Al Hartley was a prominent American Christian comic artist, known for his impactful work with Archie Comics in the 1970s, influenced heavily by his faith. From a young age, Hartley displayed his cartooning talent and later studied at the Art Students League of New York. After serving as a bomber pilot during World War II, he started his professional journey as a commercial artist in New York City. He initially freelanced for Stan Lee at Atlas/Timely Comics and was recognized for the ‘Patsy Walker’ feature. In addition to his early romance, war, and horror titles, Hartley contributed to various other comics. A pivotal moment in his life came in 1967 when, amidst personal and professional challenges, he rediscovered his faith and subsequently integrated it into his Archie work. This evolution led to a collaboration with publisher Fleming H. Revel, resulting in various comics adaptations of religious stories. By the end of his career, Hartley had produced around 60 Christian comics and was honored with the Inkpot Award in 1980 for his contributions to the field.