Marvel
Marvel | The Legacy Collection | 2023
Stan Lee, the American legendary comic book writer started in 1942 as an editorial assistant for Timely Comics, during which time he met John Romita. The Manhattan-born Lee wrote, art-directed and edited most of Marvel’s series, becoming one of the most important figures in the creation of the Marvel Universe.
John Romita Sr., the celebrated comics artist began drawing The Amazing Spider-Man in 1966, served as an art director at Marvel for two decades and was later inducted in the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2002, followed by the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame in 2020. An instrumental part in the creation of multiple Marvel characters, the late great John Romita Sr. was best known for his realistic, naturalist and fluid art style.
Inspiration
Stan Lee
In collaboration with noted artists - including Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko - Stan co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, the Silver Surfer, the Avengers and many other fictional characters.
He pioneered and advocated the use of comic books to comment on social issues such as bigotry, injustice and discrimination. As a result, Stan’s Marvel Revolution extended beyond the characters and storylines to engage with the audience and create a community between the readers and creators. In 1984, Stan was awarded the National Medal of Arts by the United States Congress - the highest honour awarded to an individual artist in the USA.
In an interview with the Radio Times, Stan said: “It’s always great when people come up to me and mention how much they like the characters I’ve created. It’s a great feeling to hear that.”
In November 2018, fans of all ages across the world united to mourn the passing of Stan Lee. As the mastermind behind some of the most popular characters ever to grace the pages of Marvel comics, the 95-year-old was as much a legend to the generations he inspired as the superheroes whose trials and triumphs he crafted on his trusty typewriter.
Our Stan Lee hand-signed Legacy Collection includes cover art, internal panels and splash pages from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Find out more here.
John Romita Sr.
American comic book artist, the late great John Romita Sr., is best known for his work on Marvel Comics including The Amazing Spider-Man and for co-creating iconic characters including Wolverine, Mary Jane Watson, and Luke Cage. Having joined Timely Comics, the precursor to Marvel, in 1949, Romita first comic work was as a ghost artist through which he met editor-in-chief Stan Lee. Known for his realistic art style, Romita added more personality and movement into the comics which wasn’t the norm in the early 50’s. It was only in 1951 that the artist drew his first superhero, a 1950s revival of Capitan America while still drawing other war, horror, and romance comics. It was during this time he was involved in many romance comics which further developed his drawing skills specially when drawing women, which he later became known for.
A decade later, Romita was personally chosen by Lee as the new artist for the Amazing Spider-Man contributing to the new design for the character, having transformed Peter Parker and the rest of the cast. Having heavily influenced the iconic look of Marvel comics we adore today, Romita was later promoted as Marvel’s art director and later inducted in the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame in 2020.
In June 2023, the world mourned the passing of John Romita Sr. as the artist who truly impacted the Marvel universe and forever changed the visual artistry of comics. Our Marvel Collection includes cover art, internal panels and splash pages from the Marvel Cinematic Universe signed by the late great John Romita Sr. Find out more here.
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Inside the world of Stan Lee
We were thrilled to be featured in Marvel's 'pull list' of their must-have comic art in September 2020. Fast-forward to 3:07 to discover their top picks, including 'The Avengers #1', The Incredible Hulk #307', 'The Incredible Hulk #152', 'The Mighty Avengers #67' and 'The Incredible Hulk #1'.
For more Marvel content, head over to our blog, where we've compiled a comic book glossary, and an article exploring the history of the genre. Plus don't forget you can catch up on all of our Marvel videos on our YouTube channel.
From the blog
New collection of Marvel Superhero comic book covers hand-signed by the late great John Romita Sr.
Marvel | The Legacy Collection | 2023
Magazines and brochures
Marvel | The Legacy Collection | 2023
From classic covers to notable scenes from comic book history, this dynamic selection of rare editions – all hand-signed by the late, great Stan Lee – provide a snapshot into the early modern era of Marvel Comics.
Marvel Superheroes | John Romita | 2023
Here at Castle Fine Art, we're proud to honour John Romita Sr.'s legacy through our latest release of hand-signed unique graphics from our 'Marvel Superheroes' collection.
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