Sad news that MARVEL legend MARIE SEVERIN has passed away at the age of 89. One of the greats, and I'm lucky enough to have her autograph on a KULL The CONQUEROR comic (#6 I think). More sad news - GARY FRIEDRICH, who co-created GHOST RIDER and wrote a whole kaboodle of mags has passed away at the age of 75. We of a certain age can take a measure of consolation that their work will live on, and that we can return to it again and again whenever the fancy takes us.
For a fuller account of their careers, take a look at MARK EVANIER's blog - the link is in the sidebar on the right.
I really liked Marie's Hulk ( sometimes penned by Gary F) and even more her Kull (inked by brother John). Her colour work was magnificent, and The Bristol Board tumbir site has a magnificent colour job by Marie on a Toth EC warplane tale. Marvel honoured Marie years ago with her own issue of FOOM, an issue which I recall with fondness.
ReplyDeleteHow many are now left from the 60s? Stan, Roy, Joe, Johnny, Tom, Neal, Denny. I can't think of any more. How sad.
Spirit of '64
I've got that issue of FOOM along with the rest of them. Her and John's work on Kull was magnificent and should be collected into a book. Larry Lieber's still with us, as well as Sal Buscema (I think) - probably a few others too.
ReplyDeleteNever met the charming Marie Severin, but would have loved to do so. Gary Friedrich I encountered at a convention several years ago where he was in attendance with many others including Herb Trimpe. I was able to get both Trimpe and Friedrich to sign my prized copy of Marvel Super-Heroes #16 featuring their hero The Phantom Eagle. Both seemed genuinely pleased to see such an obscure creation make an appearance, something different than Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider as sweet as those are. These are talents who will be missed.
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Have to be honest, RJ, and say I never met Marie either - the comic was autographed when I bought it from a reputable comics dealer, but to have a comic she actually touched as well as contributed to is still worth having. And as well as Marie and Gary, let's not forget Russ Heath, who was also a formidable talent.
ReplyDeleteJust last night Radio 4's Front Row programme had an item about female comic-book writers/artists and of course I thought of Marie Severin - and now I hear she has died.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's a shame, CJ. Her Hulk versus Sub-Mariner battle in Tales To Astonish #100 is a classic! (And I've got it.)
ReplyDeleteSad news. First time I encountered Mirthful Marie's art was probably in the British reprint of Hulk Annual 1 which I mentioned on this blog a few days ago. I hadn't realised she was the colourist on the EC horror comics too, what a talent.
ReplyDeleteRuss Heath was also a tremendous artist, I seem to recall him drawing a fill-in issue of GI Joe for Marvel, which was probably the first time I saw his art (unless you count Roy Liechtenstein's paintings, one of which was, I believe "inspired" by a Russ Heath panel).
I was trying to think of some more madness to add to Spirit's list of 60s creators who are still with us, and was surprised and saddened to realise I couldn't (Tom Palmer maybe?). Something I feel really grateful for is that I was around when the likes of John Buscema, Curt Swan, Gene Colan, Steve Ditko, Jim Aparo, Carmine Infantino, Archie Goodwin, Joe Kubert and others were all producing new work that I bought, enjoyed and admired. Really thankful for that.
Incidentally (and I think I've mentioned this before too), my phone auto-corrects Carmine Infantino to 'Canine Infantile', which without meaning any disrespect to the best ever Flash artist , always amuses me!
Oops, I just did think of another creator from the 60s who is still around - the amazing Jim Steranko!
ReplyDeleteYeah, most of our yesterdays are history when it comes to comic creators of our childhood, alas. Jim Shooter is still going strong, and he was writing back in the '60s, so he's another one who's yet around.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Mr Shooter, I was looking through my comics earlier and found a few Adventure Comics issues from the 60s that he'd written (and I think he pencilled one of them as well- there's no credits in the issue but Wikipedia thinks he drew it). They're really entertaining and were a very pleasant way to spend a damp Saturday afternoon!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know if I've ever read any of his '60s DC strips, DS, 'cos there weren't any credits in the mags at that time (Bob Kane's name aside), but I suppose the chances are that I've probably read some.
ReplyDeleteWhen I left the chapel where Marie Severin was, I really turned around and said, “Goodbye, Marie, we never met but we had many good times together.“
ReplyDeleteWe have lost so many people in the last few years and this was a tough one. There were not too many people there, But I was treated with great friendship. I did give my background in publishing, but I told them that I wanted it to be thought of representing the fans, the people that had admired and respected her all this time.
When I signed then I put the names of the two groups that have followed her closely. One of course is the EC fan group and of course the Timely Atlas group, Which represents her work at Marvel.
Around the room they were reminiscence Of what she had done, mostly from Marvel. I think it’s because she loves the pencil so much and that’s what she did most of that.
Sadly, at her age you have lost a lot of your friends and a lot of your relatives. Of course many of her friends would be her age I would have trouble getting there.
Marie will be remembered with great fondness. When people discussed her they discussed her work with the Hulk and Doctor Strange. I added that I will never forget her work on Not Brand Ecch, because she made me laugh.And just thinking about that comment made everyone smile.
She will be missed.
That was another achievement of Stan Lee, Barry, in that he made us feel we KNEW the artists and writers (and letterers, etc) whom we'd never met, via the Bullpen Bulletins pages and his Soapbox. Many of them would probably have remained unknown to the public, regardless of how high their (anonymous) work was held in regard. Marie was certainly a top-notch talent and second to none. Yeah, it's a shame - too many of the 'old-guard' are gone, but at least their work remains.
ReplyDeleteI never had the pleasure of meeting Marie or Friedrich. Russ Heath I met several times and he was quite fun. I asked him to sign my reprint collection of Sea Devils and he told us a funny story about how he had to draw a female fish lol . I will miss him.
ReplyDeleteI was going to mention Russ Heath's death, PS, but I wasn't overly familiar with his work. However, I'd forgotten I had a big book on him called Flesh Of Steel - The Art Of Russ Heath, so I may get around to commemorating him and his art yet.
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