Hilary Barta (born 17 June 1957, USA) is a comics artist whose professional career begin in 1982.

He inked over Ron Wilson on early issues of “The Thing” (Marvel, 1983–1984). He worked with Tim Truman “Starslayer” (First) in 1984 and 1985.

He wrote and drew ‘Munden’s Bar’ backups in “Grimjack” (First) and also inked other First Comics, Marvel, and Eclipse titles in the mid-1980s.

In 1989, he penciled Phil Foglio’s “Plastic Man” mini-series at DC. He wrote and drew stories for “What The--?!” (Marvel, 1988–1993).

He published at Dark Horse, Image, Topps, and other companies as well as Marvel and DC throughout the 1990s. Around the turn of the century, he also began publishing at Bongo.

He wrote backups for “Fear Agent” at Image and Dark Horse, from 2006 to 2010. Since 2011, he has drawn stories for “SpongeBob Comics” (Bongo/United Plankton).

At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/barta_hilary.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_Barta
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/y8bzl85c

(Barta created the cover of “Hellboy, Jr” #2, November 1999)

James Sinclair (born 16 June 1971, USA) is a prolific comics colorist whose career began in the early 1990s.

He worked at Dark Horse through the 1990s, has worked at DC since 1995, and has colored an occasional comic for Marvel.

At Dark Horse, he colored ‘Comics’ Greatest World’ comics and ‘The Shadow’ comics (1993–1995), ‘Hellboy’ comics (1995–1998), and many others.

Highlights of his work at DC include “Hellblazer” (Vertigo, 1996–2001) and “Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight” and “Flash” (2001–2006). More recently, he colored some of the “DC Comics Presents” reprint books (2011–2012).

Not to be confused with USA comics artist Jim Sinclair (born 27 September 1959).

In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/y96tnm46

(Greg Erskine drew and Sinclair colored the cover of “Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight” #205, Early June 2006)

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

(Keller created the cover art on “Hot Rods and Racing Cars” #59, September 1962)

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

(Chartier created the cartoon on the cover of “Le Samedi” v68 #24, 20 October 1956)

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

(Apapa and Mick Nekoi created the cover art on “Clover”, April 2009, an English edition)

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 Award’s 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 — http://ow.ly/KMCY301gPMl

(Andru and Dick Giordano created the cover art on “Adventure Comics” #460, November-December 1978)

‘Hilda Terry’ was the pen-name of Theresa Hilda D’Allessio (15 June 1914 – 13 October 2006, USA) a comics creator and animation pioneer.

From the late 1930s, she published magazine cartoons and did fashion illustration. During World War II, she drew war-bond posters and toured with the USO. She won an award for a 1943 cartoon about food conservation.

She is well-known for the popular syndicated feature ‘Teena’ (1941–1966), with some strips reprinted in comic books.

Fellow cartoonist Gregory D’Allessio was her husband, and in 1949 he nominated her to the National Cartoonists Society (NCS). Never having admitted a woman, they debated and dithered.

Terry herself sent them a letter saying they should let her in or change their name to the National Men Cartoonists Society. When they finally admitted her in 1950, she immediately nominated all of her women friends who were cartoonists.

From the mid-1960s, she worked in commercial art such as architectural drafting, patent-application drawings, and even sketches for stadium scoreboards. She also taught at the Art Students League in New York City, where she had once been a student.

It was in connection with the scoreboards that she became involved in early computer animation. In 1979, she received the NCS Best Animation Cartoonist award.

Professionally retired in the early 1980s, she continued to teach and later became active on the Web.

Terry was elected to the Friends of Lulu Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame in 2001.

At Women in Comics — http://womenincomics.wikia.com/wiki/Hilda_Terry
At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/terry_hilda.htm
At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilda_Terry
In the GCD — http://ow.ly/YY5r301gOmb

(Terry created the cover of “A-1” #15 - Teena #3, August 1948)

Mark Heike (born 14 June 1959, USA) is a comics artist, editor, and publisher.

His professional career began in the early 1980s with work at Charlton and Americomics (which became AC Comics).

From 1990, Heike began working full-time at AC Comics, as both an artist and editor. He is currently the Publisher, succeeding founder Bill Black.

He has also published over the years at First Comics, Malibu, Dark Horse, and others.
Fellow artist and colorist Stephanie Heike is his wife.

At Comiclopedia — https://www.lambiek.net/artists/h/heike_mark.htm
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/ydfjr68r

(Heike and Bill Black created the cover of “FemForce” #1, 1985)

Paul Kupperberg (born 14 June 1955, USA) writes comic books, comic strips, novels, and grocery lists.

He has edited at DC Comics and “Weekly World News” and is currently a writer and editor at Charlton Neo.

Since 1977, he has written hundreds of stories at DC Comics on titles from “The Superman Family” and “Arion, the Lord of Atlantis” to “The Legion of Super-Heroes” and “Men of War”.

From the mid-1980s, he edited titles such as “Flash” and “Jack Kirby’s Fourth World”.

He has occasionally published at Marvel, Charlton, First Comics, Bongo, and others. Since 2010, he has appeared steadily in Archie comics.

Comics artist Alan Kupperberg (18 May 1953–16 July 2015) was his brother.

At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Kupperberg
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/ya66462h

(Randy DuBurke created the cover of “Arion the Immortal” #1, July 1992, beginning a limited series written by Kupperberg)

Sam Grainger (14 June 1930 – 25 July 1990, USA) was a comics creator, particularly known for his inking at Marvel Comics in the 1970s.

He was active in comics fanzines from the early 1960s. His first professional work was in “Peter Cannon…Thunderbolt” (Charlton) from the end of 1966.

In the fanzine “Star-Studded Comics” (Texas Trio, 1968), he drew an adaptation of Gardner Fox’s novel “Warrior of Llarn” that was written by Roy Thomas.

He began inking at Marvel in 1969 on “The X-Men”, “Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD”, “The Avengers”, and other series.

In the 1980s, he also inked at DC Comics (“Unknown Soldier”), First Comics (“Dreadstar”, “Grimjack”), and other publishers in addition to Marvel.

Some of his fanzine work is reprinted in “Fandom’s Finest Comics” (1997) and “The Best of Star-Studded Comics” (2005), both from Hamster Press.

At Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Grainger
In the GCD — https://tinyurl.com/yc5j32hp

(Grainger inked over pencils by Herb Trimpe on the cover of “Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD” #14, September 1969)