Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for February 23-29, 2024...
210 years ago February 26, 1814 Swedish artist Johan Tobias Sergel dies at age 73. The sculptor also created sequential picture stories.
140 years ago February 27, 1884 Writer-artist Walter R. Allman is born. He creates the gag strip Doings of the Duffs.
120 years ago February 28, 1904 Frank Jupo is born as Julius Potzernheim. The political cartoonist is also a children’s book creator and a Dell writer-artist.
115 years ago February 26, 1909 French editorial cartoonist and illustrator Emmanuel Poiré (who worked as “Caran d’Ache”) dies at age 50.
115 years ago February 28, 1909 Greek-German artist Nikol Dimitriadis is born.
110 years ago February 25, 1914 Artist John Tenniel dies at age 93. Especially known for his illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s “Alice” books, he was also a political cartoonist for Punch. He may have been the first cartoonist to be knighted.
110 years ago February 26, 1914 DC humor cartoonist and newspaper strip artist Henry Boltinoff is born. He’s the brother of DC editor Murray Boltinoff.
100 years ago February 24, 1924 Freelance artist Sam Kweskin is born. He works for Atlas and Marvel.
100 years ago February 25, 1924 Dutch artist Ben van ’t Klooster is born. He works for the Marten Toonder Studios and creates Filo Fop.
95 years ago February 25, 1929 Prolific, award-winning cartoonist Arnold Roth is born. His work includes Poor Arnold’s Almanac.
90 years ago February 27, 1934 Artist and animator John Terry dies at age 53. The creator of Scorchy Smith was brother of Terrytoons founder Paul Terry.
80 years ago February 27, 1944 Belgian artist Henri Cassiers dies at age 85.
70 years ago February 24, 1954 Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Jim Borgman is born. He co-creates Zits with Jerry Scott.
70 years ago February 24, 1954 Artist Greg LaRocque is born. He creates The Exiled and is especially known for his work on Legion of Super-Heroes and The Flash.
70 years ago February 27, 1954 The British comics magazine Jack and Jill begins publication.
60 years ago February 28, 1964 Norwegian artist and comics pioneer Jens R. Nilssen dies at age 83. He co-created the Smørbukk character with Andreas Haavoll.
55 years ago February 24, 1969 The first issue of the French comic book Pif Gadget is published.
55 years ago February 27, 1969 Aircel and Malibu editor and letterer Eiwin Mark is born.
50 years ago February 23, 1974 Writer-editor Valerie D’Orazio is born. She begins her comics career at Acclaim, moves to DC, and then provides ongoing commentaries on the comics industry.
50 years ago February 27, 1974 The Flemish weekly newspaper comics section Pats changes its name to Patskrant.
40 years ago February 23, 1984 Spanish artist Jordi Badía Romero (who also worked as “Jorge B. Gálvez”) dies at age 45.
35 years ago February 25, 1989 Animator and artist Ken Champin dies at age 77. His work included many Dell funny animal comics.
35 years ago February 27, 1989 Dutch writer-artist Peter Age Veldheer dies at age 58. He drew for the Bell Studios.
25 years ago February 26, 1999 Archie Comics publisher, co-founder, and editor in chief John L. Goldwater dies at age 83.
20 years ago February 24, 2004 Jean-Marc Lelong dies at age 55. The French artist created Carmen Cru.
20 years ago February 25, 2004 Canadian cartoonist and illustrator Albert Chartier dies at age 91. He was known for such creations as Onésime andSéraphin.
20 years ago February 27, 2004 Artist Rudy Lapick dies at age 77. He was a staff inker at Timely and for Dan DeCarlo at Archie.
15 years ago February 25, 2009 Tower Comics fan and reviver John Carbonaro dies at age 58.
15 years ago February 26, 2009 San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum Executive Director Rod Gilchrist dies of brain cancer at age 58.
10 years ago February 24, 2014 Writer-artist, teacher, film maker, and editor Bhob Stewart dies at age 76. He published The EC Fan Bulletin in 1953, predicted the arrival of underground comix, and devised Topps’ Wacky Packages.
10 years ago February 27, 2014 Award-winning Belgian art curator, creator, and teacher Jan Hoet dies at age 77.
5 years ago February 25, 2019 Polish writer-artist Tadeusz Raczkiewicz dies at age 69.
