Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for October 4-10, 2024...
260 years ago October 5, 1764 Scottish cartoonist Isaac Cruikshank is born. He’s a pioneer who uses speech balloons, and his sons George and Isaac Robert are also famous cartoonists.
175 years ago October 7, 1849 Influential author Edgar Allan Poe dies at age 40.
135 years ago October 6, 1889 Artist Kemp Starrett is born. His longest running series is Vignettes of Life.
130 years ago October 10, 1894 Designer and letterer Ira Schnapp is born. Among his creations are DC logos and the Comics Code seal.
125 years ago October 4, 1899 French artist Paul Léonnec dies at age 57.
120 years ago October 6, 1904 British artist Hugh Stanley White is born. Lambiek calls him “a pioneer in British newspaper comics with his adventure strips for Boys & Girls Daily Mail.”
120 years ago October 9, 1904 Bear Creek Folks by C.M. Payne begins.
115 years ago October 9, 1909 Award-winning writer, artist, and teacher Elton Clay Fax is born. The writer-artist of such books as West African Vignettes and Contemporary Black Leaders provides Golden Age comics work for Continental Features Syndicate, Funnies, Quality, and Novelty.
110 years ago October 8, 1914 Dutch artist Wim Lensen, one of the earliest staff artists in the Toonder Studios, is born.
110 years ago October 10, 1914 British artist and publisher, editor, and editorial director Leonard Matthews is born. Nicknamed the “Napoleon of Comics,” he owns Martsprint.
100 years ago October 5, 1924 Italian animator and artist Franco Paludetti is born.
100 years ago October 5, 1924 Award-winning Frank and Ernest creator Bob Thaves is born. He co-creates King Baloo with Scott Stantis. In Frank and Ernest for May 3, 1982, his characters look at a Fred Astaire Film Festival poster and provide the much quoted comment, “Sure he was great, but don’t forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did... backwards and in high heels.”
100 years ago October 5, 1924 Bibi Fricotin by Louis Forton begins.
100 years ago October 9, 1924 Australian artist Jeff Wilkinson is born. He creates “Dusty Malone” and “The Phantom Ranger.”
95 years ago October 8, 1929 Argentine cartoonist and animator Manuel Garcia is born.
95 years ago October 8, 1929 Pioneering Peruvian political cartoonist Carlos Roose Silva is born.
90 years ago October 7, 1934 Bronc Peeler by Fred Harman begins.
85 years ago October 8, 1939 Writer Harvey Pekar is born. He creates the autobiographical series American Splendor.
85 years ago October 10, 1939 French artist Benjamin Rabier dies at age 74. The animation pioneer was known for his animal drawings, and his book Tintin Lutin influenced Hergé, who named his famous character in tribute.
80 years ago October 5, 1944 The Nazi ban on the Belgian comics magazine Spirou is lifted, and the magazine appears in stores again.
80 years ago October 10, 1944 Spanish artist Antoni Utrillo dies at age 76 or 77.
75 years ago October 5, 1949 Walt Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad opens.
75 years ago October 8, 1949 Writer Monte Barrett dies after a failed operation at age 52. With artist Frank Ellis, he created Jane Arden.
75 years ago October 8, 1949 Artist Jerry Bittle is born. He creates the newspaper strips Geech and Shirley and Son.
75 years ago October 9, 1949 Award-winning writer-artist Jim Starlin is born. He is especially known for his work on Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock and for creating and/or co-creating such characters as Thanos, Drax, Gamora, and Shang-Chi.
70 years ago October 4, 1954 French writer-artist and animator Yves Ker Ambrun is born. He works for companies including Disney as an animation character designer and art director.
70 years ago October 7, 1954 Award-winning writer-artist-publisher Phil Yeh is born. He founds Cartoonists across America and the World, promoting literacy and creativity.
70 years ago October 9, 1954 Fantagraphics co-founder (with Gary Groth) and editor Michael Catron is born. The comics historian also publishes Apple Comics.
65 years ago October 4, 1959 Cartoonist and owner of Ladytooner Donna Karen Upshaw is born.
65 years ago October 6, 1959 Award-winning artist Adam Kubert is born. He begins his comics career by lettering at age 12. He is especially known for his work on Wolverine, The Incredible Hulk, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Action Comics (“Last Son”), and Avengers.
65 years ago October 10, 1959 Harold Teen creator Carl Ed dies at age 69.
65 years ago October 10, 1959 Award-winning writer-artist Jaime Hernandez is born. He co-creates (with Gilbert and Mario Hernandez) the series Love and Rockets, in which his Locas stories appear, often featuring Maggie Chascarrillo and Hopey Glass.
65 years ago October 10, 1959 Fish Police editor and letterer Paul Nagy is born.
65 years ago October 10, 1959 Norman Pett’s Jane ends.
60 years ago October 4, 1964 Writer-editor-artist Marc McLaurin is born. He is especially known for his work on Marvel’s Epic and Razorline titles.
55 years ago October 6, 1969 Artist Emil “Rome” Siemon dies at age 69. The Western Publishing Company house letterer on West Coast-edited comic books also drew Collection Day Chuckles and Little Moonfolks.
45 years ago October 6, 1979 Don Rosa’s Captain Kentucky begins in The Louisville Times.
35 years ago October 6, 1989 The Belgian Comic Strip center opens in Brussels.
30 years ago October 5, 1994 Jonny Quest and Rio creator artist Doug Wildey dies of heart failure at age 72.
30 years ago October 5, 1994 Writer-artist, teacher, and animator Frank Ridgeway dies at age 63 or 64. With Ralston Jones, he co-created Mr. Abernathy.
20 years ago October 10, 2004 Actor, director, producer, and writer Christopher Reeve dies at age 52. His career included starring in films as Superman.
15 years ago October 7, 2009 Haunt by Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman begins from Image.
5 years ago October 5, 2019 Belgian writer Rik Pareit dies of prostate cancer at age 66.
