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Marvel Commemorative Collection
In a landmark moment for Castle Fine Art's involvement with the art of Marvel, they present a deeply personal collection of Marvel Superhero unique graphics, hand-signed by iconic comic book artist and art director, John Romita Sr.
These graphics all have a deep-rooted connection with John. John played an integral role in creating this artwork working incredibly closely with a chosen few Marvel creatives to paint, ink or draw these iconic comic book covers, to bring them together under his creative direction. This commemorative collection of selected covers were hand signed due to his direct artistic involvement. This means that these unique graphics establish a real link between John and his collectors.
Born in Brooklyn in 1930, John gained a grounding in art when he studied at the School of Industrial Art in Manhattan. He entered the comic book industry commenced in the 1950s when he collaborated with publishers like Hillman Periodicals and later Atlas Comics, the precursor to Marvel Comics, which is when he first met the legendary Stan Lee, who has signed the works in our Legacy collection of Marvel works.
After a stint in the Army, Romita's comics career really took off. He worked on new Captain America stories; moved briefly to DC Comics but returned to Marvel in 1965 where he worked on some of the most iconic superheroes ever.
In 1966, he took over the lead artist role on The Amazing Spider-Man from the iconic co-creator of Spider-Man, Steve Ditko. Romita and Stan Lee reinvented Spidey, and the pair added characters to the series like Peter Parker's love interest Mary Jane Watson and villains Rhino, The Shocker and Kingpin. Romita also co-created the Punisher and Wolverine during his legendary career, in which he also served as a mentor for many other of the publisher's artists.
John Romita Sr. sadly passed away in New York on June 12, 2023, aged 93, but his influence lives on in the incredible illustrations he created and which we are honoured to share with collectors in these limited-edition artworks, signed by the legendary, visionary artist. These pieces from Marvel have huge historic interest for comic book fans, and are sure to be very popular with collectors, so you'll have to be fast to secure the artwork of your choice!
Amazing Spider-Man #90 £4,950
Published in 1970 and written by Marvel legend Stan Lee, "The Amazing Spider-Man #90" is a Marvel Superhero unique print of the issue's cover, hand-signed by John Romita Sr. Spider-Man first appeared in Marvel comic books in August 1962, in Amazing Fantasy #15 in the Silver Age of Comic Books.
Created by Stan Lee, Peter Parker, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities after being bitten by a genetically modified spider which he uses to fight his enemies and injustice. Since the initial appearance, Marvel has featured the superhero in several comic book series, the longest being The Amazing Spider-Man, and a series of movies as well.
Spider-Man Annual King Size Special #7 £4,950
Published in 1970 and written by Marvel legend Stan Lee.
Marvel Tales Spider-Man #67 £4,950
Published in 1976 and written by Marvel legend Stan Lee.
Fantastic Four #102 £4,950
Published in 1970 and written by Marvel legend Stan Lee, "Fantastic Four #102" is a Marvel Superhero unique print of the issue's cover, hand-signed by John Romita Sr.
The team debuted in 1961 with "The Fantastic Four #1", which encompassed a new level of realism in the comic's covers. The team, who gains superpowers after exposure to cosmic rays during a mission in outer space, includes Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the monstrous Thing.
The Tomb of Dracula #18 £4,950
Published in 1974, "Tomb of Dracula #18" is a Marvel Superhero unique print of the issue's cover, hand-signed by John Romita Sr.
This issue was marked for the first battle between Dracula and Werewolf by Night. The 7-issue series was first published in 1972 and featured a team of vampire hunters who fought Dracula and other supernatural menaces. An anime television movie was released in 1980, followed by a series of three films centralised Blade, a character introduced in the comics.
Sub-Mariner #47 £4,950
Published in 1972 and written by Gerry Conway, "Sub-Mariner #47" is a Marvel Superhero unique print of the issue's cover, hand-signed by John Romita Sr.
Described as the first comic book antihero, Namor is the main character in Sub-Mariner, which was the first comic book series from Timely Comics, predecessor of Marvel Comics.
Marvel Feature #11 £4,950
Published in 1973 and written by Len Wein, "Marvel Feature #11" is a Marvel Superhero unique print of the issue's cover, hand-signed by John Romita Sr.
The Marvel Feature Comics was a book showcasing series published by Marvel in the 70s. The first book led to the launch of "The Defenders" and "Marvel Two-in-One", while volume two led to an ongoing "Red Sonja" series.
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