Whether on the covers of Teen Titans, Aquaman, or so many other titles, comic book artist Nick Cardy’s beautiful line work and innovative designs could stop perspective comics buyers in their tracks and compel them to pick up those issues.

After serving his country in the Second World War, during which he twice received the Purple Heart, Cardy got his start at the legendary Eisner-Iger studios, learning his craft from some of the most respected and in-demand talents in the comics business, including Lou Fine and Bob Powell.

Upon reaching DC, he quickly made a name for himself on crime and western titles, especially a classic run on the beloved Tomahawk, then helped resuscitate the hero line alongside Infantino, Kubert, Kane, and others in the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he was DC’s top cover talent, turning out scores of classic images that helped push DC’s books into reader’s hands during one of the toughest periods the business had yet seen.

His reputation spread beyond the comics industry, and Cardy found himself in demand as a top illustrator for movie posters and promotional materials in the 1970s and 1980s, including some of the iconic imagery used to promote Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. He was inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 2005.