It’s a sad day for comic book fans because longtime Marvel Comics artist and colorist, Marie Severin, who was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2001, has passed away at the age of 89, following a recent stroke.
Former Marvel staffer and close friend to Severin, Irene Vartanoff, announced the news of her passing on her Facebook.
“I’m very sorry to report that Marie Severin, the funniest and nicest woman in the comic book biz ever, is no more,” Vartanoff wrote. “Here’s a pic from happier days only a few years ago. I would have cropped myself out of this photo, but notice where Marie’s left hand is. Incorrigible! Love you, Marie.”
Severin first began working in the comics industry in the late 1940s, working as a colorist for EC Comics. When EC Comics’ comic book line went out of business following the institution of the Comics Code Authority, Severin worked for Atlas Comics before leaving comic books entirely to work at the Federal Reserve.
In the late 1950s, Severin went back to the world of comics and would eventually work for Marvel Comics where she served as the company’s head colorist until 1972. While working at Marvel, Severin was the penciler for the first five issues of the series “Incredible Hulk.” Severin would later go on to co-create Spider-Woman and design the character’s costume in 1976.
In the 1980s, she began working in Special Projects for Marvel, doing a lot of licensed work, but was let go during Marvel’s restructuring following their late 1990s bankruptcy. Severin continued working as an artist until retiring in the mid-2000s.
By: Maytinee Kramer
