TURNING POINTS by Maggie Thompson
Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles and ends, this time for November 25 through December 3, 2015…
100 years ago November 29, 1915 Animator, political cartoonist, and writer-artist Gill Fox is born. He edits Quality titles including Police Comics.
65 years ago December 2, 1950 Small-press pioneer Tim Corrigan is born. He publishes Small Press Comics Explosion.
60 years ago November 28, 1955 Artist Brian Apthorp is born.
45 years ago November 30, 1970 Writer-artist Johnny Ryan is born. He’s known for Angry Youth Comix, Blecky Yuckerella, and Pig Goat Banana Cricket.
35 years ago November 28, 1980 John McGeehan commits suicide at age 40. With his brother, Tom, he co-created the fanzine indexing project “The House of Info.”
30 years ago November 28, 1985 UPA and Jay Ward animator, producer, and story man Bill Scott dies of a heart attack at age 65. His voice artistry was displayed in his performances as Bullwinkle.
15 years ago November 27, 2000 Writer and comics editor Dorothy Woolfolk dies at age 87. She was the first female editor at DC and also edited at Timely and E.C.
10 years ago November 30, 2005 Artist Jim Sasseville dies at age 78. He was best known for his work with Charles Schulz, for whom he drew the feature It’s Only a Game and some of the Peanuts comic book stories.
5 years ago November 28, 2010 Artist and letterer Jon D’Agostino dies of bone cancer at age 81. He began his comics career as a Golden Age Timely colorist and went on to work exclusively at Archie.
And here are the anniversaries spanning the month of December…
80 years ago December 1935 New Comics #1 (the second comic book series published by what will become known as DC) promises comedy, adventure, thrills, and prizes. The issue says it’s from the National Allied Newspaper Syndicate, Inc. Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson is the editor and publisher, and cover artist Vin Sullivan is the assistant editor. Other contributors include Leo O’Mealia, Robert Leffingwell, Whitney Ellsworth, Wheeler-Nicholson, Sheldon Mayer, and Walt Kelly.
75 years ago December 1940 “Dramatized for the first time in comic strip form,” Green Hornet Comics #1 from Helnit offers “64 pages of thrilling action stories based on the famous radio adventures of The Green Hornet … based on stories by Fran Striker.” Britt Reid, Kato, and others appear. The radio series was introduced January 31, 1936, in Detroit, and the first movie serial was released in theaters in January 1940.
70 years ago December 1945 All-American Publications uses its logo for the last time, replacing it with DC’s in the next, 1946-dated, issues.
55 years ago December 1960 “Here Comes Captain Boomerang!” DC’s Flash #117 introduces Captain Boomerang (who develops a “lightning-fast boomerang” to combat the speedster) in a story by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Murphy Anderson.
50 years ago December 1965 Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man #31 introduces Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn in “If This Be My Destiny!” by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. And, yes, it’s Peter Parker’s first day of college and Aunt May is ill. What else could go wrong?
50 years ago December 1965 Marvel’s Fantastic Four #45 introduces The Inhumans: Black Bolt, Crystal, Karnak, Triton—and Lockjaw.
50 years ago December 1965 “Notice to readers: You’ll cheer … You’ll cry … when you read—‘The Sacrifice of Kid Psycho!’” DC’s Superboy #125 introduces Gnill Opril in a story by Otto Binder and George Papp.
45 years ago December 1970 Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 introduces Darkseid. Well, sorta. He’s on a monitor, so just saying. “The Mountain of Judgment” is by Jack Kirby, Al Plastino, and Vince Colletta. Oh, and the cover logo reads, “Superman’s Ex-Pal the new Jimmy Olsen.” (Things change so swiftly in comic books.)
40 years ago December 1975 By the end of 1975, Phil Seuling is offering (non-returnable) direct distribution of Marvel and DC comics to comics specialty shops. He will later incorporate with partner Jonni Levas as Sea Gate Distributors, Inc. (Direct market footnote: It will take fewer than 20 more years for DC to announce that its comics will be distributed exclusively by Diamond Comic Distribution, Inc.)
35 years ago December 1980 Raw #2 begins the first chapter of Art Spiegelman’s Maus. (You know about the Pulitzer Prize, the respect it helped the comic book art form to gain, the power of the story itself … all that? Right?)
35 years ago December 1980 “Blind he may be—but evil he can see—!” DC’s Secrets of Haunted House #31 introduces Mister E. “The Twice-Cursed Man!” is by Bob Rozakis and Dan Spiegle.
35 years ago December 1980 DC’s The New Teen Titans #2 introduces Wintergreen in “Today … the Terminator!” by George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, and Romeo Tanghal.
35 years ago December 1980 Dick Briefer dies at age 65. Though many sources identify his birth date as January 9, 1915, the date of his death is so far given simply as December 1980. The artist’s Golden Age gag treatment of Frankenstein’s monster was his best known work, but he also created The Target and The Targeteers.
30 years ago December 1985 Marvel’s Star imprint introduces ThunderCats #1, based on the TV series. “Survival Run” is by David Michelinie, Leonard Starr, Jim Mooney, and Brett Breeding.
30 years ago December 1985 The Marvel Saga: The Official History of the Marvel Universe begins, “Featuring: The secrets of The Fantastic Four! Alpha Flight! The X-Men! And much, much more!”
30 years ago December 1985 Marvel’s Epic line introduces Bozz Chronicles by David Michelinie, Bret Blevins, and John Ridgway. Victorian England is the stamping ground of an alien detective.
25 years ago December 1990 Harvey cancels Wendy the Good Little Witch with #97.
25 years ago December 1990 Now’s The Real Ghostbusters #28 is the last issue of the series based on the TV show (which aired for almost another year).
25 years ago December 1990 Dave McKean’s Cages begins from Tundra.
25 years ago December 1990 DC’s Sandman #21 by Neil Gaiman introduces Delirium, one of The Endless, drawn in the issue by Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones, III. The issue involves a family reunion of sorts and kicks off “A Season of Mists.”
20 years ago December 1995 Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy #16 begins a brief run continuing the numbering of the series that introduced Spider-Man years earlier. “An Amazing World” is by Kurt Busiek and Paul Lee.
