Don Lawrence (1928-2003), whose real name was Donald Sautham, was one of the most famous comics artists in the UK. He was best known for his realistic and highly detailed artwork, which was an important inspiration for younger generations of British comics artists. He made his comics debut drawing ‘Marvelman’ for Mick Anglo’s studio. He left the studio after four years to work for various publishers, dealing mainly with the western genre. Later, in the 1960s, he focused on historical action comics for Lion, Tiger and Smash. A big success came with ‘The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire’, an epic science fiction comic published in Ranger, which helped him rise to fame also outside the UK. Lawrence started working internationally, particularly for the Dutch publisher Oberon. Despite his failing health, he continued to draw until his  retirement in 2002.

Don Lawrence: “Swords of the Sea Wolves”, 1967, 41×50 cm