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 September 7-13, 2018…
110 years ago September 8, 1908 Artist Austin Briggs is born. He assists Alex Raymond, eventually taking over Secret Agent and Flash Gordon, and draws some of the adventures of comic book character Spy Smasher. He is one of the founding teachers of the Famous Artists School.
110 years ago September 12, 1908 Artist Vernon Greene is born. The comic strip work of the eventual NCS vice president includes The Shadow (whose adventures he also draws for comic books), Polly and Her Pals, and Bringing up Father.
110 years ago September 13, 1908 Voice artist Mae Questel is born. She is best known as the voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl.
110 years ago September 17, 1908 Canadian artist Henri Julien dies at age 56. Working as artistic director for the Montreal Daily Star, he may have been the first Canadian cartoonist employed by a newspaper full-time.
95 years ago September 11, 1923 Artist Alex Kotzky is born. The Golden Age comic book artist ghosts several comic strips and is best known for his work on the Apartment 3-G strip.
75 years ago September 10, 1943 The last issue of the Italian humor magazine Bertoldo is published.
70 years ago September 9, 1948 The Association of Comics Magazine Publishers (ACMP) announces its code under which its 23 subscribers should submit comics for review.
65 years ago September 9, 1953 Colorist Leslie Zahler is born.
65 years ago September 12, 1953 The British magazine Illustrated Chips ends, merging with Film Fun.
60 years ago September 7, 1958 Artist Mili Smythe is born.
60 years ago September 8, 1958 Jack Berrill’s sports strip Gil Thorp begins.
60 years ago September 8, 1958 Sky Masters of the Space Force begins by Dick and Dave Wood, Jack Kirby, and Wally Wood.
55 years ago September 9, 1963 Writer and editor Jerry Prosser is born.
50 years ago September 7, 1968 British comics magazine Pow! has its last issue; it merges with Smash!
50 years ago September 9, 1968 The Lockhorns by Bill and Bunny Hoest begins.
50 years ago September 9, 1968 Colorist Serban Cristescu is born.
30 years ago September 11, 1988 British writer-artist Roger Hargreaves dies of a stroke at age 53. He was known for his Mr. Men and Little Miss characters, which spun off into strips and animation.
30 years ago September 12, 1988 Filipino artist-editor Mars Ravelo dies at age 71. The creator of superheroines Varga and Darna founded the company RAR.
10 years ago September 11, 2008 The Garfield Show begins, based on the comic strip by Jim Davis. (It’s more than three decades after Garfield first declared his affection for lasagna and about 20 years after Garfield and Friends was introduced to TV.)
5 years ago September 7, 2013 Artist Pete Hoffman dies at age 94 from a heart attack. He worked on Steve Roper and created Jeff Cobb and Why We Say.
