingstone dies at age 82. Lambiek calls him “the most prolific artist for DC Thomson’s war title Commando.”
