Kevan Hadacre

Kevan Hadacre was born in Rockhampton, in central Queensland. Throughout his adolescence he developed as a self-taught artist. Hadacre had his first job as a window dresser before moving to Sydney in 1949. There, he began working in the comic book field, starting with the cowboy comic 'Trig Matson' in Kayo Comic and later in its own title at Calvert Publications.

His next credit was the jungle comic 'Char Chapman – The Phantom of the East', that appeared as supporting strip in Steel Barr and The Phantom Man Comic by Young's Merchandising Company in 1950. In the following year, the character proved to be sufficiently popular to get its own title. However, Hadacre left the comic field for financial reasons in 1952, and became a magazine artist for Hudson Publications, doing painted covers, retouched photos and illustrations.

He eventually started his own art and design consultancy business. After retiring from commercial design and production during the 1970s, Hadacre began his own, less commercial art practice, Hardacre Art & Design.