Q&A: Comic Book Legend John Romita Sr. Through the Eyes of His Son
John Romita Jr. breaks down everything he learned from his late father about storytelling, parenting, and the pursuit of greatness
It was 1992 when I became truly aware of comic book artist John Romita Jr. That’s because that’s the year THE PUNISHER WAR ZONE came out, which I, sixteen at the time, reacted to with something along the lines of, “Jesus, I want more of that art in my eyeballs.” By contrast, I’d known who his father was since before I was ten. John Romita Sr.’s work had helped to define my love affair with Spider-Man, who was the only Marvel character who spoke to me in any way as a young kid. John Sr. is easily one of the most iconic comic book artists to ever live — his style as soaked in adventure as soap opera — and easily one of the most important in Marvel’s history. He co-created characters such as the Punisher, Wolverine, Mary Jane Watson, and the Kingpin. He also served as the company’s art director for many years. Sadly, the legend passed away in his sleep on June 12th of this year at the age of ninety-three.
Now, my father left us a few years ago. My mother four years before that. I’ve never really recovered from their deaths. And so, when I read the news about John Romita Sr., I felt compelled to…
