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 December 31, 2020 through January 7, 2021…

165 years ago January 5, 1856 Charles Philipon publishes the first issue of the French comics magazine Journal Amusant.

145 years ago January 5, 1876 French artist Georges Jordic-Pignon is born.

130 years ago January 1, 1891 Dutch writer Arie Pleysier is born.

130 years ago January 4, 1891 Pioneering British artist Charles Keene dies at age 67. Lambiek says of the Punch contributor that his The Adventures of Miss Lavinia Brounjones (1866) was the first comic strip to star a female character.

125 years ago January 2, 1896 Mickey Finn creator Lank Leonard is born.

125 years ago January 5, 1896 It’s the first time the central character wears a yellow gown in Richard Outcault’s Hogan’s Alley: The Yellow Kid.

115 years ago January 2, 1906 Writer-artist E. Simms Campbell is born. He creates the Cuties newspaper feature and is considered to be the first African-American cartoonist to be published in national slick magazines. He’s a regular Esquire contributor and creates its mascot, Esky.

110 years ago January 1, 1911 Katy Keene creator Bill Woggon is born.

110 years ago January 1, 1911 Professor O. Howe Wise and Professor I.B. Schmart by Ed Payne ends.

110 years ago January 3, 1911 Writer-editor Murray Boltinoff is born. He edits more than 50 series for DC.

105 years ago January 3, 1916 Award-winning political cartoonist Warren King is born. The career of the MLJ artist includes work in comic books and assistance to cartoonist Rube Goldberg.

105 years ago January 5, 1916 Baron Bean by George Herriman begins.

105 years ago January 6, 1916 Marvel letterer Artie Simek is born.

100 years ago January 3, 1921 Russ Westover’s “working girl” comic strip Tillie the Toiler begins.

95 years ago January 6, 1926 Writer-artist Stuart Hample is born. He’s known for work on Rich & Famous and Robin Malone.

90 years ago January 1, 1931 French artist Roland Garel is born. Known for such series as Galax, Les 4 As, and Chère Pauline, he’s President of the Syndicate of Press Artists and is head of the APAR agency.

90 years ago January 7, 1931 The Put On comic strip by Kho Wang begins.

80 years ago January 4, 1941 British artist George Roller dies at age 84.

75 years ago January 2, 1946 French artist Marius Rossillon (who worked as “O’Galop”) dies at age 78. He created the Michelin mascot “Bibendum.”

75 years ago January 6, 1946 Will Eisner’s Hildie and the Kid Gang is released.

70 years ago January 6, 1951 Donning editor Kay Reynolds is born.

70 years ago January 7, 1951 Dutch artist Nelly Bodenheim dies at age 76. With friends, she formed the artistic group the Amsterdam Joffers.

65 years ago January 3, 1956 Artist and Tailgunner Jo creator Tom Artis is born.

55 years ago December 31, 1965 Award-winning underground comix writer-artist Julie Doucet is born. She’s especially known for Dirty Plotte and My New York Diary.

55 years ago January 4, 1966 Bernard Prince by Greg and Hermann begins.

50 years ago January 7, 1971 Teacher and artist Walter Antonio McDaniel is born. He works on such titles as Deadpool and Batman.

35 years ago December 31, 1985 Kitchen Sink releases The Dreamer, Will Eisner’s graphic novel about the 1930s comic book industry.

35 years ago January 6, 1986 Artist George Sixta dies at age 76. He created the Rivets comic strip.

30 years ago December 31, 1990 Scott Adams’ Dilbert publishes an email address and receives more than 200 letters.

30 years ago January 5, 1991 Artist John Lehti dies at age 78. With a career that included work for DC’s Golden Age, he created the Tommy of the Big Top comic strip. He also worked on Dell’s comics as well as on Tales from the Great Books.

25 years ago December 31, 1995 The last Calvin and Hobbes strip by Bill Watterson is published.

20 years ago January 6, 2001 Artist Leo Nowak dies at age 93. The artist and political cartoonist assisted Joe Shuster on Superman stories and co-created Robotman (with Jerry Siegel).

20 years ago January 6, 2001 Prolific Dutch artist Carol Voges dies at age 75. His best known comic strip is Pa Pinkelman.

15 years ago December 31, 2005 Perishers writer Maurice Dodd dies at age 83.

15 years ago December 31, 2005 Artist John Johns dies of heart failure at age 84. He was the house cartoonist and caricaturist for the Pittsburgh Press newspaper.

15 years ago January 1, 2006 The Katzenjammer Kids ends – at this point, the longest-running comic strip ever.

15 years ago January 4, 2006 Editorial and sports cartoonist Stan Hunt dies at age 76.

15 years ago January 6, 2006 Cartoonist Yoshiro Kato dies of respiratory failure at age 79. He created Mappirakun.

10 years ago January 4, 2011 Award-winning editor Axel Alonso is named Marvel editor in chief.

10 years ago January 6, 2011 Actor and voice artist Aron Kincaid dies at age 70 of heart-related problems. He was especially known to comics buffs for voicing Killer Croc and Sky Lynx.

10 years ago January 6, 2011 Dutch artist Jacques van der Smissen dies at age 68.

And here are the anniversaries spanning the month of January…

85 years ago January 1936 DC’s New Fun anthology series changes its title to More Fun with #7. What do you suppose ever became of Whitney Ellsworth’s cover-featured Little Linda? Just wondering …

80 years ago January 1941 “Extra!! New!!” (Yep, he gets double exclamation marks.) Dusty (The Boy Detective) joins The Shield in Archie’s Pep Comics #11.

80 years ago January 1941 He’s not going to be on the cover until February, but Quality’s Smash Comics #18 introduces Midnight by Jack Cole. Why is the character of interest? Well, check back in a month.

70 years ago January 1951 “Brand new stories of TV and radio’s hit shows!” are in DC’s Big Town #1, which features standalone crime stories starring Steve Wilson and photographer Jim Springer. (Big Town began as a radio series starring Edward G. Robinson as Editor Steve Wilson.)

60 years ago January 1961 You might think that an army of living kryptonite men is what’s notable about DC’s Superboy #86. That’s what’s on the cover. But, no, it’s the introduction of Pete Ross in “The Boy Who Betrayed Clark Kent!” by Robert Bernstein and George Papp.

60 years ago January 1961 Despite work by such pros as Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, Joe Giella, and Carmine Infantino, DC’s Western Comics #85 is the series’ last issue.

60 years ago January 1961 Harbinger from Don and Maggie Thompson introduces the idea of a fanzine devoted entirely to comic art. (It will be called Comic Art.)

55 years ago January 1966 “New! The most original character in comic history!” DC’s House of Mystery #156 introduces Robby Reed, “the boy who can change into 1,000 super heroes …” The story is by Dave Wood and Jim Mooney. Sockamagee!

55 years ago January 1966 Weird #10 is the first issue of the series from Eerie Publications, “featuring the most famous monsters in the world.” It’s edited by Roger Elwood and Carl Burgos.

55 years ago January 1966 DC’s Showcase #60 is the first Silver Age appearance of “the triumphant return of The Spectre!” “The ghostly guardian” fights in “War That Shook the Universe!” by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson.

55 years ago January 1966 Charlton’s Thunderbolt #1 introduces Thunderbolt by Pat Masulli and Pete Morisi. “All of the mysterious powers of ancient Tibet” are granted to Peter Cannon.

55 years ago January 1966 Superboy calls it a “heartless jukebox.” Computo the Conqueror is an “electronic enemy programmed to wipe out superheroes!” in DC’s Adventure Comics #340 in a story by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan, and George Klein.

55 years ago January 1966 “They just couldn’t wait to start their own mag!” It’s DC’s Teen Titans #1. Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad team up to fight “The Beast-God of Xochatan!” in a story by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy.

55 years ago January 1966 Tower Comics introduces Undersea Agent #1. Lt. Davey Jones and U.N.D.E.R.S.E.A. fight the forces of Dr. Fang in one of three stories by D.J. Arneson and Ray Bailey.

50 years ago January 1971 Bantam Books releases Blackmark, a mass market paperback graphic novel by Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin. Set “in the primitive world of the future,” it’s a pioneering – but not a commercial – triumph.

50 years ago January 1971 “Kryptonite nevermore!” Starting in Superman #233, DC begins a major revamp of Superman. “Superman Breaks Loose” is by Denny O’Neil, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson.

50 years ago January 1971 The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #1 kicks off the Rip Off Press collections of Gilbert Shelton stories.

45 years ago January 1976 “Now in his own magazine!” Mike Grell’s Warlord gets a DC series, starting with Warlord #1.

45 years ago January 1976 “No – You can’t come out! The world’s not ready for you yet!” Too bad, so sad. DC’s 1st Issue Special #10 introduces The Outsiders in stories by Joe Simon, Jerry Grandenetti, and Creig Flessel.

45 years ago January 1976 DC’s All-Star Comics revives with #58 and, in a story by Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada, Wally Wood, and A.L. Sirois, introduces Power Girl (Kara Zor-L, Karen Starr, whatever), who teams with Star-Spangled Kid and Earth Two Robin as the Super-Squad and is herself an Earth-Two incarnation of Supergirl (created for Action Comics #252 (May 1959) by Otto Binder and Al Plastino). Think that sentence could get any longer?

45 years ago January 1976 Jenette Kahn replaces Carmine Infantino as DC Comics publisher and editorial director.

45 years ago January 1976 DC’s previous issue was October 1968 (#243 by Bob Haney and Pat Boyette). Now, with #244, Blackhawk revives the team in “Death’s Right Hand” by Steve Skeates and George Evans. “Back from the dead! The greatest fighting team in the world!”

45 years ago January 1976 “He stalks the galaxies! One man … on a mission of cosmic vengeance!” It should be noted that Chris Pratt will be born nearly four years after this introduction of Star-Lord in Marvel Preview #4. The story is by Steve Englehart, Steve Gan, and Bob McLeod.

45 years ago January 1976 Michael O’Brien (brother of Guardsman Kevin O’Brien) is introduced in Marvel’s Iron Man #82 and becomes bound up in the Guardsman story in “Plunder of the Apes!” by Len Wein, Herb Trimpe, and Jack Abel.

45 years ago January 1976 With Golden Comics Digest #48, Gold Key ends the series. The issue features The Lone Ranger drawn by Tom Gill in this final installment of the reprint anthology.

45 years ago January 1976 “Because you demanded it,” Marvel’s Howard the Duck #1 gives him his own series, trapped in a world he never made. “Marvel’s most sensational new superstar” meets Beverly Switzler in “Howard the Barbarian” by Steve Gerber, Frank Brunner, and Steve Leialoha. Waugh!

40 years ago January 1981 Marvel’s The X-Men #141 introduces Phoenix II (Rachel Summers of 2013), Future X-Men, the New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (Destiny, Pyro, and Avalanche), and the beginning of the “Days of Future Past” storyline by John Byrne, Chris Claremont, and Terry Austin.

40 years ago January 1981 Marvel Two-in-One #71 announces, “Introducing: The minions of Maelstrom!” Plus Helio, Phobius, and Gronk, all of whom appear in “The Cure!” by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, Ron Wilson, and Gene Day.

40 years ago January 1981 Marvel cancels three reprint titles. Their last issues are: Marvel’s Greatest Comics #96 (reprinting Fantastic Four #116), Amazing Adventures #14 (reprinting The X-Men #8), and Tales to Astonish #14 (reprinting Sub-Mariner #14).

40 years ago January 1981 “Enter The Fearsome Five!” In New Teen Titans #3, Dr. Light introduces Gizmo, Mammoth, Psimon, and Shimmer, as he unites that team in a story by George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, and Frank Chiaramonte.

40 years ago January 1981 He’s been drawing the series, but Frank Miller now takes over writing Marvel’s Daredevil with #168 – and creates Elektra.

35 years ago January 1986 On the cover of the first issue of DC’s ’Mazing Man, it suggests readers “start collecting now!” The series lasts 12 issues, kicking off with a couple of stories by Bob Rozakis, Stephen DeStefano, and Karl Kesel.

35 years ago January 1986 “The End!” “Farewell Issue!” DC’s World’s Finest Comics #323 is the last issue of the Batman-Superman series. “Afraid of the Dark” is by Joey Cavalieri, Jose Delbo, and Alfredo Alcala.

35 years ago January 1986 The cover says it’s “#1 in a four issue limited series.” (Spoiler: Marvel’s The Punisher runs for five issues.) “Circle of Blood” is by Steven Grant, Mike Zeck, and John Beatty.

30 years ago January 1991 Julie Doucet has self-published her material, but now Drawn & Quarterly releases Dirty Plotte #1, some of which reprints her earlier work.

30 years ago January 1991 Marvel announces “The New Incredible Hulk,” and “Honey, I Shrunk The Hulk” is by Peter David, Dale Keown, and Bob McLeod. This Hulk combines green, gray, and Banner – a smart Hulk – in The Incredible Hulk #377.

30 years ago January 1991 “Yondo goes mad!!!” But, in addition, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy #8 introduces Rancor. Who’s she? She’s a descendent of Wolverine. “Down Time” is by Jim Valentino and Steve Montano.

30 years ago January 1991 DC’s Checkmate #33 is the last issue (the cover displays the word “Endgame …”). The story’s by Paul Kupperberg, Gabriel Morrissette, and Mike Machlan.

30 years ago January 1991 DC’s El Diablo #16 is the last issue, complete with a story (by Gerard Jones, Mike Parobeck, and Paul Fricke) titled “Adios” and a cover featuring El Diablo in front of a montage of earlier covers.

30 years ago January 1991 Marvel’s Count Duckula #15 is the last issue. It’s announced on the cover: “The very last issue of Count Duckula.”

30 years ago January 1991 Marvel’s Alien Legion: On the Edge #3 is the last issue. “Sundered World” is by Chuck Dixon, Larry Stroman, and Mark Farmer.

30 years ago January 1991 Marvel’s Avengers Spotlight #40 is the last issue; its letters column announces, “The Spotlight Fades.”

30 years ago January 1991 She appeared with Ken in a Dell series almost three decades earlier, but now Mattel’s Barbie gets her own Marvel series, starting with Barbie #1 (which offers the bonus of a doorknob “Do Not Disturb” sign). And hey! This month also marks the debut of her “stylish stories and trend-setting tips” via Barbie Fashion #1.

25 years ago January 1996 Yes, DC already released Showcase ’93, Showcase ’94, and Showcase ’95. Now, the year kicks off with Showcase ’96 #1. Characters include Steel, Guy Gardner, Sledge, The Enforcer, Mr. Geppi, Aqualad, Atlan, Aquaman, Dolphin, Aquagirl, Brooklyn, Nora, and Phantom Lady.

25 years ago January 1996 Marvel’s Venom: Along Came a Spider #1 kicks off a four-issue miniseries, as Eddie Brock combats Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) in a story apparently by Larry Hama, Joe St. Pierre, Tom Grindberg, Greg Adams, Randy Emberlin, Mark McKenna, and Rodney Ramos.

20 years ago January 2001 Remember DC’s Big Town #1 from 1951? Well, Marvel revisits the title itself half a century later, except that the Fantastic Four is lurking in its “1st spectacular issue!” And except that it’s alternate versions of existing Marvel characters – lots of them – in a story by Steve Englehart, Mike McKone, Mark McKenna, Eduardo Alpuente, Randy Elliot, Ray Kryssing, Cam Smith, and Keven Yates.

20 years ago January 2001 DC’s Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool #1 features “As I Was Saying before I Was Interrupted …” by Dwayne McDuffie and John Paul Leon.

20 years ago January 2001 Words? Who needs words to tell comics gags? Check out the Dark Horse release of Sergio Aragonés’ Actions Speak #1!

20 years ago January 2001 Dark Horse’s Silke #1 is by Tony Daniel, featuring the superpowered Sandra Silke.

15 years ago January 2006 “A new era of Star Wars comics begins here!” “Commencement, Part 1 of 6” is set 3,964 years before the Battle of Yavin. The story in Dark Horse’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #1 is by John Jackson Miller and Brian Ching.

15 years ago January 2006 DC’s All Star Superman begins. It wins the Eisner Award for Best New Series, and the first story is “…Faster…” by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant.

15 years ago January 2006 “X-pect the unX-pected …” Marvel starts the numbering again with X-Factor #1 and a story by Peter David, Ryan Sook, and Wade Von Grawbadger.

15 years ago January 2006 The character created by John Albano and Tony DeZuniga” in 1972 is the star of DC’s Jonah Hex #1. “Giving the Devil His Due” is by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Luke Ross.

15 years ago January 2006 DC’s Vertigo imprint is on DMZ #1, featuring “an inside look at a war without end.” “On the Ground” is by Brian Wood, Riccardo Burchielli, and Brian Wood.”

15 years ago January 2006 Fantastic Four: The Wedding Special #1 celebrates the 40th anniversary of the wedding of Marvel’s Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman. “The Life Fantastic” is by Karl Kesel, Drew Johnson, Drew Geraci, and Drew Hennessy.

15 years ago January 2006 M-Day depowered most of Marvel’s mutants, and, in a story by Paul Jenkins, Ramon Bachs, and John Lucas, Generation M #1 reviews what happened then.

10 years ago January 2011 DC’s T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 isn’t the first appearance of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. (That came from Tower in 1965.) But it kicks off a revamp of the group. “The High Road” is by Nick Spencer, Cafu, and Bit.

10 years ago January 2011 And this is clearly not the first Superboy series. Anyway, here’s Superboy #1, featuring “Smallville Attacks!” by Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo.

10 years ago January 2011 Eric Shanower and Skottie Young continue their graphic novel adaptations of classic Oz tales of L. Frank Baum in Marvel’s Ozma of Oz #1.

10 years ago January 2011 Todd McFarlane’s Spawn celebrates #200 from Image.

5 years ago January 2016 Here he goes again (with a bunch of variant editions)! Marvel starts another Deadpool series with a story by Gerry Duggan, Mike Hawthorne, and Terry Pallot. (Reminder: Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza’s character was introduced in The New Mutants #98.)

5 years ago January 2016 Speaking of here he goes again: Marvel’s Howard the Duck #1 (yes, with another slew of variant editions) contains two stories about the character that was introduced in a story by Steve Gerber, Val Mayerik, and Sal Trapani in Fear #19. In this case, the stories are by Chip Zdarsky, Joe Quinones, Joe Rivera, Chris Hastings, and Danilo Beyruth.

5 years ago January 2016 Speaking of … Well, you get the idea. Marvel’s Star-Lord #1 features that character (who only gets 4 variants, though).

5 years ago January 2016 Do I need to say it again? Marvel’s Ultimates #1 has different editions, etc., etc. “Start with the Impossible” is by Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort.

5 years ago January 2016 DC’s Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 also has a huge bunch of variants; collect them all. (I mean a huge bunch.) The story is by Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, Andy Kubert, and Klaus Janson.

5 years ago January 2016 So the numbering of this series to this point went pretty much 1-35, and now it’s the January issue, and it becomes Uncanny X-Men #600. Do I need to tell you it has variant covers? The story is by Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, Mahmud Asrar, Stuart Immonen, Kris Anka, Chris Bachalo, David Marquez, Frazer Irving, Wade Von Grawbadger, Tim Townsend, and Mark Irwin. Oh, and then it kinda wraps things up with “X-Men Goodbyes … For Now …”