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 9-15, 2022…

150 years ago December 11, 1872 Irish artist René Bull is born.

145 years ago December 14, 1877 British artist and voice actor Harry Hemsley is born. He’s known for the Ovaltiney’s Concert Party radio show, which spawned its own comic book in 1935: Ovaltiney’s Own Comic.

130 years ago December 14, 1892 Punch artist Alfred Bestall is born. The British artist continues Rupert Bear, when creator Mary Tourtel leaves the series.

120 years ago December 9, 1902 British artist John Willie is born (as John Alexander Scott Coutts).

120 years ago December 11, 1902 Danish artist Arne Ungermann is born. He creates Hanne Hansen.

125 years ago December 12, 1897 The Katzenjammer Kids begins, created by Rudolph Dirks for Hearst Editor Rudolph Block (who names the strip). Wiki says it’s the longest running comic strip of all time. (The strip ended in 2006.)

110 years ago December 12, 1912 British artist David Wright is born. He creates the Carol Day comic strip.

105 years ago December 10, 1917 Artist Bill Crooks is born. The Les Turner assistant takes over the daily and Sunday Captain Easy feature in 1969.

95 years ago December 11, 1927 John Buscema is born. The award-winning artist is especially known for his Marvel work on stories featuring The Avengers, Silver Surfer, The Fantastic Four, Thor, and Conan.

85 years ago December 13, 1937 German writer-artist Robert Gernhardt is born. He is co-founder of the satirical magazine Titanic.

80 years ago December 11, 1942 Didier Comès is born. The Belgian writer-artist creates such comics novels as Silence, La Belette, and Iris.

70 years ago December 10, 1952 Hot Stuff publisher Sal Quartuccio is born.

70 years ago December 14, 1952 Defiant editor and El Capitan copy editor Deborah Purcell is born.

70 years ago December 15, 1952 Mojo Pop Comics Group writer-artist Ed Quinby is born.

65 years ago December 11, 1957 Satiric cartoonist Peter Bagge is born. He’s especially known for his work on Hate.

65 years ago December 14, 1957 Czech writer-artist Josef Lada dies three days before his 70th birthday. He’s considered one of the founding fathers of Czech comics.

65 years ago December 15, 1957 Artist Steven Bove is born.

60 years ago December 12, 1962 Award-winning Dutch artist David Bueno de Mesquita dies at age 73. He was known for creating comics featuring Dutch celebrities.

55 years ago December 12, 1967 Mac Raboy dies at age 53. The Golden Age artist was best known for his work on Captain Marvel Jr. and Green Lama comics and the Flash Gordon comic strip.

35 years ago December 13, 1987 Artist George Wunder dies of a heart attack at age 75. He replaced Milton Caniff on Terry and the Pirates.

35 years ago December 14, 1987 Argentinean-French writer-artist Raúl Taborda Damonte (who worked as “Copi”) dies of AIDS at age 48.

25 years ago December 11, 1997 German artist Heinz Schubel dies at age 91. He was known for his work on the Lurchi series.

15 years ago December 9, 2007 Writer-artist Wayne Howard dies at age 58. He was especially known for creating Charlton’s Midnight Tales.

15 years ago December 14, 2007 Golden and Silver Age artist Dave Gantz dies at age 85. He created the Gantz Glances panel cartoon.

10 years ago December 12, 2012 Mexican artist Sealtiel Alatriste Batalla dies at age 94.

5 years ago December 15, 2017 Raymond Miller dies at age 85. The comics collector’s “Information Center” column in RB/CC provided data on Golden Age comics.