135 years ago October 8, 1890 Celebrity air ace and multiple military award-winner Eddie Rickenbacker is born. He writes the Ace Drummond and The Hall of Fame of the Air strips with writer-artist Clayton Knight.

125 years ago October 3, 1900 Artist Jay Irving is born. He creates the Pottsy comic strip.

125 years ago October 8, 1900 Pioneering Swedish comics artist Helge Forsslund is born.

120 years ago October 7, 1905 Character actor Andy Devine is born. His roles as a cowboy sidekick lead to licensing his name and image in Fawcett comics.

120 years ago October 7, 1905 Canadian artist Bing Coughlin is born. He is known for his Herbie military comic strip and is made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his cartoon work.

115 years ago October 5, 1910 Dutch artist Henk J. Rotgans is born. He creates Robbie en Ringo.

115 years ago October 6, 1910 Animator and artist Mo Gollub is born. With a career beginning at the Disney Studios, he draws a number of Dell and Western comic books, including Turok cover art.

115 years ago October 8, 1910 Actor Kirk Alyn is born. He performs in such comics-connected roles as Superman (1948 and 1950) and Blackhawk (1952) – and he has a role in Superman: The Movie (1978).

110 years ago October 4, 1915 Cartoonist Stuart Carothers dies in an accidental fall at age 22. He created Charlie Chaplin’s Comic Capers and The Movies of Haphazard Helen.

105 years ago October 4, 1920 French artist Roger Bussemey is born. He creates Moky et Poupy.

105 years ago October 8, 1920 Prolific New Jersey sports and political cartoonist William Canfield is born.

100 years ago October 5, 1925 Austrian artist Fritz Gareis Jr. dies 16 days before his 53rd birthday. He drew Bilderbogen des Kleinen Lebens.

100 years ago October 6, 1925 King Features Syndicate artist Tim Early dies from heart disease at age 36.

95 years ago October 5, 1930 Tobias Seicherl by Ladislaus Kmoch begins in the Austrian newspaper Das Kleine Blatt.

95 years ago October 6, 1930 Ron Embleton is born. The British artist draws Wulf the Briton and Wicked Wanda.

90 years ago October 8, 1935 Italian artist Alessandro Biffignandi is born. He paints covers for many 1970s-1980s Italian comics.

85 years ago October 4, 1940 Disney artist Thomas R. Wood dies at age 53 from car accident injuries.

80 years ago October 7, 1945 Pippo in Montagna by Benito Jacovitti begins in Il Vittorioso. It introduces the criminal Zagar.

80 years ago October 8, 1945 Austrian writer Felix Salten dies at age 76. He wrote Bambi, a Life in the Woods, which Disney adapted for the 1942 animated film Bambi.

75 years ago October 4, 1950 Snoopy makes his first appearance in Charles Schulz’ Peanuts.

75 years ago October 7, 1950 Award-winning writer-artist Howard Chaykin is born. Among a variety of distinctive projects, he creates American Flagg!, Mighty Love, Black Kiss, and Avengers 1959.

75 years ago October 9, 1950 Canadian artist Hy Moyer dies in a car accident at age 65 or 66.

70 years ago October 4, 1955 Editor-writer-artist Chris Warner is born. He’s especially known for his work for Dark Horse (including for Dark Horse Presents #1, its first title).

70 years ago October 6, 1955 Prolific inker John Nyberg is born.

70 years ago October 6, 1955 Belgian journalist and publisher and the first Journal de Spirou editor Jean Doisy dies of throat cancer at age 55.

70 years ago October 9, 1955 Artist Michael Netzer is born. His work begins with Continuity and includes work for DC and Marvel, as well as Uri-On for Israel Comics. He campaigns for creators’ rights and produces material for the Internet.

65 years ago October 9, 1960 The writer and podcaster known as “Mr. Media,” Bob Andelman, is born. His books include a Will Eisner biography.

65 years ago October 9, 1960 Writer-artist-editor and voice artist Maddie Blaustein is born.

60 years ago October 8, 1965 Award-winning cartoonist, writer, artist, editor, and publisher James Sturm is born. He co-founds the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, founds the National Association of Comics Art Educators, and creates James Sturm’s America: God, Gold, and Golems.

60 years ago October 9, 1965 Colorist and letterer Chris Ungar is born.

55 years ago October 9, 1970 Artist Andrew C. Robinson is born. He works on a variety of comics from Dark Horse and other publishers and (with Kyle Baker) draws The Fifth Beatle.

50 years ago October 3, 1975 The Dutch comic book Eppo begins: a merging of Sjors and Pep.

50 years ago October 4, 1975 Inside Woody Allen by Stuart Hample begins.

35 years ago October 7, 1990 Myron “Grim” Natwick dies of pneumonia and a heart attack at age 100. The artist, animator, and director was known for his work creating the original Betty Boop design for the Fleischer Studio and being a lead animator for Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

25 years ago October 3, 2000 British artist John Worsley dies at age 81.

20 years ago October 8, 2005 Brazilian artist Fernando Bonini dies at age 50. With a start in horror and erotic comics, he also worked on kids’ comics (including Disney material), signing as “Sil.” He was known for Luciano, written by Mantovi.

20 years ago October 9, 2005 British writer-artist Ian Gammidge dies at age 89.

15 years ago October 3, 2010 Cathy Guisewite’s Cathy strip ends.

15 years ago October 6, 2010 It’s the last issue of Dandy Xtreme: #3507. (Don’t worry; it’s just a title change.)

15 years ago October 6, 2010 Award-winning Dutch writer-artist specializing in history and fantasy stories Piet Wijn dies at age 81. With Thom Roep, he co-created the magical dwarf Douwe Dabbert for Disney comics.

15 years ago October 9, 2010 Artist and teacher Jim Seed dies at age 83. He drew comic strips including Dr. Guy Bennett and Jane Arden.

10 years ago October 8, 2015 Writer-editor Dennis P. Eichhorn dies of pneumonia at age 70. He was especially known for the anthology Real Stuff.

10 years ago October 9, 2015 Tony Rafty dies three days before his 100th birthday. Born Tony Reftopoulos, the artist was known for one of Australia’s first original comic books: Jimmy Rodney of the Secret Service.

10 years ago October 9, 2015 Zdravko Zupan, Serbian artist, journalist, comics creator, and founder of the fanzine Cepelin, dies at age 65.