Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for May 9-15, 2025…

165 years ago May 9, 1860 James Matthew Barrie is born. The writer’s Peter Pan tales are adapted to animation by Walt Disney Studios.

165 years ago May 14, 1860 Swedish artist Bruno Liljefors is born.

160 years ago May 13, 1865 Hans Horina is born. The Chicago Tribune artist is known for The Rhinoceros Boys.

145 years ago May 15, 1880 Italian artist and editor Antonio Rubino is born.

140 years ago May 10, 1885 Harry J. Tuthill is born. He writes and draws Home Sweet Home, which becomes The Bungle Family.

125 years ago May 10, 1900 Alley Oop creator Vincent Trout Hamlin is born.

125 years ago May 11, 1900 Irvin Shope is born. He draws the Rusty Rawlins strip written by Glenn Chaffin.

120 years ago May 10, 1905 Award-winning pulp and Golden Age artist Alex Schomburg is born. He’s especially known for his character packed action covers.

120 years ago May 15, 1905 French artist Albert Dubout is born.

115 years ago May 11, 1910 Award-winning “Canadian whites” artist Ed Furness is born. He creates the Canadian superhero Freelance.

115 years ago May 15, 1910 Artist Russell Keaton is born. The Dick Calkins assistant creates Flyin’ Jenny.

110 years ago May 12, 1915 Writer-artist and animator Tony Strobl is born. He is especially known for his work on Disney films and comic book stories.

105 years ago May 12, 1920 Serbian artist Desimir Zizovic Buin is born.

100 years ago May 13, 1925 Writer Tom Koch is born. He produces material for the comedy team of Bob and Ray, goes on to write for Mad and TV, and invents “43-Man Squamish” with George Woodbridge.

90 years ago May 9, 1935 Roger Hargreaves is born. The British writer-artist is known for his Mr. Men and Little Miss characters, which spin off strips and animation.

90 years ago May 13, 1935 The influential Czech artist called “king of Czech comics,” Kája Saudek, is born.

90 years ago May 15, 1935 Turkish artist Sezgin Burak is born. He creates the series Tarkan and Kolosso.

80 years ago May 10, 1945 Italian writer-artist Alfio Consoli is born.

80 years ago May 11, 1945 Breathless Mahoney is introduced in Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy strip.

75 years ago May 12, 1950 Award-winning writer-artist Tom Armstrong is born. He creates the Marvin newspaper feature.

70 years ago May 11, 1955 Writer-artist Matt Feazell is born. His distinctive stick figure style is featured in his The Amazing Cynicalman.

70 years ago May 14, 1955 Artist, animator, and teacher Dave Hoover is born. The co-creator of Wilde Knight with Gary Petras is known for his work on The Wanderers, Starman, and Captain America.

65 years ago May 9, 1960 Professor Phumble by Bill Yates begins.

60 years ago May 10, 1965 Art Sansom’s award-winning The Born Loser comic strip begins.

50 years ago May 10, 1975 Artist Walt Spouse dies at age 81. He drew the comics adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz.

45 years ago May 9, 1980 Artist Norman Mingo dies at age 84. He was especially known for his cover work on Mad, drawing Alfred E. Neuman starting in 1956.

40 years ago May 11, 1985 Chester Gould dies of congestive heart failure at age 84. The Dick Tracy creator, writer, and artist was a two-time NCS Reuben Award winner.

25 years ago May 10, 2000 Award-winning artist Dick Sprang, known for his work on Batman (including the 1950 version of the Batmobile and the design of the original Riddler), dies at age 84.

25 years ago May 13, 2000 Golden Age cartoonist Fred Schwab dies at age 82. He was a freelancer for several companies and studios (including Eisner-Iger). His work appears in some of the earliest comic books, including Marvel Comics #1 and Detective Comics #1.

15 years ago May 10, 2010 Frank Frazetta dies at age 82. The iconic fantasy illustrator created the Thun’da comic book and Johnny Comet comic strip. He began his career in Bernard Baily’s studio and then freelanced his comics work including assists on Li’l Abner and Little Annie Fanny.

15 years ago May 10, 2010 Spanish cartoonist Juan José Carbó Gatignol dies at age 83.

5 years ago May 10, 2020 Pop culture historian and award-winning writer-editor Martin Pasko dies at age 65. He was known for his work on Superman material and co-creation of the 1975 revamp of Doctor Fate along with TV animation work including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, and Batman stories.

5 years ago May 12, 2020 Writer-artist artist Frank Bolle dies at age 95. Beginning at Magazine Enterprises, he later worked for Gold Key and Warren comics. He assisted Leonard Starr and drew such strips as The Heart of Juliet Jones, Winnie Winkle, Little Orphan Annie, Gil Thorp, and Apartment 3-G. He was president of Connecticut Classic Arts.