Mike Esposito (comics)
Mike Esposito | |
---|---|
Amazing World of DC Comics #15 | |
Born | Michael Esposito July 14, 1927[1] New York City, New York, U.S. |
Died | October 24, 2010 Suffolk County, New York, U.S. | (aged 83)
Nationality | American |
Area(s) | Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor, Publisher |
Pseudonym(s) | Mickey Demeo, Mickey Dee, Michael Dee, Joe Gaudioso |
Notable works | The Amazing Spider-Man The Flash Metal Men Wonder Woman |
Michael "Mike" Esposito (July 14, 1927 – October 24, 2010),
Esposito was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2007.
Biography
Early life and career
Mike Esposito was born in
For some reason, I was attracted to that stuff more than the superheroes, as a kid ... and I love the way he drew those characters. They were like a caricature of the real gangsters. ... I loved the faces of his — their teeth and the kind of garb they would wear, their clothing. As a young fella, 14 years old, I tried to draw like him. ... I used to always want to emulate his look. Part of it had to do with the fact that he didn't overwork [his drawings]. It was simplistic, the backgrounds and so on. The character was the whole thing. The facial expressions. ...[7]
Originally Esposito dreamed of becoming an
Andru assisted Hogarth on the
In 1949, though he had done much uncredited work in the interim, including his first professional inking. He recalled,
I didn't do any inking until I was with Timely Comics and I met a girl up there who was in charge of the inking department. I was at a bar in the
Lev Gleason's Crime and Punishment magazine.[14]
Let go from Atlas Comics after a short time, he and Andru became longtime collaborators, working together on various projects over a span of four decades.
They quickly founded their own comics-book company, the name of which is variously rendered as MR Publications,
By this time, after having teamed for early work on
From 1957 to 1959, Andru and Esposito shared a studio with fellow comics artists
Silver Age
After
Esposito gradually began freelancing for
When
During this period as well, for DC, the Andru-Esposito team segued from Wonder Woman to
Andru and Esposito formed the publishing company Klevart Enterprises in 1970,
I had gone bankrupt with Ross [Andru], publishing Up Your Nose (and Our Your Ear), and so [Marvel associate editor] Roy Thomas said, 'Do you want a staff job?' It paid $75 a week, but you got all the freelance with it. At one time I was $1,200 a week because of all the freelance. That's when I quit the staff job. I had more freelance that I could handle going into the office every day. So I went back to complete freelance. I was like a machine at that point, turning them out."[29]
Spider-Man
The
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Esposito inked virtually every major Marvel penciler on virtually every major Marvel title, from The Avengers to X-Men.[13] By the mid-1980s, however, his Marvel work had tapered to a trickle. Among his final Spider-Man work, he was co-inker on the story "Moving Up", penciled by Alex Saviuk, in Web of Spider-Man #38 (May 1988); inker of the following issue's cover; and inker of the 11-page partial origin retelling "My Science Project", penciled by Bagley, in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #23 (1989). His final Spider-Man story was also his last with Andru, who died in 1993: the
Later life and career
By this time, however, Esposito was well-ensconced at
Personal life
Esposito's first wife, Mary, died when he was in his 40s. He later married his second wife, Irene,[2] who died on January 12, 2020.[36] Esposito had two children: Mark, who predeceased him, and Michele.[2] Esposito's grandson, Tyler Esposito,[37] created the online documentary My Retro Life: A Gamer's Documentary, which includes home-video footage of Mike Esposito.[38] Esposito lived in Lake Grove, New York, on Long Island, in his later years, and died October 24, 2010, at age 83.[2]
Awards
Esposito was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2021 he was awarded the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.[39][40]
Legacy
An Andru-Esposito drawing of Wonder Woman appears on one of the 10 character stamps issued in the
References
- ^ "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (accessed 25 Feb 2013), Michael Esposito, 24 October 2010; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
- ^ a b c d e f g Lovece, Frank (October 25, 2010). "Long Island Comic Book Artist Mike Esposito Dead at 83". Newsday. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2010. (Requires subscription) Print version: "Mike Esposito, Comic Book Artist", p. A30
- ISBN 978-1932563849.
- ^ a b c d Esposito, Best, p. 14
- ^ a b c d Esposito, Mike, in Stroud, Bryan D. (2008). "Mike Esposito interview (part 1)". The Silver Age Sage. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
I went to the High School of Music & Art ... in Harlem
Additional, June 16, 2012. - ^ a b "Biography: Adolescence". Mighty Mike Esposito (official site). Archived from the original on March 22, 2008.
- ISBN 978-1-893905-40-5.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Esposito, Best, p. 16
- ^ Esposito, Best, p. 22.
- ^ Sedlmeier, Cory (ed.). Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk Volume 2. Marvel Entertainment. p. 245.
- ^ Ross Andru at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ a b c Esposito in Cassell, et al., p. 65
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Mike Esposito. Grand Comics Database. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
- ^ Esposito in Best, Daniel. "Mike Esposito". Adelaide Comics. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Esposito, Best, "Three: Some Hard Business Lessons > Part 1: MR Publications: We Get 'Taken'", p. 39.
- ^ a b Mister Universe; Publisher's Brands: MR. Publications; Indicia Publishers: Media Publications, Inc. at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Mikeross Publications at the Grand Comics Database. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
- ^ Bails, Jerry; Ware, Hames. "Esposito, Mike". Archived from the original on May 11, 2007. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ Esposito official site, ""Biography: Return to DC Comics"". Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-16..
- ^ Fantastic Four Annual #3 at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Ro, Ronin. Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and the American Comic Book Revolution, p. 92 (Bloomsbury, 2004)
- ^ a b Evanier, Mark (April 14, 2008). "Why did some artists working for Marvel in the sixties use phony names?". P.O.V. Online (column). Archived from the original on November 26, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
- Sub-Mariner #14, 16–18, 23–31 (June, Aug.–Oct. 1969, March–Nov. 1970), and Iron Man#20–21 and #23 (Dec. 1969 – Jan. 1970, March 1970) — that last even though he went by Esposito on Iron Man #22
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #49 (June 1967) at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Arndt, Richard J. (December 2, 2010). "The Complete Skywald Checklist". EnjolrasWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Additional, June 15, 2010.
- Lambiek Comiclopedia
- ^ Up Your Nose And Out Your Ear at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Esposito official site, ""Biography: Up Your Nose"". Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-16..
- ^ Cassell, et al., p. 66
- ^ Marvel Team-Up (I) (1972–1985) at The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man (I) (1963-1998) at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
- ^ Esposito, Michael at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
- ^ "The Strobe Warrior". iTunes. January 21, 2014. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016.
- ^ "Home". evilmonkeyman.com.
- ^ Esposito official site, ""Biography: Archie Comics"". Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-16..
- ^ "Irene A Esposito". United States Obituary Notice. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ Esposito, Tyler [@myretrolifeshow] (December 7, 2019). "Wow! Yes, looks like my grandfather Mike Esposito was one of the artists on these" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "My Retro Life: A Gamer's Documentary". Apple TV. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ First Comic News - 2021 INKWELL AWARDS VOTING RESULTS
- ^ 2021 Winners - Inkwell Awards Official Site
- U.S. Postal Service press release "Stamp News Release Number 05-054". November 30, 2005. Archived from the originalon October 18, 2010. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
Further reading
- Esposito, Mike; Best, Daniel (2007). Partners For Life. from the original on 16 February 2013.
External links
- Mighty Mike Esposito at the Wayback Machine (archived June 12, 2007) (official site)
- Mike Esposito at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Mickey Demeo at the Grand Comics Database
- Evanier, Makr (October 24, 2010). "Mike Esposito, R.I.P." News from Me. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- Best, Daniel. "Partners For Life: Ross Andru & Mike Esposito". (unpublished interviews and scans made for book below) Adelaide Comics and Books. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2013.