I’ve been reading comics for almost fifty years now, and
many of the writers and artists who were around when my obsession began are no
longer with us. In the past few years, we’ve lost Stan Lee, John Romita, Jim
Shooter, Neal Adams, Keith Giffen and many more.
Sal Buscema, who died earlier this week, just two days shy of his 90th birthday, is one of the last of the original Marvel
artists to pass. By that, I guess I mean the artists who started out in the 60s. We
lost his older brother, John, almost a quarter of a decade ago. Maybe Sal was
always seen as working in his big brother’s shadow, but I preferred Sal's loser,
more dynamic style. He drew some of the first comics I ever read, and he drew some
of my all time favourite stories, particularly his lengthy team-up with writer J.M. DeMatteis on Spectacular Spider-Man in the 90s, a high water-mark for both storytellers.
Sal was a storyteller first and foremost. Unlike many of the
flashier artists who came later, you could read and follow the action Sal drew
without even needing word balloons or narration. His work had a sense of drama
and pace that many more stylised artists never achieve. He worked as a penciller and inker at Marvel
comics for almost fifty years, with only a brief spell at DC. In that time he
must have drawn every big Marvel character – Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain
America, Thor, the Avengers… in my head, I can picture issues of all their
books, drawn by Sal.
And he was the first one to draw the Hulk’s love of beans.
Goodnight Sal. Thanks for so many great memories.
The
Wedding Present – Spider-Man On Hollywood
Bill
Callahan – The Ballad of the Hulk
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