Legendary Marvel comic artist John Romita Sr. dies at 93
The comic world is in mourning following the passing of legendary comic artist John Romita Sr., aged 93. The news was shared by Romita's son, fellow comic artist John Romita Jr., who confirmed his father peacefully passed away in his sleep on Tuesday. Having co-created beloved characters such as Wolverine and The Punisher, Romita had an illustrious career and has left a lasting legacy.
'He's a legend,' read the post shared by Romita's son
In a heartfelt post shared by Romita Jr., he expressed his admiration for his late father, calling the artist a "legend in the art world." The post was accompanied by a picture of Romita, holding a cover page of Amazing Spider-Man. A user commented, "To call your father a 'legend' is an understatement of the century. But his legacy lives on through you."
Take a look at Romita's tweet here
Early beginnings of Romita
Romita landed his first paid job creating artwork for the Manhattan General Hospital at the remarkable age of just 17. Romita's career took an unexpected turn when he was hired as a ghost artist at Timely Comics, the precursor to Marvel Comics. During his early years, he contributed to the revival of Captain America, which ultimately led to the creation of the Human Robot.
Romita did uncredited work for DC, before switching back
After making uncredited contributions to DC Comics in 1958, in 1966, he returned to Marvel Comics and took over the artistic duties for The Amazing Spider-Man with issue #39. Romita's tenure on the book proved highly successful, with The Amazing Spider-Man becoming Marvel's top-selling title during that time. Throughout his run, Romita introduced iconic characters like Mary Jane Watson, The Shocker, and George Stacy.
Romita's vast repertoire included 56 straight issues, countless iconic covers
The Eisner Awards Hall of Fame recipient, Romita, following his influential run on The Amazing Spider-Man, worked on an impressive streak of 56 consecutive issues. In 1973, Romita took on the role of Marvel's art director, and he played a crucial role in shaping the appearances of popular characters like Wolverine and Luke Cage. Notably, he introduced Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel in 1982.
