Earlier this week, comic book artist John Romita Jr. announced that his father has passed away at the age of 93.

Here’s the official announcement:

No other details of his passing are available at this time.

Beginning his comic book career in 1949 on Famous Funnies, Romita floated between various companies drawing horror, war, romance, and superhero comics before landing an exclusive gig at DC Comics illustrating several romance books from 1958-1965.

Stan Lee convinced Romita to join Marvel in 1965, where he worked with Jack Kirby on The Avengers and Daredevil, the latter of which enjoyed a measurable uptick in sales during his tenure on the title. In 1966, Lee hand-picked Romita to replace artist Steve Ditko on Amazing Spider-Man. Similar to his stint on Daredevil, the sales of Amazing Spider-Man increased, making the book Marvel’s best-selling title and cementing ol’ webhead as the company’s flagship character.

In July 1973, Romita was officially promoted to being Marvel’s art director where he had creative input across all titles through the 70s and 80s.

During his years at Marvel, Romita co-created or helped design a number of iconic characters, including Wolverine, the Punisher, Mary Jane Watson, Luke Cage, and Black Widow.

Romita’s work was recognized multiple times over his lifetime, as he received multiple industry awards and was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame in 2020.

Outside of his work as an artist and creator, Romita was a US Army veteran and the patriarch of a comic book dynasty of sorts, being married to Virginia Romita who worked as Marvel’s traffic manager, and the father of John Romita, Jr. who himself has become a renowned comic book artist in his own right. He also served on the Disbursement Committee of the comic-book industry charity The Hero Initiative.

Immediately following the announcement of his passing, tributes to Romita began flooding out from fans, fellow comic creators, and the broader entertainment industry. The are many touching stories and memories being shared, but one of the most poignant commentaries comes from independent author and YouTube culture commentator Razörfist, who noted that Romita’s passing may very well be the final chapter of the comic book “Silver Age.”

May God speed John to a brighter, better place, and we pray for God’s peace and comfort for his family and friends as they mourn his passing.

Do you have a favorite issue or a special memory of John Romita? Share it with us in the comments.