Ross Andru

Initially focused on working in animation, Cleveland artist Ross Andru eventually decided to focus on comics and attended courses at the School of Visual Arts. His first job was doing the weekly 'Tarzan' page for Burne Hogarth, starting in 1948. Three years later he started a long-time cooperation with Mike Esposito, who inked most of Andru's artwork from then on. The started out creating 'Mister Universe' and 'Mister Mistery' for Media Publications, and cooperated on 'Joe Yank' for Standard Comics, while also doing romance stories for Ziff-Davis and Fawcett.

In 1952, they started working for D.C. Comics, which Andru continued until 1971. With Esposito, he co-created 'Sgt. Rock' for Our Army At War, and also contributed to Our Fighting Forces, Star Spangled War Stories and Metal Men. Besides the war stories, Andru also worked with superheroes like 'Batman', 'Flash', 'Superman' and 'Wonder Woman'. Ross Andru left D.C. in 1972 to join Marvel, where he became one of the main artists on 'The Amazing Spider-Man' from 1973 to 1978. He graphicallly created 'The Punisher' character with writer Marv Wolfman in 1974. In addition, he worked on 'The Fantastic Four', 'Doc Savage', 'Shanna the She-Devil', 'Doctor Strange' and 'X-Men'.

In 1978 Andru returned to D.C. in an editorial occupation. Working with writer Marv Wolfman and collaborator Mike Esposito, he also co-created the syndicated comic strip 'The Unexplained' in 1979. In the 1980s he returned to illustrating comic stories, among others on titles like 'Jonah Hex', 'Vigilante' and 'Blue Beetle' (1987), as well as 'El Diablo' and Atari Force'. In 1993, he rejoined Esposito on 'Zen Intergalactic Ninja' for Archie Comics.