Barry Blair (1954 – January 3, 2010) was a Canadian comics publisher, artist and writer, known for launching
Aircel Comics (publisher of titles such as
Samurai,
Elflord,
Dragonforce, and
Men in Black) in the 1980s. From early on, Blair's art style was influenced by the comics he had seen living in East Asia, at a time when
manga and other Asian comics were largely unknown in North America. His art was typically characterized by childlike figures, and included nudity and partial nudity. This continued into the erotica which became his main focus later in his career, and these attributes were a common criticism of his work.