Top 10 Marvel Comic Book Artists - the 1960s

During the 1960s, Marvel Comics featured some of the most legendary artists ever to grace the comic page. Here are some of the illustrators that created the Marvel Universe.

Jack Kirby
He is known as Jack "The King" Kirby, and he was and is the foundation of Marvel Comics as we know it today. Jack created the look if not the words for The Fantastic Four, The Hulk, Thor, The X-Men, The Silver Surfer, Black Panther and many others. He drew the Fantastic Four monthly, but also got the ball rolling on many other books, meaning he would draw multiple issues a month as well as covers. He created the "Marvel Style" of dynamic pose and action throughout the story, as well as developing the "Marvel Method" along with Stan Lee, where Stan would give a quick plot (maybe a paragraph or two) to the artist and the artist would create the book. Kirby excelled under this method and emerged as the most influential artist in comic books.

Steve Ditko
Ditko co-created Spider-Man with Stan Lee. His unconventional style lent a "creepiness" to the character that steered the title for over thirty issues. Ditko also visually introduced Spider-Man's classic cast of characters, from J.Jonah Jameson to Gwen Stacy. He developed arguably the best rogues gallery for a superhero ever created. These creations alone put Ditko in the pantheon of Marvel artists, but he also created Dr. Strange, gave Iron Man his red and yellow armor and drew many Hulk adventures in the Tales to Astonish title.

John Buscema
John Buscema was the artist on many Marvel titles, most notablyThe Avengers. He also illustrated The Sub-Mariner as well as a classic run on The Silver Surfer. Buscema embraced Kirby's dynamic template for the Marvel characters possibly better than any other artist working at the time, and made it his own. His drawings were detailed, and his characters always related great emotion. He also introduced characters such as the Vision, Ultron, Mephisto and became one of Marvel's most popular artists of the time.

Dick Ayers
With a style that complemented Kirby's, Ayers inked many of the King's comics before coming into his own on the Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos title. Ayers's art on the title was featured for ten years and secured a place for him as one of the industry's top artists. Also like Jack, he produced a large output per month, enabling him to work on many of Marvel's titles throughout the decade as both artist and inker.

Don Heck
Heck was part of the backbone of Marvel throughout the 60s. He drew and inked many of the titles, primarily Tales of Suspense (featuring Iron Man and Captain America) and The Avengers. In Tales of Suspense, he drew the first appearance of Iron Man, though Jack Kirby designed the character in armor. Heck came up with the look for Tony Stark, Pepper Potts and the rest of the main cast. He drew the issues that first introduced Hawkeye, the Black Widow and the Mandarin, Iron Man's arch-enemy. Heck's run on The Avengers came just before Buscema's, and is remembered for some of it's classic stories such as the introduction of the Swordsman and the return of Giant Man to the title.

Marie Severin
Severin was initially a colorist at Marvel, and one of the best. She moved into pencilling after picking up assignments due to other artists' deadlines. It wasn't long before she became one of the regular pencillers at Marvel, taking up the artist reigns on the adventures of Dr. Strange as well as The Hulk. She also flexed her cartooning muscles by drawing Marvel's Not Brand Echh, a book where Marvel lampooned its own titles.

George Tuska
Tuska made his splash on The Invincible Iron Man, where he drew more issues than any other artist. He had followed such artists as Don Heck and Gene Colan, but Tuska's style became the blueprint of the Golden Avenger's adventures. He was also one of the quickest artists at Marvel, and was known for his ability to draw virtually anything and draw it fast. His Iron Man run laid the groundwork for further classic work in the 70s.

Gene Colan
One of the most influential artists in comics history, Colan began his stint at Marvel with work on The Sub-Mariner as well as Iron Man. However, it is his 60s work on Daredevil that is most widely remembered and his run on the book lasted for over 80 issues. Colan's illustrative style with heavy shadows and light quickly set him apart at Marvel and made him one of the top artists at the company.

Jim Steranko
Steranko's name is synonymous with design and innovation. During the 60s, he pushed boundaries in layout and storytelling while defining the some of the most memorable images in comics history. His work on Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is perhaps his most recognized, but Steranko also did some brilliant work for Captain America and The X-Men.

John Romita, Sr.
After Steve Ditko left Marvel's flagship book, The Amazing Spider-Man, a new artist was needed to fill those large shoes. Romita was brought in and he redefined the look of the title and characters. While keeping the Ditko designs for most characters, Romita made Peter Parker more handsome and introduced a new character named Mary Jane Watson. Romita's layouts were also something new to the book, as his compositions were unrivaled in the business. The book grew in artistry and appeal under Romita's hand and his eye-friendly images paved the way for a new era in marketing at Marvel.

Sources:
The Comic Book Database
Wikipedia - Marie Severin, Don Heck