Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for July 25-31, 2025…

140 years ago July 26, 1885 Artist Paul Bransom is born. He’s known for the comic strip The Latest News from Bugville.

135 years ago July 26, 1890 The first issue of Alfred Harmsworth’s British comic book Illustrated Chips is published.

130 years ago July 27, 1895 Pulp illustrator and Chesler and Funnies Inc. studio artist Jim Wilcox is born. He provides the first illustrations for Robert E. Howard’s Conan and freelances to Dell, Gilberton, Centaur, and Fawcett.

120 years ago July 27, 1905 Robert L. May is born. He creates Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Montgomery Ward.

115 years ago July 26, 1910 George Herriman’s The Dingbat Family introduces Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse in an appearance at the side of the strip.

110 years ago July 28, 1915 Award-winning artist Dick Sprang is born. He’s best known for his work on DC’s Batman (including the 1950 version of the Batmobile and the design of the original Riddler).

105 years ago July 25, 1920 Writer-artist Mel Casson is born. He earns five Battle Stars, two Bronze Stars, the Croix de Guerre, and two Purple Hearts and goes on to work in advertising, books, and TV scriptwriting. He draws newspaper strips and writes and draws Redeye.

105 years ago July 25, 1920 Artist Bob Bugg is born. He draws advertising strips and the panel cartoon The New Neighbors.

100 years ago July 30, 1925 Dutch artist Coen van Hunnik is born. He develops the newspaper strip Olle Kapoen with Phiny Dick for the Toonder Studios.

95 years ago July 28, 1930 Award-winning writer-artist Jean Roba is born. He creates Boule et Bill and La Ribambelle.

95 years ago July 29, 1930 Magazine publisher Jim Warren is born. His titles include Famous Monsters of Filmland, Creepy, Eerie, Vampirella, Blazing Combat, and Help!

95 years ago July 30, 1930 Award-winning artist Henry Scarpelli is born. He draws the Archie comic strip and, with Dick Dillin, draws “Saga of the Super Sons!” introducing Batman Jr. and Superman Jr.

90 years ago July 29, 1935 Pioneering female manga artist and influential award-winner Miyako Maki is born. She’s married to Leiji Matsumoto.

90 years ago July 29, 1935 Cartoon voice artist for Mel Blanc Productions Joan Gerber is born.

90 years ago July 30, 1935 Prolific writer-editor-teacher Nick Meglin is born. He is especially known for his contributions to MAD.

90 years ago July 30, 1935 British artist Jennifer Kisler is born. She is among the artists who continue Rupert Bear.

85 years ago July 27, 1940 Artist Ernie Chan is born. Also working as Ernie Chua, he’s especially known for his work on horror titles and on Conan, Kull, and Power Man.

85 years ago July 28, 1940 Danish-French artist Gerda Wegener dies at age 55.

85 years ago July 29, 1940 Danish writer-artist Ole Lund Kirkegaard is born.

80 years ago July 25, 1945 Influential underground comix writer-artist Justin Green is born. Called “the father of autobiographical comics,” he’s known for Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary.

80 years ago July 28, 1945 Award-winning cartoonist Jim Davis is born. He creates the comic strips Garfield and U.S. Acres.

75 years ago July 26, 1950 Austrian-German editor-cartoonist Eduard Thöny dies at age 84.

75 years ago July 27, 1950 Barelli by Bob De Moor begins.

70 years ago July 29, 1955 Award-winning artist-writer Dave Stevens is born. He creates Rocketeer.

70 years ago July 30, 1955 Colorist Tom Ziuko is born.

70 years ago July 30, 1955 Don Winslow of the Navy by Frank Victor Martinek ends.

70 years ago July 30, 1955 The Beano introduces Ken Reid’s Grandpa.

65 years ago July 28, 1960 Award-winning artist Jon J Muth is born. He’s especially known for his work on M, J.M. DeMatteis’ Moonshadow, Grant Morrison’s The Mystery Play, and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.

60 years ago July 31, 1965 It’s the first day of Academy Con 1 in New York City, presided over by Dave Kaler. It runs for two days.

55 years ago July 25, 1970 R.B. Clark’s Boofhead ends.

55 years ago July 31, 1970 Artist N. Blake Seals is born.

40 years ago July 29, 1985 Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson begins.

35 years ago July 25, 1990 Freelance artist Samuel E. Grainger dies at age 60 of diabetes related issues. He worked for Marvel and DC and for the TSR games company.

30 years ago July 25, 1995 German artist Balthasar Lippisch dies at age 74 or 75. He drew a comic book starring Pip & Zip.

30 years ago July 27, 1995 Comic-Con changes its name to Comic-Con International and introduces its Richard Bruning-designed logo. The show runs through July 30.

25 years ago July 28, 2000 Charles Eber “Chic” Stone dies at age 77. The Golden Age artist returned to comics in the 1960s, inking Jack Kirby’s work for Marvel and freelancing for Archie, DC, Tower, Dell, ACG, and Skywald.

25 years ago July 31, 2000 Artist and cartoonist Lars Jansson dies at age 73. The brother of creator Tove Jansson, he wrote and drew the comic strip featuring her Moomin characters after she left the project.

20 years ago July 27, 2005 Award-winning Dutch comics creator Marten Toonder dies at age 93. He was best known for his characters Tom Poes and Olivier B. Bommel.

10 years ago July 31, 2015 French artist Jean-Jacques Loup dies at age 78 or 79.