Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for April 17-23, 2026…

200 years ago April 19, 1826 Polish artist Franciszek Kostrzewski is born. He creates one of the earliest Polish comics, Jedynaczek’s Story in 32 Pictures, in 1859.

190 years ago April 20, 1836 British artist Robert Seymour dies by suicide at age 37 or 38. He suggested the concept of and illustrated Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers, and his work included sequential art and speech balloons.

160 years ago April 17, 1866 Artist A.L. Jansson is born.

160 years ago April 20, 1866 French artist Léonce Burret is born.

155 years ago April 17, 1871 Émile-Joseph Pinchon is born. The French artist is known for “Bécassine” and “Frimousset.”

140 years ago April 19, 1886 British artist Harold C. Earnshaw is born. He creates the Daily Mirror comic strip The Pater.

135 years ago April 19, 1891 Neil O’Keeffe is born. The artist draws Inspector Wade and Dick’s Adventures in Dreamland.

130 years ago April 22, 1896 Dutch artist Arie Emens is born.

125 years ago April 19, 1901 Dutch artist, political cartoonist, and comic strip artist Hein Kray is born. He’s one of the founders of the artists group De Drentsche Schilders.

120 years ago April 19, 1906 Dutch artist Jan Linse dies at age 62. He’s considered the first Dutch comics artist and experiments with the format.

120 years ago April 19, 1906 Lyonel Feininger’s Wee Willie Winkie’s World begins.

120 years ago April 20, 1906 Political cartoonist Ben Thompson is born. He’s the Golden Age co-creator of The Masked Marvel and Doctor Frost.

115 years ago April 19, 1911 Argentine artist Enrique Rapela is born.

115 years ago April 20, 1911 Danish artist Siegfried Cornelius (who works as “Cosper”) is born.

115 years ago April 23, 1911 William Steinigans’ Splinters begins.

110 years ago April 18, 1916 Carl Burgos is born. The Golden Age artist, whose career continues through the Silver Age, creates The Human Torch for Marvel Comics #1. He also creates and edits the wacky Captain Marvel comic book (“Split!”) for M.F. Enterprises in 1966.

110 years ago April 23, 1916 George Herriman’s Krazy Kat begins its first Sunday page.

105 years ago April 17, 1921 Bozidar Veselinović is born. The Serbian writer-artist is best known for Dabisa.

105 years ago April 18, 1921 Animator and artist Siem Praamsma is born. He works at the Marten Toonder Studios and creates Humpo Hotsflots and De Tweede Pimpernel.

100 years ago April 19, 1926 Jinglet by Al Posen begins.

95 years ago April 17, 1931 “I yam what I yam an’ tha’s all I yam.” Popeye first says it in E.C. Segar’s Thimble Theatre.

90 years ago April 17, 1936 Comics historian and researcher David Kunzle is born.

80 years ago April 19, 1946 Tim Curry is born. While the performer is best known for his role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, he also performs as a voice artist on such productions as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Young Justice.

80 years ago April 20, 1946 Rudy Florese is born. The Filipino artist contributes to DC and Pendulum Press.

80 years ago April 22, 1946 Machiko Hasegawa’s manga series Sazae-san begins.

75 years ago April 17, 1951 The Belgian comic book Bravo! ends.

70 years ago April 18, 1956 Comics historian, underground comix expert, and King Features Syndicate editor in chief Jay Kennedy is born.

70 years ago April 20, 1956 Writer Steve Keeter is born. He participates in small press minicomics co-op publications.

70 years ago April 22, 1956 Artist Larry Mahlstedt, known for his work for Marvel and DC, is born.

65 years ago April 23, 1961 Art Wetherell is born. The British artist contributes to Harrier, Marvel UK, Dark Horse, and Fantagraphics comics.

60 years ago April 17, 1966 Bongo Comics Administration staffer Pete Benson is born.

60 years ago April 22, 1966 Marie Javins is born. The colorist becomes a Marvel editor and DC editor in chief.

55 years ago April 18, 1971 Award-winning actor David Tennant is born; he plays the 10th Doctor in Doctor Who and appears in comics stories featuring that incarnation. Oh, yes, and he plays Kilgrave in Jessica Jones. (Sure, sure, he also receives praise for his performance of Hamlet, but let’s stay focused here.) (But do note that he also voices Uncle Scrooge McDuck in DuckTales starting in 2017.)

55 years ago April 18, 1971 Wiki says that “New York City – first exhibition of comic books” begins at Lever House and runs until May 2. But the footnote refers to an article by French magazine Phenix, calling the exhibit “Bandes Dessinees,” so is it comic books? Given that it celebrates such strips as The Yellow Kid, it might be comics in general, not just comic books.

55 years ago April 21, 1971 Writer-artist Michael Turner is born. He’s especially known for his work on Witchblade, Fathom, and Superman/Batman and is president of the Aspen MLT entertainment company.

55 years ago April 23, 1971 Dutch artist Marius J.G. Thomassen (who worked as “Mathos”) dies at age 81.

45 years ago April 18, 1981 Danish artist Tage Andersen dies at age 58.

45 years ago April 23, 1981 Animator and artist Vivie Risto dies at age 78. He drew funny animal stories for Dell and was especially known for Bucky Bug.

40 years ago April 22, 1986 Award-winning cartoonist Dick Moores dies of liver and kidney failure at age 76. He created the Jim Hardy comic strip, drew Disney comics, and was best known for his work on the Gasoline Alley strip.

35 years ago April 17, 1991 French artist Jacques Armand dies at age 33.

35 years ago April 19, 1991 Danish animator and artist Frederik Bramming dies at age 79. He was especially known for his drawings of Christmas elves.

35 years ago April 19, 1991 French artist Charles Popineau dies at age 65.

30 years ago April 20, 1996 Swedish artist Hans Viktor Nilsson (who worked as “Håven”) dies at age 74.

25 years ago April 19, 2001 DC humor cartoonist Henry Boltinoff dies at age 87. The newspaper strip artist was the brother of DC Editor Murray Boltinoff.

25 years ago April 21, 2001 British artist Bernard Venables dies at age 94.

20 years ago April 18, 2006 Artist Richard Rockwell dies at age 85. He was a long-time assistant on the Steve Canyon newspaper strip.

20 years ago April 21, 2006 Belgian artist and teacher Fred Burton dies at age 42.

10 years ago April 18, 2016 Guinness World Records recognizes Al Jaffee as the oldest active cartoonist in the world.

10 years ago April 19, 2016 Dutch artist Frits Klein dies at age 91. He opened the first advertising studio in Frisia.

10 years ago April 21, 2016 Animator and artist Siem Praamsma dies three days after his 95th birthday. As you’ve already noted, he worked at the Marten Toonder Studios and created Humpo Hotsflots and De Tweede Pimpernel.

5 years ago April 18, 2021 Dutch artist, professor, and graphic novelist Cor Blok dies at age 87. Lambiek calls him “the oldest known Dutchman ever to debut as a comic artist.”