John Romita Sr.

John Victor Romita was born on January 24, 1930, and passed away on June 12, 2023. He is best known for his defining run on Marvel Comics' *The Amazing Spider-Man* and for co-creating major characters such as Mary Jane Watson, the Punisher, Kingpin, Wolverine, and Luke Cage. Romita entered comics in 1949 as a ghost artist for Timely Comics, where he met editor-in-chief Stan Lee. He spent the 1950s drawing horror, war, and romance titles for Atlas Comics, and even revived Captain America. From 1958 to 1965, he worked exclusively for DC Comics, honing his celebrated ability to depict beautiful women in romance comics. In 1965, Romita joined Marvel, first drawing *Daredevil*. When Steve Ditko left *The Amazing Spider-Man* in 1966, Lee tapped Romita as the new artist; within a year, the title rose from Marvel's second-best seller to its top-seller. Romita brought a polished romance style to Spider-Man, reshaping the character's look. He became Marvel's art director in 1973, influencing the company's visual direction through the 1970s and 1980s. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2002. His son, John Romita Jr., also became a prominent comic artist.