Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for July 4-10, 2025…

 

155 years ago July 4, 1870 Writer-artist T.E. Powers is born.

125 years ago July 4, 1900 Animator and artist Jack Bogle is born. He works on the Felix the Cat animation and strip, works for Walt Disney starting in the 1930s, and produces funny animal comic book material for Dell.

125 years ago July 9, 1900 Fred Waring is born. The award-winning band leader (clearly an early comics fan) maintains an extensive cartoon and comics collection.

125 years ago July 9, 1900 Major Golden Age British artist Roy Wilson is born. Among his creations are George the Jolly Gee Gee, Chimpo’s Circus, and Private Muggins.

120 years ago July 9, 1905 Writer-artist Ray Thompson is born. The creator of the Homer the Ghost panel is best known as creator of Fleer gum’s Dubble Bubble Kids comic strips.

110 years ago July 4, 1915 Frank Crane’s Muggsy ends.

110 years ago July 4, 1915 Inez Townsend’s Snooks and Snicks, the Mischievous Twins ends.

110 years ago July 4, 1915 Austrian writer-artist Susanne Wenger is born.

110 years ago July 6, 1915 Australian artist Elizabeth Durack is born.

105 years ago July 7, 1920 Golden Age artist Al Avison is born. He co-creates The Whizzer with Al Gabrielle and draws such characters as Captain America, The Vision, The Blonde Phantom, Marvel Boy, and Casper.

105 years ago July 7, 1920 Artist George Fett is born. He creates the Sniffy comic strip (later retitled Norbert).

105 years ago July 9, 1920 Artist and teacher Bill Fraccio is born. His career begins in the Golden Age, and he works for Charlton for more than two decades, often anonymously.

100 years ago July 7, 1925 German artist Lothar Meggendorfer dies at age 77.

100 years ago July 7, 1925 Artist Bill Ziegler is born. His strip work includes Annie Oakley, Dragnet, and Mary Worth, and he draws comic books for Western Publishing in the 1950s and 1970s.

95 years ago July 5, 1930 One of the first female American comics artists, Marjorie Organ dies at age 43. She created Reggie and the Heavenly Twins and The Wrangle Sisters.

90 years ago July 5, 1935 Belgian cartoonist Eddy Ploegaerts (who works as “Ploeg”) is born. He creates the pantomime gag strip Prosper.

90 years ago July 7, 1935 The American Weekly concludes the Salvador Dalí strip Les Mystères Surrealistes de New York. (It began in the issue for December 16, 1934.)

85 years ago July 7, 1940 Joe Btfsplk is introduced in Al Capp’s Li’l Abner.

80 years ago July 6, 1945 Finnish film director and underground comix artist Timo Aarniala is born.

75 years ago July 6, 1950 Award-winning prolific writer-artist John Byrne is born. Among his many, many creations are Next Men and Danger Unlimited.

75 years ago July 7, 1950 Midnite Skulker creator E. Larry Dobias is born.

75 years ago July 7, 1950 Art director, editor, and cartoonist Joe Azar is born.

75 years ago July 9, 1950 Artist and publisher Salvador Bartolozzi dies at age 68. The Spanish comic strip pioneer founded Pinocho and created Pipo y Pipa.

70 years ago July 3, 1955 Artist Nanette Injeski is born.

70 years ago July 6, 1955 Cartoonist Chuck Fiala is born. He creates Bullet Crow.

70 years ago July 8, 1955 Artist Mickey Allen Clausen is born.

60 years ago July 4, 1965 Editor and colorist Nathan Kane is born.

60 years ago July 7, 1965 Batman Adventures artist Mike Parobeck is born.

55 years ago July 4, 1970 Editor, retailer, writer, and packager Robert Conte is born.

55 years ago July 9, 1970 Award-winning Swedish artist Elov Persson dies of a heart attack the day before his 76th birthday. He created Sweden’s longest running series: Kronblom (1927) and Agust och Lotta (1928).

40 years ago July 8, 1985 Award-winning writer-artist Frank Hampson dies of throat cancer and a stroke at age 66. He created Dan Dare and other features for England’s Eagle and drew The Road of Courage.

35 years ago July 9, 1990 Illustrator Vernon Grant dies at age 88. He created Kellogg’s Rice Krispies’ Snap!, Crackle!, and Pop!

20 years ago July 7, 2005 Dutch artist Rudy van Giffen dies at age 75.

20 years ago July 7, 2005 Belgian writer-artist Paul Deliège dies at age 74. The Spirou contributor worked on characters including Bobo and Les Krostons.

20 years ago July 9, 2005 Packager and publisher Byron Preiss dies in a traffic accident at age 52.

20 years ago July 9, 2005 Artist Ann Brewster dies at age 86. She worked in Jack Binder’s and Jerry Iger’s studios and freelanced to publishers including Quality, Gilberton, EC, Fawcett, and DC.

15 years ago July 9, 2010 The computer animated Despicable Me opens. It’s Illumination Entertainment’s first film and kicks off a series of sequels.

5 years ago July 5, 2020 DC announces that it is severing ties with Diamond and will transfer distribution to two shops.