CGC Signature Series Creator Spotlight: John Romita Jr.

Artist: John Romita Jr.

Next CGC Signature Series deadline: April 18, 2025, is the deadline to submit your books for the next John Romita Jr. Private Signing. Go here to learn more about the upcoming signing, where he’ll be joined by Klaus Janson, Scott Hanna and Al Milgrom.

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Creator origins: John Romita Jr. grew up immersed in the world of comics, watching his father — legendary artist John Romita Sr. — help define the look of Spider-Man and Marvel’s Silver Age. With a household filled with art and storytelling, Romita Jr. absorbed the craft early and carved his own path, becoming one of Marvel’s most prolific artists.

Romita Jr.’s career began in the early 1970s at the age of 13 when he brought Marvel Comics the character Prowler, which was then introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #78 as co-plotter. After that, Romita Jr. went on to work on some of the most beloved titles of all time, such as Iron Man, Daredevil, Uncanny X-Men, Thor, Incredible Hulk, Wolverine and Black Panther. His Spider-Man art has also become some of the most iconic and instantly recognizable.

Top picks: Some of Romita Jr.’s most popular work includes:

• Uncanny X-Men #130 (1980) — the first appearance of Dazzler
• Amazing Spider-Man #210 (1980) — the first appearance of Madame Web
• What If #24 (1980) — the wedding of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy
• Iron Man #150 (1981) — iconic cover by Romita Jr.
• Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982) — the first appearance of Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel
• Amazing Spider-Man #238 (1983) — the first appearance of Hobgoblin
• Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987) – the wedding of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson

CGC Comics Registry highlight: You can find more inspiration and ideas by browsing registry sets such as arzhang’s collection, Eternals Limited Series - asaman, which won CGC Comics Registry Awards for Best in Set Type from 2010 to 2024 and includes several books with the CGC Signature Series label certifying that they were signed by Romita Jr., including a sketch cover.

Auction highlight: An Amazing Spider-Man #238 graded CGC Signature Series 9.6 signed by John Romita Sr. and John Romita Jr. sold for $2,640 in a Heritage Auctions sale in December 2023.

Did you know? In 2012, Romita Jr. set out to break the world record for continuous cartooning (which he already held) to support the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada. He attempted to continuously sketch characters and sign comics for 50 hours straight.

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Submit now to CGC Signature Series

There are many more CGC Signature Series events planned with your favorite creators! Find a complete list here! Also follow CGC Signature Series on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for the latest news and updates on upcoming signings. You can also receive email updates about the latest signings by logging in to your CGC account and selecting “Signature Series” here.

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