R I P JOHN SEVERIN

Hall of Fame artist John Severin, one of the last of the legendary EC artists, has died at age 90. Severin—whose sister Marie was also a famed artist and colorist for Marvel—was among the greatest draftsmen of the EC crew. He was especially well known for his Western comics, which were meticulously researched and elegant in their line, but he also excelled at barbarian comics (Kull was a Marvel hit) and humor: his work for CRACKED Magazine was inspired and almost singlehandedly made it a worthy competitor for MAD.

In recent years he had continued to work, notably on The Rawhide Kid in 2003, a controversial gay western; he also worked on The Punisher and B.P.R.D.

UPDATE: Quite simply, Severin was on of the finest artists ever to become a cartoonist, and the testimonials have been pouring in all day. Here’s a fine obituary by Steve Ringgenberg.

The family has released a statement:

 

Internationally  acclaimed  illustrator-­‐cartoonist,  John  Powers  Severin  (1921-­‐ 2012),  passed  away  Sunday,  February  12,  2012  at  his  home  in  Denver,  Colorado  with  his  family  by   his  side.

 He  was  90  years  old.

 Throughout  his  sixty  plus  year  career  in  comic  illustration  and  cartooning,  Severin  gained   world-­‐wide  notoriety  and  is  regarded  by  many  fans,  friends,  historians,  and  colleagues  as  a  truly distinctive  and  brilliant  artist.

 Long-­‐time  friend  and  former  president  and  chairman  of  Marvel   Comics,  Stan  Lee  states,  
“He  had  an  art  style  that  was   uniquely  and  distinctly  his  own.The  minute  you  looked  at  his  artwork  you  knew  you  were  looking   at  a  John  Severin  illustration;  it  could  be  no  one  else. Besides  his  inimitable  style,  there  was  a   feeling  of  total  authenticity  to  whatever  he  drew,  whether  it  was  a  Western,  a  crime  story,  a   superhero  saga  or  a  science  fiction  yarn. Not only was his penciling the very finest, but his inking, too, had a distinctive Severin touch that made every strip he rendered stand out like a winner”.

Severin’s professional career was launched early in high school when he contributed cartoons for the Hobo News. Early in his career, his works were also published by Jack Kirby at Crestwood Publications’ Prize Comics. He co-created the long-running Native American feature American Eagle and continued drawing stories for Prize Comics through 1955.

Called an “artist’s artist”, Severin gained a reputation for his historical knowledge and detail in all genres, most notably war and western. Sharing a Manhattan studio with fellow classmates Harvey Kurtzman and Bill Elder from New York’s famed High School of Music and Art; Severin began drawing for EC Comics. His illustrations graced the covers and inside pages of several EC comic series’ including Two-fisted Tales and Frontline Combat. It was also during this time Severin’s colleagues, Harvey Kurtzman and William Gaines co-created MAD Magazine. Severin was one of the five original artists who played a part in launching the infamous magazine, illustrating features for MAD Magazine between 1952 and 1954.

Upon leaving EC Comics, Severin was sought after to help launch CRACKED Magazine, a new publication that would become the prime competitor to MAD Magazine. Severin, using the pseudonyms “Nireves”, “Le Poer”, and “Noel”, was the lead artist for CRACKED Magazine for an unprecedented 45 years.

Following the cancellation of EC’s comic book line in the mid-1950’s, Severin began working for Atlas Comics, the company that would eventually become Marvel Comics. After the transition to Marvel Comics, Severin contributed his illustrations to several popular titles including the Incredible Hulk, The Nam, Kull the Conqueror, Captain Savage, What The?!, and Semper Fi.

Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin and René Goscinny in 1940
In 2003, Severin revived an outlaw character he created fifty years prior, for Marvel’s controversial Rawhide Kid in the groundbreaking edition Slap Leather. Also in the 2000’s, Severin contributed to Marvel’s The Punisher; DC Comics’ Suicide Squad, American Century, Caper, and Bat Lash; and Dark Horse Comics’ Conan, B.P.R.D. and Witchfinder. Severin’s final illustrations were for Marvel’s Witchfinder Lost and Gone Forever, published in early 2012.

“One of my greatest regrets, as an editor, was the fact that John was so busy doing other things that I couldn’t give him as many assignments as I would have wished. If it were up to me, I’d have kept him busy drawing for Marvel seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year,” states Lee.

Throughout his life, Severin received numerous honors, recognitions, and awards for his illustrations and contribution to the comic book industry. In 2003 he was inducted into the Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Hall of Fame. His other accolades include:
Best Western – Desperadoes
1967 Alley Award – Sgt. Fury
1968 Alley Award – Sgt. Fury of Shield
1998 American Association of Comic Book Collectors – Hall of Fame
1998 National Inkpot
Marvel Shazam – Conan
2000 American Association of Comicbook Collectors Hall of Fame – Historical Contribution
2000 International Inkpot
2001/2002 Charles M. Shultz “Sparky” Lifetime Achievement
Jules Verne Estate Lifetime Achievement
Marvel Shazam – Kull

“John Severin’s distinguished work is personified by the quality of the man himself. “John Severin was one of the nicest, most decent, honorable, straight-shooting men you’d ever hope to meet,” states Lee. “Truly, the art world has suffered a great loss with John’s passing – but so has the human race. To John’s friends and fans worldwide, he has been greatly loved and will surely be greatly missed.”

John Powers Severin was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. After attending the High School of Music and Art he enlisted in the United States Army where he served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He moved to Denver, Colorado in 1970. As a freelance comic illustrator and cartoonist, thousands of Severin’s illustrations have been published and admired by fans worldwide. John Severin is survived by his wife of 60 years, Michelina, 6 children, 13 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, a step great granddaughter and Severin’s sister, Marie Severin, who is also a comic illustrator and cartoonist.