▁over ▁one ▁million ▁com ics ▁in ▁print . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁Born ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁three ▁brothers ▁in ▁Big ▁Rap ids , ▁Michigan , ▁Hans en ▁began ▁teaching ▁himself ▁to ▁draw ▁at ▁an ▁early ▁age ▁by ▁copying ▁the ▁artists ▁in ▁M AD ▁mag az ines . ▁His ▁main ▁influ ences ▁included ▁John ▁Stanley ▁and ▁Har vey ▁Kurt z man . ▁His ▁humor ▁combined ▁with ▁his ▁art istic ▁tal ents ▁prompt ed ▁Hans en ▁to ▁st rive ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁professional ▁artist ▁and ▁cart oon ist . ▁After ▁receiving ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁commercial ▁art ▁from ▁Ferr is ▁State ▁University , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Chicago ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁commercial ▁artist . ▁ ▁Time ▁at ▁N OW ▁ ▁While ▁working ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁Hans en ▁met ▁Tony ▁C . ▁Cap uto , ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁N OW ▁Comics ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁ ▁Hans en ▁was ▁h ired ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁month ly ▁com ic ▁book ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁publish er . ▁Ralph ▁Sn art ▁Advent ures ▁became ▁a ▁popular ▁and ▁consistent ▁ ▁property ▁of ▁N OW ▁and ▁appeared ▁on ▁news stand s ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁direct ▁market ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁brief ▁period ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁Hans en ▁worked ▁on ▁the ▁N OW ▁staff ▁helping ▁to ▁in k , ▁p enc il ▁and ▁color ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁books . ▁He ▁wrote ▁the ▁Mar ried ... ▁with ▁Children ▁com ic ▁under ▁the ▁pseud