Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for January 27 through February 2, 2023...

185 years ago February 1, 1838 Artist Joseph Ferdinand Keppler is born. He founds Puck magazine.

145 years ago February 1, 1878 British caricaturist and illustrator George Cruikshank, who helped to develop the “John Bull” personification of England, dies at age 85.

135 years ago February 1, 1888 Spanish artist and animator Manuel Urda Marin is born.

130 years ago January 31, 1893 Dutch teacher and artist Gerrit Rotman is born. The comics pioneer is especially known for his Mijnheer Pimpelmans strip.

120 years ago February 1, 1903 Professor Hypnotiser by Ed Carey begins.

105 years ago January 27, 1918 Spanish-Argentine artist and art director José María Cao dies at age 55. The caricaturist was co-founder of the art group PBT.

105 years ago February 1, 1918 Henning Gantriis is born. The Danish artist is known for the “Livets Gang iLidenlund” feature.

85 years ago February 2, 1938 Walt Disney’s Donald Duck newspaper strip begins, produced by Bob Karp and Al Taliaferro.

80 years ago January 28, 1943 Cartoonist Eddie Eksergian (who signed his work “Eddie Eks”) dies at age 69.

80 years ago February 2, 1943 Comics buff Tom McGeehan is born. With his brother, John, he co-creates the indexing project “The House of Info,” which maintains detailed information on early comics fanzines.

75 years ago January 27, 1948 Archie inker Jim DeCarlo and Archie penciller Dan DeCarlo Jr. are born, twin sons of Archie Comics artist Dan DeCarlo.

75 years ago February 1, 1948 Journalist and comics historian and columnist Michelle Nolan is born.

70 years ago January 30, 1953 Cartoonist Fred Hembeck is born. He’s known for comedic takes on a variety of comic books and comics themes.

70 years ago January 30, 1953 Writer and voice artist Patricia Alice Albrecht is born.

65 years ago January 29, 1958 Award-winning writer and producer Jeph Loeb is born. His projects include Smallville and Heroes, and he serves as Marvel’s Head of Television.

65 years ago February 1, 1958 William Dufris is born (as William Duffy). The voice actor co-founds AudioComics to develop audio stories from graphic novels including Locke & Key.

55 years ago January 30, 1968 Writer Rhoda Shipman is born. She co-creates Pakkins’ Land with her husband, Gary.

45 years ago February 1, 1978 Cartoonist Don Freeman dies of a heart attack at age 69. He was especially known for his children’s book Corduroy.

45 years ago February 1, 1978 German artist Roland Kohlsaat dies at age 64. He created the Jimmy das Gummipferd comic strip.

45 years ago February 2, 1978 Belgian writer-artist Maurice Tillieux dies at age 56 in a car accident. He was known for Félix and Gil Jourdan.

40 years ago January 28, 1983 Marvel and DC artist Frank Chiaramonte dies at age 40.

40 years ago February 1, 1983 Golden Age artist Robert Savon Pious dies at age 74. He contributed editorial cartoons and other illustrations to Continental Features and worked for such comics publishers as Archie and Fiction House.

35 years ago January 30, 1988 Screenwriter Homer Brightman dies at age 86. He worked for Disney, Lantz, MGM, UPA, and others – and wrote the Donald Duck strip drawn by Al Taliaferro.

30 years ago January 28, 1993 Dutch writer-artist Frans Funke Küpper dies at age 84.

30 years ago January 28, 1993 Portuguese artist Nelson Dias dies at age 52.

25 years ago January 28, 1998 Shotaro Ishinomori dies of heart failure at age 60. The award-winning manga and anime artist created such series as Cyborg 009, Super Sentai, and Kamen Rider. He held the Guinness World Record for the most comics published by one creator.

20 years ago January 28, 2003 Chilean artist Leoncio Rojas Cruzat (who worked as “Leo”) dies at age 83. He was co-founder of the Chilean Alliance of Artists.

20 years ago January 30, 2003 Italian artist Guido Zamperoni (who worked as “Guy Zam”) dies at age 90.

15 years ago February 2, 2008 Gordo comic strip writer-artist Gus Arriola dies at age 90.

10 years ago January 30, 2013 Award-wining magazine gag cartoonist Vahan Shirvanian dies 11 days before his 88th birthday. He wrote and drew the No Comment strip that became Brimstone.

10 years ago January 31, 2013 Cartoonist Luisa Felix dies of a heart attack at age 60. She created the web comic Candy Blondell, featuring a fictional silent movie star.

10 years ago February 1, 2013 (Ahem.) Maggie Thompson joins Scoop with her Turning Points feature.

5 years ago January 27, 2018 Mort Walker dies at age 94. The Reuben Award winning cartoonist, comics researcher, past president of the NCS, and creator of Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois, Boner’s Ark, and Sam’s Strip also wrote Backstage at the Strips.

5 years ago January 31, 2018 Danish animator and artist Cav Bøgelund drowns at age 39.

5 years ago February 2, 2018 Artist and pioneering Portuguese animator Servais Tiago dies at age 92.

And here are the anniversaries spanning the month of February…

85 years ago February 1938 David McKay’s Ace Comics #11 introduces The Phantom to comic books, where he is a pioneering costumed hero whose reprinted adventures precede Superman’s introduction by four months.

80 years ago February 1943 All-Star Comics #15 introduces Brain Wave in “The Man Who Created Images” by Gardner Fox. (“As told in personal letters from each member of The Justice Society to its secretary, Wonder Woman!” Glad there’s someone to accept postal deliveries and handle the filing.)

80 years ago February 1943 “Regards from Captain Wonder!” Marvel’s Kid Komics begins from Timely and introduces (yes) Captain Wonder in a story written by Otto Binder.

75 years ago February 1948 Marvel’s Official True Crime Cases becomes All True Crime Cases Comics with #26.

75 years ago February 1948 DC’s teen Binky is introduced and gets his own title in Leave It to Binky #1 with stories by Hal Seegar, Sheldon Mayer, and Bob Oksner.

75 years ago February 1948 “At last! The Black Canary in a feature of her own!” DC’s Flash Comics #92 gives Black Canary her first solo story and introduces her boyfriend, Larry Lance. “The Huntress of the Highway!” is by Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino, and Frank Giacoia.

70 years ago February 1953 In Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #149, anonymous writer-artist Carl Barks introduces April, May, and June, Daisy Duck’s nieces.

60 years ago February 1963 Gold Key’s Magnus, Robot Fighter #1 introduces Russ Manning’s Magnus, Leeja Clane, and his The Aliens back-up series. “From the sea comes Magnus to fight the evil robots who are the masters of man!” Tell us how evil robots might become, Siri! What if they spy on us, Alexa?

60 years ago February 1963 What’s going on here? Why is the Fantastic Four backing away helplessly? Marvel’s Fantastic Four #11 introduces The Impossible Man in (yes) “The Impossible Man” by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers. (Bonus! “Featuring never-before-revealed facts about the FF’s past and present!”)

55 years ago February 1968 The Unexpected is the new title of DC’s Tales of the Unexpected with #105.

55 years ago February 1968 DC’s Adventure Comics #365 introduces Shadow Lass in “Escape of the Fatal Five!” by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan, and George Klein.

50 years ago February 1973 Yes, it introduces Captain Strong (by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson), but DC’s Action Comics #421 also begins to provide Green Arrow as an alternating backup feature with Human Target.

50 years ago February 1973 “With one magic word …” DC’s Shazam! #1 reintroduces the Marvel Family, the Sivana Family, and other Fawcett characters and plot elements. The new stories are scripted by Denny O’Neil and drawn by C.C. Beck. (Oh, and Superman’s on the cover, and Otto Binder is a character in the opening story.)

50 years ago February 1973 “Monsters! I’ve tracked you across galaxies for this moment! Even if you crush Iron Man – you can’t stop The Destroyer!” Marvel’s Iron Man #55 introduces Drax the Destroyer, Starfox, Thanos, Mentor, and others in “Beware the Blood Brothers” by Jim Starlin, Mike Friedrich, and Mike Esposito.

50 years ago February 1973 It’s an acronym: Marvel’s FOOM #1 is named for “Friends of Ol’ Marvel.” It’s a Marvel fanzine – from Marvel itself. It’s designed and edited by Jim Steranko.

50 years ago February 1973 Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian #23 (based on the Robert E. Howard character) introduces Red Sonja in “The Shadow of the Vulture” by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, Sal Buscema, Dan Adkins, and Chic Stone. (P.S. She saves Conan. Just saying.)

50 years ago February 1973 DC’s Swamp Thing #3 introduces Abigail Arcane in “The Patchwork Man” by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson.

45 years ago February 1978 “From the sensational NBC television super series” comes Marvel’s Man from Atlantis #1. Stories are by Bill Mantlo, Tom Sutton, Sonny Trinidad, Frank Robbins, and “The Tribe.”

45 years ago February 1978 “You can’t stop me, X-Men! Weapon Alpha always gets his man!” Marvel’s The X-Men #109 introduces Weapon Alpha (James MacDonald Hudson, who becomes Vindicator) in “Home Are the Heroes!” by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Terry Austin.

45 years ago February 1978 “What is the secret of The Joker’s new weapon – The Laughing Fish?” The story in DC’s Detective Comics #475 is by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin and involves (yes) copyright.

45 years ago February 1978 DC cancels Metal Men with #56 and Teen Titans with #53. (They’ll be back.)

40 years ago February 1983 Time to pay tribute! DC’s Wonder Woman #300 celebrates with a special issue. The “My Sister, My Self!” chapter by Roy Thomas, Danette Thomas, Dan Mishkin, Ross Andru, and Dick Giordano introduces Lyta Trevor.

40 years ago February 1983 In DC’s Detective Comics #523, Killer Croc is introduced. “Inferno” is by Gerry Conway, Gene Colan, and Tony DeZuniga.

40 years ago February 1983 The final issue of Marvel’s Bizarre Adventures is #34.

40 years ago February 1983 Marvel’s The Uncanny X-Men #166 is a double-sized issue. It introduces Kitty Pryde’s little dragon Lockheed in “Live Free or Die!” by Chris Claremont, Paul Smith, and Bob Wiacek.

35 years ago February 1988 DC’s Justice League International #10 introduces G’nort in “Soul of the Machine” by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire, and Al Gordon.

35 years ago February 1988 DC’s Captain Atom #12 introduces Major Force in “Sweet Dreams Major Force” by Cary Bates, Greg Weisman, Pat Broderick, and Bob Smith.

35 years ago February 1988 In its “Special ‘Tribute-to-Teen-Agers’ Issue,” Marvel’s Web of Spider-Man #35 introduces a new Tarantula.

35 years ago February 1988 The DC Coming Comics newsletter to retailers announces that Dale Kanzler, Robyn McBryde, and Denise Conaty have left DC, that Ileana Jimenez is promoted to the job of Sales Administration Coordinator, and that Bob Wayne will assume the new position of Retail Promotions Manager.

30 years ago February 1993 Bone #8 begins “The Great Cow Race” by Jeff Smith, which runs through #10 from Cartoon Books and will win an Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story.

30 years ago February 1993 “Who shall hold this hammer?” Good question. Marvel’s Thor #459 introduces Eric Masterson’s identity of Thunderstrike in “What Price Victory?” by Ron Frenz, Tom DeFalco, and Al Milgrom.

25 years ago February 1998 Marvel cancels Ghost Rider with #93. The Grand Comics Database indexer says #94 “was produced but remained unpublished until 2007’s Ghost Rider Finale.” (Note: There are lots of other Ghost Rider comics along the way – including the current series.)

25 years ago February 1998 Marvel starts a new Avengers series with “Once an Avenger…” by Kurt Busiek, George Pérez, and Al Vey and a recap written by Tom Brevoort.

25 years ago February 1998 Marvel briefly brings back Werewolf by Night starting with “Somewhere South of Heaven” by Paul Jenkins and Leonardo Manco.

15 years ago February 2008 Chapter One of “Welcome to LoveCraft” from IDW opens Locke & Key #1 by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. It introduces members of the Locke family and takes them to the family mansion in Massachusetts: a place with keys.

15 years ago February 2008 DC brings back Bat Lash with “Guns and Roses Chapter 1: Splendor in the Sage” by Sergio Aragonés, Peter Brandvold, and John Severin.

10 years ago February 2013 Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man hits #700, which (you’ll be amazed to learn) has variant covers. “Dying Wish: Suicide Run” is by Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos, and Victor Olazaba. “Spider-Dreams” is by J.M. DeMatteis, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Sal Buscema. “Date Night” is by Jen Van Meter and Stephanie Buscema.

10 years ago February 2013 IDW’s My Little Pony Micro-Series begins with “Twilight Sparkle” by Thomas Zahler.

5 years ago February 2018 Archie brings back Cosmo for an “all-new, all-fun sci-fi adventure!” with a story by Ian Flynn and Tracy Yardley.

5 years ago February 2018 Hit-Girl by Mark Millar and Ricardo Lopez Ortiz begins from Image. And, hey, so does a Kick-Ass series by Millar and John Romita Jr. Hmm, I wonder if there might be a connection.

5 years ago February 2018 Marvel’s Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey begins – and Marvel seems to be doing a bunch of Jean Grey-involved stories this month. Anyway, “Chapter One: Frustrate the Sun” is by Matthew Rosenberg, Leinil Francis Yu, and Gerry Alanguilan.