Mark Retera

Mark Retera was born on 16 May 1964 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. He is best known as the creator of the long-running absurd gag strip *DirkJan*, which he writes, draws, inks, colors, and letters. Before turning to cartooning full-time, Retera studied cognitive science at what is now Radboud University Nijmegen. His career in comics began in the mid-1990s, and he has been active through 2024, with credits on 21 issues across titles including *Eppo Stripblad*, *Veronica Magazine*, *Sjors en Sjimmie Stripblad*, and his own *DirkJan* collections. In addition to his comic work, Retera draws caricatures for the Dutch weekly *Panorama*. His clean, deadpan style and offbeat humor have made *DirkJan* a fixture in Dutch newspaper and magazine publishing. In 2004, he received the Stripschapprijs, the Netherlands’ premier award for comic artists, honoring his overall contribution to the medium. Retera’s work remains in print, and he continues to produce new *DirkJan* strips, maintaining a steady presence in Dutch comics.