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Sal Buscema: Print the Legend

he comic book industry, like most other facets of entertainment, is together on Captain America, as well as on Avengers issues. He and
prone to hyperbole. The term “legend” is thrown around in such Steve Gerber created Starhawk and introduced him in The Guardians of
Ta fashion to render the word almost meaningless… except when the Galaxy.
you run into to an actual legend. Officially retired, but still working on Buscema and Bill Mantlo were also frequent collaborators, creating
the occasional project, at 87 years of age Sal Buscema is an actual comic Jean DeWolf in Marvel Team-Up #48. They launched the Rom series in
book legend. late 1979, and they teamed on The Incredible Hulk, creating the Soviet
With a track record that includes virtually all of their top tier characters Super-Soldiers and U-Foes. Rom, a licensed title, has recently returned to
throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Sal Buscema was a staple of the Marvel Marvel, and Buscema’s work is being discovered by new readers.
Comics bullpen for more than a generation. While considered very Buscema had a 10-year run on the Hulk, he was the artist on New
accessible for many years, recent times have seen a steep increase in the Mutants and Thor, and inked his brother’s art on Fantastic Four. He was
prices for his original artwork in the collector’s market. the artist on a 100-issue run of The Spectacular Spider-Man from ’88
A skilled pencil and ink artist, Buscema was known initially for his through ’96, which included the death of Harry Osborn.
collaborations with his brother, John, but Buscema moved over to DC in ’97
soon found his own artistic voice. He is well and spent two years penciling Batman,
known for his long tenure on The Incredible Superman, and Superboy, and inking
Hulk and The Spectacular Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and other
many other titles. stories. After that, he inked The
Buscema was born on January 26, 1936, Incredible Hulk, Spider-Girl, and
in Brooklyn, New York. As a kid, he was a Amazing Spider-Man at Marvel; inked
fan of the Prince Valiant comic strip, appre- DC Retroactive: The Flash – The ‘70s
ciated George Tuska’s comic book art, and and Superman Beyond at DC; and
was a fan of commercial artists like inked the Dungeons and Dragons:
Norman Rockwell. He began his comic art Forgotten Realms series at IDW.
career in the early 1950s by inking pages In recent times, he’s been inking
for his brother, and doing some back- covers for Sitcomics’ Binge Books line
ground art on the Dell Comics that John of comics, working over penciller
was working on. Ron Frenz.
He graduated from the High School In honor of his work in comics,
of Music & Art in 1955, did production Sal Buscema teamed with Ron Buscema was given the Inkpot Award
work for an advertising studio and was a Frenz on the art for Sitcomics’ in 2003 and was awarded the Hero
delivery person for a commercial art Binge Book The Blue Baron. Incredible Hulk #227 Initiative Lifetime Achievement
studio. In ’56 he was drafted into the US Army where his art skills were story page 16 original art by Award in 2013. He was added to the
put to work on film strips and charts that were used as training aids. Sal Buscema and Joe Sinnott. Overstreet Hall of Fame in 2019 and
photo courtesy Heritage Auctions
Following two years of service, he got a job with Creative Arts Studio in was given the Inkwell Awards’ Joe
DC where he did illustrations for government agencies. When his friend Sinnott Hall of Fame Award in 2021.
and colleague Mel Emde started his own art house, Design Studio,
Buscema joined him there, where he stayed until ’68. Results: eMoviePoster’s Halloween Auction
While working at Design Studio he had done some inking jobs for eMoviePoster closed out October 2023 with their 24th Annual
Marvel, but his goal was to work for the publisher full time. Buscema’s Halloween Auction. Featuring one-sheets, international posters, inserts,
hope was to be an inker, but first, he needed to craft pencil art to lobby cards, and more, the auction realized $620,532.
show then-Editor-in-Chief Stan Lee. Meanwhile, he was also staying Part I with 1,356 one-sheets, lobby cards, and more saw a total of
in touch with Marvel production manager Sol Brodsky in the hope of $228,704. Three surprising results were a Psycho set of 8 lobby cards for
securing assignments. $3,879, The Thing Australian daybill for $3,201, and The Thing set of 25
Buscema’s first job was in June 1968, inking the story “The Coming concept art test prints for $2,850.
of Gunhawk” for Western Gunfighters (which wasn’t published until Part II, featuring 1,093 one-sheets and a variety of other posters
1970). His first published work at Marvel was inking his brother John’s brought in $157,130. Three top sales were a Frankenstein Swedish poster
pencils on The Silver Surfer #4-7 and inking Larry Lieber’s pencils in The for $8,750, a Son of Dracula insert for $4,985, and an Empire Strikes Back
Rawhide Kid #68. Bulgarian poster for $4,600.
Within the year, Buscema started inking The Avengers and spent the Part III with 737 linen-backed posters and other movie collectibles
next 30 years as one of Marvel’s best and most prodigious artists. He and reached $234,698. Three notable results were The Mummy’s Curse insert
writer Roy Thomas co-created the Squadron Sinister in The Avengers, they for $6,805, a Body Snatcher linen-backed one-sheet for $6,100, and a You
co-created the villainess Llyra in Sub-Mariner #32, and they teamed up on Only Live Twice British quad for $5,607.
the last new Uncanny X-Men arc before it became a reprints book.
Buscema teamed with Steve Englehart to launch The Defenders as an J.C. Vaughn is the President of Gemstone Publishing.
ongoing series in 1972, and from that year through ’75, the duo worked Amanda Sheriff is Gemstone’s Editor – Digital.
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