Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for October 10-16, 2025…

165 years ago October 16, 1860 French artist Oswald Heidbrinck is born.

140 years ago October 13, 1885 Radio personality, cartoonist, and Abie the Agent creator Harry Hershfield is born.

130 years ago October 14, 1895 British artist John Millar Watt is born. He creates one of the first daily British comic strips: Pop.

120 years ago October 10, 1905 Animator and artist Emily Laverne Harding is born. One of the earliest female animators, she works for the Walter Lantz studio and receives the Winsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement.

120 years ago October 11, 1905 Brazilian children’s magazine O Tico-Tico begins and includes comics.

120 years ago October 15, 1905 Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland begins in the New York Herald.

115 years ago October 13, 1910 Animator, artist, and director Robert McKimson is born. He’s especially known for his Warner Bros. cartoons.

110 years ago October 10, 1915 Artist and editorial cartoonist Cal Alley is born. He creates The Ryatts.

110 years ago October 12, 1915 Tony Rafty is born. Born Tony Reftopoulos, the artist is known for one of Australia’s first original comic books: Jimmy Rodney of the Secret Service.

110 years ago October 13, 1915 Dutch writer-artist Jan Dirk van Exter is born.

105 years ago October 15, 1920 Samm Schwartz is born. The Tower Publications editor and Archie writer-artist is especially known for his work on Jughead stories.

90 years ago October 11, 1935 Bruce Hamilton is born. He’s head of The Bruce Hamilton Company, Gladstone, and Another Rainbow.

90 years ago October 13, 1935 Editor, novelist, and screenwriter Chuck Alverson is born. He’s one of Harvey Kurtzman’s assistant editors on Help! magazine.

90 years ago October 15, 1935 Artist Paul Kroesen dies of bronchial pneumonia at age 34. His career included illustrating educational comic strips for NEA and working as a news sketch artist.

90 years ago October 15, 1935 French artist Georges Tiret-Bognet dies at age 80.

85 years ago October 12, 1940 Western megastar Tom Mix dies at age 60 in an auto accident. His cowboy roles led to licensing his name and image in Fawcett comics.

85 years ago October 15, 1940 French artist Georges Léonnec dies at age 59.

85 years ago October 16, 1940 Artist G. Victor Mousselet (who worked as “G. Ri”) dies at age 87. Lambiek calls him “one of the pioneers of French science fiction comics.”

80 years ago October 14, 1945 The Uncle Remus and His Tales of Br’er Rabbit strip begins.

80 years ago October 15, 1945 The Dutch comic book Stripfilm begins.

75 years ago October 14, 1950 The Belgian comic Mickey Magazine begins.

70 years ago October 13, 1955 Pop culture writer-editor Margaret Clark is born.

70 years ago October 15, 1955 French artist Georges Tiret-Bognet dies at age 80.

70 years ago October 16, 1955 Gene Deitch’s Terr’ble Thompson begins.

65 years ago October 10, 1960 British-American artist and singer-songwriter Inez Townsend dies at age 82. She was one of the earliest British-American female comics artists.

60 years ago October 10, 1965 Snoopy first imagines fighting The Red Baron in Charles Schulz’ Peanuts.

60 years ago October 12, 1965 Writer Dan Abnett is born.

60 years ago October 14, 1965 Cartoonist creator of The Amaizing Jim Corn Michael R. Hawkins is born.

50 years ago October 13, 1975 The German comic book Yps begins.

40 years ago October 12, 1985 Artist George Lemont dies of a stroke at age 58. He worked as a comic strip artist for NEA and United Feature Syndicate, and his strips included Doctor Smock.

40 years ago October 15, 1985 Italian artist Sandro Angiolini dies at age 65.

35 years ago October 12, 1990 The Italian comics magazine Il Monello ends.

35 years ago October 14, 1990 Artist Art Huhta dies at age 88. He created the Wild Rose strip.

25 years ago October 14, 2000 William Hurtz dies at age 81. The animator, cartoonist, and co-founder of UPA moved to go on strike at Disney, worked at Jay Ward Productions, and served on the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

25 years ago October 16, 2000 Writer-artist and animator Ed Nofziger dies at age 87. He drew “Mister Magoo” for UPA, created the character “Mother Magoo,” produced Hanna-Barbera comic strips and stories, and created the Sir Lim’rick strip.

10 years ago October 14, 2015 Artist Vince Musacchia dies of pancreatic cancer at age 63. The Disney Consumer Products Manager of Global Character Art drew many licensed characters.

10 years ago October 16, 2015 Award-winner British writer Angus McGill dies at age 87. He created the Clive comic strip (later renamed Augusta).

5 years ago October 11, 2020 Writer-producer-editor Gerald Gardner dies of lung cancer at age 91. He wrote the comic strip Miss Caroline (drawn by Frank B. Johnson).

5 years ago October 14, 2020 Underground comix creator David Geiser dies at age 73.