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 September 9-15, 2022…

160 years ago September 11, 1862 Writer William Sydney Porter is born. Working as “O. Henry,” he is a pioneer of the fantasy concept of alternate universes.

150 years ago September 14, 1872 Spanish artist Llorenc Brunet is born.

125 years ago September 12, 1897 Walter B. Gibson is born. The magician and writer is especially known for creating the mythos of The Shadow.

110 years ago September 14, 1912 Dutch writer-artist Phiny Dick is born. The wife of Marten Toonder names his “Tom Poes” character.

105 years ago September 9, 1917 Writer-artist Frank Robbins is born. He creates the Johnny Hazard strip and comic book.

100 years ago September 10, 1922 Reuben Award-winning and NCS Hall of Fame inductee cartoonist Roy Doty is born. He’s especially known for “Wordless Workshop” (created for Popular Mechanics) and for the Laugh-In comic strip.

100 years ago September 12, 1922 Award winning writer John Albano is born. He co-creates Jonah Hex with Tony DeZuniga.

100 years ago September 14, 1922 French writer-artist Lucien Nortier is born.

100 years ago September 15, 1922 Jackie Cooper is born. The actor, director, and producer is the first child to receive a Best Actor Oscar nomination. It’s for starring in the title role in Skippy (1931), based on Percy Crosby’s strip. He later plays Henry Aldrich in films featuring that character.

90 years ago September 12, 1932 E.C. Segar introduces Bluto and George W. Geezil in his Thimble Theatre strip.

80 years ago September 11, 1942 German writer-artist Horst Rosenthal is executed in Auschwitz at age 27.

75 years ago September 13, 1947 Writer-artist Mike Grell is born. He creates Warlord, Jon Sable, and Starslayer.

70 years ago September 10, 1952 Comic book and TV writer Gerry Conway is born. He co-creates Firestorm and Punisher and is responsible for what happens to Gwen Stacy.

70 years ago September 13, 1952 Artist and Quality Comics editor George Brenner dies at age 43. He created Alias the Clock.

70 years ago September 14, 1952 Beetle Bailey receives its first Sunday page – created, written, and drawn by Mort Walker.

70 years ago September 15, 1952 Carol Lay is born. She’s the writer-artist of the strip Way Lay and many Bongo Comics stories and writes Mythos.

65 years ago September 15, 1957 Belgian artist Jos Verdegem dies at age 60.

60 years ago September 9, 1962 Longtime Green Lantern artist Darryl Banks is born. He also works on such titles as Superman and JLA.

60 years ago September 9, 1962 Actor, writer, and director Kevin Grevioux co-creates the Underworld film series, voices Black Beetle for Young Justice, and forms the Astounding Studios and Darkstorm Comic Studios comic book imprints.

55 years ago September 9, 1967 The short-lived but classic animated TV series George of the Jungle begins on ABC. Its segments are “George of the Jungle,” “Tom Slick,” and “Super Chicken.”

55 years ago September 11, 1967 Cartoonist Michael Wright is born. He writes and draws the “Jake” series of kids’ books.

55 years ago September 11, 1967 Redeye by Gordon Bess begins.

50 years ago September 11, 1972 Animator, inventor, film director, producer, and Fleischer Studios co-founder Max Fleischer dies of heart failure at age 89.

50 years ago September 12, 1972 Pioneering Norwegian artist Ivar Mauritz-Hansen dies at age 75.

50 years ago September 12, 1972 William Boyd dies of complications from Parkinson’s disease and heart failure at age 77. The actor’s cowboy roles led to licensing his name and image (as well as his appearance as Hopalong Cassidy) in Fawcett comics (and the Hopalong series continued at DC in 1954, continuing the numbering).

45 years ago September 13, 1977 Shoe by Jeff MacNelly begins.

45 years ago September 15, 1977 Chris Crosby is born. He co-founds Keenspot, writes and draws Superosity, and writes Sore Thumbs.

40 years ago September 12, 1982 Italian comics writer Gian Giacomo Dalmasso dies at age 75. He co-created Pantera Bionda with Enzo Magni.

40 years ago September 13, 1982 Golden Age artist Reed Crandall dies of a heart attack at age 65. He was especially noted for his work for Quality Comics (through the Eisner-Iger shop), the E.C. line, Warren comics, and Tower Comics.

30 years ago September 11, 1992 Batman: The Animated Series introduces Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel), created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. Voiced by Arleen Sorkin, Harley first appears in “Joker’s Favor,” the series’ seventh episode.

25 years ago September 15, 1997 Dutch artist Lode Pemmelaar dies at age 54.

20 years ago September 13, 2002 Writer-artist Fred Guardineer dies at age 88. His career began in the Golden Age, and he contributed to DC’s Action Comics #1. He was especially noted for The Durango Kid.

15 years ago September 9, 2007 The Farley comic strip ends three days before creator Phil Frank dies at age 64.

15 years ago September 12, 2007 Phil Frank dies at age 64 of a brain tumor. He created the Farley comic strip and drew The Elderberries.

5 years ago September 10, 2017 Award-winning writer-editor Len Wein dies at age 69. He co-created characters including Swamp Thing, Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Wolverine.

5 years ago September 12, 2017 NEA artist Bob Moyer dies at age 93.