Ken Battefield

Ken Battefield (1905–1966) was a prolific Golden Age comic book artist and pulp illustrator, best known for his extensive work at Nedor Publishing. Born in 1905, he became a key figure at the company, regularly drawing characters such as Pyroman, Doc Strange, Black Terror, American Eagle, The Scarab, and Captain Future. As the studio era wound down, Battefield produced large volumes of art that were later embellished by Rafael Astarita and Graham Ingels. His career spanned numerous studios—Chessler, Funnies Inc., Iger, and Sangor—and he freelanced for publishers including DC Comics, Charlton Comics, Fiction House, Quality Comics, and Street and Smith. Among his later projects was the January 1958 revised edition of *Classics Illustrated* #54, *The Man in the Iron Mask*. Battefield also played a pivotal role in launching Carmine Infantino’s career, meeting the young artist at a coffee shop and securing him his first job at the Chesler Shop. He died in 1966. His most credited titles include *Startling Comics*, *Exciting Comics*, *Fight Comics*, *Thrilling Comics*, *Master Comics*, and *America’s Best Comics*. Battefield’s legacy is that of a reliable, fast-working craftsman who helped define the visual language of early superhero and adventure comics.