Born in 1918, Frank Hampson always wanted to be a pilot. After serving in the Army during the Second World War, he managed to live his dream as creator and original artist for Dan Dare, first published in the British comic The Eagle in April 1950. Hampson went on to write and illustrate nearly a decade's worth of revolutionary Dan Dare strips. He subsequently worked on a highly regarded strip on the life of Jesus Christ and illustrated a number of children's books for Ladybird. But it was Dan Dare that Hampson was most famous for and he was to receive numerous accolades and awards in recognition of his outstanding contribution to comics. Frank sadly dies on 8 July 1985.