John Buscema's Marvel Comics self-portrait
© 2001 John Buscema

Related Links

0

In Memory of John Buscema

Sad word has come of the demise of comic artist John Buscema. The artist succumbed to stomach cancer, which he had been diagnosed with in fall 2001.

John Buscema was born on December 11, 1927 in Brooklyn, NY, and began his long career in comics at Timely Comics (which would later evolve into Marvel) during the late 40s.

In the 60s, the artist came into prominence drawing a plethora of Marvel comics, with outstanding work on THE AVENGERS, THE SILVER SURFER and THOR (among others), where his dramatic, theatrical style of drawing characters complimented the florid writing of scribes like Stan Lee and Roy Thomas. Buscema also had the unenviable task of taking over for Jack Kirby on FANTASTIC FOUR after the King departed for DC.

Word has it though that Buscema didn't really care for drawing superheroes... not that his work suggested that, preferring CONAN THE BARBARIAN instead.

It was on CONAN where we see Buscema's most sizeable constant body of work was created, running through the regular comic book as well as THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN black and white magazine for most of both series' runs.

Buscema truly made CONAN his own, depicting the character as a smoldering brutish savage figure rather than the delicate barbarian established by Barry Windsor Smith.

Buscema's last published work was with Lee on IMAGINE IF STAN LEE WITH JOHN BUSCEMA CREATED SUPERMAN.

Buscema was 74 years old. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.