Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man | Tagged: john romita, marvel, spider-man

Comic Book Creators Remember John Romita Sr. With Fondness

From Jimmy Palmiotti to Jim Lee to James Gunn, comic book folk share their loss, condolences and memories of John Romita, Sr.

Two days ago, comic book artist John Romita Jr. posted, "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.  He was the greatest man I ever met." John Romita Sr, longstanding Marvel Comics artist, had died at the age of 93. And the comic book industry began to share their loss, condolences and memories of the man. From Jimmy Palmiotti to Jim Lee to James Gunn…

Jimmy Palmiotti: "When I started at Marvel back in 91, John was there to help out guys like me if we had questions or needed any help with what we were working on. Always handy with tracing paper and a pencil to guide us to a better place in our drawings. He did this all the time and boy, did it make a difference. He knew instantly what to do and how to correct something that was not working. As one of the many there, I was in Awe and intimidated by his work and legacy, but he was always sweet and kind, & helpful. Years later, we were working on a Daredevil Book for Marvel Knights, and we were getting pin-ups done by the greats in comics and I asked John if he would do one for the book. He did and asked me to ink it. Well, I couldn't believe he wanted me to do it, I was flattered & scared to death  and went home with his penciled masterpiece and started to paste up on my wall copies of his work so I could try to imitate what he liked to see. I worked on this piece with sweaty palms for a few days & then handed it to him when done. He looked it over, turned it a few times, nervously I watched, sweating like hell, anticipating- I didn't know what, and then that big beautiful smile came across his face and he simply said " Nice job, Kid" and it felt like I had just won the lottery. Seriously. I was so happy he was happy, I really, really wanted to please him and I did. I was on cloud nine for weeks and then I got a package marked with my name and inside it was the original piece -John said I did such a nice job he wanted me to have the original. I couldn't believe it…I was floored at how generous he was to this nobody, I was taken aback. His act of kindness left such an impression on me, I have been paying it forward the rest of my life as best I could with others in the same place as I was. His generosity and willingness to share his talent was just a gift to the world. I really loved the man, love his work, and he will live on forever in my heart. Here is the piece that is a part of this story. Rest in Peace, John. You are missed."

Sean Howe: One detail not showing up in obituaries is that loyal-to-the-company, tie-wearing, 9-to-5 professional John Romita quit comics in 1995 because Marvel was forcing him to personally fire employees (he compared the process to scenes from UP IN THE AIR). He was 65 years old.

Chip Zdarsky: "If you've ever visualized the character of Spider-Man, chances are you pictured Romita's perfect, bold lines. He towered over popular culture but was never truly in the spotlight, save for those moments when he had to placate a nervous kid in a Canadian comic shop in order to keep the line moving. He was one of the greatest artists to have ever lived."

Alex Paknadel: Thank you for everything.

Gary Frank: Not only was he a legend and a foundation stone of superhero comics but he was also a patient, generous man who took time to guide and encourage me in the days when even getting a response to my art was rare. He was the Greatest.

DaveScheidt: RIP to the great John Romita Sr. When I think of Spider-Man, I think of his art. Greatest of all time. What a legacy. Lots of love to his family and friends and all us comic dorks that worshipped him.

Mike Mignola: Goodbye to the great John Romita Sr. I know I saw hiM around Marvel a few times but don't think we ever actually met–But never once heard a bad word spoken about him and in so many way he defined the Marvel LOOK for a generation–Especially on Spider-Man A giant.

Christos Gage: John Romita, Sr. was one of the all-time greats. He had a rich, full life and a wonderful family. He lived to be 93, but he could've lived to be 300 and we would still have lost him too soon. He was living proof that you could be great and a great person at the same time. RIP. You never forget the first time you shared a book with John Romita. This is the cover prelim to Invaders Now #1, which I co-wrote with Alex Ross and which had a variant cover by a Silver/Bronze age artist each issue. Such an iconic shot of Union Jack!

Cully Hamner: John Romita's passed. All of us who practice this craft of comics today stand on this man's shoulders. Condolences to his loved ones and all his fans.

Paul Dini: RIP John Romita Sr. The Greatest.

Mayday Trippe: In 2002, my SCAD buddies drove to a con in FL. One pal could only swing a day-pass & spent Sun in the food court. John Romita, Sr. took a lunchbreak & saw Ryan drawing alone, asked if he could join him & offered encouragement & pointers, sketching an anatomy demo. Legend. RIP.

Tom Peyer: A hell of a spread right here. ASM #112

Nick Lowe: The world sure was lucky to have John Romita, Sr. A lovely man, a brilliant storyteller and one of the greatest to ever hold a pencil or pen.

Marv Wolfman: John Romita. A magnificent artist and a true gentleman. Rest in peace.

Mark Waid: RIP John Romita, who throughout the 21st century remained my favorite comic book artist. He was always pleasant and gracious towards me and I treasured knowing him. When asked for a comment yesterday, what immediately came to mind was what a phenomenal mentor he was–perhaps the greatest in all of comics history, most certainly the one who touched the most lives, having coached and taught literally hundreds of tyros who have since graduated to the pro ranks. I had the great fortune of collaborating with him only once…for 3/4 of one page. Many years ago, Marvel produced a fanzine containing a regular feature where recent, modern script pages would be given to a "classic" artist to show how they would have interpreted them. Clear as day, I can remember leafing through the magazine, seeing a Romita page, thinking it looked great, turning the page–and then flipping back immediately with the realization that it came from one of my Captain America stories. Not even the best part of this anecdote. The best part is that I contacted him to ask if I could buy the page from him, he said he'd think about it–and two weeks later, it showed up in the mail gratis, inscribed. There is no piece of artwork in this house that I value more…
…unless it's the terrific Superman sketch he did for me a few years later, a story in its own right that I'll tell another time.

Bill Morrison: In honor of John Romita Sr., I have a nice story about Mr. Romita that fits in well on this page. When I was the creative director at Bongo, I drew a Bartman cover (pictured here) that paid homage to Romita's cover to The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (also pictured here) A few years later, Wizard Magazine published a special issue titled something like "The 100 Greatest Comic Covers of All Time." The number one spot went to Amazing Spider-Man #50, and they interviewed Romita Sr. about the cover. In the article, he is quoted as saying (I'm paraphrasing) The Simpsons did a parody of this cover, and it was the biggest thrill of my career." I read that and thought "Wow! I gave my hero, John Romita Sr. the biggest thrill of his career!" I was thunderstruck! A few years after that I was going to have the opportunity to meet John at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, so I decided to do a recreation of my Bartman cover and present it to him. When I did I told him "Reading that I gave you the biggest thrill of your career has given me the biggest thrill of MY career!" It was an amazing moment for me. Did I get a picture of myself with John? Of course not.

Patch Zircher: John Romita Sr thought like a filmmaker. High & low angles, establishing shots, close-ups, reverses, over-the-shoulder, staging characters. Always for a reason. So correct, so persuasive, once you 'read' him you were better educated in making comics. It was that instructional. John Romita Sr was the second guy on Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Daredevil–and the second guy doesn't get the laurels. But this one saved Marvel. He let us know change is good. Because he was great. The cinematic approach to Marvel comics has its foundation in this singular man.

Walter Simonson: John Romita Sr. has caught the last spiderweb out. A measure of his importance to the comics industry is that since the news broke yesterday, there have already been a million stories from friends and acquaintances posted about John. I don't have any stories. Weezie and I knew the Romitas and loved them, but I never worked with John. I met him back in the middle 70s when I first went to work for Marvel. A fine artist. A good man, a gentle man, at a time when I was too young to realize what a rare thing that was. He was a gift to comics who gave everything to the industry including his art and his mentorship. But to me, he was the Daredevil artist against whom I measured all comers. Probably imprinted by it. My first issue of the book as a reader was also John's first issue as the penciller. Although he wasn't on the book long, I loved his approach to the character. Appealing drawings of Matt, Foggy, and Karen, and figure work with Daredevil as a long-limbed acrobat who soared across the city almost as if he were flying, full of grace and energy. And one of the most impressive things about John's art is that every line always seemed to be in exactly the right place all the damn time! I still can't manage that. A precision that belied the skill it takes to do that. Thank you for the friendship and the art and perhaps most of all, for setting an example for the rest of us, John. Godspeed, pal.

J.M. DeMatteis: I remember Romita Sr sitting in on a Spider-Man writer's meeting back in the 90s. We were all tossing ideas around for new stories and, time and again, the best ideas came from John. The man wasn't just an extraordinary artist, he was a storyteller of the first rank.

Paolo Rivera: We've lost an absolute legend. His art alone would grant that status, but he was unique in taking the time and care to pass along the gift to others.

Mark Wheatley: John Romita Sr. has left us. In 1970, I purchased this penciled Mary Jane drawing at the Metro Con that Gary Groth put on in Washington DC. I gave it to Dan Adkins to ink and then I published it in my fanzine, Nucleus. In 1976, while I was in college, Stan Lee reviewed my portfolio and told me to, "Go to Marvel and see my art director, John Romita. Tell him I sent you." Months later I arrived at Marvel. Between my meeting with Stan Lee and then, DC Comics had had their "implosion". And about a week before I arrived, Charlton had shut down. The receptionist told me that John did not want to see me. He insisted that I drop off my portfolio. A week later I returned to pick up my portfolio. When the receptionist called back for John, she was surprised that he was going to meet with me. When she hung up the phone, she said, "He NEVER comes out!" When I saw John, my first impression was that he looked like the Spider-Man character, Man Mountain Marko. John went through my portfolio with me and told me I was, "Just good enough to get started in comics. Under normal circumstances I would give you a few 8 page back-ups to get you started. And then I think you would be ready. You are doing some smart things with your story-telling, and that's something I see so rarely in new artists. We need more of that. But I can't give you any work. I have half the industry coming up here desperate for work, pros who have been working for 30 years. I'm sorry, but I have to help them first." I was crushed, but I understood. Within a few months, I was starting GASM magazine and have never looked back. But I have never forgotten that meeting with John Romita. He was a good man. His art changed my world. He will be missed.

Kurt Busiek: So, so very sorry to hear of the passing of John Romita Sr. He was not just a sensational artist, but a welcoming and supportive guy who treated newcomers with respect and the sense that we were all in this together. I never got to work with him on a story, aside from his cameo as a cab driver in MARVELS, but I'm very glad to have known him, and glad for all the artistic riches he left behind for us to enjoy. RIP, sir.

Mitch Gerads: Hard to put into 240 characters how much John Romita's work/legacy means to me. Like…where to even begin? He's in the same pantheon as Kirby for me. A "profound impact" barely scratches the surface. "The man, the myth, the legend" has never rung truer. Rest in peace, Mr. Romita

Alex Segura: Like many, my first Spidey comic was drawn by Romita – a digest reprint of Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2, which reprinted one of my favorite Green Goblin stories. I still shudder at the sequence where Norman realizes he's the Goblin. Romita's art was magic.

Adam Kubert: So sorry to hear of the passing of John Romita. I'd only met him a couple of times but felt closer because of the obvious commonality JRJR and I shared. It's sad that this is another thing we have in common. RIP JRSR. Love to the Romita family. Stay strong

Larry Hama: boundless encouragement shepherded so many of us through our first fumbling years at Marvel. He was the epitome of kindness, and thoughtfulness. I remember, a week after I handed in my first monthly Marvel comic, (Iron Fist in Marvel Premiere) I ran into him in hall, and he took the time to tell me he had really liked what I had done. I floated on the glow of that for weeks. It made me feel like I had arrived, and was finally at home. I am profoundly saddened to know that I will never see that smile again. My deepest sympathies to Virginia, John Jr., and the rest of the Romita family.

Frank Tieri: Back when I was an intern at Marvel and trying to break in, I tried my hand at many different jobs, including inker. Then assistant editor Ben Raab asked John Romita- who was on staff at the time ( & the all time greatest SPIDER-MAN artist, I'll add) if he'd show me some pointers. I was a complete and utter stranger to him yet he sat with me for well over an hour delivering a damn masterclass in the art of inking. It obviously didn't take — i was such a good inker I ended up as a writer — but still I never forgot his patience, his kindness & his willingness to help the next generation. I can only hope I lived up to your lessons in some way, maestro. RIP to an absolute legend. RIP John Romita

JM DeMatteis: Just heard the heartbreaking news that John Romita, Sr. has died. He was the artist who introduced me to the Spider-Man. One of the great joys of my career was working with him on a story called "The Kiss." A wonderful artist, a masterful storyteller…and an incredibly nice man.

Phillip Hester: Hey there, little kid in Iowa flopping down to read a Marvel Tales between your morning paper route and the start of school. One day you're going to write a comic, and John Romita Sr. is going to draw the cover for it. RIP JRSR

Jim Lee: John—it goes without saying that your father was an amazing, beautifully talented draftsman and artist who inspired and entertained so many generations of fans and creators. But for me, he was more than that. Your dad was just an incredible role model whose insightful words…

Ethan Doc Shaner: Rest in Peace, John Romita Sr. There's going to be a whole lot of "Spider-Man No More" today but for my money this is one of the all-time great covers from anybody. Not an obscure pick I'll admit but every time I see this again it knocks me back.

Mark Brooks: We suffered a great loss yesterday. John Romita Sr Was a titan of the industry. He made a huge footprint while ushering in so many talented artists through his talent and teachings. He lived a long life that will be remembered and revered. RIP

James Gunn: 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 memorable experience in my life, making me feel like the magic of comic books, which seemed so otherworldly, wasn't actually that far away. My thoughts & condolences are with his family & loved ones.

Jo Duffy: He was an extraordinary man, brilliantly talented, diligent, sweet, smart, fun, funny… and with a brilliant edge. He was a very good guy who could always spot a bad guy. He worked hard and made being good and reliable look easy because he did it with such humor and grace.
When I was a kid I dreamed of growing up to be as beautiful and stylish as a Romita girl and to have friends and boyfriends as wonderful as the ones he drew.
He had a million-dollar smile — back when a million was a LOT of money — and made everyone's day just a little warmer and brighter.
My deepest condolence to Virginia, JR Jr., and all the rest of John's family, friends, colleagues, and admirers.
Heaven is an infinitely brighter place today.

J Scott Campbell: So saddened to read about the passing of comic book legend John Romita Sr. To so many of us, he was THE Spider-man artist of our youth and it's likely his depiction of Spider-Man and Peter Parker most of us still immediately think of as the quintessential iconic version of the character. In addition, Romita Sr. created what became the feminine standard of beauty we all aspired to draw with his stunning renditions of MJ and Gwen. Unfortunately, I was never able to meet John Romita Sr. in person, but his influence continues to show up in my work, as you can see here in just a few of the examples in this tribute. My condolences to John Romita Jr., and the entire Romita family. I know I can easily speak for both my fellow creators and artists as well as the countless fans out there that will be forever grateful for the amazing contribution his work made to our industry. R.I.P Mr. Romita

Joe Jusko: As a 15 year old 10th grader at NYC's High School of Art and Design I dropped off a small portfolio at the Marvel offices, which were several blocks away. I had no misconceptions that I'd get work, but I was curious as to where I stood at that point. A few days later I was informed that someone had reviewed the samples and that I could pick them back up. Inside the portfolio was a long letter on Marvel stationery from none other than John Romita, someone who to me was already on the Mount Rushmore of Marvel artists.
Each piece had specific notes attached pointing out things I needed to work on and the letter encouraged me to resubmit more work in the future. We had not met face to face, but his warmth and sincerity radiated from those notes.
Flash forward to three years later when we finally met as he reviewed my painting samples and I received my first cover assignment. He was as gracious in person as he was in that earlier letter. In fact, I never knew him from that day on to ever be less than encouraging, even when critiquing or correcting my work. Or anyone's, for that matter.
I remember bringing in a Punisher cover sketch for John to approve. It had the Punisher hanging out of a helicopter, killing bad guys with an entire cityscape in the background and money flying out of a suitcase all over the cover. It was ridiculously ambitious and I could tell John was dubious about my pulling it off, though he didn't actually say so. I brought the painting into his office a couple weeks later and he just laughed and shooed me out.
I never saw John in a bad mood and no matter how busy he was, if his door was open, he had time for you.
At his retirement dinner, he spoke with such gratitude for the career he'd had and the people he'd met. He humbly lamented the ofttimes he was asked to make alterations on guys like Kirby or Buscema (something for which many uninformed fans and pros still take him to task). He had less of an ego than almost anyone I've ever known, though a multitude of artists have learned and benefited from his knowledge, talent and tutelage.
I could go on and on about his work (his Spider-Man will always be my Spider-man) but as there will be countless posts today rightfully praising it, I'd rather remember the man.
Godspeed, John.

Nick Barrucci: John Romita Sr passed away. Not only was John one of the most talented artists who graced our industry, he has influenced an untold number of creators, and there will be many more artists who will be influenced by the body of work that came from John Romita senior.
John was also one of the nicest people in the industry. In the 30 plus years that I've known John, he has always treated everyone with kindness and warmth. He was like a Uncle to me, and there were times he and Virginia came down to sign books my mother would make cookies for them.
John wore many hats at Marvel and helped to teach and grow artists over the decades and helped Marvel grow.
John's work ethic and kindness is legend.
Here are a few pieces of art that I am fortunate enough to own Including 2 of my favorite Marvel characters with Daredevil and the Sub-Mariner. John also allowed me to buy the cover to the last Marvel comic cover he drew for Amazing Spider-Man #1 from 2014.
God speed John. Our loss is heaven's as N angel is now in Heaven

Roy Thomas: John Romita was one of the finest, nicest, and most talented guys in the history of the comicbook field, and I was proud to call him both colleague and friend for so many years. What he always called me was "kid," but I doubt it I was unique in having that appellation. I first became aware of John Romita in the 1950s, when he drew a number of comics of which I purchased issues, including THE WESTERN KID, about a cowboy hero and a horse and a dog. But his magnum opus at that time, even though he never realized it, was his work on Captain America in 1953-54 in CAPTAIN AMERICA, YOUNG MEN, and MEN'S ADVENTURES. His work on that character in that era–a perfect blending of the styles of action king Jack Kirby and adventure master Milt Caniff (of TERRY AND THE PIRATES)–I consider his most essential work, bar none. Still, I had relegated him to the past (knowing vaguely he had been drawing romance comics since Timely/Marvel had drastically downsized around 1957) when one day in 1965, just two weeks after I had started working at Marvel, production manager Sol Brodsky told me he wanted to introduce me to someone. I looked up and he told me this was John Romita, who had worked there before and was coming back. I blurted out that I had been a fan of his work ever since his CAPTAIN AMERICA, then already more than a decade in the past. John told me later he just about fainted… he'd never before met anybody who mentioned that "old" work and he couldn't believe anyone remembered it. I told him I not only remember it, but I had every one of those nine or so issues in my personal collection. John immediately became a trouble-shooter as well as all-around artist for Marvel, despite the fact that he had let Stan Lee talking him into turning down a plush advertising job to come back to Marvel… and had gotten a promise from Stan that he wouldn't have to pencil, only ink. Of course, before long he was penciling DAREDEVIL, which he and Stan together quickly turned from the good seller it had been under Wally Wood to the highest-selling percentage sales (albeit with a smaller print run of course) in the whole company. When Stan soon afterward guest-starred Spider-Man in two issues of DAREDEVIL, he sensed he was being held in readiness in case Steve Ditko ever left the Wall-Crawler's title, but he was chagrined when, only a couple of months later, it actually happened and he had to give up DD for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. He gradually transitioned, mostly against his will, from imitating Ditko to doing his own version of Spidey… and within half a year, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN went from being the #2 bestselling Marvel comic to #1, both in percentages and real numbers. John had the golden touch for many years at Marvel… even his handful of FANTASTIC FOUR issues right after Kirby left outsold the last few Stan and Jack had done together, although FF was something John REALLY didn't want to do. Used as a kind of unofficial art director for years before he finally got the title he deserved, he designed or helped design so many great characters, most notably Wolverine, Punisher (the wonderful skull that Marvel is now "retiring"), and so many others. Whether he penciled, or inked (as per Gil Kane on SPIDER-MAN), or both, he was right up there just behind Kirby and Ditko as the most important artists in the history of Marvel. As a human being, too, John was wonderful… always willing to help out a young artist with some hints about how to improve his work. Romita's Raiders came after my time, but that, too, gave many young artists much-needed experience. John Romita was one of the all-time greats. I won't say "he will be missed" because I've already been missing him, the past couple of years or so, as he removed himself increasingly from contact with those of us who knew and loved him, because he felt his health and other faculties were failing. I was proud at least that John Romita and I, perhaps the only two original pros who's been on the disbursement board of Hero Initiative since it began under another name circa 2000, were still around helping to aid other pros in trouble. You've done your bit, John. On the drawing board… in the office… in a thousand creative consultations whether about Luke Cage or Spider-Man or whatever. Rest in peace. You've earned it.

Todd McFarlane: Passing of the great artist/person JOHN ROMITA SR. He was an inspiration to so many of us in the comics world. Here's a quick story…

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