The Book of the Iron Fist

Russell DeHart Heath Jr. was born in Manhattan, New York on September 29, 1926. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He had just finished basic training and was awaiting deployment when the war ended. Before becoming a comic book artist, he briefly worked in advertising.

He worked for Timely Comics, mostly on westerns like Two-Gun Kid. As his career went along he began drawing more and more war comics including work on G.I. Combat for DC Comics. He also drew suspense, mystery, and romance comics. His work included Plastic Sam! for an early issue of Mad magazine and Cowgirls at War for The National Lampoon Encyclopedia of Humor in 1973. He moved to California in the late 1970s and worked as a layout artist or designer on a number of animated series including The Karate Kid and G.I. Joe. He died from cancer on August 23, 2018 at the age of 91.

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