Mokona Apapa (もこな, born 16 June 1968, Japan) is the lead artist, colorist, and composition designer of the all-women manga-creating team CLAMP.

CLAMP has had a huge impact on the manga explosion, according to an account in the “New York Times” in 2006. Their artwork has been characterized as ‘wispy’, ‘fluid’, and ‘dramatic’ and it resonates with both male and female readers.

The “Tsubasa” manga sold more than a million copies in the United States and television programs based on the feature have been successful as well as DVD spinoffs.

CLAMP at Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/clamp.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokona
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/yc6qkurq

Cover from Cardcaptor Sakura #4

Gisèle Lagacé (born 16 June 1970, Canada)

At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gisele_Lagace
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/ydb64eu5

Cover from Archie Meets Ramones

Frank Thorne (born 16 June 1930, USA) is a comics creator who has worked in comic books and syndicated strips since 1948.

He is known for his work on ‘Red Sonja’ at Marvel (1975–1978).

Thorne has received a National Cartoonists Society award (1963) and an Inkpot Award at San Diego (1978).

At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/thorne.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Thorne
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/y8qs4qvo (some explicit covers)

Cover from X, the Man with the X-Ray Eyes

Happy Father's Day!

Arnold Pander (born 16 June 1967, USA) is a comics creator who collaborates with Jacob Pander (born 26 January 1965) as The Pander Brothers.

They are known for Matt Wagner’s “Grendel” (Comico, 1986–1987) and “Grendel: Devil’s Legacy” (Dark Horse, 2000–2001), both inked by Jay Geldhof.

They created “Triple X” (Dark Horse, 1994–1995). Arnold co-wrote and drew a ‘Jack Zero’ story in “Dark Horse Presents” (Dark Horse, 1997) and the Brothers created a story in “Oni Double Feature” (Oni Press, 1998).

They drew the science fiction story “Accelerate” (DC/Vertigo, 2000), written by Richard Kadrey, and they created “Batman: City of Light” (DC, 2003–2004) with co-writer Mark Paniccia.

At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/pander_bros.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pander_Brothers
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/y85bx63z

Cover from Grendel #7

Albert Chartier (16 June 1912 – 25 February 2004, Canada) was a popular comic-strip artist through a career of more than six decades.

His first strip was ‘BouBoule’ (1936–1937) in Montreal’s “La Patrie”, a collaboration with writer René Boivin.

His largest work was the strip ‘Onésime’, which ran in the “Bulletin des agriculteurs” (“Farmers’ Bulletin”) of Quebec from 1943 through 2002. Drawing on his personal history and that of his rural audience, he chronicled the evolution of the province in social and emotional terms.

From 1951 through 1970, he drew the strip ‘Séraphin’, also in the “Bulletin”. Written by Claude-Henri Grignon, it was an adaptation of Grignon’s 1933 novel “Un homme et son péché”.

During 1963 and 1964, his bilingual history strip ‘Les Canadiens’ was syndicated in Quebec and Ontario.

At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/chartier_albert.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Chartier
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/y94yjt2j

Cover from Big Shot Comics #17

Jack Keller (16 June 1922 – 2 January 2003, USA) was active in the comics field from the 1940s to the 1970s.

He is best known for his work on “Kid Colt Outlaw” (Marvel, 1953–1966) and several hot rod titles at Charlton (1958–1973).

At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/k/keller_jack.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Keller_(artist)
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/y6u476o6

Cover from True Aviation Picture-Stories #11

Alan Gold (born 16 June, USA) is a prolific novelist and short-story writer.

He worked as an editor at DC Comics from 1983 to 1987 and again from 1992 to 1994.

In the 1980s, he edited off-beat titles such as “Blue Devil” (1984–1986), “’Mazing Man” (1986), and “The Legend of Wonder Woman” by Trina Robbins (1986).

His more mainstream work included “Wonder Woman” (1983–1986), “Justice League of America” (1984–1985), and “The Omega Men” (1984–1986).

He returned in the 1990s primarily to edit ‘Star Trek’ comics.

In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/ybbtpxat

Cover from Thriller #5

Ross Andru (15 June 1927 – 9 November 1993, USA) was a life-long comics creator and occasional publisher, who collaborated with his childhood friend Mike Esposito throughout his career.

In 1948, he began assisting Burne Hogarth on the ‘Tarzan’ syndicated strip. By 1950, he and Esposito began freelancing and also created their first company together, MR Publications.

In 1952, they began a long association with DC Comics. They were regular artists on the war books, producing hundreds of stories for editor Robert Kanigher.

In 1958, Kanigher, Andru, and Esposito revised “Wonder Woman” and her supporting cast, including a new origina story, ushering her into the Silver Age.

Other characters that Andru co-created or introduced include ‘Gunner and Sarge’ in “All-American Men of War” (1959), ‘Suicide Squad’ in “The Brave and the Bold” (1959), ‘The War That Time Forgot’ in “Star Spangled War Stories” (1960), and ‘Metal Men’ in “Showcase” (1962).

In 1967, Andru and Esposito moved from “Wonder Woman” to “The Flash”, which they drew until 1970. With Kanigher again, they created ‘Rose & The Thorn’ in “Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane” (1970).

During the 1970s, Andru moved from DC to Marvel, where he was inked by artists such as Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt as well as Esposito.

Andru penciled “The Amazing Spider-Man” (1973–1978), during which he and writer Gerry Conway introduced ‘The Punisher’. In 1976, he and Conway created “Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man”, a tabloid-size book that was the first crossover of characters from both DC and Marvel.

In 1978, he returned to DC. He was an editor through 1986, with significant runs on “Weird Western Tales” and “Jonah Hex” (1978–1984) and on “Warlord” (1981–1986).

He also drew some 300 covers between 1978 and 1987, typically inked by Dick Giordano.

He returned to collaborating with Esposito on “Zen, Intergalactic Ninja” (Archie) in 1993, which he was working on when he died.

Andru was inducted into the Will Eisner Awards Hall of Fame in 2007.

At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/andru_ross.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Andru
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/y76rf9g3

Cover to WONDER WOMAN #281 (1981)

Neal Adams (born 15 June 1941, USA) is a comics creator and commercial artist whose career began in 1960 at Archie.

He is known for creating some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow and as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates with Dick Giordano (1971).

He is also a passionate advocate for the rights of comics creators, who helped secure a pension and printed credits for ‘Superman’ creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (1975) and led a successful campaign to convince Marvel to return the original artwork of Jack Kirby and others to them (1987).

Adams has received multiple awards from peers and fans around the world. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Awards Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame of the Harvey Awards in 1999.

At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/adams_n.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Adams
In the GCD — http://ow.ly/FLnD301gQwe

Cover to ARMOR #8 (1990)