Renowned Marvel Comics artist, John Romita Sr., the creative genius behind beloved characters like Wolverine and Mary Jane Watson from Spider-Man, has left us at the age of 93. His contributions extend to other fan-favorites including the Punisher and Kingpin.
His passing was made public on Tuesday by his son, John Romita Jr., also an accomplished comic artist. “My father departed peacefully in his sleep. He was a true luminary in the realm of art and I am privileged to be walking in his artistic path,” Romita Jr. shared on his social media account.
John Romita Sr. was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from the School of Industrial Art in Manhattan in 1947. After serving in the military, he embarked on his illustrious career in the comic industry. He carved a name for himself while working on comic titles for entities that later transformed into Marvel and DC – Timely Comics and National Comics respectively.
Starting in 1966, Romita Sr. teamed up with Marvel’s then editor-in-chief, Stan Lee, on ‘The Amazing Spider-Man,’ stepping in for the original artist Steve Ditko, and played a pivotal role in making it Marvel’s best-selling title. This period witnessed the birth of characters like Mary Jane Watson – Spider-Man’s girlfriend, Punisher – the deadly hitman, and Kingpin – the notorious crime lord.
In the dawn of the 1970s, Romita Sr. ascended to the position of Marvel’s Art Director, a role he held for over 20 years. During this tenure, he aided in shaping characters like Wolverine, who first emerged in an Incredible Hulk comic. He also contributed to the creation of Luke Cage, one of the pioneering black superheroes in a Marvel comic.
His creative prowess also extended to the conception of memorable Spider-Man characters like Vulture, Hammerhead, Shocker, Hobgoblin, Robbie Robertson, and George Stacy. Furthermore, he produced artworks for iconic titles such as ‘The Night Gwen Stacy Died’ (1973), and ‘The Wedding of Spider-Man’s Peter Parker and Mary Jane’ (1987).
Even after semi-retiring in 1996, Romita Sr. continued to dabble in Spider-Man projects for Marvel and even created a Superman cover for DC. His creations have left their mark on various television shows and films, both animated and live-action. Interestingly, his demise coincided with the success of Sony’s recent Spider-Man sequel, ‘Across the Spider-Verse.’
Romita Sr., a legend in the comic art world, once said in a 2002 interview, “I see myself as someone who can enhance other people’s ideas. A concept can be developed by a writer and another artist, and I can make it even better.” He was inducted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame in 2002, and later into the Inkwell Awards Hall of Fame in 2020.
Romita Sr. is survived by his wife, Virginia, and two sons Romita Jr. and Victor.
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