Howard Nostrand was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, and moved to Hempstead, Long Island in 1932. After graduating from high school, he worked with his father in the antique business for a while. He eventually became an inker on Bob Powell's comics for Harvey and Fawcett in 1948, working in a studio with George Siefringer and Martin Epp on among others 'Straight Arrow' and 'Hot Rod Comics'.
Nostrand left Powell in 1952 and started working directly for Harvey on among others the 3D comics, FLIP magazine and horror titles such as Witches Tales and Tomb of Terror. In 1959, he did the short-lived newspaper strip 'Bat Masterson' with assistance of Neal Adams. Nostrand eventually turned to illustrating.
Nostrand, posing for an illustration