Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for February 9-15, 2024...
155 years ago February 10, 1869 Charles Bartholomew is born. The writer-artist (who works as “Bart”) is Dean of the Federal School of Illustration and Cartooning and creates textbooks on cartooning and illustration.
145 years ago February 10, 1879 Influential French political cartoonist and caricaturist Honoré Daumier dies at age 70. He was especially known for his “Les Poires” cartoon, satirizing the king.
140 years ago February 11, 1884 Dutch artist Jan Wiegman is born.
140 years ago February 14, 1884 Artist A.E. Hayward is born. He creates the strip Somebody’s Stenog.
140 years ago February 15, 1884 New Yorker cartoonist Quin Hall is born. He creates such strips as Peter Plink.
135 years ago February 9, 1889 Larry Semon is born. The comedian is a director, actor, writer-artist, and producer. He directs the 1925 Wizard of Oz and plays the Scarecrow.
125 years ago February 10, 1899 Award-winning manga artist Chūtarō Takamizawa is born. He works as “Suihō Tagawa” and creates the Norakuro strip.
120 years ago February 14, 1904 Jimmy Swinnerton’s Little Jimmy begins in the New York Journal.
110 years ago February 14, 1914 Eric Ericson is born. The writer-artist and magazine cartoonist creates the “Grounded Gremlin” feature.
110 years ago February 15, 1914 Italian artist Enver Bongrani is born.
90 years ago February 15, 1934 French comics pioneer Louis Forton dies at age 54 after an operation. The writer-artist created Les Pieds Nickelés and Bibi Fricotin.
80 years ago February 10, 1944 Italian comics magazine L’Audace ends.
75 years ago February 9, 1949 Writer Alan Grant is born. He’s known for work on Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog and co-creates Anarky, Victor Zsasz, and Ventriloquist.
75 years ago February 15, 1949 Charles Bartholomew dies five days after his 80th birthday. The writer-artist (who worked as “Bart”) was Dean of the Federal School of Illustration and Cartooning and created textbooks on cartooning and illustration.
70 years ago February 9, 1954 Writer-editor Jo Duffy is born.
70 years ago February 12, 1954 Artist Steven Hughes is born. He draws for the Chaos! comics line.
70 years ago February 13, 1954 The Beano introduces the Leo Baxendale feature that will become known as “The Bash Street Kids.”
70 years ago February 15, 1954 Award-winning writer-artist Matt Groening is born. He creates Life in Hell and the TV series The Simpsons and Futurama. He also co-founds Bongo Comics.
65 years ago February 12, 1959 Dutch artist Jules Coenen is born. His work includes United States Disney comics.
65 years ago February 13, 1959 Artist Vincent Deporter is born. His work includes many contributions to SpongeBob SquarePants Comics.
65 years ago February 14, 1959 Artist Gordon Purcell is born. He’s especially known for work featuring characters in franchise series.
65 years ago February 15, 1959 Painter and colorist Les Dorscheid is born.
60 years ago February 9, 1964 Artist, writer, and publisher T.C. Ford is born.
60 years ago February 10, 1964 British artist Charlie Pease dies of a heart attack at age 59. Lambiek calls him “one of the great names of British comics,” and he worked for decades for Amalgamated Press.
55 years ago February 9, 1969 Character actor Gabby Hayes dies of cardiovascular disease at age 83. His roles as a cowboy sidekick led to licensing his name and image to Fawcett comics.
50 years ago February 12, 1974 Spanish artist José Robledano dies at age 89. He drew El Suero Maravilloso, which Lambiek says is “considered the first modern Spanish comic strip.”
45 years ago February 9, 1979 Belgian writer Daniël Jansens dies at age 47 of a heart attack. He co-created Bakelandt with Hec Leemans.
45 years ago February 15, 1979 Italian writer-artist Roy d’Ami dies at age 55. He founded Studio Creazioni d’Ami.
40 years ago February 12, 1984 Tim Tyler’s Luck creator Lyman Young dies at age 90. He was the older brother of Blondie creator Chic Young.
35 years ago February 9, 1989 Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion creator Osamu Tezuka dies of stomach cancer at age 60. He is considered by many to be “the father of manga.”
35 years ago February 11, 1989 Actor George O’Hanlon dies of a stroke at age 76. The star of the “Joe McDoakes” comedy shorts was a voice artist whose roles included George Jetson.
30 years ago February 10, 1994 British writer-artist Mel Calman dies of a heart attack at age 62. The founder of The Cartoon Gallery, which was devoted to cartoon art, produced the 35-minute animated cartoon “The Arrow.”
15 years ago February 13, 2009 Cartoonist, political cartoonist, and teacher Corky Trinidad dies of pancreatic cancer at age 69. His Nguyen Charlie appeared in Stars & Stripes.
10 years ago February 9, 2014 French artist André-François Barbe dies five days before his 78th birthday.
10 years ago February 12, 2014 Actor, comedian, and writer Sid Caesar dies at age 91. Best-known for his entertainment roles, he contributed to Mad in 1959 and 1960.
10 years ago February 13, 2014 British cartoonist Gordon Bell dies at age 79 or 80. He was known for his work for The Beano and Sparky.
5 years ago February 9, 2019 Award-winning French writer-artist Tomi Ungerer dies at age 87. His work included illustrating Flat Stanley, written by Jeff Brown.
