CGC Registry Featured Set: John Romita Covers

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John Romita, born on January 24, 1930, was a renowned comic book artist and illustrator whose artistic style and contributions helped define the look of some of Marvel's most iconic characters. Romita began his career in comics in the 1950s and joined Marvel Comics in 1965. One of his earliest assignments at Marvel was working on Daredevil, where he collaborated with writer Stan Lee to revamp the character's visual design and create a more dynamic and acrobatic portrayal.

However, Romita's most significant contributions came when he succeeded Steve Ditko as the artist for The Amazing Spider-Man series in 1966. Romita played a crucial role in developing Peter Parker's personal life and supporting cast, including the introduction of characters like the Kingpin (ASM #50), and the re-introduction of Mary Jane Watson who first cameoed in ASM #25 (artist Steve Ditko) and made her first full appearance in ASM #42.

Romita’s artwork on The Amazing Spider-Man was highly influential and widely praised for its dynamic storytelling, expressive characters and attention to detail. His work had a significant impact on the visual portrayal of Spider-Man and helped solidify the character's popularity. He also contributed to other Marvel titles, including Iron Man, Captain America, The X-Men and The Avengers.

In the 1970s, Romita took on other responsibilities at Marvel, including serving as the company's art director. He continued to work on various projects, both as an artist and in editorial roles, until his departure from Marvel in the 1980s. His contributions to the comic book industry have been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. In 2002, he was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame for his significant impact on the medium. His work remains highly regarded and beloved by fans of Marvel Comics.

Romita passed away on June 12, 2023, and his legacy continues in the world of comic book publishing with his son, artist John Romita Jr.

Some of the classic John Romita Sr. covers in this amazing collection include:

• an Amazing Spider-Man #39 graded CGC 9.2, which was the issue that first featured Romita as the series' ongoing artist, revealed Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin, and was signed by John Romita Sr. and Stan Lee
• an Amazing Spider-Man #40 graded CGC 9.2 that includes the origin of Green Goblin, and is signed by Romita and Lee
• an Amazing Spider-Man #121 graded CGC 9.8 that features the death of Gwen Stacy
• an Amazing Spider-Man #122 graded CGC 9.8 that features the death of the Green Goblin
• an Amazing Spider-Man #136 graded CGC 9.8 that offers the first appearance of Harry Osborn as the Green Goblin
• an Amazing Spider-Man #238 graded CGC 9.8 that shows us the first appearance of the Hobgoblin
• Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 Spider-Man and Peter Parker covers, both graded CGC 9.8, and including the marriage of Peter Parker to Mary Jane Watson

“My first comic (was) Marvel Treasury Edition #1, with a 'Jazzy' Johnny Romita Spidey cover, 1975,” writes Lookin4Newstands on their profile page. “In the 80's, my entire collection was stored in one long comic box. I kept everything in as close to mint shape as I could. In 1991, I was out of the country, and my family had to move out of state. All of our belongings were put in storage. I was not able to get to the storage facility until 2013 (22 years)! Finally got the box out, and everything was in the same shape I left it in, thanks to my family protecting it in a bookcase!”

About the CGC Comics Registry

The CGC Comics Registry is a place where comic book collectors come together to share their collections and knowledge with one another. It's a valuable resource for new collectors and experienced fans alike, with a wide range of collections on display. To participate, all you need is a free CGC Collectors account. The group is an online community developed to increase the choices, convenience and education available to collectors.

The CGC Registry has grown to over 95,000 registered sets in the last year! There are now more than 575,000 books registered and it is thrilling to see the steady, continued growth of the CGC Registry. To learn more about how to navigate the CGC Registry, click here.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes.