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 23-29, 2022…

130 years ago December 23, 1892 Ward Greene is born. The editor, King Features Syndicate general manager, and writer of the Rip Kirby strip also writes “Happy Dan, the Cynical Dog”: the basis for Disney’s Lady and the Tramp.

115 years ago December 24, 1907 Artist and political cartoonist Leonard Nowak is born. He assists Joe Shuster on Superman and co-creates Robotman with Jerry Siegel.

105 years ago December 24, 1917 Belgian writer-editor André Fernez is born. He edits the weekly Tintin comic book.

100 years ago December 27, 1922 Italian artist Ferdinando Tacconi is born.

100 years ago December 28, 1922 Writer-editor Stan Lee is born. ’Nuff said? (Really? Come on!)

100 years ago December 28, 1922 Daily News sports cartoonist Bill Gallo is born.

95 years ago December 24, 1927 Scottish artist John Glashan is born.

95 years ago December 26, 1927 British writer-artist Denis Gifford is born. He’s a comics collector, convention organizer, and pop culture historian.

85 years ago December 28, 1937 Beelzebub Jones by Hugh McClelland begins.

70 years ago December 29, 1952 Marvel colorist Paul Becton is born.

65 years ago December 23, 1957 Writer-artist and Now Comics publisher Tony Caputo is born.

65 years ago December 23, 1957 French artist Maurice Cuvillier dies at age 60.

65 years ago December 24, 1957 Stanley Link dies at age 63. Beginning his career as Sidney Smith’s assistant, he created Tiny Tim and The Dailys.

60 years ago December 29, 1962 The Long Sam comic strip by Al Capp and Bob Lubbers ends.

55 years ago December 23, 1967 Writer Noel John Tominack is born.

55 years ago December 28, 1967 Award-winning writer-artist and designer Chris Ware is born. He’s known for such material as Jimmy Corrigan and Acme Novelty Library.

35 years ago December 26, 1987 Italian artist Angelo Bioletto dies at age 81.

35 years ago December 28, 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles begins syndicated broadcasts of a daily five-part TV animated series.

35 years ago December 29, 1987 Magazine illustrator and Abbie an’ Slats artist Raeburn van Buren dies at age 96 from injuries suffered in a fall.

30 years ago December 23, 1992 Vilhelm Hansen dies at age 92. The Danish artist was known for the co-creation (with his wife, Carla) of the funny animal strip Rasmus Klump.

30 years ago December 24, 1992 Pierre Culliford dies of a heart attack at age 64. Also known as “Peyo,” he created The Smurfs (also known as Schtroumpfs).

20 years ago December 27, 2002 Italian artist Renzo Restani dies at age 74.

15 years ago December 23, 2007 Italian cartoonist Gualtiero Schiaffino (who worked as “Skiaffino”) dies at age 64.

15 years ago December 27, 2007 Dutch writer-artist Wim Meuldijk dies at age 85. He created the children’s TV show Pipo de Clown and the comics series Ketelbinkie.

10 years ago December 25, 2012 Spanish artist Juan Antonio Abellán dies at age 86.

5 years ago December 29, 2017 Award-winning British artist Jim Baikie dies at age 77. He drew a variety of comics that included “Skizz” (written by Alan Moore) for 2000 AD. His U.S. work included collaborations with such creators as Moore, Doug Moench, Tom Veitch, and Brian Augustyn.