Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for January 16-22, 2026…

175 years ago January 17, 1851 Arthur Burdett Frost is born. The Life writer-artist is especially known for such works as Stuff and Nonsense and illustrations of Joel Chandler Harris’ “Uncle Remus” stories.

165 years ago January 18, 1861 Artist Edward Winsor Kemble is born. His career includes political cartoons and illustrating Huckleberry Finn.

135 years ago January 21, 1891 Award-winning writer-artist and sports and political cartoonist Ernest Shaw is born. He creates The Dingbats.

130 years ago January 20, 1896 Norman Mingo is born. The artist is especially known for his cover work on Mad, drawing Alfred E. Neuman starting in 1956.

130 years ago January 20, 1896 Polish artist and architect Marian Walentynowicz is born.

125 years ago January 21, 1901 French animator and artist André Daix is born (as André Delachenal).

120 years ago January 16, 1906 Prolific French writer-artist Eugène Gire is born.

120 years ago January 16, 1906 Swedish writer-artist Sten Rinaldo is born.

120 years ago January 22, 1906 Author Robert E. Howard is born. He creates Conan the Barbarian and King Kull.

120 years ago January 22, 1906 Heinz Schubel is born. The German artist is known for work on the Lurchi series.

115 years ago January 19, 1911 Award-winning cartoonist George Wolfe is born. He creates the strip Pops and the panel cartoon Citizen George.

110 years ago January 20, 1916 George Papp is born. The DC artist for more than 25 years creates Green Arrow and draws the first Jim Shooter DC story and the first Bizarro story.

105 years ago January 16, 1921 Award-winning writer-artist André LeBlanc is born. He creates Intellectual Amos, illustrates The Picture Bible, and assists Will Eisner on The Spirit and Sy Barry on The Phantom.

105 years ago January 17, 1921 Antonio Prohias is born. The Cuban-American writer-artist is known for creation of Spy vs. Spy.

105 years ago January 22, 1921 Canadian artist Mike Roy is born. His Golden Age comics work is with the Funnies Inc. shop, and he contributes to comics from Holyoke, Archie, Hillman, DC, and Dell. His strip work includes The Saint, Ken Weston, and Nero Wolfe. He co-founds a museum for Native American and Eskimo art.

100 years ago January 16, 1926 Belgian artist Marcel Remacle is born. One of the artists who works on Spirou, he’s known for Le Vieux Nick.

95 years ago January 21, 1931 Charles W. Kahles dies of a heart attack at age 53. The cartoonist was best known for pioneering daily strip continuity with Clarence the Cop and created Sandy Highflyer and Hairbreadth Harry.

95 years ago January 22, 1931 Dutch writer-artist Peter Age Veldheer is born. He draws for the Bell Studios.

80 years ago January 18, 1946 In Fawcett’s Captain Marvel Adventures #52, readers are introduced to Thaddeus Bodog Sivana Jr. in “The Son of Sivana” by Otto Binder and Pete Costanza.

80 years ago January 22, 1946 Game designer Steve Perrin is born. He co-creates RuneQuest (with Steve Henderson, Warren James, and Ray Turney), is a founding member of The Society for Creative Anachronism and adapts ElfQuest for game use.

70 years ago January 21, 1956 Editor and writer-artist Mark Martin is born. He creates Gnatrat and 20 Nude Dancers 20.

70 years ago January 21, 1956 British comics magazine The Beezer begins.

70 years ago January 22, 1956 Ward Greene dies of a pulmonary edema at age 63. The writer, editor, and King Features Syndicate general manager wrote the Rip Kirby strip. He also wrote “Happy Dan, the Cynical Dog”: the basis for Lady and the Tramp.

65 years ago January 21, 1961 Award-winning Belgian artist Philippe Delaby is born. He specializes in historical stories and co-creates Murena with Jean Dufaux.

65 years ago January 21, 1961 Mary Grace Mullane Jacquet dies at age 59. She co-owned the comics studio Funnies, Inc. with her husband Lloyd Jacquet and edited comics when her husband served in World War II.

65 years ago January 22, 1961 Musician and cartoonist Daniel Johnston is born.

60 years ago January 16, 1966 Painter David M. DeVries is born.

60 years ago January 19, 1966 Award-winning Canadian artist and animator Guy Delisle is born. He is among the cartoonists honored on Canadian stamps in 2025.

60 years ago January 20, 1966 Dutch artist Pieter Kuhn dies at age 55. He created the comics series De Avonturen van Kapitein Rob.

60 years ago January 22, 1966 Richard D. Irving is born. He writes Dartman and Fast Food Fury.

60 years ago January 22, 1966 The British comic book Lady Penelope begins.

55 years ago January 17, 1971 Danish artist Oscar Knudsen dies at age 72.

55 years ago January 18, 1971 Artist Virgil Finlay dies at age 56. Though best known for his science fiction pulp magazine work, he also drew features for DC’s Real Fact Comics and Mystery in Space.

55 years ago January 21, 1971 French writer and colorist Hubert Boulard is born.

50 years ago January 21, 1976 French writer Jacques Acar dies at age 38. His output included writing Tintin stories.

50 years ago January 22, 1976 Golden Age writer-artist Fletcher Hanks dies of hypothermia at age 88. The Golden Age writer-artist worked in the Eisner and Iger Studio and created Stardust the Super Wizard, Tabu, and Fantomah.

40 years ago January 20, 1986 Marten Toonder’s Tom Poes ends.

35 years ago January 16, 1991 Artist Maurieta Wellman dies at age 88. She was the first artist on Goofus and Gallant and drew features for Children’s Activities and Highlights for Children.

30 years ago January 19, 1996 Writer, artist, editor, and publisher Bernard Baily dies at age 79. He co-created Tex Thomson (who became Mister America and Americommando), Spectre, and Hourman, wrote and drew the Gilda Gay strip, and contributed to Cracked.

30 years ago January 22, 1996 Belgian artist Arthur Piroton dies at age 64. He worked in the Dupuis art studios on such series as Michel et Thierry and Jess Long.

25 years ago January 17, 2001 Rocket’s Blast ComiCollector editor-publisher Gordon Belljohns Love dies at the age of 61 of complications following an auto accident.

25 years ago January 19, 2001 Ed McGeean dies at age 72. The cartoonist, columnist, and comics historian was an active member of the Comic Arts Professional Society.

20 years ago January 17, 2006 Award-winning artist, animator, and animated film director Norm McCabe dies at age 94. He worked for Warner Brothers, DePatie-Freleng, Filmation, and more.

20 years ago January 18, 2006 Writer Rose Ellison King dies from complications of breast cancer. The American Greetings art director wrote the comic strip Flo & Friends.

20 years ago January 22, 2006 Albert Morse (lawyer for underground cartoonists, photographer, and self-publisher of Morse’s Funnies) dies of kidney disease at age 67.

15 years ago January 18, 2011 Belgian artist Marcel Marlier dies at age 80.

10 years ago January 17, 2016 Award-winning Swiss-German writer-artist and German comics pioneer Hansrudi Wäscher dies at age 87.

10 years ago January 19, 2016 Scottish artist and animator Mike Docherty dies at age 60.

10 years ago January 21, 2016 Belgian artist and teacher Willem Dolphyn dies at age 80.

5 years ago January 21, 2021 Polish writer-artist Henryk Chmielewski (who worked as “Papcio Chmiel”) dies at age 97.

5 years ago January 21, 2021 Award-winning and influential French writer-artist Jean Graton dies at age 97. Creator of the popular Michel Vaillant racing strip, he established the publishing company Graton Éditeur.