Happy Birthday. Milo Manara!

Milo Manara is an Italian comic book artist who is perhaps best known for writing and drawing "mature" comics that are equal parts sexy, surreal, and silly. Among his most famous works are "The Ape", the "Adventures of Giuseppe Bergman" series, and the "Click" trilogy (which formed the basis of a movie starring Jacqueline Lovell). He has also illustrated a number of historically based comics, such as "El Gaucho" and "Indian Summer" (written by Hugo Pratt), dabbled in sci-fi and fantasy... and sent a host of people running for the fainting couch over a "Spider-Woman" cover and other art for Marvel Comics a couple years back.

Manara turns 75 years old today. Shades of Gray hopes he has a happy birthday, and that he enjoys many more. We also thank him for the decades of beautiful art and interesting reading material.

In celebration and honor of Manara and his creative works over the past several decades, here's a small gallery of his drawings.