John Severin Passes Away at 90

Mad Magazine #1

"MAD" Founder and Noted Comics Artist John Severin Passes Away at 90

The legendary illustrator helped found MAD and CRACKED and drew "The Incredible Hulk", "Sub-Mariner" and "Conan."

Esteemed comics artist John Severin, whose sixty-year career included gritty war comics, humor magazines like MAD and CRACKED and superhero titles like The Incredible Hulk and Sub-Mariner, passed away on Feb. 12 at age 90, according to a statement released by his family.

Stan Lee, Severin's former boss at Marvel Comics, praised his friend in the statement:

“The minute you looked at his artwork you knew you were looking at a John Severin illustration; it could be no one else. Besides his inimitable style, there was a feeling of total authenticity to whatever he drew, whether it was a Western, a crime story, a superhero saga or a science fiction yarn. … One of my greatest regrets, as an editor, was the fact that John was so busy doing other things that I couldn’t give him as many assignments as I would have wished."

Severin got his first professional gig in 1932, at age 10 when Hobo News purchased some of his drawings. He later attended New York City’s High School of Music and Art, where his classmates included future comics legends Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Al Jaffee and Al Feldstein.

After World War II, Severin became widely known for his work illustrating war comics and MAD magazine at EC Comics. He illustrated such popular titles as Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat. In 1952, he was part of the original group of five artists who launched MAD magazine under Harvey Kurtzman and William Gaines.

After EC cancelled its comic books in the mid-1950s in response to the public outcry over delinquency started by Fredrick Wertheim over their content, Severin went to work for Marvel Comics forerunner Atlas Comics. His work at Marvel included illustrations for titles ranging from The Incredible Hulk and Sub-Mariner to the popular war anthology The Nam. He continued drawing comics into his eighties, including work on The Punisher, Conan, and the controversial 2003 Rawhide Kid mini-series that re-imagined the Western hero as a gay gunslinger. He also helped launch MAD-competitor CRACKED in 1958. He drew for the magazine for 45 years.

Severin was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. After he graduated from the High School of Music and Art in 1940, he enlisted in the Army, serving in the Pacific in World War II. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Michelina, 6 children, 13 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, and a step great-granddaughter. In addition, he is survived by his sister, Marie Severin, who is also a well-known comic illustrator and cartoonist. 

Warren Publishing, 1957-1983

Famous Monsters of Filmland #56, 1969

Warren Publishing, 1957-1983

When you think of comic publishers of the 1960s and 1970s, who do you think about?  DC?  Marvel? Dell?  Charlton?  Gold Key?

Here's one you may have forgotten, but is very important to the history of comics - Warren Publishing.  Started by James Warren in 1957, he published a series of comic-oriented magazine titles.  The reason that they were published in magazine format was to be free from the constraints of the Comic Code Authority, established in the 1950s.

Warren's first major hit was a title called, Monsters of Filmland.  It was the first such magazine aim which focused on the horror movie industry.  It began in 1958 and ran until 1983, reaching 191 issues.  Warren co-edited this magazine with the well known science fiction aficionado, Forrest J Ackerman.  Ackerman is known for many things, but least of which is coining the term "Sci-Fi" for science fiction.

Infamous cover of Crime SuspenStories

By the early 1960s, Warren was inspired by the 1940s-1950s horror comics publisher, EC Comics.  EC was at the center of the famous controversy promoted by Dr. Frederic Wertham that comic books were increasingly detrimental to the lives of youth.  He argued that the violence, sexuality, and horror depicted in many comics caused depravity in youth.  Wertham wrote a controversial best-seller entitled, "Seduction of the Innocent" in 1954.  Congressional hearings were held.  Comic book burnings ensued.  Then the top comic book publishers came together and established The Comic Code Authority, which strictly enforced the new mandates and encouraged a new conformist and positive outlook in comics.  EC Comics, published by Maxwell Gaines and his son, William Gaines, ceased publishing all of its horror comics rather than be censored.  The only comic to survive was Mad Magazine, which ironically led to great financial success.

Warren wanted to re-establish the horror genre in comics publishing.  But instead of publishing in regular comic book format, he chose the route of the magazine format, which allowed him to circumvent the rules of the Comic Code Authority.  His three most famous and successful horror magazines were: Creepy (1964-1983), Eerie (1966-1983) and Vampirella (1969-1983).  More about these in the next three postings.