Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for May 26 through June 1, 2023...

170 years ago May 28, 1853 Swedish artist Carl Larsson is born.

160 years ago May 27, 1863 Albertine Randall Wheelan is born as Albertine Randall. The pioneering female cartoonist creates The Dumbunnies and In Rabbitboro and is the mother of Minute Movies cartoonist Ed Wheelan.

150 years ago May 26, 1873 Norwegian-German cartoonist Olaf Gilbransson is born.

150 years ago May 26, 1873 Cartoonist and golf writer Harry B. Martin is born. He creates the “Weatherbird” character.

120 years ago May 26, 1903 Artist Carl Buettner is born. He starts his career with girlie cartoons for such magazines as Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang. He becomes an art editor for Fawcett, then joins Disney, and then moves to Western, where he is an art director and is credited with co-creating Li’l Bad Wolf with Chase Craig.

115 years ago May 30, 1908 “Man of a Thousand Voices” Mel Blanc is born. He is the voice artist for such animated characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Barney Rubble, and Secret Squirrel.

110 years ago May 26, 1913 Peter Cushing is born. The actor’s comics representations include Dr. Who (as opposed to Doctor Who, which is to say the 1965 movie version of the character) and Grand Moff Tarkin in the Star Wars universe.

105 years ago May 26, 1918 Mexican artist Sealtiel Alatriste Batalla is born.

100 years ago May 27, 1923 Chinese artist and animator Alfonso Wong is born. He creates the popular manhua Lao Fu Zi (Old Master Q).

100 years ago May 29, 1923 German painter and caricaturist Adolf Oberländer dies at age 77.

95 years ago May 26, 1928 German writer-artist Franz Roscher is born. He is head of the Rolf Kauka Studios art department and creates the character Plop.

95 years ago June 1, 1928 Comedy writer, comedian, game show host, and actor Bob Monkhouse is born. He begins his professional career writing and drawing comics for Beano and Dandy and is a comics publishing partner with Denis Gifford.

90 years ago May 27, 1933 Spanish artist Manfred Sommer is born.

75 years ago May 27, 1948 Walt Disney’s 10th animated feature film, the anthology Melody Time, opens.

75 years ago May 29, 1948 “The Comics … Very Funny!” in Saturday Review of Literature brings Fredric Wertham’s anti-comics arguments to its readers.

70 years ago May 27, 1953 Animator Louis Scarborough Jr. is born.

65 years ago May 28, 1958 Artist Charlie Schmidt dies at age 61. He co-created the Radio Patrol comic strip with Eddie Sullivan.

60 years ago May 28, 1963 Caliber and Malibu writer Charles Marshall is born.

60 years ago June 1, 1963 The last Sam’s Strip by Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas is published.

30 years ago May 30, 1993 Marjorie Henderson Buell, the cartoonist who created Little Lulu under the pen name Marge, dies of lymphoma at age 88.

30 years ago May 30, 1993 Illustrator, pulp artist, and cartoonist Lyman Anderson dies at age 86. His work appeared in New Fun #1-2, and he drew Inspector Wade for King Features.

20 years ago May 27, 2003 Golden and Silver Age cartoonist Al Hartley dies at age 81. His work included comics features with Patsy Walker and Archie and material for Spire Christian Comics.

20 years ago May 30, 2003 Best Animated Feature Oscar-winner Finding Nemo opens, produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.

5 years ago May 27, 2018 Spanish artist Julio Ribera dies at age 91. He also contributed to French comics.

And here are the anniversaries spanning the month of June…

85 years ago June 1938 Action Comics #1 is dated June. It kicks off the Golden Age with the first appearance of Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Oh, yes, also introduced in the issue are Lois Lane, Tex Thomson (Mr. America), and Zatara.

70 years ago June 1953 Harvey’s Casper the Friendly Ghost #10 introduces Spooky (“the Tuff Little Ghost”).

70 years ago June 1953 Fawcett’s superhero titles wrap up: Whiz Comics #155 and Captain Marvel Jr. #119 are the final issues. (Ik! The cover of Captain Marvel Jr. features his electrocution, and the cover says, “In this issue: Condemned to die.”)

65 years ago June 1958 DC’s Action Comics #241 cover features “The Super-Key to Fort Superman!” (Or, as we know it, it’s the first appearance of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.) The story is by Jerry Coleman, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye.

65 years ago June 1958 Dell’s Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge #22 features “The Golden River” by Carl Barks.

60 years ago June 1963 “Reborn out of disaster, four survivors rose again to form a legion of the world’s strangest heroes!” DC’s My Greatest Adventure #80 introduces The Doom Patrol: The Chief and members Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and (Silver Age) Robotman in a story by Arnold Drake, Bob Haney, and Bruno Premiani.

60 years ago June 1963 “Meet the flying Wasp, Ant-Man’s gorgeous, new partner-in-peril!” Marvel’s Tales to Astonish #44 introduces The Wasp in “The Creature from Kosmos!” by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck.

60 years ago June 1963 DC’s Green Lantern #21 introduces Doctor Polaris in “The Man Who Mastered Magnetism!” by John Broome, Gil Kane, and Joe Giella.

60 years ago June 1963 Marvel’s Fantastic Four #15 introduces The Mad Thinker. “Not only has The Mad Thinker taken over The Fantastic Four’s headquarters, but he’s beating them at their own game!” Uh oh! The story is by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers.

60 years ago June 1963 Prize publishes its final issues of Young Love (#38) and Young Romance (#124), with titles going to DC.

60 years ago June 1963 You may think of him as a Simpsons character, but Radio-Active Man (note the hyphen – and he gets two hyphens (Radio-Active-Man) on the cover) makes his first appearance three decades earlier in Marvel’s Journey into Mystery #93. “Even the mighty Thor is forced to obey” his “sinister commands.” The story is by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers.

55 years ago June 1968 On the first issue of Marvel’s Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the cover asks (without a question mark) “Who is Scorpio.” Script and art are by Jim Steranko.

55 years ago June 1968 Proclaiming itself “a Golden Magazine special” and featuring a Gold Key label, Walt Disney Comics Digest begins.

55 years ago June 1968 “His magic is greater than our combined superpowers!” DC’s Adventure Comics #369 introduces the villainous Mordru and “King” Carter in a story by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan, and Jack Abel. Doggone that time-travel, anyway!

55 years ago June 1968 The “Sally Forth” feature created by Wally Wood begins in Military News.

55 years ago June 1968 The previous issue was Strange Tales #168. With #169, Marvel’s series becomes Doctor Strange, and readers get the origin story as told by Roy Thomas and Dan Adkins.

55 years ago June 1968 In DC’s Showcase #75, readers find a new story about the tough and the tame. In other words, The Hawk and The Dove are introduced. “In this world, those who seek justice often walk different paths.” You betcha. The story is by Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates.

50 years ago June 1973 “The One-Shot Hero!” by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum introduces Wildfire (as ERG-1) in DC’s Superboy #195.

50 years ago June 1973 DC’s The Doom Patrol ends with #124. (The team will be back.)

50 years ago June 1973 It’s a turning point, as the cover says. Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man #121 marks a major change for Gwen Stacy. (Spoilers? I don’t do spoilers. But eek!)

50 years ago June 1973 Marvel’s The Avengers #112 introduces Mantis in “The Lion God Lives!” by Steve Englehart, Don Heck, and Frank Bolle.

45 years ago June 1978 The “explosive first issue” of Warren’s 1984 (“tomorrow’s world of illustrated adult fantasy!”) has a cover by Richard Corben.

45 years ago June 1978 DC’s Batman #300 carries the “double-length” “Last Batman Story” by David Vern, Walter Simonson, and Dick Giordano.

45 years ago June 1978 DC’s Secret Society of Super Villains ends with #15. “The Wizard’s War of the Worlds!” is by Bob Rozakis, Mike Vosburg, and Bob Smith.

40 years ago June 1983 DC’s Action Comics #544 is an anniversary issue with origins of revamped Luthor and Brainiac and tributes by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

40 years ago June 1983 DC’s series keeps its numbering through title length changes. In any case, this issue of The Legion of Super-Heroes is #300. Some members are celebrating; others are dealing with things. “The Future Is Forever!” is by Keith Giffen, Paul Levitz, and Larry Mahlstedt.

40 years ago June 1983 Coincidentally (?), the cover of DC’s Adventure Comics #500 announces “All Legion stories!” in the 148-page issue.

40 years ago June 1983 Although the cover of DC’s Weird War Tales #124 says, “Old Enemies Never Die!” – it’s the last issue.

40 years ago June 1983 Marvel’s Master of Kung Fu #125 is the last issue. “For ten years he has walked the way of the warrior … Now it has come to an end.” (Shang-Chi will be back.)

40 years ago June 1983 With #100, Marvel Two-in-One wraps up the series. And The Thing even comments, “So this is … The End!”

40 years ago June 1983 DC’s The Omega Men #3 introduces Lobo. The story is by Roger Slifer, Keith Giffen, and Mike DeCarlo.

40 years ago June 1983 First’s Jon Sable, Freelance begins with “The Iron Monster!” written and drawn by Mike Grell.

40 years ago June 1983 Archie’s Red Circle begins The Black Hood and Lancelot Strong: The Shield. Their runs are brief.

35 years ago June 1988 “From the world of The Legion of Super-Heroes …” comes DC’s Wanderers #1. The story is by Doug Moench, Dave Hooper, and Robert Campanella. It's the first issue of a 12-issue maxiseries.

35 years ago June 1988 DC’s Crimson Avenger #1 starts a new adventure of the Golden Age crimefighter. It’s by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Greg Brooks.

35 years ago June 1988 Marvel’s Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 features problems with what used to be his gang. The first episode is by Bob Harras, Paul Neary, and Kim DeMulder.

35 years ago June 1988 Vortex introduces the adult-oriented Black Kiss by Howard Chaykin (with a design assist by Dean Motter).

35 years ago June 1988 New England Comics begins The Tick by Ben Edlund, introducing the character.

30 years ago June 1993 Malibu launches its Ultraverse line with titles including Prime and Hardcase.

30 years ago June 1993 DC’s Adventures of Superman celebrates #500 with “Back from the Dead?!” It’s an anthology of stories following Superman’s funeral. Because.

30 years ago June 1993 Fantagraphics’ Eightball #11 by Daniel Clowes publishes the first episode of his Ghost World.

20 years ago June 2003 Marvel’s Wolverine ends with #189. (Maybe you can console yourself with the fact that Wolverine #1 will be dated July 2003?)

20 years ago June 2003 “Half a Life” by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark begins in DC’s Gotham Central #6. It will win an Eisner Award as Best Serialized Story of the year.

20 years ago June 2003 The first installment of Image’s (“imaginary story”) G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers miniseries is by Joshua Blaylock, Mike S. Miller, and Armando Durruthy.

15 years ago June 2008 Harvey Pekar’s self-published autobiographical series American Splendor began in 1976. This new DC/Vertigo American Splendor series begins now and runs for four issues.

15 years ago June 2008 Wups! Watch out for Skrulls! Marvel’s Secret Invasion is by Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Francis Yu, and Mark Morales. (And yes, a new Secret Invasion series will start in January 2023, as you may have noticed.) (You do know about this year’s Disney+ series, right?)

15 years ago June 2008 Dark Horse’s miniseries Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods by Rob Williams, Steve Scott, and Nathan Massengill begins.

10 years ago June 2013 Batman: Li’l Gotham begins with stories of Halloween and Thanksgiving by Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs.

5 years ago June 2018 Magic Order from Image begins with the first installment of an initial six-issue miniseries by Mark Millar and Olivier Coipel.

5 years ago June 2018 The first issue of the 10-issue Marvel Domino series is by Gail Simone and David Baldeón. Variant covers!

5 years ago June 2018 Archie’s B&V Friends Forever begins with four stories by Bill Golliher, Dan Parent, Rich Koslowski, and Glenn Whitmore.

5 years ago June 2018 Are you surprised that DC’s Action Comics #1000 has lots and lots (and lots) of cover variants? I didn’t think so. Its 84 pages contain a variety of Superman tales 80 years after his first comic book appearance.

5 years ago June 2018 There are (surprise!) variant covers of Captain America #700. The intriguing issue by Mark Waid, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Frank Giacoia looks (via much Silver Age art) at the character whose comics career began in 1941.

5 years ago June 2018 Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man #798 and #799 come out dated the same month, with both issues by Dan Slott, Stuart Immonen, and Wade von Grawbadger. Hey! Look at all the variant covers! But comic book publishers will probably have used up the whole variant cover thing by next month, right? Sure!