Yaroslav Horak

 ( 1927 Births ) 

Yaroslav Horak (12 June 1927 – 24 November 2020) was an Australian illustrator and comics artist, of ethnic Czech-Russian origin, best known for his work on the newspaper comic strip James Bond. Vale - Yaroslav Horak (1927-2020), Kevin Patrick, Comicsdownunder.blogspot.com, November 26, 2020. Yaroslav Horak Death Notice , Sydney Morning Herald, November 27, 2020.

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Biography Yaroslaph (Yaroslav) Horak was born on 12 June 1927 in Harbin, China, the son and second child of Joseph Horak, a Czech-born engineer, and Russian mother, Zanidia. He and his older sister, Josephia (Josephine), grew up in the suburb of Novyi Gorod and attended the YMCA International School.

Jacoby, Anita (2025). 9781925183993, Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781925183993

In 1939, his family migrated to Sydney, Australia following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and prior to World War II. They settled in Centennial Park, where he attended St Mary's Cathedral College and subsequently undertook evening art classes at the Sydney Technical College.

He began his career as a portrait painter but switched to illustration for the larger Australian magazine publishers. In 1948 Horak's first accepted comic strips were for Rick Davis (a detective adventure) and The Skyman (a mysterious costumed flyer) in 1948. He then moved to Syd Nicholls' Publications where he worked on Ray Thorpe (an adventure series) and Ripon – the Man from Outer Space (sci-fi). Horak also did comic strips for a number of other Sydney publishers, before he moved to Melbourne where he drew Brenda Starr for Atlas Publications. In 1954 he created The Mask – The Man of Many Facesvixenmagazine.com The Mask - The Man of Many FacesInternational Hero The Australian Mask and an adaptation of the popular children's TV program Captain Fortune for Fairfax Media The Sun-Herald between 1957–1962 and Mike Steele – Desert Rider for Woman’s Day magazine.

Horak then moved to England in 1962, where he also drew adventure stories for D. C. Thomson of Scotland, the scripts being supplied by others. He was the second artist, taking over from John McLusky, for the Daily Express strip James Bond from 1966 to 1977, then for the Sunday Express and the Daily Star from 1977 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1984. In total Horak worked on 33 James Bond comic strips sequences.

Horak also created the comic series Jet Fury, in addition to working on other comic strips such as Andrea, Cop Shop and Sergeant Pat of the Radio Patrol.

Horak also achieved a degree of popularity during the 1960s when he was employed by Fleetway Publications (later IPC Magazines) to contribute art for 11 of their comic books in the War Picture Library and Battle Picture Library series.

Horak died on 24 November 2020 at the Whitehall Aged Care facility in Lindfield, New South Wales, after a decade-long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. He was cremated at the Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium on 4 December 2020.

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War Picture Library

• WPL 214 Rough Justice 1963
• WPL 303 Death Or Dishonour 1965
• WPL 304 Battle Drill 1965
• WPL 315 Cross For Courage 1965
• WPL 323 Passage Of Arms 1966
• WPL 648 The Curse 1971
• BPL 156 The Savage Sands 1964
• BPL 173 The Stronghold 1964
• BPL 190 Killers Code 1965
• BPL 197 Gun Crazy 1965
• BPL 231 Victory Cry 1965

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James Bond strips

1-209
210-263
264-428
429-602
603-815
816-1037
1038–1174
1175–1393
1394–1519
1520–1596
1597–1708
1709–1809
1810–1951
1952–2065
2066–2172
2173–2256
2257–2407
2408–2541
2542–2655
2656–2780
2781–2897
2989-2983
2984-3060
3061-3178
3179-3312
3313-3437
1-54
55-192
193-354
355-468
469-636
822-893
894-965

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External links

• Horak biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia

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