Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for May 23-29, 2025…

185 years ago May 24, 1840 French writer-artist Victor Géruzez is born. (He works as “Crafty.”)

145 years ago May 26, 1880 Artist and animator John Terry is born. The creator of Scorchy Smith is the brother of Terrytoons founder Paul Terry.

135 years ago May 27, 1890 Pioneering Japanese artist Kobayashi Eitaku dies at age 47.

125 years ago May 27, 1900 Frank Crane’s Willie Westinghouse Edison Smith, the Boy Inventor begins.

120 years ago May 28, 1905 Gustave Verbeek’s The Terror of the Tiny Tads begins.

115 years ago May 28, 1910 Golden Age artist Klaus Nordling is born. He draws Lady Luck and The Barker and is part of Will Eisner’s Spirit team.

110 years ago May 23, 1915 The Italino comic strip by Antonio Rubino begins in Il Corriere dei Piccoli.

105 years ago May 29, 1920 EC artist and Segway patent application design artist Jack Kamen is born.

100 years ago May 24, 1925 Award-winning artist and editor-publisher Carmine Infantino is born. The DC editorial director comes to fans’ attention with his groundbreaking work on DC’s Flash (kicking off the Silver Age), though his comic book work begins in the Golden Age.

90 years ago May 23, 1935 Belgian writer-publisher Philippe Vandooren is born.

85 years ago May 25, 1940 Writer William Conselman dies of a liver ailment at age 43. The screenwriter co-created Ella Cinders with artist Charles Plumb.

85 years ago May 27, 1940 The Flash Gordon comic strip has been running as a Sunday strip. It now adds a daily strip written by Don Moore and drawn by Austin Briggs.

80 years ago May 29, 1945 Belgian writer and controversial public figure Jean-Pierre Van Rossem is born. He has cameo roles in Marc Sleen’s The Adventures of Nero and writes his own celebrity comics series.

75 years ago May 26, 1950 Colorist Marcus David is born.

70 years ago May 27, 1955 Writer-editor Charles Santino is born. He adapts Aesop’s Fables and Ayn Rand’s Anthem to comics form.

65 years ago May 27, 1960 Artist James Montgomery Flagg dies at age 82. Though best known for his 1917 “Uncle Sam Wants You” poster, he was also a comics artist, creator of the Judge strip Nervy Nat.

65 years ago May 28, 1960 The British comic book Buster begins and introduces Buster Capp (a spinoff of Andy Capp) by Bill Titcombe.

65 years ago May 29, 1960 Warren Tufts’ Lance ends.

60 years ago May 28, 1965 Inker Chad Hunt is born.

55 years ago May 25, 1970 Artist Kyle J. Bertelsen is born.

55 years ago May 26, 1970 Writer-artist and cartooning teacher Nick Bertozzi is born. He’s best known for Rubber Necker and Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey.

50 years ago May 25, 1975 Hungarian writer-artist Pal Korcsmaros dies three days after his 59th birthday.

35 years ago May 25, 1990 Writer-artist William Overgard dies at age 64. He worked on comic books in the early 1950s, eventually drawing Steve Roper and Rudy comic strips, and scripted episodes of ThunderCats. His comic book work included material for the Lev Gleason and Dell lines of comics.

30 years ago May 26, 1995 Award-winning animator, cartoonist, director, and producer Isadore “Friz” Freling dies at age 88. Lambiek says he was one of the oldest employees of the Warner Brothers’ cartoon studio “and the most productive.” He created Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester, and more and was co-founder of the DePatie-Freleng animation studio.

30 years ago May 27, 1995 Actor, director, producer, writer, and Superman star Christopher Reeve is thrown from his horse in an accident that leaves him a quadriplegic.

25 years ago May 23, 2000 Writer-artist Dwaine B. Tinsley dies of a heart attack at age 54.

25 years ago May 25, 2000 Australian artist Elizabeth Durack dies at age 84.

25 years ago May 27, 2000 More than 100 comic strips pay tribute to Charles M. Schulz and his Peanuts strip.

25 years ago May 27, 2000 Boner’s Ark ends.

25 years ago May 28, 2000 Bringing Up Father ends after 87 years.

20 years ago May 23, 2005 Award-winning writer John Albano, co-creator (with Tony DeZuniga) of Jonah Hex, dies at age 82 following a heart attack and stroke.

15 years ago May 23, 2010 British cartoonist and comic strip artist Roy Mitchell dies of cancer at age 64.

15 years ago May 25, 2010 Award-winning Mexican artist Gabriel Vargas dies at age 92. He created La Familia Burrón.

15 years ago May 28, 2010 Italian artist Otello Scarpelli dies at age 81.

15 years ago May 29, 2010 French artist Philippe Josse (who worked as “Barberousse”) dies at age 89.

5 years ago May 29, 2020 Dutch writer-artist Eric Schreurs dies of a heart attack at age 61. He was especially known for the Joop Klepzeiker series.