One of the men who created iconic Marvel characters such as Wolverine, the Punisher and Spider-Man’s Mary Jane Watson has died.
John Romita Sr. was 93.
His son confirmed the artist’s death on Twitter on Tuesday evening, Variety reported.
I say this with a heavy heart, My father passed away peacefully in his sleep. He is a legend in the art world and it would be my honor to follow in his footsteps. Please keep your thoughts and condolences here out of respect for my family.
— John Romita JR (@JrRomita) June 14, 2023
He was the greatest man I ever met. pic.twitter.com/Pe2K3ywbWX
Romita was born in Brooklyn on Jan. 24, 1930. He graduated from the School of Art & Design in Manhattan, CNN reported. He worked at Timely Comics, which eventually became Marvel Comics, and Marvel’s competitor DC Comics.
In 1966, Romita took over from Spider-Man’s creator Steve Ditko, working with then editor-in-chief Stan Lee to evolve the superhero into the one we know to this day, Variety reported. That evolution included introducing Mary Jane Watson, Vulture, Hammerhead, Socker, Hobgoblin, Robbie Robertson, George Stacy and crime boss Kingpin.
“I really felt it was obvious that I couldn’t do Spider-Man as well as I could do Daredevil. I was amazed when Stan gave me Spider-Man to do. I felt he was desperate. So I did the book to help him out, hoping all the while that it would be temporary,” he said according to Deadline.
He also helped create Luke Cage and Bullseye from the Daredevil series.
Romita also worked on “The Night Gwen Stacy Died,” which some comic book aficionados consider one of the best “Spider-Man” stories. He also created the artwork used in the wedding of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, BBC News reported.
He became Marvel’s art director in the 1970s and ‘80s, CNN reported.
Romita semi-retired in 1996, Deadline reported.
He said he was born too late to be one of the groundbreaking comic artists, such as Jack Kirby, and it’s one of his regrets, Deadline reported.
“I always felt that I became a follower of necessity. Because they had already done the ground rules. And I became a guy who was just following everybody else’s lead. I think I would have been more of a pioneer and more of a person in my own right rather than a follower. I think it stamped me forever. No matter what success I’ve had, I’ve always considered myself a guy who can improve on somebody else’s concepts. A writer and another artist can create something, and I can make it better… I don’t consider myself a creator. I’ve created a lot of stuff. But I don’t consider myself a real creator in a Jack Kirby sense. But I’ve always had the ability to improve on other people’s stories, other people’s characters. And I think that’s what’s made me a living for 50 years,” he said in 2002, according to Deadline.
But Romita’s legacy endures.
His son, John Romita Jr., is an artist at Marvel Comics now, working on “Amazing Spider-Man,” “Daredevil,” “Uncanny X-Men” and “Iron Man,” Deadline reported.
The elder Romita was also remembered by James Gunn, who is currently co-CEO of the DC Universe. Gunn wrote on Twitter, “My brother & I wrote Mr. Romita when we were young kids & sent him drawings of superheroes we were working on. He wrote us back, telling us what he liked about the drawings. A truly memorable experience in my life, making me feel like the magic of comic books, which seemed so otherworldly, wasn’t actually that far away.”
Sorry to hear about the great comic book artist John Romita Sr passing at the age of 93. My brother & I wrote Mr. Romita when we were young kids & sent him drawings of superheroes we were working on. He wrote us back, telling us what he liked about the drawings! A truly… pic.twitter.com/VV1slBPmwH
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 14, 2023
Romita is a member of the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame, inducted in 2002, and the Inkwell Awards Hall of Fame, inducted in 2020.
He leaves behind his wife and two sons.
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