Yaroslav Horak

Yaroslav Horak (12 June 1927 – 24 November 2020) was an Australian illustrator and comics artist of Czech-Russian heritage, best known for his long tenure drawing the newspaper comic strip *James Bond*. Born in 1927, he entered the comics field in 1947, working across a range of genres and titles including *Brenda*, *Cooee*, and the Swedish *Fantomet*. His most celebrated work began in the 1960s when he took over the daily *James Bond* strip, bringing a clean, dynamic line and a flair for action that defined the series for decades. He often collaborated with writer Jim Lawrence, and together they produced many of the strip’s most memorable storylines. Horak’s credits as artist, inker, letterer, and occasional writer span 83 issues, with his *James Bond* and *James Bond 007* collections remaining his signature achievements. Later in life, he continued to contribute to the medium until around 2013, leaving a legacy as one of the few artists to shape the visual identity of Ian Fleming’s spy in comics. He received several industry honors for his work, though specific awards are not detailed in available records.