The Marvel Universe mourns the loss of John Romita Sr. (1930-2023). The artist worked for Marvel Comics for decades, collaborating on characters like Spider-Man and Wolverine. He passed away on June 12 at the age of 93.
His son John Romita Jr. (66), who also became known as a Marvel comic artist, confirmed the death on Twitter. In his post he wrote: “My father passed away peacefully in his sleep. He is a legend in the art world and I would be honored to follow in his footsteps.” His father was “the greatest man” he ever met.
The deceased is a Marvel icon and shaped many superheroes and their stories through his drawings. He began working for Marvel’s predecessor, Timely Comics, in the 1940s and helped design the 1954 remake of Captain America. After working for rival DC Comics for a number of years, he returned to Marvel in the 1960s, drawing for series such as Daredevil, Hulk, and Dr. Strange.
In 1966 he became the illustrator of “Spider-Man”, and in 1972 he became the art director. As Variety writes, Romita Sr. shaped the current notion of superheroes. His “Spider-Man” tenure produced Peter Parker’s eternal love, Mary Jane Watson, and crime boss Kingpin. He also created the “Spider-Man” characters Vulture, Hammerhead, Shocker, Hobgoblin, Robbie Robertson and Gwen Stacy’s father George.
His work still has an impact today: Shortly before his death, the “Spider-Man” sequel “Across the Spider-Verse” started with many of the Romita superheroes.
He has received several awards for his work. He was inducted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Inkwell Awards Hall of Fame in 2020. Romita Sr. is survived by his wife, Virginia, and sons, John and Victor.
