Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for September 27 through October 3, 2024...

235 years ago September 27, 1789 British artist Isaac Robert Cruikshank is born. The art of the son of comics pioneer Isaac Cruikshank includes speech balloons and sequential narratives.

160 years ago September 27, 1864 Artist F.M. Howarth is born. Creator of “Lulu and Leander” and “Mr. E.Z. Mark,” he is a pioneer in narrative comics, known for his “sawed-off” people style.

145 years ago October 1, 1879 Award-winning Russian illustrator and political cartoonist Alexey Komarov is born.

135 years ago September 27, 1889 Teacher and artist Wilfred R. Cyr is born. Despite limited use of his head, neck, wrists, hands, and ankles, he creates the comic strips Cabin Boy and Exploits of Eve.

115 years ago September 28, 1909 Named Alfred Gerald Caplin, writer-artist Al Capp is born. The Reuben Award winner creates Li’l Abner and writes Abbie and Slats and Long Sam.

115 years ago October 1, 1909 Animator and writer Romer Zane Grey is born. He’s novelist Zane Grey’s oldest son.

115 years ago October 2, 1909 Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, Secret Agent X-9, and Rip Kirby creator Alex Raymond is born.

105 years ago September 30 1919 Animator, TV producer, and artist Kay Wright is born. Beginning her career as a Disney inbetweener, she draws funny animal comics for Western and produces Hanna-Barbera episodes.

100 years ago September 27, 1924 Harold Gray introduces Daddy Warbucks to his Little Orphan Annie strip.

100 years ago October 1, 1924 The Italian comics magazine Il Giornalino releases its first issue.

100 years ago October 3, 1924 Writer-artist-editor Harvey Kurtzman is born. His career includes (but is not limited to) participating in Will Eisner’s Spirit studio, creating such EC projects as Frontline Combat and Mad, editing (and writing much of) Help!, and creating Little Annie Fanny.

90 years ago October 1, 1934 Life’s Like That by Fred Neher begins.

85 years ago September 29, 1939 Belgian-French artist Luc Lafnet dies at age 40 of pancreatic cancer. He worked on early Spirou comics with Blanche and Robert Velter.

80 years ago September 30, 1944 Canadian artist-writer Barrie Phillip Nichol is born.

80 years ago October 3, 1944 Italian animator and artist Daniele Fagarazzi (who works as “Dani”) is born.

75 years ago October 2, 1949 Argentine writer Ricardo Barreiro is born.

70 years ago September 27, 1954 Political cartoonist, artist, and animator Hy Mayer dies at age 86.

70 years ago October 2, 1954 Writer-editor Mark Christopher Borax is born.

65 years ago September 28, 1959 Cartoonist, comedian, and musician Gerard Hoffnung dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 34.

65 years ago September 29, 1959 British artist and cartoonist Bruce Bairnsfather dies of bladder cancer at age 72. He was best known for his classic World War I “Old Bill” cartoons including, “Well, if you knows of a better ’ole, go to it.”

65 years ago September 29, 1959 Artist Mark Christopher Pennington is born.

65 years ago September 29, 1959 Writer-artist Sylvie Rancourt is born. She creates Mélody.

60 years ago October 1, 1964 Writer-artist Ande Parks is born. He creates Union Station and Capote in Kansas.

60 years ago October 2, 1964 Cartoonist John Talbot Marshall is born. He creates Buford and draws the Blondie comic strip.

60 years ago October 2, 1964 Mature Magic Publications writer-artist-publisher Bill W. Miller is born.

60 years ago October 3, 1964 The British comics magazine Girl ends.

55 years ago September 27, 1969 The British magazine Joe 90 includes a merger with TV Century 21.

25 years ago September 29, 1999 King Features Syndicate artist Alfred J. Buescher dies at age 96. The editorial cartoonist also drew Illustrated Sunday School Lesson for more than four decades.

25 years ago September 30, 1999 Spanish artist Antoni Batllori Jofré dies at age 84.

15 years ago September 30, 2009 Artist Rusty Haller dies at age 45. He created “Ace and Queenie” for Furrlough.

15 years ago October 3, 2009 Argentinian writer-artist-publisher Ricardo Garijo dies of cancer at age 55. He worked on DC Thomson’s comics.

10 years ago October 1, 2014 Belgian artist Michel Demarets dies at age 79. His specialty was drawing vehicles.

5 years ago September 27, 2019 French artist Patrick Tandiang dies at age 56.

5 years ago October 1, 2019 Finnish artist Jouko Innanen dies at age 66.

5 years ago October 1, 2019 Artist Esther Takei dies at age 94.

5 years ago October 3, 2019 New Yorker cartoonist Dana Fradon dies at age 97. He contributed nearly 1,400 cartoons there, freelanced to other magazines, and produced a children’s book series on medieval history.

And here are the anniversaries spanning the month of October…

85 years ago October 1939 Smash Comics #3 from Quality Comics introduces John Law. He’s not the Will Eisner character, but the “Scientective” stars in “Death in the Sky” by Harry Francis Campbell.

85 years ago October 1939 Marvel Comics #1 (and only for a while) introduces The Human Torch (by Carl Burgos), The Angel (by Paul Gustavson with possible influence from Leslie Charteris’ “Saint” novel The Saint in New York), Ka-Zar (by Bob Byrd and Ben Thompson – based on the pulp magazine character by Byrd), The Masked Raider (by Al Anders), and the first newsstand appearance of Sub-Mariner (by Bill Everett). The cover by pulp artist Frank R. Paul features The Human Torch.

85 years ago October 1939 Speed Comics #1 is the first release from Brookwood Publications and introduces Shock Gibson in “The Human Dynamo” by Maurice Rosenfield, Bill Scott, and possibly Norman Fallon.

85 years ago October 1939 Centaur’s Amazing Man Comics #6 introduces The Shark by Lew Glanzman.

80 years ago October 1944 In the untitled Donald Duck story by Carl Barks in Dell’s Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #49, readers discover that the Ducks live in Duckburg.

80 years ago October 1944 DC’s All-American Comics #61 introduces (and features on the cover) Green Lantern foe Solomon Grundy, created by Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman.

75 years ago October 1949 The first issue of Marvel’s Girl Comics says it features “true life love stories!” The featured story is “I COULDN’T ESCAPE from LOVE!”

75 years ago October 1949 Marvel also explores a different marketing approach with the first issue of Cowboy Romances, which features “The OUTLAW and the LADY! AND OTHER TRUE TALES!” They must be true! It’s got a photo cover with real people! Ooo!

75 years ago October 1949 The first issue of Harvey’s Little Max Comics (presented by Joe Palooka, who makes a guest appearance on the cover) introduces Little Dot by writer-artist Vic Herman, who calls her “Li’l Dot.”

75 years ago October 1949 Introduced a decade earlier, Quality’s Smash Comics ends with #85, cover featuring Midnight, drawn by Jack Cole. Midnight will return in DC’s All-Star Squadron #31 (March 1984).

70 years ago October 1954 Marvel’s Jungle Action #1 introduces Lo-Zar, Man-Oo, Jungle Boy, and Leopard Girl. The jungle turns out to be a pretty crowded place – and there isn’t even room in the issue for more than a passing mention (in an ad) of Lorna, the Jungle Girl. On the other hand, Lorna’s been handling jungly business elsewhere since March. [Whereas the Comics Code is established in October, readers won’t see the results for a while; Jungle Action’s first issue with the seal will be #4 (April 1955).]

70 years ago October 1954 DC’s Our Fighting Forces begins. [The Code seal will appear on this series starting with #4 (April-May 1955).]

70 years ago October 1959 DC’s Superboy #76 introduces the Super-Monkey from Krypton (not yet named Beppo) in a story by Otto Binder and George Papp. (It may also be the first story to have Superboy view the past by flying faster than the speed of light.)

60 years ago October 1964 Archie’s Adventures of the Fly #30 introduces The Comet to the Silver Age in “Fly Girl Meets The Comet” by Jerry Siegel and John Giunta.

60 years ago October 1964 Marvel’s Avengers #9 introduces Wonder Man, “the newest, most dynamic surprise character from the world famous House of Ideas!” The story is by Stan Lee, Don Heck, and Dick Ayers.

60 years ago October 1964 DC’s Hawkman #4 introduces Zatanna in “The Girl Who Split in Two!” by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. (She’s looking for her father, Golden Age magician Zatara.)

55 years ago October 1969 Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics becomes Marvel’s Greatest Comics with #23.

55 years ago October 1969 Jason Bard is introduced in the Batgirl story “A Clue… Seven-Foot Tall!” by Frank Robbins, Gil Kane, and Murphy Anderson in DC’s Detective Comics #392.

55 years ago October 1969 From Beyond the Unknown with “stories to stagger the imagination” begins from DC. “Turtle-Men of Space!” Fantastic! (Fantastic or not, it’s a reprint from Strange Adventures.)

55 years ago October 1969 The Marvel fantasy anthology Chamber of Darkness begins.

55 years ago October 1969 “Fumetti per adulti” – the Italian comic book series Vartán by Sandro Angiolini begins.

55 years ago October 1969 DC’s Bat Lash ends with #7.

55 years ago October 1969 Hyperion is introduced in “Let the Game Begin” by Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema, and Sam Grainger in Marvel’s The Avengers #69. Oh – and there are other introductions via The Squadron Sinister: Nighthawk, Doctor Spectrum, Whizzer (the James Saunders version), and Grandmaster.

55 years ago October 1969 The reprint series starting with Marvel’s Greatest Comics #23 is a continuation of Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics.

50 years ago October 1974 He doesn’t turn up till the last panel, but Wolverine is introduced in “And the Wind Howls… Wendigo!” by Len Wein, Herb Trimpe, and Jack Abel in Marvel’s Incredible Hulk #180.

50 years ago October 1974 “It’s new! It’s strange! It’s subterranean!” Comix Book begins from Marvel. “Look out! A bunch of underground cartoonists are trying to undermine…” [Note: These entries usually go by the cover date, but this doesn’t have one; the on-sale date is October 1, so…] The editor is Denis Kitchen, and the many contributors include Pete Poplaski, Steve Stiles, Trina Robbins, Art Spiegelman, Basil Wolverton, Vince Davis, and Howard Cruse.

50 years ago October 1974 DC ends Weird Worlds with #10 with an explanation from Editor Denny O’Neil that it is due to a shortage of paper.

50 years ago October 1974 Marvel wraps up reprint title Monsters on the Prowl with #30.

50 years ago October 1974 DC’s Action Comics #440 introduces Inspector William Henderson to comic books in “The Man Who Betrayed Krypton!” by Elliot Maggin, Curt Swan, and Bob Oksner.

50 years ago October 1974 “Night of the Blood Stalker!” in Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula #25 introduces Hannibal King. The story is by Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan, and Tom Palmer.

45 years ago October 1979 DC anthology Time Warp #1 features “doomsday tales and other things” in its “8 all-new science fiction thrillers!”

45 years ago October 1979 DC’s Action Comics #500 (with an infinity cover, by the way) features the 64-page “The Life Story of Superman” by Martin Pasko, Curt Swan, and Frank Chiaramonte.

45 years ago October 1979 Star*Reach Productions’ Star*Reach #18 is the last issue.

45 years ago October 1979 Marvel’s John Carter, Warlord of Mars #28 is the last issue.

45 years ago October 1979 The 50th issue of Marvel Premiere features “Alice’s 1st comicbook appearance!” starring Alice Cooper in “From the Inside!” by Cooper, Jim Salicrup, Roger Stern, Ed Hannigan, Tom Sutton, and Terry Austin.

45 years ago October 1979 “Behold: Terrax the Tamer!” Marvel’s Fantastic Four #211 introduces Terrax (Galactus’ new herald) in “If This Be Terrax” by Marv Wolfman, John Byrne, and Joe Sinnott. (It be.)

40 years ago October 1984 Lilith and Wally West rejoin the team in The New Teen Titans #2 in a story by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. (It’s DC’s second The New Teen Titans series, and both were in the first series.)

40 years ago October 1984 Woo hoo! It’s an anniversary issue! DC’s Superman #400 features the multipart “The Living Legends of Superman” by Elliot Maggin, Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, Frank Miller, Marshall Rogers, Terry Austin, Wendy Pini, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Kelly Alder, and Klaus Janson. Other contents include “The Exile at the Edge of Eternity” by Jim Steranko and many (many) illustrations by a bevy of famous creators.

40 years ago October 1984 Hey, Marvel’s celebrating an event, too! The Incredible Hulk #300, says the cover, is a “special abnormally large size issue!” It features the 40-page “Days of Rage!” by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, Gerry Talaoc, Alan Kupperberg, and Danny Bulanadi.

40 years ago October 1984 She just has a cameo, hidden in the shadows, but Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #6 introduces a new Spider-Woman in “A Little Death…” by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and John Beatty.

40 years ago October 1984 With “All new adventures in the strangest cosmos of all!” – Marvel begins a second Micronauts series. “Shadow of the Makers!” is by Peter Gillis, Kelley Jones, and Bruce Patterson.

40 years ago October 1984 Marvel’s What If? #47 is the last issue – for a while. “What If Loki Found Thor’s Hammer First?!” is by Peter Gillis, Kelley Jones, and Sam de la Rosa.

40 years ago October 1984 Charlton ends reprint titles Ghostly Tales with #169 and Scary Tales with #46.

35 years ago October 1989 “The cosmic avenger – now in his own book!” Marvel’s Quasar #1 provides his origin story in “The Price of Power!” by Mark Gruenwald, Paul Ryan, and Danny Bulanadi.

35 years ago October 1989 DC begins a second Star Trek series with “The Return” by Peter David, James Fry, and Arne Starr – and a second Star Trek: The Next Generation series with “Return to Raimon” by Michael Jan Friedman and Pablo Marcos.

30 years ago October 1994 DC has a bunch of #0 issues, starting (alphabetically) with Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, Anima, and Aquaman. Take it for granted that there is a Batman #0 and more, more, more.

30 years ago October 1994 Marvel begins two six-issue “Megazine” (“96 big pages”) reprint series with Marvel Super-Heroes Megazine and Spider-Man Megazine.

25 years ago October 1999 DC revisits Congo Bill with the first installment of the four-issue Congo Bill miniseries by Scott Cunningham and Danijel Žeželj.

20 years ago October 2004 In “an amazing story from the files of the Legendary Justice Society of America,” DC’s JSA Strange Adventures #1 introduces Johnny Thunder to a career as a pulp author. The issue’s story is actually by Kevin J. Anderson, Barry Kitson, and Gary Erskine.

15 years ago October 2009 The Marvels Project begins. It involves Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting taking a look at Marvel’s World War II heroes.

15 years ago October 2009 The previous issue of Marvel’s Daredevil was numbered #119 and was a 36-page installment. Now? Hey! It’s #500 and has 108 pages! What’s up with that? (Marvel gets to the number by adding numbers from the 1964 and 1998 series.) Time to celebrate!

15 years ago October 2009 Haunt by Robert Kirkman, Greg Capullo, Ryan Ottley, and Todd McFarlane begins (with a bunch of variant editions) from Image.

10 years ago October 2014 It’s an intriguing combination. IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters begins with a story by Erik Burnham, Tom Waltz, Charles Paul Wilson III, Cory Smith, and Dan Schoening.

10 years ago October 2014 Birthright by Joshua Williamson and Andrei Bressan begins from Image. What happened to Mikey Rhodes while he was being raised in another world? Hmm…

5 years ago October 2019 Marvel introduces Agents of Atlas with the start of “The Portal of Pan” by Greg Pak, Nico Leon, and Jason Paz.

5 years ago October 2019 How many variant covers can a comic book have? Well, Marvel Comics celebrates #1000 with a lot. And with a whole bunch of short-short stories in the 100-page issue. (It’s “80 years, 80 creative teams, one universe,” as one of those variant covers says.)