John Tartaglione (January 14, 1921 – November 12, 2003),''

Comics Buyer's Guide ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG''; ), established in 1971, was the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry. It awarded its annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1983 to circa 2010. The publ ...

'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107 a.k.a. John Tartag and other pseudonyms, was an

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best known as a 1950s

romance-comics Romance comics is a comics genre depicting strong and close romantic love and its attendant complications such as jealousy, marriage, divorce, betrayal, and heartache. The term is generally associated with an American comic books genre published t ...

artist; a

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...

inker The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. The penciller creates a drawing, the inker outlines, interprets, finalizes, retraces this drawing by using a pencil ...

during the

Silver Age of comic books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an in ...

; and the illustrator of the Marvel biographies '' The Life of Pope John Paul II'' and ''

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was bo ...

'', the first of which at least sold millions of copies worldwide in several languages.

Biography

Early life and career

Raised in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

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, Tartaglione studied at that borough's

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was founded in 1887 ...

, and at the

Traphagen School of Fashion Traphagen School of Fashion was an art and design school in operation from 1923 to 1991, and was located at 1680 Broadway in New York City. The school was founded and directed by Ethel Traphagen Leigh (1883–1963) with a focus on the foundational ...

in Manhattan. Comics-creator credits were not routinely given in the early days of comic books, up through the 1960s, making a comprehensive listing of Tartaglione's credits difficult to compile. His first confirmed work as a comic-book

is the six-page story "The Mad Monk!" in ''Amazing Detective Cases'' #6 (May 1951), from

Atlas Comics Atlas Comics may refer to * Atlas Comics (1950s), one of the two comic publishing companies that would be the forerunner of Marvel Comics * Seaboard Periodicals Atlas/Seaboard is the term comic book historians and collectors use to refer to the 1 ...

, the 1950s forerunner of

. His first confirmed

penciling A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...

art is the six-page story "The Man Who Walked The Plank", for the same publisher's ''Young Men'' #11 (Oct. 1951). Tartaglione thus began a long association with Marvel that found him penciling suspense, adventure,

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

and

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stories — signing his work a variety of ways including "Tartag", "Tar", "Leone" and "JT" — though he was most prolific in romance titles, illustrating more than 120.John Tartaglione
at the

Grand Comics Database The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful ...

WebCitation archive

Silver Age of comic books

Tartaglione also freelanced for

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

Charlton Comics Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...

and for Gilberton Publications, where he illustrated the ''

Classics Illustrated ''Classics Illustrated'' is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as ''Les Misérables'', '' Moby-Dick'', ''Hamlet'', and '' The Iliad''. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication ...

'' adaptations ''Won by the Sword'' and ''Tom Brown's Schooldays''. From 1963 to 1966, he penciled several ''Movie Classic'' adaptations for

Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1974. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark" ...

— from '' Jason and the Argonauts'' to ''

Beach Blanket Bingo ''Beach Blanket Bingo'' is a 1965 American beach party film directed by William Asher. It is the fifth film in the Beach Party film series. The film stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Linda Evans, Deborah Walley, Paul Lynde, and Don Rick ...

'' — as well as

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...

tie-in comics (''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'', '' Burke's Law'', '' The Defenders'', '' Dr. Kildare'') and other work, including the presidential biographies ''

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

'' (inked by

Dick Giordano Richard Joseph Giordano (; July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics. Early ...

; year n.a.), and ''

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

'' (1964). Back at Marvel — where he sometimes went by "John Tartag", with and without a period — the wide-ranging Tartaglione had a long run inking

Dick Ayers Richard Bache Ayers (; April 28, 1924 – May 4, 2014) was an American comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of Jack Kirby's inkers during the late-1950s and 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comics, including on s ...

on '' Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos'' #27-42 (Feb. 1966 - May 1967) and other issues, plus two annuals. Following this, interspersed with other titles and characters across the Marvel line, Tartaglione spent a year as the regular inker for one of Gene Colan's signature series, ''

Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...

'', embellishing issues #29-35, 37, and 40-41 (June 1967 - June 1968), plus ''Daredevil Annual'' #1 (Sept. 1967). His work as a Marvel inker includes three stories with the highly influential penciler

Jim Steranko James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator. His most famous comic book work was with the 1960s superspy feature " ...

: Writer-artist Steranko's final

Nick Fury Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos' ...

story, "What Ever Happened to Scorpio?", in the much-reprinted ''Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' #5 (Nov. 1968), and the

Arnold Drake Arnold Drake (March 1, 1924 – March 12, 2007) was an American comic book writer and screenwriter best known for co-creating the DC Comics characters Deadman and the Doom Patrol, and the Marvel Comics characters the Guardians of the Galaxy, amo ...

-written ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

'' #50-51 (Nov.-Dec. 1968).

Other comics and commercial art

With the exception of an occasional item such as the cover of '' Dazzler'' #12, Tartaglione returned to penciling for the first time in years with the 64-page Marvel Comics biography ''The Life of Pope John Paul II'' (1982), written by

Steven Grant Steven Grant (born October 22, 1953) is an American comic book writer best known for his 1985–1986 Marvel Comics mini-series ''The Punisher'' with artist Mike Zeck and for his creator-owned character Whisper. Biography Comic books Grant has ...

and Mieczyslaw Malinski, and inked by

Joe Sinnott Joseph Leonard Sinnott (; October 16, 1926 June 25, 2020) was an American comic book artist. Working primarily as an inker, Sinnott is best known for his long stint on Marvel Comics' '' Fantastic Four'', from 1965 to 1981 (and briefly in the l ...

. A 1984 follow-up profiled Mother Teresa, with the same artists and writer

David Michelinie David Michelinie (; born May 6, 1948) is an American comic book writer best known for scripting Marvel Comics' '' The Amazing Spider-Man'' and '' Iron Man'' and the DC Comics feature Superman in ''Action Comics''. Among the characters he create ...

. Comics historian

Mark Evanier Mark Stephen Evanier (; born March 2, 1952) is an American comic book and television writer, known for his work on the animated TV series '' Garfield and Friends'' and on the comic book ''Groo the Wanderer''. He is also known for his columns and b ...

wrote that Tartaglione at Marvel "became the 'go-to' guy when a project came along that required historical research and/or spiritual themes. He was therefore the perfect artist when, in 1982, Marvel issued a comic-book biography of Pope John Paul II that through various religious channels sold well into the millions, leading to a follow-up book on Mother Teresa". Evanier, Mark
"John Tartaglione, R.I.P." / "More on John Tartaglione"
POV Online (column) November 14, 2003

During this period, Tartaglione was on staff at Marvel, doing art corrections. Marginalia includes the Catholic-oriented comic book ''

Treasure Chest Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

'', distributed in parochial schools, and religious comics for publisher Ned Pines' Standard/Better/Nedor imprints; inking some

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comics for

Skywald Publications Skywald Publications was an American publisher of black-and-white comics magazines, primarily the horror anthologies ''Nightmare'', ''Psycho'', and ''Scream''. It also published a small line of comic books and other genre magazines. Skywald's or ...

' short-lived comic-book line in 1971; and Marvel's adaptation of the movie ''

Dragonslayer A dragonslayer is a person or being that slays dragons. Dragonslayers and the creatures they hunt have been popular in traditional stories from around the world: they are a type of story classified as type 300 in the Aarne–Thompson classific ...

'' (June 1981).

Later career

Tartaglione's last known comic-book work was inking

Ron Randall Ron Randall (born November 22, 1956) is an American comic book artist best known as the creator of the character Trekker. Career A graduate of The Kubert School, Ron Randall's first published comic book work was a two-page backup story titled ...

on the cover and in the 22-page story of Marvel's ''

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The c ...

'' #29 (Jan. 1994) The artist, who circa 1980 had assisted Alex Kotsky on the

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'' Apartment 3-G'', then turned to inking ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly per ...

'' daily comic strip in 2003. That November he died at home from

throat cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

, which had left him unable to speak. The day before his death Tartaglione had mostly finished inking a week of ''Spider-Man'' strips. According to family friend and comics creator

Billy Tucci William Tucci is an illustrator, writer, and filmmaker best known for his creator-owned title and character, '' Shi''. Career Tucci founded Crusade Comics in Bayport, New York Its flagship title, '' Shi'', debuted in March 1994. Publisher Top ...

, Tartaglione's artist daughter, Mary Beth, "actually finished this week's inks on the Spider-Man strips today and sent them out, closing out his last job."Tucci, Billy, quoted i
"In Memoriam: John Tartaglione"
''Scoop'' (e-newsletter), Diamond Galleries, November 25, 200
WebCitation archive

Personal life

Aside from his daughter Mary Beth, Tartaglione had a son, John C. Tartaglione, a Centerport,

, painter born in

in 1968."John Tartaglione"
at FineArtAmerica.com. Gives middle initial

References

External links

at the

Lambiek Comiclopedia Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ), though since 2007, his son Boris Kousemaker is the current owner. From 1968 to 2015, it was located ...

* Vassallo, Michael J. "In Memorium: John Tartaglione", ''

Alter Ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a different ...

'' #33, February 2004
The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
* Grost, Michael. (fan site researched at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

Comic Art Collection)
Original page
* , The Historic Costume & Textiles Collection,

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pub ...

, n.d
Original page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tartaglione, John 1921 births 2003 deaths Deaths from esophageal cancer American comics artists Silver Age comics creators Marvel Comics people American people of Italian descent Pratt Institute alumni Traphagen School of Fashion alumni