The late, great Marvel giant was born 95 years ago…
By PETER BOSCH
John Buscema (born Dec. 11, 1927) left such a legacy of great comic art at Marvel that one could look at his work for months and still not see everything. After Jack Kirby departed Fantastic Four and Thor in 1970, both titles found an equally powerful replacement in Buscema and, in addition to providing dynamic strength to the characters, he also brought a kind of sophisticated elegance to the titles.
What about The Avengers, though? It was a series Kirby started, but for several years in the ’60s it had gone without an artist who could return it to its former visual glory. That artist finally did arrive and it was, yes, Buscema, who filled the book with the rich splendor of heroism the title deserved.
Here are 13 SPLASH PAGES from the the late-’60s and early-’70s, with Buscema’s pencils enriched by two exceptional inkers, George Klein and Tom Palmer.
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The Avengers #56 (Sept. 1968)
The Avengers #57 (Oct. 1968)
The Avengers #58 (Nov. 1968)
The Avengers #59 (Dec. 1968)
The Avengers #61 (Feb. 1969)
The Avengers #62 (Mar. 1969)
The Avengers #74 (Mar. 1970)
The Avengers #75 (Apr. 1970)
The Avengers #79 (Aug. 1970)
The Avengers #80 (Sept. 1970)
The Avengers #81 (Oct. 1970)
The Avengers #83 (Dec. 1970)
The Avengers #84 (Jan. 1971)
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MORE
— 13 COVERS: A JOHN BUSCEMA Birthday Celebration: 2021 EDITION. Click here.
— JOHN BUSCEMA: A Birthday Appreciation, by JOE JUSKO. Click here.
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PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, has just been published by TwoMorrows. He has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. Peter lives in Hollywood.
December 11, 2022
Wow. What a talent.
December 11, 2022
Those Big John pages are etched into my imagination. He was incredible!
December 11, 2022
Happy birthday to John Buscema!
December 11, 2022
A Happy Birthday indeed to Mr. B! I’ve always loved how He drew Strong, but beautiful women like Valkyrie. To bad about the “Race-Con”ing that is going on at BOTH Marvel and DC, though. As Joeseph Campbell said, “Each Generation recreates Heros in their own image.” or words to those intent. Cheers!