John Romita Sr., comics master and co-creator of iconic Marvel characters such as Wolverine, the Punisher and Mary Jane Watson, has died at the age of 93. His death was announced Tuesday night (September 13) on Twitter by his son, John Romita Jr., who is also a successful Marvel artist.
“I say this with a heavy heart, my father passed away peacefully in his sleep,” she wrote. “He IS a legend in the art world, and it was an honor to follow in his footsteps … he was the greatest man I ever knew.”
early career
Romita Mr. was born in Brooklyn, the son of a baker, and graduated from the Manhattan School of Industrial Art in 1947. He began drawing comics at the age of 19, being published in the pioneering comic “Famous Funnies”.
For a decade and a half, the artist divided his time between the companies that would later become Marvel and DC – Timely Comics and National Comics, respectively – working on various titles and earning a reputation for his romance comics.
But when the 60s came, superheroes dominated the market. Romita began a five-year stint working closely with Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee in 1966 on Spider-Man magazine, taking over from artist Steve Ditko, who had created the hero with Lee in 1961, before disbanding. a fight.
Love and Death in Spider-Man
Romita’s death brought about a revolution in Spider-Man’s life, with the introduction of many of his comics’ most memorable characters, including his beloved Mary Jane Watson and famed villain Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. It was also during Romita’s time that Spider-Man surpassed the Fantastic Four as Marvel’s bestseller, making the caped hero the company’s symbol (Mickey Mouse).
In addition to creating enduring characters in the ‘Spider-Man’ universe, the artist has also contributed to the demise of others. It was he who signed the art of Gwen Stacy’s tragic and iconic death comic, considered one of the best “Spider-Man” stories of all time. To offset his part in that tragedy, he also graced the cover of the landmark 1987 issue of Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Mary Jane’s Wedding.
Luke Cage, the Punisher and Wolverine
In 1972, Romita became Marvel’s unofficial art director, a position which was formalized a year later when he helped create the designs of several characters, including Luke Cage, the Punisher and Wolverine. He was also the one who redesigned the Black Widow to feature her in her iconic black spy suit and even illustrated the debut of the first female version of Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau. Nearly all of these characters have appeared numerous times in film and TV, both live-action and animated.
He left Marvel in 1996, going into semi-retirement – a vague term given his output over the next several years, with several Spider-Man-related projects for Marvel and even a Superman cover for DC, the first time he worked for competition for half a century.
Recognized as a true comic legend, Romita Sr. inducted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Inkwell Awards Hall of Fame in 2020.
He leaves behind his wife, Virginia, and two children. John Romita Jr., by the way, followed in his father’s footsteps and became one of the most popular Spider-Man artists.
Source: Terra
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