Jack Sparling

John Edmond Sparling was a Canadian comics artist.

Biography Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sparling moved to the United States as a child. He received his early arts training at the Arts and Crafts Club in New Orleans and later attended the Corcoran School of Art. One source lists it as having launched January 29, 1939, but comics historian Don Markstein, noting that that day was a Sunday, says January 29, 1940, is better supported and more likely. Sparling also worked for Classics Illustrated, drawing adaptations of Robin Hood and Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Sparling drew biographic comic books featuring Adlai Stevenson II, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Barry Goldwater for Dell Comics. At DC Comics, Sparling drew Secret Six, and the "Unknown Soldier" feature in Star Spangled War Stories. Editor Joe Orlando began a new direction for DC's House of Mystery series with issue #175 (July–August 1968) and the series' host Cain was created by Sparling and Orlando with writer Bob Haney. Sparling worked with writer Dennis O'Neil on The Witching Hour and the Challengers of the Unknown. For Western Publishing's Gold Key Comics, he co-created the superhero Tiger Girl with Jerry Siegel in 1968, drew the toyline tie-in Microbots one-shot, and illustrated comic book adaptations of the television series Family Affair, The Outer Limits, and Adam-12. In 1976, he drew a licensed Welcome Back, Kotter comic book series for DC. For Charlton Comics' satire magazine Sick, he wrote and drew the nudie-cutie feature "Cher D'Flower!"