Iconic comic book artist John Romita Sr. has died at 93

Iconic comic artist John Romita Sr. he died at the age of 93. The news of his death was shared by his son and fellow comic artist, John Romita Jr., on social media saying his father passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday June 12. He said:

“I say this with a heavy heart, my father, John Romita, passed away peacefully in his sleep this Monday morning. He is a legend in the art world and it would be an honor for me to follow in his footsteps. Please keep your thoughts and condolences here out of respect for my family. He was the biggest man I ever met.

I loved the comics created by Romita Sr.! I drew a lot as a kid, I wanted to be a comic artist, I wanted to do animation and my main influence on comics was the art that came from Romita Sr. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics’ The Incredible Spider-Man and also co-created such characters as Mary Jane Watson, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Bullseye and The Punisher.

John Romita Sr. has left an indelible mark on the comic book industry and has become an iconic figure in that industry. The artist was born on January 24, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York and began his career in the late 1940s, working in the comic industry as a production assistant and occasional artist. He worked for Timely Comics, which later became Marvel Comics. This is where he met Stan Lee before being drafted into the army.

In the 1950s he worked for DC Comics, but it was in the 1960s that Romita joined Marvel Comics and became the lead artist of The Incredible Spider-Mantaking the place of Steve Ditto. This is where his career flourished. Romita’s work on Spider-Man is widely regarded as one of the most influential and defining in the history of the character.

Speaking about taking on Spider-Man in 2001, the artist said, “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. I heard he was desperate. So I wrote the book to help that, all the while hoping it would be temporary.

In addition to Spider-Man, Romita has worked on various Marvel titles including Reckless, The AvengersAND Iron man, leaving its mark on each series. His storytelling skills were fantastic, as he was able to bring depth and humanity to his characters, making them relatable and engaging.

In the 1970s, he moved into the roles of art director and editor at Marvel, where he continued to shape the visual direction of the company’s releases, and was also behind the debut of Monica Rambeau’s Captain Marvel in 1982.

In a 2002 interview, he talked about his career saying, “I always felt that I became a follower of necessity. Because they had already made the ground rules. And I became a guy who was just following everyone 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 he marked me forever. No matter what success I’ve had, I’ve always considered myself a guy who can improve on someone else’s concepts. A writer and another artist can create something, and I can improve it… I don’t consider myself a creator. I’ve created a lot of things. But I don’t consider myself a true creator in the sense of Jack Kirby. But I’ve always had the ability to make other people’s stories better, other people’s characters. And I think that’s what made me live for 50 years.

His work laid the foundation for modern comics and his influence continues to be felt throughout the industry. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.