John Romita Sr's Spider-Man

[Mister Mets]

Matt Wilson of Comics Alliance continues his series on Spider-Man artists with John Romita Sr.

Yet Romita brought a very distinct style to the book; in may ways, it felt like a purposeful turn from Ditko’s idiosyncratic style. Spider-Man got more muscular and began to look more like a traditional superhero, and the handful of villains Romita co-created during his first run on the character — The Shocker, Rhino, Kingpin — were a little less weird than Ditko’s creations. (Ditko’s villain creations included a man with a fishbowl head and a man with a lightning bolt head.)

They were also, at least in the cases of Rhino and the Kingpin, huge. This was ostensibly to maintain the idea that Spider-Man was still the underdog, even though Peter Parker was looking more and more like a bodybuilder.

Undoubtedly the most important character Romita designed was Peter Parker’s eventual wife (until she wasn’t), Mary Jane Watson, whom Romita said he designed after Ann Margaret from the movie Bye-Bye Birdie.

The introduction of Mary Jane (who would become far more than just a love interest over the decades) led to the love triangle plots that would become a regular and expected part of the character’s comics. In general, Peter’s social life (including on campus at Empire State University, where protests raged) became a more important part of the book.

These elements were a huge hit with readers, and within a year of Romita’s initial run on the character, Amazing Spider-Man was the top-selling Marvel comic. That’s perhaps why the more muscular, notably more handsome Romita version of the character became the template artists would follow for decades to come.

The first artist in the series was Steve Ditko.

[oldschool]

All good points but nothing here that is not already well-documented other than how massive both Rhino and Kingpin were and whether that was by design in order to keep the newly muscular Spidey the underdog . I also am unsure how much Romita's designs had to do with the huge hit the title became at the time; it is possible, after all, that Romita was merely swimming with the tide at the moment and enjoyed the surge of popularity that the ASM title, as well as the other burgeoning Marvel books, were experiencing circa 1966.

[Confuzzled]

Interesting observation about the Rhino and Kingpin being the new "Goliaths" for a fit Peter's "David".

I also am unsure how much Romita's designs had to do with the huge hit the title became at the time; it is possible, after all, that Romita was merely swimming with the tide at the moment and enjoyed the surge of popularity that the ASM title, as well as the other burgeoning Marvel books, were experiencing circa 1966.

Marvel was a hit pretty much from the early 60's when the Fantastic Four debuted. ASM was a smash too but overshadowed by FF. Then in the mid 60's, (Ditko's later years), interest began to wane a bit in ASM, though titles like FF were still huge. ASM needed revitalization and Romita came to the rescue.

[Scott Taylor]

Romita character designs were pretty generic. Beautiful, but generic. I felt that it was more his sense of drama in creating a scene that played best for him. Just look at the covers for ASM #39 and 40. A lot of his covers are considered classics and have been homaged over and over because of the layout, viewpoint, and what they say about the characters.

[oldschool]

Romita character designs were pretty generic. Beautiful, but generic. I felt that it was more his sense of drama in creating a scene that played best for him. Just look at the covers for ASM #39 and 40. A lot of his covers are considered classics and have been homaged over and over because of the layout, viewpoint, and what they say about the characters.

Agreed; I actually prefer Romita's covers to his interiors, for the most part. He was masterful at drawing you in during an age in which comics were only purchased via newsstand or spinner rack and so a dynamic cover that previewed what happens that issue would usually make or break your decision to buy that issue; it's one reason he continued to draw the covers for ASM for so many years after he stopped doing interiors.

[Mister Mets]

Agreed; I actually prefer Romita's covers to his interiors, for the most part. He was masterful at drawing you in during an age in which comics were only purchased via newsstand or spinner rack and so a dynamic cover that previewed what happens that issue would usually make or break your decision to buy that issue; it's one reason he continued to draw the covers for ASM for so many years after he stopped doing interiors.

Romita's interiors are pretty good, but I don't know if anyone was ever better at covers than Romita on Amazing Spider-Man.

[Confuzzled]

Romita character designs were pretty generic. Beautiful, but generic.

They may be generic by romance comic terms, but in terms of 60's superhero books, they were pretty path breaking. He also upped the fashion quotient of ASM, an aspect that doesn't get enough attention and credit. Placing a romance comic artist like Romita on a superhero title like ASM turned out to be a pretty revolutionary move, especially as Romita turned out to be pretty dynamic and adaptable.

[oldschool]

Romita's interiors are pretty good, but I don't know if anyone was ever better at covers than Romita on Amazing Spider-Man.

Yeah, pretty much what I was saying---unlike today when many covers are basically posters (beautiful ones, but still just generic posters), Romita hooked you with a major story beat from that issue's story and did it with a beautiful portrait that lept right off the spinner rack at you. I understand why covers aren't done like that today but boy was his work memorable….

[Mister Mets]

Saw an important Romita piece online: his original character design for the character who would become the Punisher.

[comicscollector]

Great article.
Steve Dikto co created Spider-Man but it was with John Romita Sr that the stories got to be illustrated in a awesome template visually speaking.(And this is said by someone that is a fan of Steve Dikto art)
Never noticed that villains were illustrated larger to make Spider-Man seem as more of a underdog.Thats quite clever.
I know that before John Romita Sr was illustrating romantic stories and Daredevil and that JRSR designs were something that made the stories visually more awesome,and just not the female characters as Mary Jane but the whole tone of the stories in regards of the art.
Just never thought about the way villains were illustrated larger that Spider-Man.
It is something that shows why John Romita Sr after illustrating Amazing Spider-Man became the Marvel art director.

[Mister Mets]

SyFy had a great interview with Romita.

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/watch-...der-man-issues

[oldschool]

It's hard to overstate JRSR's importance to Spidey; he is certainly second only to Ditko in creating the visual for not just Spidey but his villains and supporting cast. Moreover, if Spidey wasn't taken in that more palatable visual direction, it's hard to know if Ditko's style (striking and powerful but undeniably creepier) would have had the mass appeal that Spidey enjoyed in the late '60's and early '70's when he really burst out to be a top tier superhero.

[Prof. Warren]

Romita's interiors are pretty good, but I don't know if anyone was ever better at covers than Romita on Amazing Spider-Man.

Romita's covers for ASM were unmatched. They always compelled you to grab the issue. And I love that he kept doing covers long after he stopped being the interior artist. His covers during the Conway/Andru era are some of my favorites.

That said, I love his layouts, too. He's great at storytelling and pacing.

[Prof. Warren]

It's hard to overstate JRSR's importance to Spidey; he is certainly second only to Ditko in creating the visual for not just Spidey but his villains and supporting cast. Moreover, if Spidey wasn't taken in that more palatable visual direction, it's hard to know if Ditko's style (striking and powerful but undeniably creepier) would have had the mass appeal that Spidey enjoyed in the late '60's and early '70's when he really burst out to be a top tier superhero.

Romita Sr definitely took Spidey to a new level of popularity that Ditko couldn't have gotten him to.

Reading early ASM, the switch from Ditko to Romita is almost jarring. I can't imagine what it must have been like at the time to see the book's style change so dramatically, with no warning.

Immediately, ASM and Peter's world became sleeker, more glamorous. I think Ditko's run is the heart of Peter Parker - it's truly idiosyncratic with a prickly outsider's edge. But the Romita Sr era turned ASM into a party everyone was invited to. It became more mainstream. That's no knock against it - I think it's the one run that anyone who's doing superhero comics most tries to emulate. But it definitely changed the course of the book.

[Grapeweasel]

Not completely on topic, but no one ever drew prettier girls than Johnny Romita.