A MORRISON MONDAYS (belated) birthday tribute to JOHN ROMITA…
By BILL MORRISON
I think I would get very little pushback in asserting that John Romita Sr. is one of the greatest superhero artists the comics-loving world has ever known.
But I contend that he is also at the very top of the heap when it comes to romance artists. The fantastic work he did for mushy DC titles such as Young Romance, Falling in Love, Girls’ Love Stories, and Heart Throbs, and his later covers for heart-breaking Marvel books like My Love and Our Love Story, hold a top spot among the things I love and collect.
So, in celebration of Mr. Romita’s birthdate (it was Saturday), I present this image I drew a decade or so ago for a project titled “Chip Kidd Presents Batman Black and White: The Sketch Covers” which benefited the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. This drawing was inspired by Romita’s cover of Young Romance #134 from 1965.
Romita romance may not be your thing, but just remember that it was John’s ability to draw stunningly beautiful women and ruggedly handsome men for DC’s love books that made Stan Lee sit up and take notice.
Lee offered Romita Daredevil, and then Amazing Spider-Man, knowing that John’s appealing, romantic touch was just what was needed to round out the look of Marvel’s bombastic superhero books.
And if the concept of a love triangle between Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman looks familiar, you got me! I used the same idea for my homage to the cover of Young Romance #150 by Jay Scott Pike, covered here at 13th Dimension back in May of 2024.
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MORE
— HOLY GENDER-BENDING! That Time ROBIN Was a Pin-Up Girl. Click here.
— The Greatest Gallery of BATMAN ’66 Art You Will Ever See. Click here.
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Eisner winner BILL MORRISON has been working in comics and publishing since 1993 when he co-founded Bongo Entertainment with Matt Groening, Cindy Vance and Steve Vance. At Bongo, and later as Executive Editor of Mad Magazine, he parodied the comics images he loved as a kid every chance he got. Not much has changed.
Bill is on Instagram (@atomicbattery) and Facebook (Bill Morrison/Atomic Battery Studios), and regularly takes commissions and sells published art through 4C Comics.
