Here’s the latest installment of Maggie Thompson’s ongoing look at important beginnings, middles, and ends, this time for April 10-16, 2020...

130 years ago April 15, 1890 Cartoonist Billy DeBeck is born. He creates Barney Google.

130 years ago April 15, 1890 Prolific Golden Age artist Henry C. Kiefer is born. His work includes Classics Illustrated adaptations and “Wambi” stories.

115 years ago April 12, 1905 German artist Reinhold Escher is born. He’s known for his “Mecki” strip.

105 years ago April 16, 1915 writer, artist, and animator Russell Stamm is born. He creates Invisible Scarlet O’Neil, and his studio creates designs, storyboards, and animation including creation of the Hostess Cup Cake Twins.

100 years ago April 11, 1920 Peter O’Donnell is born. The Modesty Blaise creator also writes Garth and Romeo Brown.

100 years ago April 14, 1920 Artist Sheldon Moldoff is born. Known for his art on the Golden Age Hawkman feature and for long-term ghosting of work signed by Bob Kane, he co-creates Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and Bat-Mite, among others.

70 years ago April 13, 1950 Prolific artist Dennis Janke is born. He specializes in inking.

70 years ago April 14, 1950 The pioneering weekly British comics newspaper Eagle begins, introducing “Dan Dare Pilot of the Future” by Frank Hampson.

70 years ago April 16, 1950 Voice artist Billy West is born. His roles include Ren, Stimpy, the red M&M, the Honey Nut Cheerios bee, and many of the characters in Futurama – and he plays the part of Leo Matuzik in Comic Book: The Movie.

65 years ago April 11, 1955 Dutch writer-artist Marnix Rueb is born. He creates the Haagse Harry character.

65 years ago April 13, 1955 Artist Topper Helmers is born.

65 years ago April 16, 1955 Prolific inker Kim DeMulder is born.

60 years ago April 11, 1960 Letterer Mindy Eisman is born.

60 years ago April 12, 1960 Writer and manga translator Toren Smith is born. He founds Studio Proteus.

50 years ago April 15, 1970 Dream Wolves creator Daniel Presedo is born.

50 years ago April 15, 1970 Last Gasp begins as a publisher, releasing Slow Death Funnies #1.

35 years ago April 11, 1985 Artist Bill Zaboly (also known as Bela Zaboly) dies at age 74. He worked for the NEA syndicate and was among the artists who drew Thimble Theatre.

35 years ago April 15, 1985 Dutch writer-artist Andries Brandt dies of a heart attack at age 66. The prolific writer for the Toonder Studio created Tina en Debbie and Roel Dijkstra and was known for writing Horre, Harm en Hella.

25 years ago April 14, 1995 Singer and voice artist Burl Ives dies of oral cancer at age 85. His voicing included Sam the Snowman in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

25 years ago April 15, 1995 The Dallas Fantasy Fair begins, running April 15-16.

20 years ago April 15, 2000 Award-winning writer-artist Edward Gorey dies of a heart attack at age 75. He was known for The Unstrung Harp, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, and much more.

15 years ago April 12, 2005 Artist Peter Bramley dies of pneumonia at age 60. The co-founder of Cloud Studio is the first art director of National Lampoon.

15 years ago April 13, 2005 Italian-Argentine artist Juan Zanotto dies at age 69. The co-creator (with Alfredo Grassi) of Ric de la Frontera was artistic director at Codex publishing house and Ediciones Record.

15 years ago April 13, 2005 DC announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 AD titles

10 years ago April 15, 2010 Writer, artist, and editor Bill DuBay dies at age 62. He edited for a number of publishers and was especially known for his work for Warren.

10 years ago April 16-18, 2010 C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) begins.

5 years ago April 13, 2015 Artist and teacher Herb Trimpe dies at age 75. The longtime Marvel artist was especially known for his work on The Hulk.

5 years ago April 14, 2015 Award-winning Japanese manga artist Kō Kojima dies at age 87. He set the record for the longest-running serialized comic by a single cartoonist with his Sennin Buraku.