Gerhard is the background artist for the comic book Cerebus. He is not an inker, which is how he is occasionally listed in various publications. He pencils and inks the background, while Dave Sim pencils and inks the characters and does the lettering. Why the single name? Is it a Madonna thing? I don't know. His full name has never been published, and he rarely gives interviews.

Gerhard first began the backgrounds in issue #66, when he was asked by Dave Sim to help work on Cerebus. In a move that came as a shock to many in the comic industry, Dave split Cerebus right down the middle with Gerhard. This includes all profits and character rights. Since then, his incredibly detailed backgrounds have been featured more and more prominently within Cerebus and have been become an important part of its storyline.

Gerhard's backgrounds are especially interesting because of the method he uses to create them. He uses a combination models, cut outs, floor plans, and beginning with "Going Home", a computer modeling system. In situations where a certain "camera angle" would cause problems, he takes a picture from within the model and then draws from that.

Going back through my copies, I'm continually amazed by the talent and research he puts into each scene.