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{{Short description|American comic book artist}}
{{Infobox Comics creator
{{Infobox comics creator
| image = John Buscema 1975.jpg | image = John Buscema 1975.jpg
| imagesize = 120px | image_size =
| caption = Buscema in 1975 Marvel publicity photo | caption = Buscema in a 1975 Marvel publicity photo
| birthname = Giovanni Natale Buscema | birth_name = Giovanni Natale Buscema
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|12|11}}
| birthdate = ], ]
| location = ], ] | birth_place = ], ], U.S.
| deathdate = {{death date and age|2002|1|10|1927|12|11}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|1|10|1927|12|11}}
| death_place = {{nowrap|], U.S.}}
| deathplace =
| cartoonist =
| nationality = ] American
| area = Penciler; Inker | write =
| pencil = y
| ink = y
| letter =
| color =
| alias = | alias =
| notable works = ''Conan the Barbarian''<br>''The Avengers''<br>''The Silver Surfer'' | notable works = '']''<br>'']''<br>'']''<br>'']''<br>'']''<br>'']''
| awards = ], 1968, 1969<br />], 1974<br />], 1977<br />], 1978<br />] Hall of Fame, 2002
| awards =
| nonUS =
}} }}
'''John Buscema''', né '''Giovanni Natale Buscema''' (], ]&ndash;], ]), was an ] ] ] and one of the mainstays of ] during its ] and ] ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major ] ]. His younger brother ] is also a comic-book artist. '''John Buscema''' ({{IPAc-en|b|j|uː|ˈ|s|ɛ|m|ə}} {{respell|bew|SEM|ə}};<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3y6k_vk_Vg | title=How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way part=1|time=1:34|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead YouTube link|date=February 2022}}</ref> born '''Giovanni Natale Buscema''', {{IPA|it|dʒoˈvanni naˈtaːle buʃˈʃɛːma|lang}}; December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)<ref name=ssdi> for Buscema, John N., ] 108-20-9641.</ref> was an American ] ] and one of the mainstays of ] during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major ] ]. His younger brother ] is also a comic book artist.


Buscema is best known for his run on the series '']'' and '']'', and for over 200 stories featuring the ] hero ]. In addition, he pencilled at least one issue of nearly every major Marvel title, including runs on such flagships as '']'' and '']''. Buscema, along with ], stepped into the breach when industry legend ], one of the architects of Marvel Comics, left the company from 1970-1975. Buscema is best known for his run on the series '']'' and ''The ]'', and for over 200 stories featuring the ] hero ]. In addition, he ] at least one issue of nearly every major Marvel title, including long runs on two of the company's top magazines, '']'' and '']''.

He was inducted into the ] in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner02.php |publisher=Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac |title=2002 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420114301/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner02.php |archive-date=April 20, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2024, Buscema was inducted into the ] Hall of Fame.<ref name=NYTimes10.11.24>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/11/arts/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame.html|author=]|title=Harvey Awards Inducts 5 Comic Creators to Hall of Fame|newspaper=]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 11, 2024|access-date=October 12, 2024|archive-date=October 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012064817/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/11/arts/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame.html}}</ref>


He was inducted into the ] in 2002.
==Biography== ==Biography==
===Early life and career === ===Early life and career===
], ]</ref>]] ]' ''Man Comics'' #1 (Dec. 1949), one of Buscema's earliest recorded comic-book covers]]
Born in Brooklyn, New York, John Buscema showed an interest in drawing at an early age, copying comic strips such as ].<ref name="quart">Quartuccio, S., & Keenan, B.(1978) An introduction to John Buscema. In ''The Art of John Buscema''. New York: Sal Q Productions</ref> In his teens he developed an interest in both ] comic books and such classic ] comic strips as ]'s '']'' and '']'', ]'s '']'', ]'s '']'', and ]'s '']''.<ref>Spurlock, D., & Buscema, J.(2001) ''John Buscema Sketchbook''. New Jersey:Vanguard Productions, 60-61</ref> Born in ], New York City, from ] parents who emigrated from ], ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freetimemagazine.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/freetime-58-web-97.jpg |title=Tina Colombo racconta suo zio John Buscema, disegnatore per la Marvel / Tina Colombo talks about her uncle, Marvel illustrator John Buscema |last=Crepaldi |first=Silvia |date=March 2017 |page=97 |language=it |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170407121643/http://www.freetimemagazine.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/freetime-58-web-97.jpg |archive-date=April 7, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=2017-04-07 |quote=Mio nonno Giovanni ... sposò mia nonna Concetta, pozzallese e si trasferì a Pozzallo dove faceva il barbiere. Emigrò in America come tanti, ma partì solo ... / My grandfather Giovanni ... married my grandmother Concetta and moved to Pozzallo where he was a barber. He emigrated to America like so many others ...|work=Freetime}}</ref> John Buscema showed an interest in drawing at an early age, copying ]s such as '']''.<ref name=quart>{{cite book|last1=Quartuccio|first1= Sal|last2= Keenan|first2=Bob|title=The Art of John Buscema|location= New York, New York|publisher= Sal Q Productions|year= 1978|page= Preface}}</ref> In his teens, he developed an interest in both ] comic books and such ] comic strips as ]'s '']'' and '']'', ]'s ''Tarzan'', ]'s '']'', and ]'s '']''.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=J. David Spurlock|last1=Spurlock|first1= David J.|first2= John |last2=Buscema|title=John Buscema Sketchbook|location= Lebanon, New Jersey|publisher=Vanguard Productions|year= 2001|pages=60–61|isbn=1-887591-18-4}}</ref> He showed an interest in ] of the period, by such artists as ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>Spurlock, p. 27</ref>
He also showed an interest in commercial illustrators of the period, such as ], ], ] and ], <ref>Spurlock. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', p.27</ref>
and in the fine arts, copying works from fine artists, Italian Renaissance artists being a particular influence.<ref name="steranko">Steranko, J. (2001) John Buscema and the renaissance of comic art. In Spurlock, D. & Buscema J., ''John Buscema Sketchbook''(pp.4-7) New Jersey: Vanguard Productions, p.7</ref>


Buscema graduated from ]'s ]. He took night lessons at ] as well as ] classes at the ].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Irving|first=Christoper|title=The Life of Legendary 'Big' John Buscema|journal=]|issue=21 |date=August 2002|location= Raleigh, North Carolina |publisher= ]|page= 5–B}}</ref> While training as a ], he began painting portraits of boxers and sold some cartoons to '']''.<ref name=quart /> Seeking work as a commercial illustrator while doing various odd jobs, Buscema found himself instead entering the comic book field in 1948,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/buscema_john.htm |date=December 28, 2007|publisher= ]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140219064715/http://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/buscema_john.htm |archive-date=February 19, 2014|url-status= live |title=John Buscema }}</ref> landing a staff job under ] and ] ] at ],<ref>{{cite book|last= Sanderson|first= Peter|author-link= Peter Sanderson|editor-last= Gilbert|editor-first= Laura|chapter= 1940s|title= Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History|publisher= ]|year= 2008|location=London, UK|page= 39|isbn=978-0756641238|quote= After answering a newspaper ad, John Buscema was hired by editor Stan Lee to be a staff artist.}}</ref> the forerunner of ]. The Timely "bullpen", as the staff was called, included such fellow staffers as established veterans ], ], ], ], and ]. Fellow newcomer ], hired roughly two months earlier,<ref name="steranko-a">], in Spurlock, p. 5</ref> recalled that "... John never seemed very happy in comics ... there always seemed to be something else he really wanted to do."<ref>{{cite book|last=Field|first=Tom|title=Secrets in the Shadows: The Art & Life of Gene Colan|year= 2005|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|isbn= 978-1893905450|page= 92}}</ref>
Buscema graduated from ]'s ]. He also took night lessons at ] well as life-drawing classes at the ].<ref>Irving,C. (Aug. 2002). The Life of Legendary 'Big' John Buscema. Comic Book Artist, 21, p. 5-B.</ref>


His first recorded credit is penciling the four-page story "Till Crime Do You Part" in Timely's ''Lawbreakers Always Lose'' #3 (Aug. 1948).<ref name=gcd /> He contributed to the "real-life" dramatic series ''True Adventures'' and ''Man Comics'' (the premiere issue of which sported one of Buscema's earliest recorded comic book covers), as well as to ''Cowboy Romances'', ''Two-Gun Western'' (for which he drew at least one story of the continuing character the ]), '']'', and '']''.<ref name=gcd>{{gcdb|type=credit|search=John+Buscema|title=John Buscema}} from the original December 5, 2011.</ref> Until the bullpen was dissolved a year-and-a-half later, as comic books in general and superhero comics in particular continued their post-war fade in popularity, Buscema<!--, the youngest member of the bullpen,--> ] and ] in a variety of genres, including ] and ].<ref name="steranko-a" />
While training as a boxer, he began painting portraits of boxers and sold some cartoons to the ''Hobo News''.<ref name="quart" />
]
Seeking work as a commercial illustrator while doing various odd jobs, Buscema found himself instead entering the comic-book field in 1948, landing a staff job under ] and ] ] at ], the first forerunner of ]. The Timely "bullpen", as the staff was famously called, included such fellow staffers as ], ], ],<ref>Steranko. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', p.5.</ref> and, hired roughly two months earlier, ]. <ref>Peel, J. (Sept.-Oct. 1984). John Buscema. Comics Feature, 31, p. 12.</ref>


===1950s===
Until the bullpen was dissolved a year-and-a-half later, as comic books in general and superhero comics in particular continued their post-war fade in popularity, Buscema, the youngest member of the "bullpen", ] and ] in a variety of genres, including ], ] and ].<ref> Steranko. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', p.5. </ref> His first recorded credit is the seven-page story "Crime: Kidnapping!- Victim: Abraham Lincoln!" in the Timely crime title ''Crime Fighters #4 (Nov. 1948)''. <ref>Evanier, M.,& Buscema, J. (June 2002). John Buscema: The San Diego 2001 interview. Alter Ego, v.3, 15, 16v-17v. </ref> Among the other titles to which he contributed were the "real-life" dramatic series ''True Adventures'' and ''Man Comics'' (the premiere issue of which sported Buscema's first comic-book cover), ''Cowboy Romances'', ''Two-Gun Western'' (for which he drew at least one story of the continuing character the ]), '']'', and '']''. An early highlight is his work on the Tex Morgan western title (#'s 4-7).
<!-- Deleted image removed: ]'' a.k.a. '']'' #1006 (July 1959). Art by Buscema.]] -->
Buscema married in 1953.<ref>Quartuccio, Preface</ref> He continued to freelance for Timely, by now known as ], as well as for the publishers ], ], Our Publications/Orbit-Wanted, ], ], and ].<ref name=gcd />


Buscema's mid-1950s work includes ]' ''] Comics'' #74–91 (Feb. 1954 – July 1955) and subsequent ''Roy Rogers and Trigger'' #92–97 and #104–108 (Aug. 1955 – Jan. 1956 & Aug.–Dec. 1956); and the ] series ''Ramar of the Jungle'' and ''Nature Boy'' — the latter, Buscema's first ] work, with a character created by himself and ] co-creator ].<ref name=gcd />
=== 1950s ===
]
In the early 1950s Buscema (with a brief stint in the army in 1951, with a honorable discharge due to ulcer, after which he married in 1953)<ref name="quart">Quartuccio. ''Art of Buscema'', Intro. </ref> continued to work freelance for Timely (by now renamed ] as well as branching out to other publishers(Ace, Hillman, Orbit, Quality, St. John, Ziff-Davis), continuing in the crime, romance, western vein. Highlights of the period can be found especially with Our Publications/Orbit on such titles as Love Diary (#31-39, including all covers), Love Journal (#14-22 with most covers), Wanted Comics (#47-53 including most covers) and the Westerner (#28-29, 31, 33-37, 40), featuring Nuggets Nugent, Wild Bill Pecos and Lobo the Wolf Boy.<ref> Steranko. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', 5-6.</ref>


Buscema next produced a series of ], ], and ] film adaptations for Dell's '']'' series. Buscema recalled, "I did a bunch of their movie books ... that was a lot of fun. I worked from stills on those, except for ''The Vikings''. ... I think one of the best books I ever did was ''Sinbad the Sailor''."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Peel|first= John|title=John Buscema|journal=Comics Feature|issue=31 |date= September–October 1984}}</ref>
His mid-1950s work for other companies also includes ]' ''Nature Boy'' &mdash; created by himself and ] co-creator ], marking Buscema's first ] work &mdash; and ''Ramar of the Jungle''.
]
Buscema's Atlas work drops off as the comic industry shrinks after the early 1950s. He manages to continue working in comics for the better part of the decade, landing steady work mainly with Western/Dell. Of note for this period is his work on ] Comics (starting in 1954 with a long run of stories, #74-97 and 104-108).


He drew at least one issue of the radio, film, and TV character the ] for Dell in 1957,<ref name=gcd /> as well as one- to eight-page biographies of ] through ] for that company's ] ''Life Stories of American Presidents''.<ref> at the ]</ref>
Buscema next produced a series of western, war, and sword and sandal film and television series adaptations for the Four Color title:
*684 Mar 1956 ( , 34 pgs)
*762 Jan 1957 (The Sharkfighters, 34 pages),
*775 Mar 1957 (, 34 pages),
*794 Apr 1957 (, 35 pages),
*910 Jun 1958 (, 34 pages),
*927 (Luke Short’s Top Gun, 35 pages),
*944 Sep 1958 (, 33 pages),
*1006 Jul 1959 (, 34 pages),
*1077 (, 34 pages),
*1130 (, 35 pages),
*1139 Nov 1960 (, 10 pages plus 22 pages pencils, Mike Peppe inks).
]'' a.k.a. '']'' #1006 (July 1959). Art by Buscema.]]
According to Buscema :'...I did a bunch of their movie books-...that was a lot of fun. I worked from stills on those, except for ''The Vikings''....I think one of the best books I ever did was ''Sinbad the Sailor''.'<ref>Peel. John Buscema, p. 13.</ref>


During a late 1950s downturn in the comics industry, Buscema drew occasional ], ], and ] stories for Atlas Comics' '']'', '']'', and '']'', and ]'s '']'', and '']''<ref name=gcd /> before leaving comics to do freelance commercial art.<ref name="Steranko, p. 6">Steranko, p. 6</ref> He began a freelance position for the New York City ] firm the Chaite Agency, which employed such commercial artists as ] and ].<ref name="Steranko, p. 6"/>
Moreover, he drew at least one issue of the ], film, and ] character ] for Dell in 1957, as well as one- to eight-page bios of every ] through ] for that company's ] ''Life Stories of American Presidents''. His work on Indian Chief #30-33 is notable late 50's work. <ref>Evanier. San Diego 2001, p.7V. </ref>


===1960s===
As the late-1950s industry downturn continued, Buscema hung on with occasional ], ], and ] stories for Atlas ('']'', '']'', '']'') and ] (''Adventures into the Unknown'', ''Forbidden Worlds''.) before seeking work in other fields. He began a freelance position for the major ] ] studio, the Chaite Agency, which employed top commercial artists such as ] and Frank McCarthy.<ref> Steranko. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', p.6.</ref>
]'' #41 (June 1967), Buscema's first issue of a signature series. Cover art by Buscema and ] ].]]
Buscema spent approximately eight years in the commercial-art field, freelancing for the Chaite Agency{{#tag:ref|This advertising agency, not to be confused with New York City's similarly named ] Agency or ], was responsible for, among other things, the ] for the ] movie '']'', per {{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/library/eventsexh/past/2007_01_10_bond.html|publisher=British Film Institute|title=Exhibitions & Events: 'Poster Galore'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204082511/http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/library/eventsexh/past/2007_01_10_bond.html|archive-date=February 4, 2010|url-status=dead}}|group=Note|name=note1}} and the studio Triad, doing a variety of assignments: layouts, ]s, illustrations, paperback book covers, etc. in a variety of media. Buscema called this time "quite a learning period for me in my own development of techniques".<ref>Spurlock, p. 35</ref>


He returned to comic books in 1966 as a regular freelance penciller for ], debuting over ] layouts on the "], Agent of ]" story in '']'' #150 (Nov. 1966), followed by three "]" stories in '']'' #85–87 (Nov. 1966 – Jan. 1967).<ref name=gcd /> He then settled in as regular penciller of '']'', which would become one of his signature series, with #41 (June 1967). ''Avengers'' #49–50, featuring Hercules and inked by Buscema, are two of his "best-looking of that period", said comics historian and one-time Marvel editor-in-chief ], who wrote those issues.<ref>{{Cite journal|author-link=Roy Thomas|last=Thomas|first=Roy|title='Big John' & 'Roy the Boy'|journal=]|volume= 3|issue=15|date=June 2002|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|page= 5 (Conan cover side of flip-book magazine)}}</ref> Thomas and Buscema introduced new versions of the ]<ref>] "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 128</ref> and the ]<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 132: "The new Vision, drawn by John Buscema, was a synthezoid – an android with synthetic human organs – who could control his density and discharge blasts of solar energy."</ref> during their collaboration on ''The Avengers''.
=== 1960s===
]
Buscema spent around eight years in the commercial art field associated with the Chaite and Triad studios, doing a variety of assignments: layouts, storyboards, illustrations, paperback book covers, etc. in a variety of medium. According to Buscema: '...it was quite a learning period for me in my own development of techniques.'<ref> Spurlock. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', p.34</ref>


In order to adapt to the Marvel Comics style of superhero adventure, Buscema "synthesized the essence of Kirby's supercharged action figures, harrowing perspectives, monolithic structures, mega-force explosions, and mythological planetscapes into a formula that he instantly integrated into his own superbly crafted vision," wrote comics artist and historian ]. "The process brought Buscema's art to life in a way that it had never been before. Anatomically balanced figures of Herculean proportions stalked, stormed, sprawled, and savaged their way across Marvel's universe like none had previously".<ref>Steranko, in Spurlock, pp. 6–7</ref>
He returned to comic books in 1966 as a regular freelance penciller for ](he accepted an offer from Stan Lee which allowed him to cut down on his extensive commuting time)"<ref>Woolcombe, A.(Aug. 2002). Talking with Big John. Comic Book Artist, 21, p. 26-B.</ref>
, debuting over ] layouts on the "]" story in '']'' #150 (Nov. 1966), followed by three "]" stories in '']'' #85-87 (Nov. 1966 - Jan. 1967). He then settled in as regular penciller of the '']'', which would become one his signature series, with #41 (June 1967). ''Avengers'' #49-50, featuring Hercules and inked by Buscema, are two of his 'best-looking of that period.'<ref>Thomas, R. (June 2002). "Big John" & "Roy the Boy". Alter Ego, v.3, 15, p.5r</ref>


Buscema would pencil an average of two comics a month in collaboration with such inkers as ], ], ], ], his younger brother ], ], and, occasionally, Marvel ] and sometime inker-] ]. John Buscema named Frank Giacoia, Sal Buscema, and Tom Palmer as his favorite inkers.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cooke |first=Jon B. |title=John Buscema Interview |journal=The Jack Kirby Collector |issue=18 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |date=January 1998 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |url=http://twomorrows.com/kirby/articles/18buscema.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204044706/http://twomorrows.com/kirby/articles/18buscema.html |archive-date=December 4, 2010 |url-status=live |access-date=November 25, 2008}}</ref>
In order to adapt to the Marvel Comics style of superhero adventure, Buscema was influenced by Jack Kirby. According to Jim Steranko: '...the artist synthesized the essence of Kirby' supercharged action figures, harrowing perspectives, monolithic structures, mega-force explosions, and mythological planetscapes into a formula that he instantly integrated into his own superbly-crafted vision. The process brought Buscema's art to life in a way that it had never been before. Anatomically-balanced figures of Herculean proportions stalked, stormed, sprawled, and savaged their way across Marvel's universe like none had previously.' <ref> Steranko. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', 6-7.</ref>


]. One of Buscema's most famous covers.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Thomas|first= Roy|title=Drawing Was His Life!|journal=Alter Ego|volume= 3|number=15 |date=June 2002|page= 31 (Buscema self-portrait cover side of flip-book magazine)}}</ref>]]
Buscema would pencil an average of two comics a month in collaboration with such inkers as ], ], ], ], his younger brother ], ], and, occasinally, Marvel ] and sometime inker-] ].
Among Buscema's works during this period fans and historians call the ] are ''The Avengers'' #41–62 (June 1967 – March 1969) and ''The Avengers Annual'' #2 (Sept. 1968); the first eight issues of ''The Sub-Mariner'' (May–Dec. 1968); '']'' #72–73, 76–81, 84–85 (ranging from June 1969 – June 1970 providing layouts finished by either ] or ]), and two issues he himself finished over Romita layouts. Buscema drew the first appearance of the ] in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #78 (Nov. 1969).<ref>{{cite book|last= Manning|first= Matthew K.|editor-last= Gilbert|editor-first= Laura|chapter= 1960s|title= Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging|publisher= ]|year= 2012|location= London, UK|page= 49|isbn= 978-0756692360|quote= In this tale written by Lee and drawn by the team of John Buscema and Jim Mooney, window washer Hobie Brown became fed up with his dead-end job and used his inventive mind to craft the identity and weapons of the Prowler.}}</ref>
]. One of Buscema's most famous covers.<ref>Thomas, R. & Buscema, S. (June 2002). Alter Ego, v.3, 15, p.31v</ref>]]
Among Buscema's works during this period fans and historians call the ] are ''The Avengers'' #41-#62 (June 1967 - March 1969), which includes the introduction of the modern-day ] in #57 (Oct. 1968), and ''The Avengers Annual'' #2 (Sept. 1968); the first eight issues of '']'' (May-Dec. 1968); '']'' #72-73, 76-81, 84-85 (ranging from June 1969 - June 1970), providing layouts finished by either ] or ], and two issues he himself finished over Romita layouts; and a new title, '']''. That philosophical series about a ]-like alien roaming the world trying to understand both the divinity and the savagery of humanity was a personal favorite of Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee,<ref>Lee, Stan. ''Origins of Marvel Comics'' (Marvel Entertainment Group, 1997 reissue) ISBN 0-7851-0551-4</ref> who scripted. Buscema penciled 17 of its 18 issues &mdash; the first seven as a 25¢ "giant-size" title at a time when comics typically cost 12¢. Silver Surfer #4, featuring a battle between the Silver Surfer and Thor is regarded as one his finest achievements. <ref>Defalco, T., & Buscema, S. (August 2002). Memories of Brother John. Comic Book Artist, 21, p.34-B</ref>


In August 1968, Buscema and Stan Lee launched a new title, ''The ]''.<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 131: "When Stan Lee was told to expand the Marvel line, he immediately gave the Surfer his own title ... Since Jack Kirby had more than enough assignments, Lee assigned John Buscema the task of illustrating the new book."</ref> That series about a philosophical alien roaming the world trying to understand both the divinity and the savagery of humanity was a personal favorite of Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee,<ref>{{cite book|author-link= Stan Lee|last= Lee|first= Stan|title= Son of Origins of Marvel Comics|url= https://archive.org/details/sonoforiginsofma0000lees|url-access= registration|publisher= ]/]|year= 1975|location= New York, New York|isbn= 978-0671221669|page= #?}}</ref> who scripted. Buscema penciled 17 of its 18 issues — the first seven as a 25¢ "giant-size" title at a time when comics typically cost 12¢. "Beautifully drawn by John Buscema, this comic book represented an attempt to upgrade the medium with a serious character of whom Lee had grown very fond," assessed comics historian ].<ref>{{cite book|last = Daniels|first = Les|author-link = Les Daniels|title = Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics|publisher = ]|year= 1991|location= New York, New York
Toward's the end of the 60's, aside from a few fill-ins ('']'' #115, ''Captain Marvel'' #18, ''Sub-Mariner'' #s 20 and 24) Buscema also returned to familiar 1950s genres with a spate of mystery and romance stories (for ''Chamber of Darkness'', ''Tower of Shadows'', ''My Love'', ''Our Love''). Buscema then returned to his signature series ''The Avengers'' for 11 issues inked by ].
|page = 139|isbn = 9780810938212}}</ref> Roy Thomas said Buscema considered ''Silver Surfer'' #4 (Feb. 1969), featuring a battle between the Silver Surfer and Thor, "as the highpoint of his Marvel work".<ref name="highpoint">{{Cite journal|last=DeFalco|first=Tom|title=Memories of Brother John|journal=Comic Book Artist|issue=21 |date=August 2002|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|page= 34-B (caption)}}</ref> Characters Buscema co-created in ''The Silver Surfer'' include the long-running arch-demon ] in issue #3 (Dec. 1968).<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 133: "Created by editor Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, Mephisto hated the Surfer the moment he became aware of him."</ref>


Toward the end of the decade, Buscema drew some fill-in issues of superhero series and returned to familiar 1950s genres with a spate of supernatural mystery stories in '']'' and '']'', and romance tales in ''My Love'' and ''Our Love''. He then returned to his signature series ''The Avengers'' for 11 issues inked by Tom Palmer.<ref name=gcd />
=== 1970s ===
]


===1970s===
With Jack Kirby's departure from Marvel in 1970, Buscema succeeded him on both Kirby's titles: ''Fantastic Four'' (penciling issues #107-141, following ]) and '']'' (#182-259). He was inked by ] on the former, and variously by Sinnott, Verpoorten, ], ], and others on the latter. Ironically, Buscema claimed to have a nearly complete disinterest for superheroes, although this never showed in his work.<ref>Defalco. Memories, p.35-B</ref>
The creative team of Roy Thomas and John Buscema introduced new characters such as ] in ''The Avengers'' #75 (April 1970),<ref>] "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 145</ref> ] in #80 (Sept. 1970),<ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 146: "Red Wolf was Marvel's first Native American super hero."</ref> and the ] in #85 (Feb. 1971).<ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 148</ref> With Jack Kirby's departure from Marvel in 1970, Buscema succeeded him on both of Kirby's titles: ''Fantastic Four'' (penciling issues #107–141, following ]) and '']''{{#tag:ref|Also called ''The Mighty Thor'' per {{Cite web | url=http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/thor.htm#S145 | title=''Thor'' (I) • ''The Mighty Thor'' (I) (1966–1996) |publisher= Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators|quote= Series is named ''Thor'' in the ] information, but most covers have the title ''The Mighty Thor''.}}|group=Note|name=note2}} (#182–259).<ref name=gcd /> He additionally launched the feature "]" in '']'' vol. 2, #1 (Aug. 1970).<ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 146: ''Amazing Adventures'' contained a series about the genetically enhanced Inhumans and a series about intelligence agent the Black Widow ... writer Gary Friedrich and artist John Buscema teamed up for the adventures of the Black Widow, the former Russian spy turned American superhero."</ref>
Buscema began penciling '']'' with #25 (April 1973)with writer ] following ]'s celebrated run, and debuted as the Conan artist of the black-and-white comics-]''Savage Sword of Conan'' with issue #1 (Aug. 1974). He would eventually contribute to more than 100 issues of each title (the former through 190, the latter through 101, then again from #190-210), giving him one of the most prolific runs for an artist on a single character. ]/Chan was his main inker on ''Conan the Barbarian'' in the 1970s, (except for a hiatus between #’s 44-69 which were inked by Tony DeZuniga, Dick Giordano, Tom Palmer, Steve Gan and others). Highlights of the Buscema/Thomas run include the double-sized issues #'s 100<ref>Thomas, R.,(February 1998). Roy's Ramblings. Conan Saga, 95, 61-62.</ref> and 115<ref>Thomas, R. (April 1995). Roy's Ramblings. Conan Saga, V.1, 97, 34-35.</ref>.
]


Marvel editor-in-chief ], who collaborated with Buscema on many stories up to this time, wrote,
] was his regular inker on ''Savage Sword of Conan'' until #24 and they produced some highly regarded stories. Of note are "Iron Shadows in the Moon" (#4), "The Slithering Shadow" (#20). "The Tower of the Elephant" (#24,)<ref>Schumer, A.(Aug. 2002), , Remembering Buscema. Comic Book Artist, 21, p. 23-B.</ref> Tony DeZuniga became Buscema' regular inker with #26 producing Conan literary adaptations until his departure with #58 (with Thomas leaving with #60,<ref>Thomas. Big John, p.11r.</ref>


{{blockquote|One thing I loved about Big John is the fact that I didn't have to spend time writing synopses for him. ... He'd always growl over the phone, 'Don't bother sending me any outlines, Stan. I hate to waste time reading them. Just tell what you've got in mind over the phone. I'll remember it.' So I'd tell him the story I wanted, and I have a hunch he didn't even write any notes while I spoke — because I spoke too fast — but it didn't matter. He remembered every last detail and the stories always came out perfect — at least as far as I was concerned.<ref>Irving, p. 6B</ref>}}
He additionally drew the ''Conan'' Sunday and daily ] ] ] upon its premiere in 1978,<ref>Thomas. Big John, p.14r.</ref> and even contributed some storyboard illustrations for the 1982 Conan movie,<ref>Thomas. Big John, p.15r.</ref> as well as painting four covers for the Conan magazines.


Buscema began penciling '']'' with #25 (April 1973) following ]'s celebrated run, and debuted as the Conan artist of the black-and-white comics-magazine omnibus '']'' with issue #1 (Aug. 1974). He would eventually contribute to more than 100 issues of each title,<ref name=gcd /> giving him one of the most prolific runs for an artist on a single character. He additionally drew the ''Conan'' Sunday and daily ] newspaper ] upon its premiere in 1978,<ref>Thomas, "'Big John'", p. 14</ref> and even contributed some storyboard illustrations for the 1982 Conan movie,<ref>Thomas, "'Big John'", p. 15</ref> as well as painting four covers for the Conan magazines. In 2010, ] ranked Buscema's work on ''Conan the Barbarian'' seventh on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/columns/447/top-10-1970s-marvels/ |title=Top 10 1970s Marvels |first=Jason |last=Sacks |date=September 6, 2010 |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801070005/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/columns/447/top-10-1970s-marvels |archive-date=August 1, 2013 |url-status=dead|access-date=August 3, 2013}}</ref>
In the mid-1970s, Buscema began opting to pencil primarily layouts (pencilled pages without the shading and rendering) as opposed to finished pencils.) <ref>Thomas. Big John, p.11r. </ref> For about ten years, he would produce an average three to four books' worth of pencils a month.


He launched the feature "]" in '']'' in 1970), and the comics '']'' (1976) and '']'' (1977). In additional to his regular assignments he would pencil covers and fill-in issues of titles including '']'', '']'' (Marvel UK), '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''. He also drew a story for the ] ] '']''. For about ten years, he would produce an average three to four books' worth of pencils a month, such as '']'' (1976)<ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 176: "Seeking to create a new teenage Marvel super hero in the tradition of Spider-Man, writer Marv Wolfman and artist John Buscema presented Richard Rider, alias Nova."</ref> and '']'' (1977). In addition to his regular assignments he would pencil covers and fill-in issues of titles including '']'', '']'' (Marvel UK), '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''. He also drew a story for the ] ] '']''.<ref name=gcd />


Buscema contributed as well to Marvel's black-and-white comics magazines, including the features "]" in '']'' #1 (May 1971) and "]" in ''Rampaging Hulk'' #1 (Jan. 1977), and '' ]'' #1 & 3 (Aug. 1975, Jan,. 1976). Other magazine work ran the gamut from ] (''Dracula Lives!'', ''Monsters Unleashed'', '']'') to ] (''Crazy'', ''Pizzaz''). Buscema contributed as well to Marvel's black-and-white comics magazines, including the features "]" in '']'' #1 (May 1971) and "]" in ''Rampaging Hulk'' #1 (Jan. 1977), and '']'' #1 and 3 (Aug. 1975, Jan. 1976). Other magazine work ran the gamut from ] (''Dracula Lives!'', ''Monsters Unleashed'', '']'') to ] (''Crazy'', ''Pizzaz'').<ref name=gcd />


Buscema left the ''Thor'' title for a time to launch the Marvel version of the ] character ] in 1977.<ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 179: "Writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema created Marvel's new ''Tarzan'' series, based on author Edgar Rice Burroughs' character."</ref> Other licensed projects include a 72-page '']'' movie adaptation in an oversized "]" format with DeZuniga inking.<ref name=gcd /><ref>{{cite journal|last = Abramowitz|first = Jack|title = The Secrets of Oz Revealed|journal= ]|issue = 61|pages = 29–32|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date = December 2012|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=McAvennie|first= Michael|editor-last=Dolan|editor-first=Hannah|chapter= 1970s|title= DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=]|year=2010|location= London, UK|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 165 |quote = The Yellow Brick Road from Munchkin Land to the Emerald City was also wide enough to accommodate DC and Marvel as they produced their first-ever joint publication ... Roy Thomas scripted a faithful, seventy-two page adaptation of Dorothy Gale's adventure, while John Buscema's artwork depicted the landscape of Oz in lavish detail.}}</ref> For ], which produced children's book-and-record sets, Buscema drew '']'' and Conan the Barbarian comics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bailsprojects.com/(S(sqjxmbzn5ohvis45jzd5sw45))/bio.aspx?Name=BUSCEMA%2c+JOHN |author-link=Jerry Bails |first1=Jerry |last1=Bails |first2=Hames |last2=Ware |title=Buscema, John |work=Who's Who in American Comic Books 1929–1999 |publisher=BailsProjects.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727190821/http://www.bailsprojects.com/(S(sqjxmbzn5ohvis45jzd5sw45))/bio.aspx?Name=BUSCEMA,+JOHN |archive-date=July 27, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> He contributed some superhero drawings for ''Pro'', the ] official magazine (1970), and penciled some chapters of the first issue of '']'' featuring the rock group ] (1977).<ref name=gcd />
]


In 1978, small-press publisher Sal Quartuccio released ''The Art of John Buscema'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comics.lib.msu.edu/rri/qrri/qualit.htm#sal |title=Quartuccio, Sal |publisher=], Special Collections Division, Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection: "Qualities" to "Quartz" |location=East Lansing, Michigan |access-date=August 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813213635/http://comics.lib.msu.edu/rri/qrri/qualit.htm |archive-date=August 13, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> a retrospective that included an interview, previously unpublished sketches and drawings, and a cover that was also sold as a poster.
Buscema left the ''Thor'' title (although will return for issues #272-285, inks by Palmer and Stone) to launch the Marvel version of the ] popular fiction character ] in 1977. Having already done 13 issues of the Jungle-oriented ''Kazar'' (in ''Astonishing Tales'' and ''Savage Tales''), he pencilled and inked in the first three issues (along with several covers) although he switches to only layouts for the rest of his 18-issue stint with several changes in inkers. Of note is his ''Tarzan Annual'' #1 with Steve Gan inks. <ref>Thomas. Big John, p.16r.</ref>


Buscema capped off the decade penciling writer ]'s three-issue ] epic-fantasy tale "Warriors of the Shadow Realm" in ''Marvel Super Special'' #11–13 (June–Oct. 1979).<ref name=gcd /> ] released an accompanying portfolio of six signed, colored plates from the story.<ref>{{cite web|last=Maillot |first=Michael |url=http://mike.jersey.free.fr/Buscema.htm |title=The John Buscema Checklist |publisher=Mike.Jersey.free.fr (fan site) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720222556/http://mike.jersey.free.fr/Buscema.htm |archive-date=July 20, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Other licensed projects include a 72-page '']'' movie adaptation in an oversized "Treasury Edition" format with DeZuniga inking. Apparently Buscema, having something of a photographic memory, was able to draw the entire book without reference except for character photos, based on his recollection of a viewing 25 years prior. However, Roy Thomas reported that Buscema was originally working on an adaptation of the ] book based on the original illustrations. When Marvel decided to collaborate on the project with DC, the project became an adaptation of the MGM movie. <ref>Thomas. Big John, p.14r.</ref>


====Teaching====
He drew ] as well as ''Holo Man'' (both for Power Records), and some ] covers for the UK magazine. He also contributed some superhero drawings for ''Pro'', the ] official magazine (1970), and pencilled some chapters of the first issue of ''Marvel Comics Super Special Magazine'' featuring the rock group ] (1977).
In the mid-1970s, Buscema ran the John Buscema Art School, which advertised for students in the pages of many Marvel titles. Stan Lee made appearances as a guest lecturer at Buscema's school, and some of the school's graduates (including ] and ])<ref>"Cables of Champions", ''Champions'' #10 (Marvel Comics, Jan. 1977).</ref> went on to become professional cartoonists. Buscema later said that teaching the class was "very gratifying" but that having to make the 60-mile drive after a day's work was too exhausting, and ultimately forced him to give it up.<ref name="DAK62">{{cite news | last = Boatz | first = Darrel L. | date = November 1988 | title = John Buscema | work = ] | issue = 62 | pages = 25 | publisher = ]}}</ref> Buscema then collaborated with Lee on the book '']'' (], 1978), a primer on comic book art and storytelling based on the comic art classes Buscema had given a few years prior,<ref name="DAK62"/> and has remained in print for over 25 years,<ref>Spurlock, pp. 19–20</ref> in its 33rd printing as of 2007.


===1980s===
]
After drawing the first issue of ''The Savage ]'' (Feb. 1980),<ref>DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 197: "With the help of artist John Buscema, Lee created Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner."</ref> Buscema abandoned regular superhero work in order to spearhead art duties on all three ] titles. The popularity of the character spurred the release of a ] in 1982; Buscema provided pencils and inks for a 48-page movie adaptation.<ref name=gcd />


He continued to tackle other high-profile projects such as a Silver Surfer story for '']'' #1 (Spring 1980), a ] story in '']'' #22 (Summer 1980), the ] biography ''Francis, Brother of the Universe'' (1980), the second '']'' team-up (1981),<ref>Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 194: "In an oversized treasury edition carrying a hefty $2.50 price tag, the Man of Steel paired for the second time with Marvel's iconic web-slinger ... The issue came together thanks to the script of writer Jim Shooter, a bit of plotting assistance by Marv Wolfman, the pencils of longtime Marvel luminary John Buscema, and a veritable fleet of inkers."</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last = Greenberg|first = Glenn|title = Tabloid Team-Ups The Giant-Size DC-Marvel Crossovers|journal = Back Issue!|issue = 61|pages = 33–40|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date = December 2012|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> and an adaptation of the 1981 movie '']''.<ref name=gcd />
Buscema collaborated with Stan Lee on the book ''How to Draw comics the Marvel Way'' (], 1978), a primer on comic-book art and storytelling, which was based on the comic art classes Buscema had given a few years prior,and has remained in print for over 25 years,<ref>Spurlock. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', 19-20.</ref> in its 33rd printing as of 2007. The same year saw the publication of ''The Art of John Buscema'' (S. Quartuccio, 1978), a retrospective that included an interview, previously unpublished sketches and drawings, and a cover that was also sold as a poster. Buscema's passion for drawing was such that he continued to draw and sketch in his spare time (often on the back of comic book art pages) and these images form a considerable body of work in their own right. <ref>Defalco. Memories, p.35-B.</ref>


He left ''King Conan'' in 1982 after nine issues, although he remained with Marvel's Robert E. Howard franchise with a revival of the '']'' series for 10 issues, and left ''The Savage Sword of Conan'' in 1984 with #101 with a series of stories that he plotted himself. After pencilling the '']'' movie adaptation in 1984 and the ''Conan of the Isles'' graphic novel in 1987, he left ''Conan the Barbarian'' with #190 in 1987, ending a 14-year association with the character.<ref name=gcd />
Buscema capped off the decade penciling writer ]'s three-issue ] epic-fantasy tale "Warriors of the Shadow Realm" in the magazine ''A Marvel Super Special'' #11-13 (June-Oct. 1979). ] released an accompanying portfolio of six signed, colored plates from the story.<ref>
> Retrieved on ], ].</ref>


After nearly five years away from superheroes, except for the first two issues of the X-Men-related, four-issue miniseries ''Magik'' (Dec. 1983 – March 1984), Buscema returned to familiar ground as regular penciller on ''The Avengers'' from #255–300 (May 1985 – Feb. 1989). He was regular penciller on ''Fantastic Four'' for its 300th issue, during a 15-issue stint from #296–309 (Nov. 1986 – Dec. 1987). Additionally, he fit in the three-issue film adaptation '']'' (Nov. 1986 – Jan. 1987) and the four-issue miniseries '']'' (April–July 1987), starring a character he created with Stan Lee in ''The Silver Surfer''.<ref name=gcd />
=== 1980s ===
]


Buscema reteamed with Lee on the Silver Surfer himself with the 1988 <!--released as both hardcover and trade paperback, per http://www.comics.org/series.lasso?SeriesID=16851--> graphic novel ''Silver Surfer: Judgment Day'', self-inked and done entirely as full-page panels.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Lee|first1= Stan|author-link= Stan Lee|last2= Buscema|first2= John|title= Silver Surfer: Judgement Day|publisher= Marvel Comics|year= 1988|pages= 64|isbn= 978-0871354273}}</ref> That year he and inker ] drew a ] solo feature in the biweekly anthology ''Marvel Comics Presents'', followed by self-inked Wolverine series in that title. He pencilled the first 14 issues (Nov. 1988 – mid-Nov. 1989) of the first Wolverine ongoing series, self-inked on #7–8.<ref name=gcd /> ], who inked the last five issues of that run, recalled Buscema's pencil work as "the sturdiest foundation an inker or an embellisher could possibly hope to build on, and their beauty was not in their attention to fastidiously rendered minutiae, but instead were marvels of deceptive simplicity. Each page an example of grace, elegance and power."<ref>{{Cite journal|author-link=Bill Sienkiewicz|last1=Sienkiewicz|first1= Bill |display-authors=etal |title=Remembering Buscema: Over 25 of the Master's Peers Reminisce about John and his Art|journal= Comic Book Artist|issue= 21|date=August 2002|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|page=22B}}</ref>
The Thomas, Buscema, Chan team launched a third Conan title, the double-sized bi-monthly ''King Conan'' in 1980 as Buscema abandoned regular superhero work in order to spearhead art duties on all three Conan titles and he draws a 6-plate Conan portfolio released by Sal Q. Productions in 1980. The popularity of the character spurred the release of the film in 1982; Buscema provided pencils and inks for a 48-page movie adaptation.


===Later career===
He continued to tackle other high-profile projects such as the second ''Superman and Spider-Man'' team-up (1981), a Silver Surfer story for '']'' #1 (1980), a ] story (''Marvel Preview'' #22, 1980), an adaptation of the 1981 movie '']'', and the ] biography of ''Francis, Brother of the Universe'' (1980).
Buscema began his sixth decade in the field by joining Roy Thomas for a return to ''The Savage Sword of Conan'' with #191 (Nov. 1991) for a 20-issue run. ''Conan the Rogue'', a ] Buscema plotted, pencilled, inked, and colored over a period of five years in his spare time appeared that same year.<ref>Thomas, "'Big John'", pp. 16–17</ref><ref> at the Grand Comics Database</ref> He both penciled and inked the graphic novel '']'' (Nov. 1993).<ref name=gcd />


Buscema returned to ] with '']'' #23–30 (Jan.–Aug. 1994, self-inking #26–29), that title's 1993 ], and the 1994 graphic novel ''A Man Named Frank'', a ] Punisher ] tale. He pencilled the Punisher portions of 1994's '']'' team-up. No longer attached to a regular series after his ''Punisher'' run, he penciled and inked ''The Avengers Annual'' #23 (1994) and five more black-and-white Conan adventures, serving as that Marvel franchise's final artist on ''The Savage Sword of Conan'' with #235 (July 1995) and on the short-lived spin-off ''Conan the Savage'' with #10 (May 1996).<!--the cited databases list his raw credits; they don't need separate footnotes unless there's something controversial or disputed about them--> Through 1999, he penciled a variety of superhero comics; both penciled and inked a black-and-white short story for ''Shadows and Light'' (1998); and made a final return to Conan with the ''Death Covered in Gold'' three-issue miniseries (1999).<ref name=gcd />
Buscema continued on ''Savage Sword of Conan'' after Thomas and Dezuniga's departures (Ernie Chan, Rudy Nebres, Nestor Redondo took on the inking chores, as did Buscema himself in issues #61, 70, 73) and introduced a character of his own creation, Bront, in a 5-part tale in issues #65-66, 79-81, which he plotted, pencilled, and inked. He continued with the Conan the Barbarian comic book series which had gone through a number of changes in writers and inkers (Bob Camp being the most prolific inker before the return of Ernie Chan as regular inker). Buscema plotted five issues (#'s 155-159) as he had strong plotting and storytelling skills as evidenced in his preference for the 'Marvel method' of storytelling (i.e. working from a brief plot rather than a full script). <ref> Stan Lee declared: 'As a writer I found him a delight to work with. I had only to give him the barest bones of a plot and he'd flesh it out magnificently. He didn't even want a written synopsis most of the time. We'd discuss the story over the phone for a few minutes and days later he'd deliver a terrific strip that looked as though we had spent weeks going over every last detail!' in Schumer. Remembering Buscema, p. 23-B.</ref> He began contributing pencilled and inked covers in the last few years of his tenure on the title.


Buscema worked with ] for the first time in 2000, initially doing both pencils and inks on a "]" short story in '']'' #7 (Sept. 2000). He reunited with Stan Lee on the 2001 one-shot '']''.<ref name=gcd />
Buscema became increasingly disenchanted with the writing on the various Conan series. <ref>Peel. John Buscema, p. 18.</ref> He left ''King Conan'' in 1982 after nine issues, although he remained with Marvel's Robert E. Howard franchise with a revival of the '']'' series for 10 issues, and left ''The Savage Sword of Conan'' in 1984 with #101 with a series of stories that he plotted himself. After pencilling the ''Conan the Destroyer'' movie adaptation in 1984 and the ''Conan of the Isles'' graphic novel in 1987, he left ''Conan the Barbarian'' with #190 in 1987, ending a 14-year association with the character.
]
After nearly five years away from superheroes, except for the first two issues of the four-issue, X-Men related miniseries ''Magik'' (Dec. 1983 - March 1984), Buscema returned to familiar ground as regular penciller on ''The Avengers'' from #255-300 (May 1985 - Feb. 1989). He was also regular penciller on ''Fantastic Four'' for its 300th issue, during a 15-issue stint from #296-309 (Nov. 1986 - Dec. 1987). Additionally, he also fit in the three-issue film adaptation '']'' (Nov. 1986 - Jan. 1987) and the four-issue miniseries '']'' (April-July 1987), a character he created with Stan Lee in ''The Silver Surfer''. Moreover, he continued his inking efforts, producing the ''Thor Annual'' (#15, 1985), a 10-page western in ''Savage Tales'' magazine (#10,1986), and a plate for the ''WFCBA Portfolio'' (Éditions Déesse, 1983), for example.


He finished the pencils on 2003's ''Superman: Blood of my Ancestors'', begun by ], who had since died, and had just signed on for a five-issue miniseries with Roy Thomas, ''JLA: Barbarians'',<ref name=gcd/> though he died after finishing the first issue.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|last=Nash|first=Eric|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00EED8153AF93BA15752C0A9649C8B63|title=John Buscema, 74, Who Drew Classic Comic Book Characters|work=]|date=January 28, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111091957/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/28/arts/john-buscema-74-who-drew-classic-comic-book-characters.html|archive-date=November 11, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Guardian>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/apr/17/guardianobituaries|title=John Buscema Illustrator whose pen made superheroes masters of the universe|first=Paul|last=Gravett|date=April 16, 2002|location=London, UK|newspaper=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205124037/http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/apr/17/guardianobituaries|archive-date=February 5, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>
Buscema reteamed with Lee on the Silver Surfer himself with the 1988 graphic novel ''Silver Surfer: Judgment Day'', self-inked and done entirely as full-page panels. He helped launch ] solo series in 1988 with the anthology ''Marvel Comics Presents'' #1-10 (inked by Klaus Janson) and #38-47 (inking himself), and ''Wolverine'', which marked a return for Buscema to doing finished pencils for a short period.


An 11 x 17-inch ] print of the late 1960s/early 1970s Avengers, penciled by Buscema and painted in ] by ] for the publisher ], was Buscema's last professional work.<ref name=BID2009>{{cite news|title=Big Bad John|author-link= Peter David|first=Peter|last=David| work=]|date= 2002}} Reprinted in {{cite book|author=David, Peter|title=More Digressions: A New Collection of "But I Digress" Columns|publisher= ]|year =2009|location= Des Moines, Iowa}}</ref>
===Later career ===


Buscema's passion for drawing was such that he continued to draw and sketch in his spare time, often on the back of comic book art pages, and these images form a considerable body of work in their own right. His brother Sal Buscema recalled,
]
{{blockquote|This guy used to eat, sleep and breathe drawing. It didn't matter what was going on around him. He would get bored with it and start sketching. ... He just couldn't stop drawing. better than some of the stuff that he did on the front. ... He'd get a spark of inspiration and turn the page over and draw whatever was in his skull.<ref>Sal Buscema quoted in DeFalco, "Memories", p. 35-B</ref>}}


==Personal life==
Buscema began his sixth decade in the field by joining Roy Thomas for a return to ''The Savage Sword of Conan'' with #191 (Nov. 1991) for a 20-issue run. ''Conan the Rogue'', a ] plotted, pencilled, inked, and colored by Buscema over a period of several years in his spare time appeared that same year. <ref>Thomas. Big John, 16-17. </ref> He departed the ''Wolverine'' title, but not before both penciling and inking the graphic novel ''Wolverine: Bloody Choices'' (Nov. 1993).
Buscema, who lived in ],<ref name=ssdi/> on ], at the time of his death, was married to Dolores Buscema, with whom he had a son, John Jr., and a daughter, Dianne.<ref name=nyt/> His granddaughter ] is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist, who started out as an inker for her grandfather.<ref> (official site). .</ref>


==Death and legacy==
Buscema returned to the ] genre with the ''The Punisher: War Zone'' #23-30 (Jan.-Aug. 1994, self-inking #26-29); ] an artist he particularly admired, follow him on that title. <ref>Peel. John Buscema, p.66.</ref> Buscema also pencilled and inked that title's 1993 ], a ] Punisher ] tale, the 1994 graphic novel ''A Man Named Frank'', and was the penciller for '']'' (1994) team-up. No longer attached to a regular series after his Punisher run, he penciled and inked a ''The Avengers Annual'' #23 (1994) and five more black-and-white Conan adventures, serving as that Marvel franchise's final artist on ''The Savage Sword of Conan'' with #235 (July 1995) and on the short-lived spin-off ''Conan the Savage'' with #10 (May 1996).<ref>Thomas. Big John, p.17r.</ref>
Buscema was diagnosed with ], and died on January 10, 2002, at the age of 74.<ref name=nyt/><ref name=Guardian/> He was buried with an artist's ] in his hand.<ref name=BID2009/>


On October 11, 2024, the ] announced<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/the-harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-announces-inductees-for-2024/|title=THE HARVEY AWARDS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES INDUCTEES FOR 2024|publisher=First Comics News|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 11, 2024|access-date=October 12, 2024|archive-date=October 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012135449/https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/the-harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-announces-inductees-for-2024/}}</ref> that Buscema was one of five comics creators to be inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame at the 36th annual Harvey Awards ceremony on October 18 at the ].<ref name=NYTimes10.11.24/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://comicbookclublive.com/2024/10/12/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-2024-inductees/|author=Zalben, Alex|title=Harvey Awards Announce Hall Of Fame Inductees: Larry Hama, John Buscema, More|publisher=Comic Book Club|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 12, 2024|access-date=October 12, 2024|archive-date=October 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012135136/https://comicbookclublive.com/2024/10/12/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-2024-inductees/}}</ref> The other four inductees were ], ], ], and ]. Upon learning of the accolade, Buscema’s daughter, Dianne Buscema Gerogianis, stated, "We are honored on behalf of my father and wish to thank all who have selected him for the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. Thank you for keeping his legacy alive."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc-2024-harvey-award-hall-of-fame/|author=]|title=NYCC '24: Five inducted into the 2024 Harvey Award Hall of Fame|publisher=]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 11, 2024|access-date=October 12, 2024|archive-date=October 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012134508/https://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc-2024-harvey-award-hall-of-fame/}}</ref>
He later provided a few fill-in pencil jobs (the ''Cosmic Powers Unlimited'' miniseries, ''Doom 2099'', ''Fantastic Four 2099'', ''Thor'', ''Fantastic Four'', ''Silver Surfer'' and a ''Silver Surfer/Rune'' special).
]
Bill Sienkiewicz, a regular Buscema inker during this period, considers Buscema's pencils at this stage of his career as {{cquote|...the sturdiest foundation an inker or an embellisher could possibly hope to build on, and their beauty was not in their attention to fastidiously rendered minutiae, but instead were marvels of deceptive simplicity. Each page an example of grace, elegance and power.}} <ref>Sienkiewicz, B.(August, 2002), Remembering Buscema. Comic Book Artist,21, p. 22-B.</ref>
In 1996, he formally retired at age 68. 1997 was the first year in 30 years where new Buscema material did not appear on the stands - it would also be the last year in Buscema's lifetime, as Buscema continued to receive assignment offers; his retirement thus becoming a "semi-retirement".<ref>Spurlock. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', p.95.</ref>


==Awards and accolades==
He did pencils and inks on a black-and-white short story for ''Shadows and Light'' (1998) and made a final return to Conan with the ''Death Covered in Gold'' three-issue miniseries (1999). He penciled and inked ''Spider-Man Annual'', penciled five of the six-issue ''] the Devourer'' miniseries (inked by ], and a fill-in ''Thor'' issue (inked by ]).
* 1968: ] for Best Full-Length Story, for Marvel Comics' '']'' #1: "Origin of the Silver Surfer", by Stan Lee and John Buscema (tied with ]' '']'' #79: "Track of the Hook", by ] and ]): also Best New Strip for ''The Silver Surfer''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley68.php |title=1968 Alley Awards |publisher=Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024235420/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley68.php |archive-date=October 24, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
]
* 1969: Alley Award for Best Full-Length Story for ''The Silver Surfer'' #5: "... And Who Shall Mourn for Him?", by Stan Lee, John Buscema, and Sal Buscema.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley69.php|title= 1969 Alley Awards |publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131024235605/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/alley69.php|archive-date= October 24, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref>
Buscema worked with ] for the first time in 2000, initially doing both pencils and inks on a black-and-white ] short story (''Batman: Gotham Knights'' #7, 2000). He later reunited with Stan Lee on the ''Just Imagine Stan Lee and John Buscema Creating Superman'' (2001) project. He also kept active doing private commissions and cover re-creations as well as teaching art classes with abstract expressionist and figurative painter, Jack Beal. <ref> Spurlock. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', p.20.</ref> and helped produce the John Buscema Sketchbook (Vanguard 2001) for whose promotion he attended the 2001 San Diego Comic Art Convention where he was received with great appreciation by fans and colleagues.<ref>Irving. Life of Buscema. p.11-B.</ref> The book gives a good overview of Buscema's wide-ranging passion for art:
* 1974: ] for Best Penciller (Dramatic Division).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam74.php|title= 1974 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards|publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131212131116/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam74.php|archive-date= December 12, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref>
* 1977: ] for Favourite Single Comicbook Story for ''Howard the Duck'' #3: "Four Feathers of Death", with ].<ref name="Eagle1977">{{cite web|url=http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/1977/ |title=Eagle Awards Previous Winners 1977 |year=2013 |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023125822/http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/1977/ |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |url-status=dead|access-date=November 3, 2013}}</ref>
* 1978: ]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php|title= Inkpot Award Winners |publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120709055558/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php|archive-date= July 9, 2012|url-status= live}}</ref>
* 1997: "Author that We Loved" award at the Spanish ]s.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/haxtur97.php|title= 1997 Haxtur Awards|publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131229112042/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/haxtur97.php|archive-date= December 29, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref>
* 2002: Inducted into the ].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.comic-con.org/awards/hall-fame-awards|title= Will Eisner Hall of Fame|year= 2014|publisher= ]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140221012330/http://www.comic-con.org/awards/hall-fame-awards|archive-date= February 21, 2014|url-status= live}}</ref>
* In 2002, Spain's Haxtur Awards inaugurated the ].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/haxtur02.php|title= 2002 Haxtur Awards|publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131229113859/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/haxtur02.php|archive-date= December 29, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref>
* 2024: Inducted in to the ] Hall of Fame<ref name=NYTimes10.11.24/>


==Bibliography==
{{cquote|I love all the painters…Vermeer, Velasquez, Goya, Rubens, Rembrandt…I’ve got over a thousand art books!}} <ref>Spurlock. ''Buscema Sketchbook'', p.111.</ref>
===DC Comics===
*'']'' (]) #7 (2000)
*'']'', one-shot, (2001)
*'']: Blood of My Ancestors'', one-shot, (with ]) (2003, posthumous)


===Dell Comics===
He finished the pencils on a Superman project started by ], who had since died, ''Superman: Blood of my Ancestors'' (inks by ], 2003) and had just signed on for a five-issue miniseries with Roy Thomas, ''JLA: Barbarians''. Shortly after finishing the first issue, Buscema, diagnosed with ] a few months earlier, passed away at the age of 74.<ref>Thomas. Big John, p.20r.</ref> An 11x17-inch ] print of the late 1960s/early 1970s Avengers, penciled by Buscema and painted in ] by ] for the publisher Dynamic Forces, was Buscema's last professional work.
*'']'' #684: ] (1956), #762: ]; #775: ], #794: ], #910: ], #927: ]'s Top Gun (adapted from novel ''Test Pit'' by Luke Short), #944: ], #1006: ], #1077, 1130: ], #1139: ] (1956–1960)


==Quotes== ===Marvel Comics===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
''']:''' "John Buscema was far more than one of our finest comic book artists. If Michaelangelo had elected to draw storyboards with pencil and pen, his style would have been close to that of Big John's. But, even more than a superb illustrator, John was also a brilliant visual storyteller. Thinking back on all the strips we had done together, I had only to give him the briefest kernel of a plot and he would flesh it out with his magnificent illustrations so beautifully that the stories seemed to write themselves. Happily, the legacy of artwork that my dear friend, the creative giant that was John Buscema, leaves behind, will bring wonder and enjoyment to generations of readers to come.".<ref> Lee, S., et al. (June 2002). Tributes - A few more words about John Buscema. Alter Ego, v.3, 15, 42v-43v. </ref>
*''All-True Crime Cases'' #32 (1949)
*'']'' #1–2 (]) (1970)
*'']'' #72–73, 76–81 (layouts only); #84–85 (1969–1970)
*''Amazing Spider-Man 1999'' #1 (1999)
*'']'' #1 (with ]) (1994)
*'']'' #9, 12 (Ka-Zar) (1971–1972)
*'']'' #41–44, 46–47, 49–62, 74–77, 79–85, 94, 97, 105, 121, 124–125, 152–153, 255–279, 281–300, ''Annual'' #2 (backup story), 23 (1967–1989), #385 (with ]) (1995)
*''Bizarre Adventures'' #27, 29–30 (1981–1982)
*'']'' #115, 217 (1969–1978)
*'']'' #24–30 (Marvel UK) (1977)
*'']'' #18 (with Gil Kane) (1969)
*'']'' #1, 3 (1969–1970)
*'']'' #25–36, 38–39, 41–56, 58–63, 65–68, 70–78, 84–86, 88–91, 93–126, 136, 140–144, 146–153, 155–159, 161–163, 165–179, 181–185, 187–190; ''Annual'' #2, 4, 5, 7 (1973–1987)
*'']'' #1–2 (1982)
*'']'' #1–2 (1984)
*''Conan the Savage'' #10 (1996)
*''Conan: Death Covered in Gold'' #1–3 (1999)
*''Cosmic Powers Unlimited'' #2–3 (1995)
*''Cowboy Romances'' #1–3 (1949–1950)
*'']'' #2 (1974)
*''Crimefighters'' #4–5, 7–8, 10 (1948–1949)
*'']'' #136–137, 219 (1976–1985)
*''] Annual'' #1 (1974)
*'']'' vol. 3 #10 (2000)
*'']'', vol. 2, #1, 3 (1975–1976)
*'']'' #39–40 (1996)
*'']'' #3, 6 (1973–1974)
*'']'' #1 (]), #9, 11–13 (1980–1982)
*''Faithful'' #1–2 (1949–1950)
*'']'' #107–130, 132, 134–141, 160, 173–175, 202, 296–309, 416, ''Annual'' #11, ''Giant-Size'' #2, 4 (1971–1996)
*'']'' #2 (1996)
*'']'' #1 (1980)
*'']'' #7–10 (1973–1974)
*''] The Devourer'', miniseries, #2–6 (1999–2000)
*''Giant-Size ]'' #1 (1975)
*'']'' #1 (1949)
*'']'' #3 (1976)
*''Howard the Duck'' vol. 2 (1980)
*'']'' #23 (1980)
*''Justice'' #13 (1949)
*'']'' #6–10 (1974–1975)
*''King Conan'' #1–9, 17 (1980–1983)
*'']'', vol. 2, #1–3, 5–7, 9–10 (1982–1985)
*''Lawbreakers Always Lose'' #3, 5, 9 (1948–1949)
*''Lorna, the Jungle Queen'' #1 (1953)
*''Love Trails'' #1 (1949)
*'']'' #30 (1950)
*'']'' #1–2 (1983–1984)
*''Man Comics'' #3–4 (1950)
*'']'' #12–13, 16 ''Giant-Size'' #2, 5 (1973–1974)
*''] Annual'' #4 (1988)
*'']'' #1–10, 38–47 (]) (1988–1990)
*'']'' #1–2, 9, 11–13, 18, 21, 35, 40 (1977–1986)
*'']'' #51, 53 (1990)
*'']: Conan of the Isles'' SC (1989)
*''Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan the Rogue SC'' (1991)
*'']'' #22–23 (1980)
*'']'' #30 (1976)
*'']'' #23 (1979)
*'']'' #30 (1977)
*'']'' #39 (1972)
*'']'' #27 (1975)
*'']'' #1–4 (1987)
*'']'' #1–2, 4–5 (1973–1974)
*'']'' #1–3 (1977)
*''My Love'' #1–7, 10, 18 (1969–1972)
*'']'' #67 (1959)
*'']'' #1–2, 21 (1976–1978)
*''Our Love Story'' #1–3, 5–7, 9, 16 (1969–1972)
*''Punisher: A Man Named Frank'' #1 (1994)
*'']'' #23–30, ''Annual'' #1 (1993–1994)
*'']'' #1 (1977)
*''Rangeland Love'' #1 (1949)
*'']'' #12–13, 15 (1978–1979)
*''Romances of the West'' #1–2 (1949–1950)
*'']/Silver Surfer'' #1 (1995)
*'']'' #1 (1980)
*'']'' #1–5, 7, 10–13, 15–24, 26–28, 30–36, 38–43, 45, 47–58, 60–67, 70–74, 76–81, 87–88, 90–93, 95–96, 98–101, 190–200, 202–210, 222, 225, 234–235 (1974–1995)
*'']'' #1, 6–8 (Ka-Zar) (1971–1975)
*''Savage Tales'' vol. 2 #6 (1986)
*''Shadows & Light'' #3 (1998)
*'']'' #1–17 (1968–1970)
*''Silver Surfer'' vol. 3 #110 (1995)
*''Silver Surfer: Judgment Day'' graphic novel (1988)
*'']'' #121 (among other artists) (1986)
*'']'' #7 (1986)
*'']'' #68, 150, 174 (1959–1974)
*'']'' #1–8, 20, 24 (1968–1970)
*''Suspense'' #4 (1950)
*'']'' #1 (1959)
*'']'' #1 (1973)
*'']'' #2; #85–87 (Hulk) (1959–1967)
*'']'' #1–18, ''Annual'' #1 (1977–1978)
*''Tex Morgan'' #4–7 (1949)
*'']'' #178, 182–213, 215–226, 231–238, 241–253, 256–259, 272–278, 283–285, ''Annual'' #5, 8, 13 (1970–1985); #490 (1995)
*''Thor'' vol. 2 #9 (1999)
*'']'' vol. 2 #4–5 (1980)
*'']'' #1–2 (1969)
*''True Adventures'' #3 (1950)
*''True Life Tales'' #1 (1949)
*''True Secrets'' #3 (1950)
*''Two Gun Western'' #5 (1950)
*'''Western Outlaws and Sheriffs'' #60, 62 (1949–1950)
*''Western Winners'' #5 (1949)
*'']'' #13 (Conan); 15 (Nova) (1979)
*''Wild Western'' #7–8 (1949)
*'']'' #1–8, 10–16, 25, 27 (1988–1990)
*'']'' SC (1991)
*'']'' #4 (1973)
*'']'' #42–43, 45 (1968) (cover-art only)
*''Young Men'' #4–5 (1950)
{{div col end}}


===Simon & Schuster===
==Awards==
*'']'', with ], teaching book, ], 1978, {{ISBN|978-0671530778}}
Buscema received much recognition for his work in comics, including the 1968 ] for Best Full-Length Story, for Marvel Comics' '']'' #1: "Origin of the Silver Surfer", by Stan Lee & John Buscema (tied with ]' '']'' #79: "Track of the Hook", by ] & ]), and the 1974 ] for Best Penciller (Dramatic Division).


==Legacy== ==Notes==
<references group="Note"/>
The documentary ''Frank Frazetta, Painting with Fire'' (2003)<ref>{{imdb title|id=0363621|title=Frazetta: Painting with Fire}}. Retrieved on ], ]</ref> on ], another ] and ] illustrator and Brooklyn native (born two months earlier than Buscema), is posthumously dedicated to him.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
*

*
==Further reading==
*
*'']'' vol. 3, #21 (Aug. 2002): "Remembering John Buscema: A CBA Tribute", pp. 3B-39B * ''Comic Book Artist'' #21 (Aug. 2002): "Remembering John Buscema: A CBA Tribute", pp.&nbsp;3B-39B
* ''Big John Buscema'', Palma de Mallorca: Ajuntament de Palma, 2009. {{ISBN|978-84-87159-38-1}}
*


==External links== ==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*
* {{cite journal |last=Shooter |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Shooter |title=Trimmings: John Buscema |journal=] |issue=226 |publisher=] |date=August 2000 |url=http://www.tcj.com/3_online/t_buscema.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001109220800/http://www.tcj.com/3_online/t_buscema.html |archive-date=9 November 2000 |url-status=dead |access-date=24 April 2017 }}
*
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011205015527/http://www.samcci.comics.org/_artists/buscema_j.htm |date=December 5, 2001 |title="The Silver Age Marvel Comics Cover Index: John Buscema"}}, Samcci.comics.org: Silver Age Cover Gallery, Retrieved on 2008-11-26; original site unresponsive 2008-12-02; from the ]
* {{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=619|title=John Buscema}}
* {{IMDb name|id=1815387}}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821093909/http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/creator.php?creatorid=154 |date=2018-08-21 }} at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
* at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators


===Audio/video===
* . ]. December 9, 2007


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{{succession box | title=] artist| before=]| after=]| years=1971&ndash;1973}} {{Succession box|title='']'' artist|before= ]|after= ]|years=1967–1969}}
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{{Succession box|title=''Avengers'' artist|before= ]|after= Rich Buckler|years=1985–1989}}
{{Succession box|title=''Fantastic Four'' artist|before= ]|after= Keith Pollard|years=1986–1987}}
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Latest revision as of 10:17, 27 November 2024

American comic book artist
John Buscema
Buscema in a 1975 Marvel publicity photo
BornGiovanni Natale Buscema
(1927-12-11)December 11, 1927
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 10, 2002(2002-01-10) (aged 74)
Port Jefferson, New York, U.S.
Area(s)Penciller, Inker
Notable worksThe Avengers
Conan the Barbarian
Fantastic Four
Silver Surfer
Tarzan
Thor
AwardsAlley Award, 1968, 1969
Shazam Award, 1974
Eagle Award, 1977
Inkpot Award, 1978
Eisner Award Hall of Fame, 2002

John Buscema (/bjuːˈsɛmə/ bew-SEM-ə; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, Italian: [dʒoˈvanni naˈtaːle buʃˈʃɛːma]; December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002) was an American comic book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop-culture conglomerate. His younger brother Sal Buscema is also a comic book artist.

Buscema is best known for his run on the series The Avengers and The Silver Surfer, and for over 200 stories featuring the sword-and-sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. In addition, he pencilled at least one issue of nearly every major Marvel title, including long runs on two of the company's top magazines, Fantastic Four and Thor.

He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2002. In October 2024, Buscema was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame.

Biography

Early life and career

Timely Comics' Man Comics #1 (Dec. 1949), one of Buscema's earliest recorded comic-book covers

Born in Brooklyn, New York City, from Sicilian parents who emigrated from Pozzallo, Ragusa, John Buscema showed an interest in drawing at an early age, copying comic strips such as Popeye. In his teens, he developed an interest in both superhero comic books and such adventure comic strips as Hal Foster's Tarzan and Prince Valiant, Burne Hogarth's Tarzan, Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon, and Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates. He showed an interest in commercial illustration of the period, by such artists as N. C. Wyeth, Norman Rockwell, Dean Cornwell, Coby Whitmore, Albert Dorne, and Robert Fawcett.

Buscema graduated from Manhattan's High School of Music and Art. He took night lessons at Pratt Institute as well as life drawing classes at the Brooklyn Museum. While training as a boxer, he began painting portraits of boxers and sold some cartoons to The Hobo News. Seeking work as a commercial illustrator while doing various odd jobs, Buscema found himself instead entering the comic book field in 1948, landing a staff job under editor-in-chief and art director Stan Lee at Timely Comics, the forerunner of Marvel Comics. The Timely "bullpen", as the staff was called, included such fellow staffers as established veterans Syd Shores, Carl Burgos, Mike Sekowsky, George Klein, and Marty Nodell. Fellow newcomer Gene Colan, hired roughly two months earlier, recalled that "... John never seemed very happy in comics ... there always seemed to be something else he really wanted to do."

His first recorded credit is penciling the four-page story "Till Crime Do You Part" in Timely's Lawbreakers Always Lose #3 (Aug. 1948). He contributed to the "real-life" dramatic series True Adventures and Man Comics (the premiere issue of which sported one of Buscema's earliest recorded comic book covers), as well as to Cowboy Romances, Two-Gun Western (for which he drew at least one story of the continuing character the Apache Kid), Lorna the Jungle Queen, and Strange Tales. Until the bullpen was dissolved a year-and-a-half later, as comic books in general and superhero comics in particular continued their post-war fade in popularity, Buscema penciled and inked in a variety of genres, including crime fiction and romance fiction.

1950s

Buscema married in 1953. He continued to freelance for Timely, by now known as Atlas Comics, as well as for the publishers Ace Comics, Hillman Periodicals, Our Publications/Orbit-Wanted, Quality Comics, St. John Publications, and Ziff-Davis.

Buscema's mid-1950s work includes Dell Comics' Roy Rogers Comics #74–91 (Feb. 1954 – July 1955) and subsequent Roy Rogers and Trigger #92–97 and #104–108 (Aug. 1955 – Jan. 1956 & Aug.–Dec. 1956); and the Charlton Comics series Ramar of the Jungle and Nature Boy — the latter, Buscema's first superhero work, with a character created by himself and Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel.

Buscema next produced a series of Western, war, and sword and sandal film adaptations for Dell's Four Color series. Buscema recalled, "I did a bunch of their movie books ... that was a lot of fun. I worked from stills on those, except for The Vikings. ... I think one of the best books I ever did was Sinbad the Sailor."

He drew at least one issue of the radio, film, and TV character the Cisco Kid for Dell in 1957, as well as one- to eight-page biographies of every U.S. president through Dwight Eisenhower for that company's one-shot Life Stories of American Presidents.

During a late 1950s downturn in the comics industry, Buscema drew occasional mystery, fantasy, and science-fiction stories for Atlas Comics' Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, and Strange Worlds, and American Comics Group's Adventures into the Unknown, and Forbidden Worlds before leaving comics to do freelance commercial art. He began a freelance position for the New York City advertising firm the Chaite Agency, which employed such commercial artists as Bob Peak and Frank McCarthy.

1960s

The Avengers #41 (June 1967), Buscema's first issue of a signature series. Cover art by Buscema and inker George Roussos.

Buscema spent approximately eight years in the commercial-art field, freelancing for the Chaite Agency and the studio Triad, doing a variety of assignments: layouts, storyboards, illustrations, paperback book covers, etc. in a variety of media. Buscema called this time "quite a learning period for me in my own development of techniques".

He returned to comic books in 1966 as a regular freelance penciller for Marvel Comics, debuting over Jack Kirby layouts on the "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." story in Strange Tales #150 (Nov. 1966), followed by three "Hulk" stories in Tales to Astonish #85–87 (Nov. 1966 – Jan. 1967). He then settled in as regular penciller of The Avengers, which would become one of his signature series, with #41 (June 1967). Avengers #49–50, featuring Hercules and inked by Buscema, are two of his "best-looking of that period", said comics historian and one-time Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, who wrote those issues. Thomas and Buscema introduced new versions of the Black Knight and the Vision during their collaboration on The Avengers.

In order to adapt to the Marvel Comics style of superhero adventure, Buscema "synthesized the essence of Kirby's supercharged action figures, harrowing perspectives, monolithic structures, mega-force explosions, and mythological planetscapes into a formula that he instantly integrated into his own superbly crafted vision," wrote comics artist and historian Jim Steranko. "The process brought Buscema's art to life in a way that it had never been before. Anatomically balanced figures of Herculean proportions stalked, stormed, sprawled, and savaged their way across Marvel's universe like none had previously".

Buscema would pencil an average of two comics a month in collaboration with such inkers as George Klein, Frank Giacoia, Dan Adkins, Joe Sinnott, his younger brother Sal Buscema, Tom Palmer, and, occasionally, Marvel production manager and sometime inker-cartoonist John Verpoorten. John Buscema named Frank Giacoia, Sal Buscema, and Tom Palmer as his favorite inkers.

The Silver Surfer #4 (July 1969). Cover art by Buscema and inker Sal Buscema. One of Buscema's most famous covers.

Among Buscema's works during this period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books are The Avengers #41–62 (June 1967 – March 1969) and The Avengers Annual #2 (Sept. 1968); the first eight issues of The Sub-Mariner (May–Dec. 1968); The Amazing Spider-Man #72–73, 76–81, 84–85 (ranging from June 1969 – June 1970 providing layouts finished by either John Romita Sr. or Jim Mooney), and two issues he himself finished over Romita layouts. Buscema drew the first appearance of the Prowler in The Amazing Spider-Man #78 (Nov. 1969).

In August 1968, Buscema and Stan Lee launched a new title, The Silver Surfer. That series about a philosophical alien roaming the world trying to understand both the divinity and the savagery of humanity was a personal favorite of Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee, who scripted. Buscema penciled 17 of its 18 issues — the first seven as a 25¢ "giant-size" title at a time when comics typically cost 12¢. "Beautifully drawn by John Buscema, this comic book represented an attempt to upgrade the medium with a serious character of whom Lee had grown very fond," assessed comics historian Les Daniels. Roy Thomas said Buscema considered Silver Surfer #4 (Feb. 1969), featuring a battle between the Silver Surfer and Thor, "as the highpoint of his Marvel work". Characters Buscema co-created in The Silver Surfer include the long-running arch-demon Mephisto in issue #3 (Dec. 1968).

Toward the end of the decade, Buscema drew some fill-in issues of superhero series and returned to familiar 1950s genres with a spate of supernatural mystery stories in Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows, and romance tales in My Love and Our Love. He then returned to his signature series The Avengers for 11 issues inked by Tom Palmer.

1970s

The creative team of Roy Thomas and John Buscema introduced new characters such as Arkon in The Avengers #75 (April 1970), Red Wolf in #80 (Sept. 1970), and the Squadron Supreme in #85 (Feb. 1971). With Jack Kirby's departure from Marvel in 1970, Buscema succeeded him on both of Kirby's titles: Fantastic Four (penciling issues #107–141, following John Romita Sr.) and Thor (#182–259). He additionally launched the feature "Black Widow" in Amazing Adventures vol. 2, #1 (Aug. 1970).

Marvel editor-in-chief Stan Lee, who collaborated with Buscema on many stories up to this time, wrote,

One thing I loved about Big John is the fact that I didn't have to spend time writing synopses for him. ... He'd always growl over the phone, 'Don't bother sending me any outlines, Stan. I hate to waste time reading them. Just tell what you've got in mind over the phone. I'll remember it.' So I'd tell him the story I wanted, and I have a hunch he didn't even write any notes while I spoke — because I spoke too fast — but it didn't matter. He remembered every last detail and the stories always came out perfect — at least as far as I was concerned.

Buscema began penciling Conan the Barbarian with #25 (April 1973) following Barry Smith's celebrated run, and debuted as the Conan artist of the black-and-white comics-magazine omnibus Savage Sword of Conan with issue #1 (Aug. 1974). He would eventually contribute to more than 100 issues of each title, giving him one of the most prolific runs for an artist on a single character. He additionally drew the Conan Sunday and daily syndicated newspaper comic strip upon its premiere in 1978, and even contributed some storyboard illustrations for the 1982 Conan movie, as well as painting four covers for the Conan magazines. In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Buscema's work on Conan the Barbarian seventh on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels".

For about ten years, he would produce an average three to four books' worth of pencils a month, such as Nova (1976) and Ms. Marvel (1977). In addition to his regular assignments he would pencil covers and fill-in issues of titles including Captain America, Captain Britain (Marvel UK), Daredevil, The Frankenstein Monster, Howard the Duck, Master of Kung Fu, Red Sonja and Warlock. He also drew a story for the science-fiction anthology Worlds Unknown.

Buscema contributed as well to Marvel's black-and-white comics magazines, including the features "Ka-Zar" in Savage Tales #1 (May 1971) and "Bloodstone" in Rampaging Hulk #1 (Jan. 1977), and Doc Savage #1 and 3 (Aug. 1975, Jan. 1976). Other magazine work ran the gamut from horror (Dracula Lives!, Monsters Unleashed, Tales of the Zombie) to humor (Crazy, Pizzaz).

Buscema left the Thor title for a time to launch the Marvel version of the Edgar Rice Burroughs character Tarzan in 1977. Other licensed projects include a 72-page The Wizard of Oz movie adaptation in an oversized "Treasury Edition" format with DeZuniga inking. For Power Records, which produced children's book-and-record sets, Buscema drew Star Trek and Conan the Barbarian comics. He contributed some superhero drawings for Pro, the NFL official magazine (1970), and penciled some chapters of the first issue of Marvel Comics Super Special featuring the rock group Kiss (1977).

In 1978, small-press publisher Sal Quartuccio released The Art of John Buscema, a retrospective that included an interview, previously unpublished sketches and drawings, and a cover that was also sold as a poster.

Buscema capped off the decade penciling writer Doug Moench's three-issue Weirdworld epic-fantasy tale "Warriors of the Shadow Realm" in Marvel Super Special #11–13 (June–Oct. 1979). Pacific Comics released an accompanying portfolio of six signed, colored plates from the story.

Teaching

In the mid-1970s, Buscema ran the John Buscema Art School, which advertised for students in the pages of many Marvel titles. Stan Lee made appearances as a guest lecturer at Buscema's school, and some of the school's graduates (including Bob Hall and Bruce Patterson) went on to become professional cartoonists. Buscema later said that teaching the class was "very gratifying" but that having to make the 60-mile drive after a day's work was too exhausting, and ultimately forced him to give it up. Buscema then collaborated with Lee on the book How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Marvel Fireside Books, 1978), a primer on comic book art and storytelling based on the comic art classes Buscema had given a few years prior, and has remained in print for over 25 years, in its 33rd printing as of 2007.

1980s

After drawing the first issue of The Savage She-Hulk (Feb. 1980), Buscema abandoned regular superhero work in order to spearhead art duties on all three Conan titles. The popularity of the character spurred the release of a Conan movie in 1982; Buscema provided pencils and inks for a 48-page movie adaptation.

He continued to tackle other high-profile projects such as a Silver Surfer story for Epic Illustrated #1 (Spring 1980), a King Arthur story in Marvel Preview #22 (Summer 1980), the St. Francis of Assisi biography Francis, Brother of the Universe (1980), the second Superman and Spider-Man team-up (1981), and an adaptation of the 1981 movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.

He left King Conan in 1982 after nine issues, although he remained with Marvel's Robert E. Howard franchise with a revival of the Kull series for 10 issues, and left The Savage Sword of Conan in 1984 with #101 with a series of stories that he plotted himself. After pencilling the Conan the Destroyer movie adaptation in 1984 and the Conan of the Isles graphic novel in 1987, he left Conan the Barbarian with #190 in 1987, ending a 14-year association with the character.

After nearly five years away from superheroes, except for the first two issues of the X-Men-related, four-issue miniseries Magik (Dec. 1983 – March 1984), Buscema returned to familiar ground as regular penciller on The Avengers from #255–300 (May 1985 – Feb. 1989). He was regular penciller on Fantastic Four for its 300th issue, during a 15-issue stint from #296–309 (Nov. 1986 – Dec. 1987). Additionally, he fit in the three-issue film adaptation Labyrinth (Nov. 1986 – Jan. 1987) and the four-issue miniseries Mephisto (April–July 1987), starring a character he created with Stan Lee in The Silver Surfer.

Buscema reteamed with Lee on the Silver Surfer himself with the 1988 graphic novel Silver Surfer: Judgment Day, self-inked and done entirely as full-page panels. That year he and inker Klaus Janson drew a Wolverine solo feature in the biweekly anthology Marvel Comics Presents, followed by self-inked Wolverine series in that title. He pencilled the first 14 issues (Nov. 1988 – mid-Nov. 1989) of the first Wolverine ongoing series, self-inked on #7–8. Bill Sienkiewicz, who inked the last five issues of that run, recalled Buscema's pencil work as "the sturdiest foundation an inker or an embellisher could possibly hope to build on, and their beauty was not in their attention to fastidiously rendered minutiae, but instead were marvels of deceptive simplicity. Each page an example of grace, elegance and power."

Later career

Buscema began his sixth decade in the field by joining Roy Thomas for a return to The Savage Sword of Conan with #191 (Nov. 1991) for a 20-issue run. Conan the Rogue, a graphic novel Buscema plotted, pencilled, inked, and colored over a period of five years in his spare time appeared that same year. He both penciled and inked the graphic novel Wolverine: Bloody Choices (Nov. 1993).

Buscema returned to crime fiction with The Punisher War Zone #23–30 (Jan.–Aug. 1994, self-inking #26–29), that title's 1993 summer annual, and the 1994 graphic novel A Man Named Frank, a parallel-universe Punisher Western tale. He pencilled the Punisher portions of 1994's Archie Meets the Punisher team-up. No longer attached to a regular series after his Punisher run, he penciled and inked The Avengers Annual #23 (1994) and five more black-and-white Conan adventures, serving as that Marvel franchise's final artist on The Savage Sword of Conan with #235 (July 1995) and on the short-lived spin-off Conan the Savage with #10 (May 1996). Through 1999, he penciled a variety of superhero comics; both penciled and inked a black-and-white short story for Shadows and Light (1998); and made a final return to Conan with the Death Covered in Gold three-issue miniseries (1999).

Buscema worked with DC Comics for the first time in 2000, initially doing both pencils and inks on a "Batman Black and White" short story in Batman: Gotham Knights #7 (Sept. 2000). He reunited with Stan Lee on the 2001 one-shot Just Imagine Stan Lee and John Buscema Creating Superman.

He finished the pencils on 2003's Superman: Blood of my Ancestors, begun by Gil Kane, who had since died, and had just signed on for a five-issue miniseries with Roy Thomas, JLA: Barbarians, though he died after finishing the first issue.

An 11 x 17-inch lithograph print of the late 1960s/early 1970s Avengers, penciled by Buscema and painted in watercolor by Alex Ross for the publisher Dynamic Forces, was Buscema's last professional work.

Buscema's passion for drawing was such that he continued to draw and sketch in his spare time, often on the back of comic book art pages, and these images form a considerable body of work in their own right. His brother Sal Buscema recalled,

This guy used to eat, sleep and breathe drawing. It didn't matter what was going on around him. He would get bored with it and start sketching. ... He just couldn't stop drawing. better than some of the stuff that he did on the front. ... He'd get a spark of inspiration and turn the page over and draw whatever was in his skull.

Personal life

Buscema, who lived in Port Jefferson, New York, on Long Island, at the time of his death, was married to Dolores Buscema, with whom he had a son, John Jr., and a daughter, Dianne. His granddaughter Stephanie Buscema is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist, who started out as an inker for her grandfather.

Death and legacy

Buscema was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and died on January 10, 2002, at the age of 74. He was buried with an artist's pen in his hand.

On October 11, 2024, the Harvey Awards announced that Buscema was one of five comics creators to be inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame at the 36th annual Harvey Awards ceremony on October 18 at the New York Comic Con. The other four inductees were Akira Toriyama, Larry Hama, Sergio Aragonés, and Arthur Adams. Upon learning of the accolade, Buscema’s daughter, Dianne Buscema Gerogianis, stated, "We are honored on behalf of my father and wish to thank all who have selected him for the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. Thank you for keeping his legacy alive."

Awards and accolades

Bibliography

DC Comics

Dell Comics

Marvel Comics

Simon & Schuster

Notes

  1. This advertising agency, not to be confused with New York City's similarly named Lawrence G. Chait Agency or Chiat \ Day, was responsible for, among other things, the one-sheet for the James Bond movie Thunderball, per "Exhibitions & Events: 'Poster Galore'". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010.
  2. Also called The Mighty Thor per "Thor (I) • The Mighty Thor (I) (1966–1996)". Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators. Series is named Thor in the indicia information, but most covers have the title The Mighty Thor.

References

  1. How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way part=1. Event occurs at 1:34 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ Social Security Death Index for Buscema, John N., Social Security Number 108-20-9641.
  3. "2002 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on April 20, 2010.
  4. ^ Gustines, George Gene (October 11, 2024). "Harvey Awards Inducts 5 Comic Creators to Hall of Fame". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 12, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  5. Crepaldi, Silvia (March 2017). "Tina Colombo racconta suo zio John Buscema, disegnatore per la Marvel / Tina Colombo talks about her uncle, Marvel illustrator John Buscema". Freetime (in Italian). p. 97. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved 2017-04-07. Mio nonno Giovanni ... sposò mia nonna Concetta, pozzallese e si trasferì a Pozzallo dove faceva il barbiere. Emigrò in America come tanti, ma partì solo ... / My grandfather Giovanni ... married my grandmother Concetta and moved to Pozzallo where he was a barber. He emigrated to America like so many others ...
  6. ^ Quartuccio, Sal; Keenan, Bob (1978). The Art of John Buscema. New York, New York: Sal Q Productions. p. Preface.
  7. Spurlock, David J.; Buscema, John (2001). John Buscema Sketchbook. Lebanon, New Jersey: Vanguard Productions. pp. 60–61. ISBN 1-887591-18-4.
  8. Spurlock, p. 27
  9. Irving, Christoper (August 2002). "The Life of Legendary 'Big' John Buscema". Comic Book Artist (21). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 5–B.
  10. "John Buscema". Lambiek Comiclopedia. December 28, 2007. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014.
  11. Sanderson, Peter (2008). "1940s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.). Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, UK: Dorling Kindersley. p. 39. ISBN 978-0756641238. After answering a newspaper ad, John Buscema was hired by editor Stan Lee to be a staff artist.
  12. ^ Steranko, Jim, in Spurlock, p. 5
  13. Field, Tom (2005). Secrets in the Shadows: The Art & Life of Gene Colan. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 978-1893905450.
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  15. Quartuccio, Preface
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  17. Life Stories of American Presidents #1 (Nov. 1957) at the Grand Comics Database
  18. ^ Steranko, p. 6
  19. Spurlock, p. 35
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  21. DeFalco, Tom "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 128
  22. DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 132: "The new Vision, drawn by John Buscema, was a synthezoid – an android with synthetic human organs – who could control his density and discharge blasts of solar energy."
  23. Steranko, in Spurlock, pp. 6–7
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  25. Thomas, Roy (June 2002). "Drawing Was His Life!". Alter Ego. 3 (15): 31 (Buscema self-portrait cover side of flip-book magazine).
  26. Manning, Matthew K. (2012). "1960s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.). Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, UK: Dorling Kindersley. p. 49. ISBN 978-0756692360. In this tale written by Lee and drawn by the team of John Buscema and Jim Mooney, window washer Hobie Brown became fed up with his dead-end job and used his inventive mind to craft the identity and weapons of the Prowler.
  27. DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 131: "When Stan Lee was told to expand the Marvel line, he immediately gave the Surfer his own title ... Since Jack Kirby had more than enough assignments, Lee assigned John Buscema the task of illustrating the new book."
  28. Lee, Stan (1975). Son of Origins of Marvel Comics. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster/Fireside Books. p. #?. ISBN 978-0671221669.
  29. Daniels, Les (1991). Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams. p. 139. ISBN 9780810938212.
  30. DeFalco, Tom (August 2002). "Memories of Brother John". Comic Book Artist (21). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 34-B (caption).
  31. DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 133: "Created by editor Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, Mephisto hated the Surfer the moment he became aware of him."
  32. Sanderson, Peter "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 145
  33. Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 146: "Red Wolf was Marvel's first Native American super hero."
  34. Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 148
  35. Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 146: Amazing Adventures contained a series about the genetically enhanced Inhumans and a series about intelligence agent the Black Widow ... writer Gary Friedrich and artist John Buscema teamed up for the adventures of the Black Widow, the former Russian spy turned American superhero."
  36. Irving, p. 6B
  37. Thomas, "'Big John'", p. 14
  38. Thomas, "'Big John'", p. 15
  39. Sacks, Jason (September 6, 2010). "Top 10 1970s Marvels". Comics Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
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  41. Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 179: "Writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema created Marvel's new Tarzan series, based on author Edgar Rice Burroughs' character."
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  51. Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 194: "In an oversized treasury edition carrying a hefty $2.50 price tag, the Man of Steel paired for the second time with Marvel's iconic web-slinger ... The issue came together thanks to the script of writer Jim Shooter, a bit of plotting assistance by Marv Wolfman, the pencils of longtime Marvel luminary John Buscema, and a veritable fleet of inkers."
  52. Greenberg, Glenn (December 2012). "Tabloid Team-Ups The Giant-Size DC-Marvel Crossovers". Back Issue! (61). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 33–40.
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Further reading

  • Comic Book Artist #21 (Aug. 2002): "Remembering John Buscema: A CBA Tribute", pp. 3B-39B
  • Big John Buscema, Palma de Mallorca: Ajuntament de Palma, 2009. ISBN 978-84-87159-38-1

External links

Audio/video

Preceded byDon Heck The Avengers artist
1967–1969 		Succeeded byGene Colan
Preceded byNeal Adams Thor artist
1970–1977 		Succeeded byWalt Simonson
Preceded byJohn Romita Sr. Fantastic Four artist
1971–1973 		Succeeded byRich Buckler
Preceded byBarry Smith Conan the Barbarian artist
1973–1987 		Succeeded byVal Semeiks
Preceded byn/a Savage Sword of Conan artist
1974–1984 		Succeeded byGary Kwapisz
Preceded byWalt Simonson Thor artist
1978–1979 		Succeeded byKeith Pollard
Preceded byBob Hall Avengers artist
1985–1989 		Succeeded byRich Buckler
Preceded byJerry Ordway Fantastic Four artist
1986–1987 		Succeeded byKeith Pollard
Preceded byMike Docherty Savage Sword of Conan artist
1991–1993 		Succeeded byRafael Kayanan
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