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The Comics Industry Mourns John Romita Sr.

James Whitbrook Avatar
James Whitbrook
The Comics Industry Mourns John Romita Sr.

Last night comics lost a titan with the passing of the legendary artist John Romita Sr., the man who defined the Silver Age aesthetic of Marvel Comics’ most popular heroes with his work on The Amazing Spider-Man and beyond. Tributes from all over the industry continue to come in, reflecting on the inspiration and influence of one finest to ever do it.

From Marvel to DC and every publisher in between, luminaries from the comics world have united in paying tribute to Romita’s remarkable talent. His passing at the age of 93 was announced last night by his son, John Romita Jr. — himself a vastly influential comics artist in his own right, following in his father’s footsteps.

“John Romita Sr. was a pillar of the Marvel Universe, and his talent defined decades of Marvel’s most well-known stories and characters,” Marvel Entertainment wrote in its own tribute. “The Marvel family has lost one of its legends, and we mourn the loss of a creative giant.”

“John Romita Sr. was an incomparable artist who brought so many iconic Marvel characters to life on the page and set the tone and look of Marvel’s comics for decades,” Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios’ president, wrote in a series of tributes on the company’s website. “His version of Spider-Man has inspired so many of us at Marvel Studios. Our thoughts are with his family, and the generations of artists and fans who fell in love with the characters he drew.”

“DC extends its deepest condolences to the family, colleagues, friends, and fans of iconic artist John Romita Sr.,” began a statement from DC Comics released on social media today. “We were so honoured when he came out of retirement to draw the cover for Superman #34, which featured interiors from his son John Romita, Jr. He will be sorely missed.”

James Gunn, current architect of Warner Bros.’ adaptations of the DC universe, also paid tribute. “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,” Gunn reflected on social media. “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.”

See more reflections and memories from across the world of comics below, as the industry celebrates and commiserates in the loss of one of the finest superhero artists of the western comics world — one who forever shaped the identity and world of one of its most iconic and beloved characters.

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