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 March 4-10, 2022…

180 years ago March 4, 1842 Canadian cartoonist, journalist, and lawyer Hector Berthelot is born. He founds the satirical weekly Le Canard.

150 years ago March 5, 1872 The pioneering Quebec comics artist Joseph Charlebois is born.

145 years ago March 10, 1877 Artist and political cartoonist Norman E. Jennett is born. He eventually becomes art director at McFadden Publications.

140 years ago March 4, 1882 Dutch political cartoonist Tjerk Bottema is born.

120 years ago March 9, 1902 Gus Dirks’ Latest News from Bugville ends. (He will commit suicide three months later.)

115 years ago March 8, 1907 Dutch artist, film critic, and political cartoonist Charles Boost is born.

105 years ago March 6, 1917 OK, there’s not enough room to sum up his career here, but it is of interest to historians that Will Eisner is born on this date. He writes, he draws, he presides over an art studio, he’s an entrepreneur, and he lends his name to the comics industry’s annual professional awards. He creates The Spirit, The Dreamer, and more, more, more. If you really haven’t yet seen his work, check it out. You’re in for a treat.

105 years ago March 7, 1917 Dutch artist Hans Brouwer (who works as “Ipse”) is born. He’s known for Fed en Vetertje in Priktolland.

100 years ago March 8, 1922 Jack Rickard is born. The artist is especially known for his work on Mad, Li’l Abner, and Pauline McPeril.

90 years ago March 4, 1932 Artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth is born. He creates the hot-rod “Rat Fink” character.

90 years ago March 6, 1932 Roland Davies’ Come on, Steve begins.

85 years ago March 6, 1937 Award-winning Flemish political cartoonist Pol de Valck is born. The prolific artist works as “Brasser” and produces a daily current events cartoon.

85 years ago March 8, 1937 Spanish artist Carlos Ángel Díaz Huertas dies at age 70 or 71.

80 years ago March 6, 1942 The Captain Marvel villain Ibac is introduced in Fawcett’s Captain Marvel Adventures #8.

70 years ago March 9, 1952 Rick Burchett is born. He’s an award-winning writer-artist of such characters as Batman, Flash, and She-Hulk.

65 years ago March 10, 1957 Brazilian artist Glauco Villas Boas is born.

60 years ago March 4, 1962 Artist Simon Bisley is born. He’s especially known for his work on ABC Warriors, Lobo, and Sláine.

60 years ago March 5, 1962 Dutch writer-artist-editor Cornelis Veth dies two days after his 82nd birthday.

60 years ago March 9, 1962 Animator and cartoonist Mike Kazaleh is born. His projects include Adventures of Captain Jack, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Mighty Mouse.

55 years ago March 6, 1967 Artist Kieron Dwyer is born. He draws for titles ranging from Marvel’s Captain America and DC’s Action Comics to his own LCD.

50 years ago March 4, 1972 Writer-artist-editor Charles Biro dies at age 60. His creations included Airboy and Steel Sterling, and he was known for his work on Daredevil Comics for Lev Gleason. He also helped to create the “crime comics” genre for Gleason.

50 years ago March 5, 1972 Dutch artist Frans Meijer dies three days before his 72nd birthday. He drew comics for the publisher Helmond.

50 years ago March 8, 1972 The Amicus horror anthology film Tales from the Crypt is released, adapting five EC stories and featuring Ralph Richardson as the Crypt Keeper.

45 years ago March 5, 1977 IPC’s 2000 AD #2 introduces Judge Dredd (and Judge Goodman) in the story “Judge Whitey” by Peter Harris, Mike McMahon, and Carlos Ezquerra.

30 years ago March 4, 1992 Award-winning Disney and UPI animator Arthur Babbitt dies of heart and kidney failure at age 84. He designed the witch in Snow White and Gepetto in Pinocchio and led the 1941 Walt Disney Studios strike.

25 years ago March 7, 1997 Writer-editor Kim Yale dies of breast cancer at age 43.

25 years ago March 10, 1997 Stanley Drake dies at age 75. He was the artist (and co-creator) of The Heart of Juliet Jones and Kelly Green and drew Blondie.

15 years ago March 5, 2007 Influential and award winning Belgian writer-artist-translator Yvan Delporte dies at age 78. The 1955-1968 Spirou editor in chief helped found Union Professionelle des Créateurs d’Histoires en Images et de Cartoons.

15 years ago March 6, 2007 Albert Uderzo is made a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

15 years ago March 6, 2007 Italian cartoonist Lina Buffolente dies at age 82. The “Nadia” creator, called “la Signora del fumetto,” worked on a wide variety of comics for six decades.

15 years ago March 8, 2007 2000 AD artist Massimo Belardinelli dies at age 68.

15 years ago March 9, 2007 Flemish artist Hugo Leyers dies at age 77.

10 years ago March 5, 2012 Spanish animator and writer-artist Joaquim Muntañola dies at age 97.

10 years ago March 10, 2012 Comics historian and expert Don Markstein dies of respiratory failure 11 days before his 65th birthday. He wrote and edited the Toonopedia comics information website.

10 years ago March 10, 2012 Jean Giraud dies of a pulmonary embolism from a lymphoma at age 73. The internationally acclaimed and influential writer-artist also worked as “Moebius” and “Gir” and was co-creator (with Jean-Michel Charlier) of Blueberry and known for such works as Arzach and The Incal. He co-founded Métal Hurlant.

5 years ago March 5, 2017 Artist Dave Hunt dies of cancer at age 74. His comic book work included projects for Marvel, DC, Disney, and Hanna-Barbera.

5 years ago March 5, 2017 Teacher, writer-artist-editor, comix archivist, and underground comix pioneer Jay Lynch dies of lung cancer at age 72. He created Nard n’ Pat and Bijou Funnies and was one of the producers of Topps’ trading cards for the Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids lines.