Legendary Comic Artist Sal Buscema Passes Away at Age 89

Legendary comic book artist Sal Buscema passed away earlier this month at the age 89.

Buscema was born on January 26, 1936, in Brooklyn, NY, citing his older brother John's artistic pursuits as a major influence on his life and career – who together formed an integral family legacy at Marvel Comics. In the early 1950s, Buscema began his career at Dell Comics, providing inking and background art for titles where John served as their primary illustrator. From there, he went on to work at Marvel Comics, beginning his career as a penciler and inker.

His first projects included inking “The Coming of Gunhawk” from Western Gunfighers (1956) #1, as well as later inking his brother’s pencil work on Silver Surfer, starting with the series’ fourth issue. Throughout his time at Marvel, Buscema helped launch many notable series that expended the Marvel mythos, such as 1972's Defenders and 1976's Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man.

Buscema received the Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, celebrating his exceptional career and long-term artistic contributions to the comic book industry. While in semi-retirement, Buscema worked intermittently on a series of projects, both at Marvel and a variety of other publishers, bringing titles like G.I. Joe and Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms to life.

Sal Buscema left an indelible mark on Marvel and the comic book industry at large. He is survived by his wife Joan Buscema and their three sons, Joe, Tony, and Mike.