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John Powers Severin (; December 26, 1921 – February 12, 2012) Note: The Lambiek Comiclopedia (citation below) gives December 21, 1921. was an American comics artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat; for Marvel Comics, especially its war and Western comics; and for his 45-year stint with the satire magazine Cracked. He was one of the founding cartoonists of Mad in 1952.
Severin was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2003.
He attended the High School of Music & Art in New York City, together with future EC Comics and Mad artists Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Al Jaffee and Al Feldstein. John Severin at the Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved February 15, 2012. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. After graduating from the school in 1940, he worked as an apprentice machinist and then enlisted in the Army, serving in the Pacific War during World War II.
Inspired by the quick money Kurtzman would make in between advertising assignments with one-page "Hey Look!" gags for editor Stan Lee at Timely Comics, Severin worked up comics samples inked by Elder. In late 1947, he recalled, the writer-artist-editor team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby at Crestwood Publications "gave us our first job."
Since it was not standard practice to credit comics creators during this era, a comprehensive list of his early work is difficult to compile. Author and historian Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr., based on Severin's description of "a crime story about a boy and a girl who killed somebody ... I think it was their stepfather. They lived on a farm, or out in the suburbs," believes that first Severin/Elder story was the eight-page "The Clue of the Horoscope" in Headline Comics #32 ( Nov. 1948), from the Crestwood-affiliated Prize Comics. The standard reference Grand Comics Database has no credits for that story, Headline Comics #32 at the Grand Comics Database and lists Severin's first confirmed work in comics as two stories published the same month: the ten-page Boy Commandos adventure "The Triumph of William Tell" in DC Comics' Boy Commandos #30; and the eight-page Western comics story "Grinning Hole in the Wall" in Prize Comics' Prize Comics Western vol. 7, #5 (each Dec. 1948), both of which he penciler and the latter of which he also inker.
Through 1955, Severin drew a large number of stories for the latter title and other Western series from Prize, and as penciler, he co-created with an unknown writer the long-running Native American feature "American Eagle" in Prize Comics Western vol. 9, #6 (Jan. 1951), inked by his high-school classmate turned fellow pro Will Elder. Prize Comics Western #v9#6 [85] at the Grand Comics Database
Around this time, Severin did his first confirmed work for two publishers with whom he would long be associated, Marvel Comics and EC Comics. For the future Marvel Comics, he penciled the seven-page romance comics story "My Heart Had No Faith" in Timely Comics' Actual Romances #1 (Oct. 1949).
Severin and Elder eventually split as a team at EC. They both were in the group of the five original artists who launched editor Harvey Kurtzman's landmark satire comic book Mad, along with Kurtzman, Wally Wood and Jack Davis. Mad #1 at the Grand Comics Database Severin appeared in nine of Mad's first ten issues, drawing ten pieces between 1952 and 1954. According to accounts by both Severin and Kurtzman, the two had a falling out over art criticisms Kurtzman made during this period. It was Kurtzman who suggested that Severin ink with a pen as opposed to brush inking. Though Severin eventually took this advice in his later work, he was annoyed at Kurtzman at the time, for this and other remarks, and refused further work with him. Kurtzman insisted on doing the layouts for all the artists, which some resented, including Severin.
His ability to draw people of different nationalities convincingly was highly admired by his peers, as was his eye for authentic details.Schelly, Bill and Keith Dallas. American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2013), p. 17. Upon Severin's death, writer Mark Evanier remembered, "Jack Kirby used to say that when he had to research some historical costume or weapon for a story, it was just as good to use a John Severin drawing as it was to find a photo of the real thing. They don't make 'em like that anymore."Evanier, Mark. "John Severin, R.I.P.," News From M-E (February 14, 2012).
After Atlas transitioned to become Marvel Comics in the 1960s, Severin did extensive work as penciler, inker or both on such series as The Incredible Hulk, Conan the Barbarian, and Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders. Herb Trimpe, the primary Hulk penciler during this period comics fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, said in 2009, "I was kind of thrilled when John Severin inked me, because I liked his work for EC Comics, and he was one of my idols." As inker, Severin teamed with penciler Dick Ayers on an acclaimed run of the World War II series Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, beginning with #44 (July 1967). In the 1970s, he collaborated with his sister, artist Marie Severin, on Marvel's sword and sorcery series, King Kull.Peter Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 150
During this time he was by far the most prolific contributor to the satire Cracked magazine, drawing television and movie parodies along with other features, including most of the magazine's covers. Severin was Cracked's signature artist for nearly 40 years.
For Warren Publishing in the 1960s, he drew for the black-and-white comics magazines Blazing Combat and Creepy. Severin also contributed to Topps' line of bubble gum trading cards.. He was one of the artists on Joe Kubert's self-published Sojourn series in 1977. His 1980s work for Marvel included The 'Nam, What The--?!, and Semper Fi.Tom DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 239: "Each issue of contained two stories written by Michael Palladino. John Severin, Andy Kubert, and Sam Glanzman provided the artwork."
Circa 2000, writer Jeff Mariotte recalled in 2002, Severin phoned Scott Dunbier, a group editor at DC Comics' WildStorm imprint, "and said he was looking to do comics again" after working primarily for Cracked at the time. "I happened to pass by Scott's office as he hung up the phone, and he sounded kind of awestruck as he told me that John Severin wanted to do something with us. I said something like, 'Gee, a Desperadoes story by Severin would be great,'" referring to Mariotte's Western comics miniseries for DC. "Scott agreed. We needed to hurry, before he was snapped up by someone else, so I went home and worked up a proposal overnight. We had sent him, right after that first call, copies of the original Desperadoes books. That was followed up by the proposal, the next day. He liked what he saw and wanted to play along." This led to Severin drawing the sequel miniseries Desperadoes: Quiet of The Grave.
He illustrated the controversial 2003 Marvel limited series The Rawhide Kid,Manning, Matthew K. "2000s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 314: "Writer Ron Zimmerman teamed with artist John Severin under Marvel's MAX label for this five-issue humorous but controversial romp through the Old West." a lighthearted parallel universe Western that reimagined the outlaw hero as a kitschy though still formidably gunslinging gay man. Severin, who had drawn the character for Atlas in the 1950s, refuted rumors that he had not known of the subject matter, saying at the time of the premiere issue's release, "The Rawhide Kid is rather effeminate in this story. It may be quite a blow to some of the old fans of Rawhide Kid. But it's a lot of fun, and he's still a tough hombre."Severin in Comic Book Marketplace #98, January 2003, quoted in Also in the 2000s, Severin contributed to Marvel's Punisher; DC Comics' Suicide Squad, American Century, Caper, and Bat Lash; and Dark Horse Comics' Conan, B.P.R.D. and Witchfinder.
Severin died at his home in Denver, Colorado, on February 12, 2012, at the age of 90. His wife of 60 years, Michelina, survived him, as did his six children and comics artist sister Marie Severin.
With writer Gary Friedrich and penciler Dick Ayers, Severin's inking contributed to Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos winning the Alley Award for Best War Title of 1967 and 1968.
He was among the winners of the Cartoon Art Museum's 2001 Sparky Award.
His artwork was exhibited three times at the Words & Pictures Museum in Northampton, Massachusetts – in the grand-opening group show (October 9, 1992 – January 5, 1993), in the group exhibit "War No More" (May 18 – August 8, 1993) and in the group show "Classic Comics: A Selection of Stories from EC Comics" (December 7 – February 11, 1996)., Words & Pictures Museum (official site). Original page
In 2022, Severin was awarded the Inkwell Awards Stacey Aragon Special Achievement Award (SASRA) for his lifetime achievement in inking.
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