John Severin

Infobox Comics creator

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birthname = John Powers Severin
birthdate = birth date and age|1921|12|26
location =
deathdate =
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nationality = American
area = Penciler, Inker
alias =
notable works = EC war comics, Marvel Westerns
awards = Alley Award, 1967, 1968
Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame, 2003

John Severin (born December 26, 1921, [ [http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2007_12_22.html#014510 News from Me: "POV Online" (column of December 22, 2007): "Happy Birthday, John Severin! (NEXT WEDNESDAY!)", by Mark Evanier] ] Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American comic book artist noted for his distinctive artwork with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics "Two-Fisted Tales" and "Frontline Combat", and for Marvel Comics, primarily on its war and Western comics. Severin was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2003.

Biography

Early life and career

Severin began drawing professionally at the age of ten, when he contributed cartoons to "The Hobo News". After high school, he worked as an apprentice machinist and then enlisted in the Army during World War II. In the post-WWII years, he entered the comic book field working for several publishers, including stories for Crestwood's "American Eagle".

EC Comics

At EC Comics, Severin initially worked in tandem with Will Elder, penciling stories that Elder inked, and both were among the original five artists who launched Harvey Kurtzman's "Mad", along with Kurtzman, Wally Wood and Jack Davis. In addition to his position as the lead artist for "Two-Fisted Tales", he was its editor for its final issues in 1954. For years, he was a major contributor to "Cracked" magazine as cartoonist on the "Cracked" television parodies and other features. With Warren Publishing, he drew for "Blazing Combat" and "Creepy".

Marvel Comics

Severin did extensive work for Marvel Comics, including on the series "The Incredible Hulk", "The 'Nam", "Conan the Barbarian", "Captain Savage", "What The?!" and "Semper Fi". As inker, he teamed with penciler Dick Ayers on an acclaimed run of "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos" that won the Alley Award for Best War Title of 1967 and 1968. Active into the 21st Century, he illustrated the controversial 2003 Marvel limited series "The Rawhide Kid", a lighthearted parallel universe Western that reimagined the outlaw hero as a kitschy though still formidably gunslinging gay man. He collaborated with his sister, comic-book artist Marie Severin, on Marvel's "King Kull".

Other family members in publishing and entertainment fields include his sister Marie Severin, also a comic book artist; his son John Severin, Jr., the head of Bubblehead Publishing; and his daughter, Ruth Larenas, a producer for that company. [ [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/110512906635917.htm Silver Bullet Comics (Jan. 7, 2005): "A Voyage Of A Million Miles", by Mike Storniolo] ] [ [http://207.234.244.190/ Bubblehead Publishing: "Lost in Space: Voyage to the Bottom of the Soul"] ]

Awards and honors

Severin's artwork has been exhibited three times at the Words & Pictures Museum in Northampton, Massachusetts — in the grand-opening group show (October 9, 1992 - January 5, 1993), the group exhibit "War No More" (May 18-August 8, 1993) and the group show "Classic Comics - A Selection of Stories from EC Comics" (December 7-February 11, 1996). [ [http://www.wordsandpictures.org/exhibits.cfm Words & Pictures Museum: Exhibits] ]

He was nominated for a Shazam Award in 1973, for Best Inker (Humor Division) and was among the winners of the Cartoon Art Museum's 2001 Sparky Award.

Quotes

Atlas/Marvel artist and colorist Stan Goldberg:

Notes

References

* [http://www.tcj.com/3_online/t_severin.html John Severin interview, "The Comics Journal"]