John Romita Sr., long-time Marvel Comics artist, was best known for his iconic work on Spider-Man, as well as for co-creating characters such as Mary Jane Watson, Wolverine, and The Punisher.
- Died: June 12, 2023 (Who else died on June 12?)
- Details of death: Died of natural causes in New York City at the age of 93.
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John Romita Sr.’s legacy
For several generations of Spider-Man fans, Romita’s drawings of the web-slinging superhero are iconic. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Romita was a graduate of Manhattan’s School of Industrial Art and began professional work as an artist at 17. He entered the world of comics at 19, drawing for “Famous Funnies” before finding himself at Timely Comics, the predecessor of Marvel Comics. After a stint in the U.S. Army, Romita worked on a wide array of books, from horror to romance to adventure stories.
By the mid 1960s, Romita was considering leaving the field to do advertising storyboards instead. Stan Lee (1922–2018), Marvel’s editor-in-chief, convinced him to stay, setting the stage for the work that would make Romita a legend. In 1966, he replaced Steve Ditko (1927–2018) on “The Amazing Spider-Man.” His depiction of the character would become the definitive version and establish Spider-Man as the mascot for Marvel’s increasingly popular line of superhero comics. He would draw 56 straight issues of the book, along with countless covers, several years of the Spider-Man comic strip, and more. He slowed down only after being named Marvel’s art director in 1973.
Romita continued to illustrate comic books through the 2000s, though not at the rate he once did. Over the course of his career, he designed the look of several fan-favorite characters, including Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man’s longtime love interest; the cigar-chomping mutant Wolverine; The Punisher, a cop-turned-vigilante; and many others. He was one of the most widely influential comic artists of his day, with his style all but defining the look of Marvel comics throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 2002, he was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame, and then in 2020 was inducted into the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame.
Notable quote
“I did not expect comics to last; all of us were expecting to be working in another business in a year.”—Comic Book Artist #6
Tributes to John Romita Sr.
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
