Justin Ponsor

Justin "J-Po" Ponsor was an American comics colorist whose prolific output across nearly a quarter century helped define the visual texture of some of Marvel's most prominent titles. Born on April 20, 1977, in San Diego, California, he got his start in the industry in 1996 after graduating from Palomar College, taking a position as an in-house colorist at WildStorm. He went freelance in 2000 and was among the earliest creatives to join CrossGen in 2002 before pivoting to Marvel work in 2005, where he would spend the remainder of his career.

Ponsor's name appeared on the credits pages of nearly a thousand comic book issues, with sustained runs on titles including *Ultimate Spider-Man*, *Ultimate Comics Spider-Man*, *The Uncanny X-Men*, *Guardians of the Galaxy*, *Ultimate Fantastic Four*, and *New Avengers*. His coloring work on *Avengers* earned him a Golden Issue Award nomination from ComicBook.com in 2018, a recognition of the craft and consistency he brought to superhero storytelling throughout his Marvel years.

Ponsor was diagnosed with cancer roughly two years before his death and, by most accounts, kept working through his illness with characteristic dedication. He died on May 18, 2019, at the age of 42. His body of work remains a quiet but essential part of Marvel's visual identity during one of its most expansive publishing periods.