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 April 29 through May 5, 2022...
145 years ago April 29, 1877 Sports and funny animal cartoonist Tad Dorgan is born. He creates Judge Rummy and Indoor Sports.
120 years ago May 4, 1902 Buster Brown by Richard Outcault begins in The New York Herald.
115 years ago May 4, 1907 Illustrator, pulp artist, and cartoonist Lyman Anderson is born. His work appears in New Fun #1-2, and he draws Inspector Wade for King Features.
110 years ago May 2, 1912 Political cartoonist Homer Calvin Davenport dies of pneumonia at age 45.
110 years ago May 2, 1912 Award-winning, influential Dutch comics creator Marten Toonder is born. The writer creates the Tom Poes and Olivier B. Bommel features, creates several new Dutch expressions, and sets up his own animation and comics studio.
100 years ago May 2, 1922 Bulletje en Boonestaak by A.M. de Jong and George van Raemdonck begins.
100 years ago May 2, 1922 Jonny Quest and Rio creator Doug Wildey is born.
95 years ago April 30, 1927 Artist Sal Trapani is born. He begins his comics career with Hillman and Gilmor in 1949, becomes artistic director of Cambia Animation in the early 1960s, and works for ACG, Warren, DC, and Marvel.
95 years ago May 3, 1927 Award-winning novelist and cartoonist Mell Lazarus is born. He creates newspaper strips Miss Peach and Momma and is National Cartoonists Society president.
90 years ago May 5, 1932 Award-winning comic book artist Stan Goldberg is born. He starts his career as a Timely colorist and is color designer of such Marvel characters as Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four. He becomes well known for work on such teen humor characters as Binky, Millie the Model, and Archie.
85 years ago May 2, 1937 Lorenzo Music is born Gerald David Music. The roles of the writer, actor, and voice artist include Garfield.
85 years ago May 2, 1937 Hal Foster’s final Tarzan page appears, following which he devotes full time to Prince Valiant.
85 years ago May 3, 1937 Ferd’nand begins by Henning Dahl Mikkelsen (working as “Mik”). It will become one of the longest running pantomime comics in the world.
85 years ago May 4, 1937 Caliber and Tome Comics artist Wayne R. Reid is born.
75 years ago May 2, 1947 Psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston dies of cancer at age 53. He created Wonder Woman.
65 years ago April 30, 1957 French artist Jacques Souriau dies at age 70.
60 years ago May 2, 1962 Ryan Brown is born. One of the Mirage Studios artists working on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles projects, he also creates Hallowieners and the animated TV series Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa.
55 years ago May 4, 1967 California Governor Ronald Reagan proclaims the day “Charles Schulz Day.”
55 years ago May 5, 1967 Artist Adam Hughes is born. Early work of the DC and Top Cow cover artist appears in Maze Agency, and he later joins Gaijin Studios.
45 years ago April 29, 1977 Writer-artist Paul Gustavson dies at age 60. He worked in the Harry “A” Chesler shop and was known for his work for Centaur, Quality, and ACG. His creations included The Human Bomb, The Angel, and Twister.
45 years ago April 30, 1977 The Judge Dredd storyline “The Robot Wars” begins in 2000 AD.
40 years ago May 2, 1982 Frank O’Neal’s Short Ribs ends.
40 years ago May 2, 1982 Marten Toonder is named Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
40 years ago May 3, 1982 In Bob Thaves’ Frank and Ernest strip appears a gag about Ginger Rogers’ dancing with Fred Astaire (“backwards and in high heels”] that becomes a meme.
35 years ago May 2-3, 1987 WonderCon begins as Wonderful World of Comics Convention in Oakland, California.
35 years ago May 5, 1987 Disney Dollars begin when Disneyland prints its own currency.
30 years ago May 1, 1992 Comics Buyer’s Guide changes its format with #963, becoming an 11” x 14” magazine.
25 years ago May 1, 1997 Belgian writer-artist Max Mayeu, who signed his work “Sirius,” dies at age 86.
25 years ago May 4, 1997 Writer Lou Stathis dies at age 44 of respiratory failure following a brain tumor. He was a columnist and editor for Heavy Metal and editor of DC’s Vertigo line.
20 years ago May 3, 2002 Artist Tom Sutton dies of a heart attack at age 65. He drew for Warren (including the first Vampirella story), Charlton, First, DC, and Marvel.
20 years ago May 4, 2002 Diamond introduces the first Free Comic Book Day.
15 years ago April 29, 2007 Spanish artist José De Huescar (who worked as “Garvi”) dies at age 68.
15 years ago May 1, 2007 Golden Age artist Art Saaf dies at age 85 from the effects of Parkinson’s disease. He also worked as a storyboard artist, and his output included Princess Pantha, Supergirl, and Highlights for Children contributions.
15 years ago May 1, 2007 Artist Tom Artis dies of diabetes at age 51. The Tailgunner Jo creator drew for DC, Fleetway/Quality, and Marvel.
15 years ago May 2, 2007 DC ends its weekly 52 series.
10 years ago April 29, 2012 Croatian writer-artist and art director Žarko Beker dies at age 75.
5 years ago April 30, 2017 Belgian artist Jean de Mesmaeker (who worked as “Jidéhem”) dies at age 81.
5 years ago May 2, 2017 Writer-artist, reporter, and lecturer Jay Disbrow dies at age 91. With a comics career starting in the early 1950s, he was especially known for his work on horror comics.
And here are the anniversaries spanning the month of May…
85 years ago May 1937 Mind you, it has already had two issues that were unnumbered, but David McKay’s oversized Feature Book #1 stars Zane Grey’s King of the Royal Mounted. The issue has black and white interior pages “adapted from the famous adventure strips.”
80 years ago May 1942 DC’s Flash Comics #29 introduces The Ghost Patrol, all members of which (Spoiler!) die. But this is comics. The story is by Ted Udall, Emmanuel Demby, and Frank Harry.
80 years ago May 1942 Dell’s The Funnies #64 introduces Woody Woodpecker and Oswald the Rabbit to comic books. Oh, and it’s the last issue of the title. Guess we’ll never see more comic books featuring those characters, right?
80 years ago May 1942 DC’s More Fun Comics #79 introduces the villainous Boomerang in the Green Arrow story drawn by George Papp.
75 years ago May 1947 The cover of Marvel Mystery Comics #82 announces “The coming of Namora!” Indeed! It’s “a full-length action thriller” (well, 12-page action thriller).
75 years ago May 1947 Pines’ Startling Comics #45 introduces Tygra in “Tygra of the Flame People.”
75 years ago May 1947 F.E. Howard’s Super Duper Comics #3 (and only) introduces Mr. Monster by Fred Kelly.
75 years ago May 1947 The Association of Comic Magazine Publishers (ACMP) is organized in an effort to avoid outside the industry comic book censorship. To start with, 35 comics publishers belong, though many drop out before implementation of its eventual code of standards.
70 years ago May 1952 Ik! The yucky cover featuring evil fingers on DC’s Sensation Comics #109 appears on the last issue of the series. (Felix Faust will be happier about having People Fingers when the idea is reused on Justice League of America #10 nearly a decade later.)
70 years ago May 1952 In Dell’s Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #140, Carl Barks introduces inventor duck Gyro Gearloose in a story focused on Gladstone Gander.
65 years ago May 1957 DC’s Showcase #8 features the second Silver Age appearance of The Flash. In “The Coldest Man on Earth!” by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Frank Giacoia, Leonard Snart is introduced. Not surprisingly, he’s better known as Captain Cold.
65 years ago May 1957 DC’s Sergeant Bilko #1 introduces the TV character Sgt. Bilko to comics in a story drawn by Bob Oksner. The TV series (first titled You’ll Never Get Rich, then The Phil Silvers Show) has been airing since September 1955. (Later issues will put Silvers’ name above the title.)
60 years ago May 1962 “Stop him! If The Sub-Mariner reaches the water, he’ll become invincible!” In Marvel’s Fantastic Four #4, Namor appears for the first time in the Silver Age. “The Coming of … Sub-Mariner!” is by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Sol Brodsky. Namor says, “I’ll be back!” True, that.
60 years ago May 1962 “Is he man or monster or … is he both?” “The Coming of The Hulk” is by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Paul Reinman in The Incredible Hulk #1, the second Silver Age superhero title from Marvel Comics. It’s sure to run for years and years and years and – What?
60 years ago May 1962 He began in a radio series. Now, The Lone Ranger finds himself in the last Dell issue in The Lone Ranger #145. Who was that masked man? (It also features the last episode of the back-up feature “Young Hawk,” which began in New Funnies #65.)
60 years ago May 1962 Among the features in DC’s Strange Adventures #140 is “The Strange Adventure That Really Happened!” by Gardner Fox and Sid Greene. The meta-story includes real life DC contributors Fox and Greene and Editor Julius Schwartz.
55 years ago May 1967 DC’s Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #74 introduces Bizarro-Flash in “Superman’s Unbeatable Rival!” by Leo Dorfman and Kurt Schaffenberger.
55 years ago May 1967 The first issue of the fantasy anthology The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves from Charlton features art by Rocke Mastroserio, Bill Ely, Pat Boyette, Rudi Palais, and Steve Ditko.
55 years ago May 1967 Marvel’s Fantastic Four #62 introduces Blastarr, who’s hanging out in the Negative Zone. “…And One Shall Save Him!” is by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Joe Sinnott.
55 years ago May 1967 “Meet Aqua-Girl … She’s wild, wet and whacky!” DC’s Aquaman #33 introduces her in “Aqualad’s Deep-Six Chick!” by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy. (Noting that it’s all his fault, Aquaman says, “Aqualad and Aqua-Girl have gone berserk!” Yikes.)
55 years ago May 1967 Dell’s Mission: Impossible #1 marks the first (well, only) comic book series for the TV show. “The deadliest game in the world … espionage! Played against impossible odds and no rules!” Mind you, it looks as if the project may be something of a mission: impossible in comic books; it lasts just five issues – and the cover photos this issue don’t even include Martin Landau (whose career, by the way, does include cartooning).
50 years ago May 1972 Joe Kubert’s cover of Tomahawk #140 features Hawk, Son of Tomahawk, but it’s the last issue of the DC series.
45 years ago May 1977 Marvel Super Action begins with a “Big Premiere Issue” starring Captain America. (It reprints “This Monster Unleashed” from Captain America #100.)
45 years ago May 1977 More Eternals are introduced in Marvel’s The Eternals #11 by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer. They include Aginar, Druig, Kingo Sunen, and Valkin.
40 years ago May 1982 It’s “the world’s silliest comic magazine!” Marvel offers Fantastic Four Roast by Fred Hembeck – and there are many, many other contributors, too. “Welcome to the party!”
40 years ago May 1982 Dang! Issue #72 is the last for The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves from Charlton, that fantasy anthology noted in the “55 years ago” category. It features art by Fred Himes, Steve Ditko, and Pat Boyette.
40 years ago May 1982 “You will believe in …” DC’s Ghosts #112. But your faith might end, what with this being the last issue. The text piece “But the Spirit Lingers” breaks the news to readers. Oh, and the cover of DC’s The Unexpected #222 is more (shall we say) up front: “This is it! The last mind-tingling issue.”
40 years ago May 1982 “Because you demanded it – the triumphant return of comicdom’s award-wining epic of adventure and suspense!” DC’s The Saga of The Swamp Thing #1 (“1st all-new collector’s issue!”) is by Martin Pasko and Tom Yeates.
40 years ago May 1982 Marvel Comics moves to 387 Park Avenue South, New York City, after 10 years at 575 Madison Avenue.
40 years ago May 1982 Yes, it’s announced on the cover. Marvel’s Captain America #269 is “Introducing Team America.” “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste!” is by J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck, John Beatty, and Joe Rubinstein. By the way, this is not the Team America of Team America: World Police. That movie won’t be in theaters for more than two decades. This Team America is based on a line of toys from Ideal and eventually becomes known as Thunderiders.
35 years ago May 1987 Mirage’s Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 is added to the TMNT universe, begun three years earlier.
35 years ago May 1987 In “Born Again” in DC’s “the all-new” Justice League #1, Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire, and Terry Austin bring together a new team and introduce businessman Maxwell Lord IV.
35 years ago May 1987 The focus is on the text on the cover of DC’s Suicide Squad #1, introducing the series: “These 8 people will put their lives on the line for our country. One of them won’t be coming home!” “Trial by Blood” is by John Ostrander, Luke McDonnell, and Karl Kesel.
30 years ago May 1992 Those who have been following these monthly updates know that, last month (in quoting the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #361, which identified Carnage as “the spawn of Venom”), Turning Points said this month’s event was coming soon. And here it is! Image releases Spawn #1, with “Questions” created, written, and drawn by Todd McFarlane.
30 years ago May 1992 Valiant’s Shadowman #1 introduces Shadowman in “Jazz” by Jim Shooter, Steve Englehart, David Lapham, and Joe Rubinstein. (Shadowman also gets a cameo this month in X-O Manowar #4.)
30 years ago May 1992 In “Stone and Steel!” by Faye Perozich, Jim Shooter, and Gonzalo Mayo, Magnus Robot Fighter #12 introduces Turok and Andar to the Valiant Universe.
30 years ago May 1992 “She’s here! Meet DC’s hottest new urban commando!” Deathstroke, The Terminator #10 is “introducing the all-new Vigilante.” The story by Marv Wolfman, Art Nichols, and George Pérez is the first full appearance of the female Vigilante.
30 years ago May 1992 “They’re gross but they still get girls!” Marvel’s Toxic Crusaders #1 introduces Toxic Crusaders to comics in “The Making of Toxie” by Simon Furman, Derek Yaniger, and Marie Severin.
25 years ago May 1997 DC’s 2020 Visions begins the 12-issue Vertigo series with “Lust for Life Part One” by Jamie Delano and Frank Quitely.
25 years ago May 1997 Yeah, OK, it’s not the first time a new Ka-Zar series begins from Marvel. Let’s face it: The character was introduced in the Ka-Zar pulp magazine in 1936. But this is “The Thrilling Return of Ka-Zar Lord of the Savage Land!” by Mark Waid, Andy Kubert, and Jesse Delperdang. And this story’s got laser rifles. Just saying.
25 years ago May 1997 “He’s dying to save you.” Um, interesting power you’ve got there, Mitch Shelley. DC’s Resurrection Man by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett, and Butch Guice begins.
25 years ago May 1997 Archie’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 recaps her origin. “Queen of Denial” is by Dan Parent, Bill Golliher, and Dan DeCarlo. (And there’s a big plug for the TV series “Friday nights on ABC-TV!”)
25 years ago May 1997 OK, you and I know that Xero was the award-winning science fiction fanzine that introduced the series titled “All in Color for a Dime” in 1960. But now DC has its own Xero #1, with “The Closer” by Christopher Priest, ChrisCross, and Tom Simmons.
20 years ago May 2002 DC’s had many Hawkman series over the years. This one starts with “First Impressions” by Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Rags Morales, and Michael Bair, with a focus on Hawkgirl.
20 years ago May 2002 In DC’s Robin #100, “a new direction is chosen!” “The Price of Justice” is by Chuck Dixon, Jon Lewis, Pete Woods, and Andrew Pepoy.
20 years ago May 2002 Fantagraphics’ Stuff of Dreams #1 – “A Kim Deitch Comic Book!” – provides funny animal entertainment. It will win the Eisner Award for the year in the category Best Story/Single Issue/One-Shot.
10 years ago May 2012 Fantagraphics’ Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8 features “Moon 69: The True Story of the 1969 Moon Launch” by Michael Kupperman. It will receive the year’s Eisner Award for Best Short Story.
10 years ago May 2012 The first issue of Marvel’s Age of Apocalypse is by David Lapham and Roberto de la Torre.
10 years ago May 2012 “You’ve heard of reality TV … Here’s the world’s first reality comic book!” So says Stan on the cover of the “fantastic 1st issue!” of Stan Lee’s Mighty 7 from Archie. Contents are by Lee – and Tony Blake, Paul Jackson, Alex Saviuk, and Bob Smith.
10 years ago May 2012 Uh oh! What’s up with these characters calling themselves Zodiac? Anyway, it’s time for the first issue of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble. Contents are by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, and Danny Miki. How many variant covers does it have? Let’s just say lots.
10 years ago May 2012 OK, OK, OK. It’s not a #1, but it is the first issue. Marvel’s Avengers vs. X-Men #0 features an Avengers story by Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho and an X-Men story by Jason Aaron and Cho.
10 years ago May 2012 IDW combines two fan-favorites in Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation². The eight-issue limited series features Juan-Luc Picard and Matt Smith’s incarnation of The Doctor, along with Amy Pond, Rory Williams, The Borg, and more.
10 years ago May 2012 X-O Manowar is back from Valiant with the first issue featuring “Blades and Open Fields” by Robert Venditti, Cary Nord, and Stefano Gaudiano.
5 years ago May 2017 There have been several Youngblood series from Image. This one starts with “Youngblood Reborn Chapter One” by Chad Bowers and Jim Towe. (It also contains a “25 Years Ago…” article by creator Rob Liefeld and “As It Should Be” by Liefeld and Shelby Robertson.)
5 years ago May 2017 And Marvel has had several Man-Thing series. This one begins with stories written by R.L. Stine. (Art is by German Peralta and Daniel Johnson.)
5 years ago May 2017 Come to think of it, Marvel has also had several Iron Fist series. This one begins with “The Trial of the Seven Masters Part One” by Ed Brisson and Mike Perkins.
5 years ago May 2017 Marvel’s 12-issue America series begins with “Pa’ Fuera, Pa’ la Calle” by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quiñones, and Joe Rivera.
5 years ago May 2017 The Riverdale TV show set in the world of Archie Andrews and his friends began on The CW on January 26, 2017 (and is renewed in 2022 for a seventh season). It gets its own comic book series starting with Riverdale#1 and “the team-up you thought would never happen.” The story is by Daniel Kibblesmith and Pat and Tim Kennedy.
