Mark Retera was born in Eindhoven and studied at the Catholic University of Nijmegen. He started his career in 1985 in the small-press magazine Lekker Prakken with the series 'Aksieburo Ket', which ran until 1989. He started his most famous comic, 'DirkJan', in student magazines like Iris, before it was published in the comics magazine Sjosji and eventually several newspapers and Veronica Magazine. His character, the nerdy DirkJan, lives in a world that is filled with strange creatures. His short gags guaranteed wacky, unexpected punchlines. His clear, simple graphic style aids the humorous effect.
