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Legendary Comics Creator Marie Severin Has Died, Aged 89

Published Thu, 30 Aug 2018 11:08:03 -0500

Last updated Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:17:50 -0500

Yesterday we reported that legendary comic book creator and innovator Marie Severin had suffered a stroke and had entered a hospice in Huntingdon, New York.

Today it has been confirmed by friends and colleagues that she has passed away.

Marie Severin was a comic book artist and colourist, most known for her 1960s work in the Marvel Bullpen, but also for her work for EC Comics in the 1950s.

Her older brother, John Severin, was also a well-known comic creator of the time. Her first work was colouring her brother's pages in 1949 for EC Comics, then the entire line, basically writing the comic book colouring rules of the time. She started pencilling for Marvel Comics as well, taking over from Bill Everett on Doctor Strange, then working on titles including Sub-Mariner, The Hulk, Iron Man, Conan the Barbarian, Kull the Conqueror, and Daredevil, as a member of the Marvel Bullpen. She was a rare example of a woman working in an artistic field in the comics industry of the day.

In 1976, Severin co-created Spider-Woman, designing her original costume, as well as Howard the Duck's Doctor Bong. In the '80s she specialised in Marvel's licensed work including Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies. The '90s saw her hailed as a comics veteran, teamed with Jim Mooney and Dave Cockrum's penciling on Soulsearchers and Company from Claypool.

Her retirement saw her still work in the field, including recolouring EC Comics stories for archival publications, winning her an Eisner and she was inducted into the Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame in 2001.

Severin first suffered a stroke over 10 years ago in 2007, after which she recovered and recuperated in Huntington Hospital on Long Island. She was admitted to the hospital again yesterday, where she passed away.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family.