TURNING POINTS by Maggie Thompson
Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for March 13-19, 2026…
170 years ago March 13, 1856 British artist Isaac Robert Cruikshank dies of bronchitis at age 66. His art included speech balloons and sequential narratives.
170 years ago March 17, 1856 German diplomat and writer-artist Johann Hermann Detmold dies at age 48.
145 years ago March 13, 1881 Will B. Johnstone is born. The writer-artist is credited as the first person to diagram football games showing every play for each team. He produces a current events strip (featuring a barrel-wearing taxpayer) and writes scripts for the Marx Brothers.
140 years ago March 15, 1886 Danish-French artist Gerda Wegener is born.
135 years ago March 18, 1891 Norwegian artist Anders Bjørgaard is born. He draws Jens von Bustenskjold.
130 years ago March 13, 1896 French artist Maurice Julhès is born.
115 years ago March 18, 1911 Western actor and country music musician Smiley Burnette is born. Fawcett’s Smiley Burnette Western is named for him.
110 years ago March 15, 1916 Frank Coghlan Jr. is born. He plays Billy Batson in the 1941 Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel.
110 years ago March 15, 1916 Tom Okamoto (who also works as “Tom Mako” and “Tom Oka”) is born. The artist and animator works for Disney before World War II and creates the Deems and Little Brave comic strips in the 1950s.
105 years ago March 13, 1921 Award-winning writer-artist Al Jaffee is born. The contributor to Mad with the longest record there, he creates the Mad Fold-In and “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions.” His other creations include Ziggy Pig, Silly Seal, and the newspaper feature Tall Tales.
105 years ago March 13, 1921 Writer-artist Jean Dulieu is born as Jan van Oort. He creates Paulus the Woodgnome.
105 years ago March 15, 1921 Animator and Supermouse artist Milt Stein is born.
100 years ago March 15, 1926 Writer Bob Haney is born. He co-creates Doom Patrol, Metamorpho, and Teen Titans.
100 years ago March 16, 1926 Writer-artist Jay Disbrow is born. With a career starting in the early 1950s, he is especially known for his horror comics.
95 years ago March 13, 1931 Indian journalist, researcher, and cartoonist Chandi Lahiri is born. He is a pioneer of Bengal animation.
95 years ago March 15, 1931 Dutch writer-artist Henk Tol is born.
90 years ago March 16, 1936 Eugene the Jeep is introduced in E.C. Segar’s Thimble Theatre.
90 years ago March 19, 1936 Swedish artist Ottilia Adelborg dies at age 80. She was one of the first Swedish artists to make children’s picture books and often used the comics format.
85 years ago March 16, 1941 Marten Toonder’s Tom Poes makes its debut.
75 years ago March 13, 1951 Beetle Bailey joins the Army in Mort Walker’s Beetle Bailey strip.
75 years ago March 16, 1951 Charlie Brown and his friends play baseball for the first time in Peanuts.
70 years ago March 17, 1956 Award-winning writer-artist Patrick McDonnell is born. He creates Mutts and Bad Baby.
65 years ago March 16, 1961 Award-winning writer, artist, publisher, and entrepreneur Todd McFarlane is born. The Image Comics co-founder creates Spawn and founds McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane Entertainment.
65 years ago March 18, 1961 British comics magazine Bimbo begins and introduces Bob Dewar’s Bimbo.
60 years ago March 14, 1966 Artist-writer Steve Brooks is born.
60 years ago March 15, 1966 Dutch artist Henriëtte Willebeek Le Mair dies at age 76. She produced new illustrations for Heinrich Hoffmann’s Der Struwwelpeter.
60 years ago March 16, 1966 Writer-artist Gary Shipman is born. He co-creates Pakkins’ Land with his wife, Rhoda.
55 years ago March 13, 1971 Graphic novel pioneer Rockwell Kent dies at age 88.
55 years ago March 17, 1971 Novelist Sherri Smith is born. The writer is especially known for her work for Bongo Comics.
50 years ago March 16, 1976 Award-winning Chicago Daily News editorial cartoonist Cecil Jensen dies at age 74. He created the Syncopating Sue comic strip.
50 years ago March 19, 1976 Award-winning pioneering Spanish artist and teacher Emilio Freixas, considered one of Spain’s best 20th century artists, dies at age 76.
50 years ago March 19, 1976 Comics 101 begins in London and runs to March 21, organized by Denis Gifford to celebrate the 101st year of British comics.
45 years ago March 17, 1981 Australian artist Emile Mercier dies at age 79.
40 years ago March 19, 1986 British artist Stephen P. Dowling dies on his birthday at age 82. He co-created Ruggles with Frank Dowling and created Garth for The Daily Mirror.
35 years ago March 15, 1991 Indian filmmaker and artist Govindan Aravindan dies at age 56. He created Cheriya Manushyarum, Valiya Lokavum, which Lambiek says “is considered a precursor to the graphic novel.”
30 years ago March 14, 1996 Artist Jack Berrill dies of cancer at age 72. He created Gil Thorpe.
30 years ago March 15, 1996 Film director, cartoonist, and artist Homer Groening dies at age 76. (He’s the father of Matt Groening, who includes autobiographical references in his Simpsons material.) He co-created Phoebe, Get Your Man with Peg Bracken.
25 years ago March 14, 2001 Comics dealer John Barrett dies of colon cancer at age 50. He was the longtime partner in and manager of the first comics shop “chain,” Comics & Comix.
25 years ago March 15, 2001 Award-winning Flemish political cartoonist Pol de Valck (who worked as “Brasser”) dies at age 64. The prolific artist produced daily current events cartoons.
25 years ago March 16, 2001 Voice artist Norma MacMillan dies at age 79. Her characters included Sweet Polly Purebread of Underdog, Davey Hanson of Davey and Goliath, Casper of The New Casper Cartoon Show, and Gumby of The Gumby Show.
20 years ago March 13, 2006 Estonian artist Olimar Kallas dies at age 76.
20 years ago March 15, 2006 Spanish artist Vicente Vaño Ibarra dies at age 58.
20 years ago March 17, 2006 Spanish artist Jaime Mainou dies at age 75 or 76.
10 years ago March 15, 2016 Artist Augie Scotto dies at age 88. He contributed to comics from Charlton, Cross, Hillman, Timely, and DC and worked for Will Eisner on PS Magazine.
10 years ago March 16, 2016 Chinese artist and teacher He Youzhi dies at age 93. He is considered to be one of the grand masters of Chinese comics.
10 years ago March 18, 2016 Award-winning German artist Klaus Vonderwerth dies at age 80.
5 years ago March 18, 2021 Spanish writer-artist Josep Lluis Martinez I Picañol (who worked as “Picanyol”) dies two days after his 73rd birthday.
5 years ago March 19, 2021 Artist, musician, and animator Gary Leib dies of a heart attack at age 65. The founder of the Twinkle Leib animation studio co-created Idiotland with Doug Allen.
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TURNING POINTS by Maggie Thompson
Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for March 13-19, 2026…
170 years ago March 13, 1856 British artist Isaac Robert Cruikshank dies of bronchitis at age 66. His art included speech balloons and sequential narratives.
170 years ago March 17, 1856 German diplomat and writer-artist Johann Hermann Detmold dies at age 48.
145 years ago March 13, 1881 Will B. Johnstone is born. The writer-artist is credited as the first person to diagram football games showing every play for each team. He produces a current events strip (featuring a barrel-wearing taxpayer) and writes scripts for the Marx Brothers.
140 years ago March 15, 1886 Danish-French artist Gerda Wegener is born.
135 years ago March 18, 1891 Norwegian artist Anders Bjørgaard is born. He draws Jens von Bustenskjold.
130 years ago March 13, 1896 French artist Maurice Julhès is born.
115 years ago March 18, 1911 Western actor and country music musician Smiley Burnette is born. Fawcett’s Smiley Burnette Western is named for him.
110 years ago March 15, 1916 Frank Coghlan Jr. is born. He plays Billy Batson in the 1941 Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel.
110 years ago March 15, 1916 Tom Okamoto (who also works as “Tom Mako” and “Tom Oka”) is born. The artist and animator works for Disney before World War II and creates the Deems and Little Brave comic strips in the 1950s.
105 years ago March 13, 1921 Award-winning writer-artist Al Jaffee is born. The contributor to Mad with the longest record there, he creates the Mad Fold-In and “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions.” His other creations include Ziggy Pig, Silly Seal, and the newspaper feature Tall Tales.
105 years ago March 13, 1921 Writer-artist Jean Dulieu is born as Jan van Oort. He creates Paulus the Woodgnome.
105 years ago March 15, 1921 Animator and Supermouse artist Milt Stein is born.
100 years ago March 15, 1926 Writer Bob Haney is born. He co-creates Doom Patrol, Metamorpho, and Teen Titans.
100 years ago March 16, 1926 Writer-artist Jay Disbrow is born. With a career starting in the early 1950s, he is especially known for his horror comics.
95 years ago March 13, 1931 Indian journalist, researcher, and cartoonist Chandi Lahiri is born. He is a pioneer of Bengal animation.
95 years ago March 15, 1931 Dutch writer-artist Henk Tol is born.
90 years ago March 16, 1936 Eugene the Jeep is introduced in E.C. Segar’s Thimble Theatre.
90 years ago March 19, 1936 Swedish artist Ottilia Adelborg dies at age 80. She was one of the first Swedish artists to make children’s picture books and often used the comics format.
85 years ago March 16, 1941 Marten Toonder’s Tom Poes makes its debut.
75 years ago March 13, 1951 Beetle Bailey joins the Army in Mort Walker’s Beetle Bailey strip.
75 years ago March 16, 1951 Charlie Brown and his friends play baseball for the first time in Peanuts.
70 years ago March 17, 1956 Award-winning writer-artist Patrick McDonnell is born. He creates Mutts and Bad Baby.
65 years ago March 16, 1961 Award-winning writer, artist, publisher, and entrepreneur Todd McFarlane is born. The Image Comics co-founder creates Spawn and founds McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane Entertainment.
65 years ago March 18, 1961 British comics magazine Bimbo begins and introduces Bob Dewar’s Bimbo.
60 years ago March 14, 1966 Artist-writer Steve Brooks is born.
60 years ago March 15, 1966 Dutch artist Henriëtte Willebeek Le Mair dies at age 76. She produced new illustrations for Heinrich Hoffmann’s Der Struwwelpeter.
60 years ago March 16, 1966 Writer-artist Gary Shipman is born. He co-creates Pakkins’ Land with his wife, Rhoda.
55 years ago March 13, 1971 Graphic novel pioneer Rockwell Kent dies at age 88.
55 years ago March 17, 1971 Novelist Sherri Smith is born. The writer is especially known for her work for Bongo Comics.
50 years ago March 16, 1976 Award-winning Chicago Daily News editorial cartoonist Cecil Jensen dies at age 74. He created the Syncopating Sue comic strip.
50 years ago March 19, 1976 Award-winning pioneering Spanish artist and teacher Emilio Freixas, considered one of Spain’s best 20th century artists, dies at age 76.
50 years ago March 19, 1976 Comics 101 begins in London and runs to March 21, organized by Denis Gifford to celebrate the 101st year of British comics.
45 years ago March 17, 1981 Australian artist Emile Mercier dies at age 79.
40 years ago March 19, 1986 British artist Stephen P. Dowling dies on his birthday at age 82. He co-created Ruggles with Frank Dowling and created Garth for The Daily Mirror.
35 years ago March 15, 1991 Indian filmmaker and artist Govindan Aravindan dies at age 56. He created Cheriya Manushyarum, Valiya Lokavum, which Lambiek says “is considered a precursor to the graphic novel.”
30 years ago March 14, 1996 Artist Jack Berrill dies of cancer at age 72. He created Gil Thorpe.
30 years ago March 15, 1996 Film director, cartoonist, and artist Homer Groening dies at age 76. (He’s the father of Matt Groening, who includes autobiographical references in his Simpsons material.) He co-created Phoebe, Get Your Man with Peg Bracken.
25 years ago March 14, 2001 Comics dealer John Barrett dies of colon cancer at age 50. He was the longtime partner in and manager of the first comics shop “chain,” Comics & Comix.
25 years ago March 15, 2001 Award-winning Flemish political cartoonist Pol de Valck (who worked as “Brasser”) dies at age 64. The prolific artist produced daily current events cartoons.
25 years ago March 16, 2001 Voice artist Norma MacMillan dies at age 79. Her characters included Sweet Polly Purebread of Underdog, Davey Hanson of Davey and Goliath, Casper of The New Casper Cartoon Show, and Gumby of The Gumby Show.
20 years ago March 13, 2006 Estonian artist Olimar Kallas dies at age 76.
20 years ago March 15, 2006 Spanish artist Vicente Vaño Ibarra dies at age 58.
20 years ago March 17, 2006 Spanish artist Jaime Mainou dies at age 75 or 76.
10 years ago March 15, 2016 Artist Augie Scotto dies at age 88. He contributed to comics from Charlton, Cross, Hillman, Timely, and DC and worked for Will Eisner on PS Magazine.
10 years ago March 16, 2016 Chinese artist and teacher He Youzhi dies at age 93. He is considered to be one of the grand masters of Chinese comics.
10 years ago March 18, 2016 Award-winning German artist Klaus Vonderwerth dies at age 80.
5 years ago March 18, 2021 Spanish writer-artist Josep Lluis Martinez I Picañol (who worked as “Picanyol”) dies two days after his 73rd birthday.
5 years ago March 19, 2021 Artist, musician, and animator Gary Leib dies of a heart attack at age 65. The founder of the Twinkle Leib animation studio co-created Idiotland with Doug Allen.
Popular Topics
Overstreet Access Quick Links
