Sal Buscema
Encyclopedia
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American
comic book
artist, primarily for Marvel Comics
, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk. The younger brother of comics artist John Buscema
, he is known as "Our Pal Sal" in the language of Marvel Comics' old "Bullpen Bulletins
" page.
(1927–2002), the latter of whom become a celebrated comic-book artist; and sister Carol (b. June 22, 1929; deceased). Their father, who was born in Italy
and died in 1973, was a barber. Buscema grew up a fan of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant
comic strip, of George Tuska
's comic-book art, and of commercial illustrators such has Robert Fawcett
, Al Parker
, and Norman Rockwell
, and called his artist brother John "greatly responsible for me pursuing drawing. ... John was definitely an inspiration". Like John, Buscema attended the High School of Music & Art, graduating in 1955. He got his start as a comic-book inker
in the early 1950s when his brother agreed to let him ink comics pages; this led to Sal helping John by doing occasional background art on Dell Comics
series John was drawing.
After high school, Buscema found work at "a small, two-man advertising
art studio in Manhattan
" but was fired after three months of doing mostly production work. He went on to a larger commercial-art studio, where he was a gofer and a delivery person. He quit, then spent less than a year filling wedding-ring orders for the jewelry manufacturer J. R. Wood and Sons before being drafted into the peacetime U.S. Army in 1956. Classified as an "illustrator", he served with the Army Corps of Engineers
stationed at Fort Belvoir
in Virginia
. He spent 21 months doing film strips and charts as training aids before discharged after two years. He attained the rank of specialist 3rd class, which he called "equivalent to corporal
." After briefly returning to New York City
to assist at a one-man art studio, an Army connection found him work at the large Creative Arts Studio in Washington, D.C.
. There he did illustrations for government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense
. After living with his godparents for three months, Buscema and an Army buddy became roommates in Alexandria, Virginia
.
He started dating Joan, a secretary where he worked, in February 1959, and the two were married in May 1960. Their first son, Joe, was born in 1968, followed by Tony and Mike.
In 1961, a call from his brother John brought Buscema to New York City to work with him at the advertising agency Alexander Chaite, Inc. Buscema and his wife stayed for a year-and-a-half before it became evident that the company was not doing well and would close down. John Buscema returned to the comic-book industry while Sal Buscema joined a friend and colleague from Creative Arts Studio, Mel Emde, who was opening his own company, Design Studio. There Buscema worked until 1968, when he broke into Marvel Comics, for which his brother was already established as a freelance artist.
storytelling style, enduring harsh critiques from his Marvel-artist brother John
. As Buscema recalled in the late 2000s,
The interview had come about after Buscema, at his brother's urging, had first written to Marvel production manager Sol Brodsky
to introduce himself and his work. Brodsky had no assignments for him at the time, and Buscema "called him a couple of time just to bug him a little bit and let him know that I was still alive, and eventually the first job came through" in June 1968. That job, from Brodsky, was a 10-page Western
feature, "Gunhawk". "I think they just said, 'Sal, here's the plot, go to it,'" Buscema recalled in 2003. That story, "The Coming of Gunhawk", by writer Jerry Siegel
and penciler Werner Roth
, was eventually published in the omnibus title Western Gunfighters
#1 (cover-dated Aug. 1970). Buscema's first published comics work had come before that: inking John Buscema's pencil art on four 39- to 40-page stories in the superhero
comic The Silver Surfer #4-7 (Feb.-Aug. 1969); and inking Larry Lieber
's pencils on the regular-sized, 20-page Western The Rawhide Kid #68 (Feb. 1969).
John Buscema specifically asked for his brother as inker on The Silver Surfer, at the time a high-profile project dear to writer-editor Lee, who gave the character an unprecedented for the time double-sized, 64-page (with ads and covers) solo series priced at 25 cents, more than twice the price of the standard 32-page, 12-cent comic.
Within a year, Buscema was penciling the superhero-team comic The Avengers
, and for the next thirty years, he was one of the most prolific artists at the company. He recalled in the late 2000s, "At first I was very slow. If I knocked out six or eight pages a week I was happy. Then I started getting a little bit better, and I could probably do a couple of pages a day. But once I hit that five-year transitional period, I was like a machine. I could grind the stuff out. ... Everything just fell into place, and all of a sudden I found it very easy to do."
Buscema is known for stints on Captain America
, with writer Steve Englehart
; a 10-year run on the The Incredible Hulk
vol. 2, with writers Len Wein
, who he called his favorite writer — "It was uncanny, how in tune we were ... incredible mesh" — as well as Roger Stern
and Bill Mantlo
; the Defenders
, with Wein and Steve Gerber
; Thor
, with Walt Simonson
and John Workman
; and various Spider-Man
titles with Gerry Conway
and J.M. DeMatteis. From 1988 through 1996 Buscema penciled and mostly inked a 100-issue run on the title The Spectacular Spider-Man
. Unlike some fellow Silver Age
artists, Buscema's style evolved to meet the grittier, sharper-edged look favored beginning in the 1990s.
Buscema usually inked his own work, starting in the late 1970s. In the late 1980s, he returned to inking others' work, again notably over his brother John Buscema's work on an Englehart-scripted run on Fantastic Four
. His ability to meet quick deadlines and produce fast work has meant that in addition to his numerous regular titles, he has also pencilled or inked many emergency fill-in issues for Marvel.
, including penciling Batman
, Superman
, and Superboy
stories, and inking Creeper
, Wonder Woman
, Batman, Superman and other characters' stories. He recalled, "[T]he short time I worked for DC, they were giving me all these young guys that could hardly hold a pencil in their hands, and asking me to 'tweak it.' In cases like that I would definitely put a lot of myself into it and change whatever I felt needed to be changed."
Buscema returned to Marvel inking Pat Olliffe
on Spider-Girl
1999, the summer annual
of that series, and did work for both companies briefly before becoming regular inker on The Incredible Hulk vol. 3, #11-20 (Feb.-Nov. 2000) and inking a smattering of other titles. In 2003 he described himself as "retired for three years ... and I'm still inking jobs for Marvel!" That very year he returned to comics full-time inking Oliffe on Spider-Girl #55 (March 2003) and then launching into a long stint inking or doing finished over pencil layouts by Ron Frenz
from issues #59-100 (June 2003 - Sept. 2006). He continued to ink the series' full when it was relaunched as The Amazing Spider-Girl #1-30 (Dec. 2006 - May 2009). He then continued to ink Spider-Girl stories, over Frenz's pencils, in the omnibus title Web of Spider-Man vol. 2, #1-7 (Dec. 2009 - June 2010) and continuing in the four-issue miniseries
The Spectacular Spider-Girl vol. 2 (July-Oct. 2010) and the one-shot Spider-Girl: The End! #1 (Oct. 2010). As of 2011, he is regular inker, over Frenz, on the five-issue superhero miniseries Thunderstrike
vol. 2.
, in which he appeared at the Little Theatre of Alexandria
, Virginia
, in 1998.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist, primarily for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk. The younger brother of comics artist John Buscema
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
, he is known as "Our Pal Sal" in the language of Marvel Comics' old "Bullpen Bulletins
Bullpen Bulletins
"Bullpen Bulletins" was the news and information page that appeared in most regular monthly comic books from Marvel Comics...
" page.
Early life and career
Sal Buscema was the youngest of four children, preceded by brothers Al (b. July 28, 1923; deceased) and JohnJohn Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
(1927–2002), the latter of whom become a celebrated comic-book artist; and sister Carol (b. June 22, 1929; deceased). Their father, who was born in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and died in 1973, was a barber. Buscema grew up a fan of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, or simply Prince Valiant, is a long-run comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretch of that story now totals more than 3700 Sunday strips...
comic strip, of George Tuska
George Tuska
George Tuska , who early in his career used a variety of pen names including Carl Larson, was an American comic book and newspaper comic strip artist best known for his 1940s work on various Captain Marvel titles and the crime fiction series Crime Does Not Pay, for and his 1960s work illustrating...
's comic-book art, and of commercial illustrators such has Robert Fawcett
Robert Fawcett
Robert Fawcett trained as a fine artist but achieved fame as an illustrator of books and magazines.Born in England, he grew up in Canada and later in New York. His father, an amateur artist, encouraged Robert's interest in art. While in Canada, he was apprenticed to an engraver...
, Al Parker
Al Parker
Al Parker was a gay American pornographic actor , producer, and director. He died from complications of AIDS at the age of 40....
, and Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
, and called his artist brother John "greatly responsible for me pursuing drawing. ... John was definitely an inspiration". Like John, Buscema attended the High School of Music & Art, graduating in 1955. He got his start as a comic-book inker
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
in the early 1950s when his brother agreed to let him ink comics pages; this led to Sal helping John by doing occasional background art on Dell Comics
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 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
series John was drawing.
After high school, Buscema found work at "a small, two-man advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
art studio in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
" but was fired after three months of doing mostly production work. He went on to a larger commercial-art studio, where he was a gofer and a delivery person. He quit, then spent less than a year filling wedding-ring orders for the jewelry manufacturer J. R. Wood and Sons before being drafted into the peacetime U.S. Army in 1956. Classified as an "illustrator", he served with the Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
stationed at Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He spent 21 months doing film strips and charts as training aids before discharged after two years. He attained the rank of specialist 3rd class, which he called "equivalent to corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
." After briefly returning to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to assist at a one-man art studio, an Army connection found him work at the large Creative Arts Studio in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. There he did illustrations for government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. After living with his godparents for three months, Buscema and an Army buddy became roommates in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
.
He started dating Joan, a secretary where he worked, in February 1959, and the two were married in May 1960. Their first son, Joe, was born in 1968, followed by Tony and Mike.
In 1961, a call from his brother John brought Buscema to New York City to work with him at the advertising agency Alexander Chaite, Inc. Buscema and his wife stayed for a year-and-a-half before it became evident that the company was not doing well and would close down. John Buscema returned to the comic-book industry while Sal Buscema joined a friend and colleague from Creative Arts Studio, Mel Emde, who was opening his own company, Design Studio. There Buscema worked until 1968, when he broke into Marvel Comics, for which his brother was already established as a freelance artist.
Marvel Comics
Buscema by this time had spent "every night for about a year" teaching himself "how to produce a dynamic page" in the Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
storytelling style, enduring harsh critiques from his Marvel-artist brother John
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
. As Buscema recalled in the late 2000s,
The interview had come about after Buscema, at his brother's urging, had first written to Marvel production manager Sol Brodsky
Sol Brodsky
Sol Brodsky was an American comic book artist who, as Marvel Comics' Silver Age production manager, was one of the key architects of the small company's expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate. He later rose to vice president, operations and vice president, special projects...
to introduce himself and his work. Brodsky had no assignments for him at the time, and Buscema "called him a couple of time just to bug him a little bit and let him know that I was still alive, and eventually the first job came through" in June 1968. That job, from Brodsky, was a 10-page Western
Western comics
Western comics is a comics genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier and typically set during the late nineteenth century...
feature, "Gunhawk". "I think they just said, 'Sal, here's the plot, go to it,'" Buscema recalled in 2003. That story, "The Coming of Gunhawk", by writer Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and penciler Werner Roth
Werner Roth (comics)
Werner Roth was an American comic book artist, perhaps best known for immediately succeeding Jack Kirby on Marvel Comics' X-Men....
, was eventually published in the omnibus title Western Gunfighters
Western Gunfighters
Western Gunfighters is the name of two American Western omnibus comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics....
#1 (cover-dated Aug. 1970). Buscema's first published comics work had come before that: inking John Buscema's pencil art on four 39- to 40-page stories in the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic The Silver Surfer #4-7 (Feb.-Aug. 1969); and inking Larry Lieber
Larry Lieber
Lawrence D. "Larry" Lieber is an American comic book artist and writer, and the younger brother of Marvel Comics' writer, editor and publisher Stan Lee....
's pencils on the regular-sized, 20-page Western The Rawhide Kid #68 (Feb. 1969).
John Buscema specifically asked for his brother as inker on The Silver Surfer, at the time a high-profile project dear to writer-editor Lee, who gave the character an unprecedented for the time double-sized, 64-page (with ads and covers) solo series priced at 25 cents, more than twice the price of the standard 32-page, 12-cent comic.
Within a year, Buscema was penciling the superhero-team comic The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, and for the next thirty years, he was one of the most prolific artists at the company. He recalled in the late 2000s, "At first I was very slow. If I knocked out six or eight pages a week I was happy. Then I started getting a little bit better, and I could probably do a couple of pages a day. But once I hit that five-year transitional period, I was like a machine. I could grind the stuff out. ... Everything just fell into place, and all of a sudden I found it very easy to do."
Buscema is known for stints on Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, with writer Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart is an American novelist. In his earlier career he was a comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s...
; a 10-year run on the The Incredible Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
vol. 2, with writers Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
, who he called his favorite writer — "It was uncanny, how in tune we were ... incredible mesh" — as well as Roger Stern
Roger Stern
Roger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.-Early career:In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine CPL , one of the first platforms for the work of John Byrne...
and Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom. An attorney, he also worked as a public defender...
; the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
, with Wein and Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
; Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, with Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
and John Workman
John Workman
John Workman is an editor, writer, artist, designer, colorist and letterer in the comic book industry...
; and various Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
titles with Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
and J.M. DeMatteis. From 1988 through 1996 Buscema penciled and mostly inked a 100-issue run on the title The Spectacular Spider-Man
The Spectacular Spider-Man
The Spectacular Spider-Man is the name of several comic books and one magazine series starring Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.The character's main series, The Amazing Spider-Man, was extremely successful, and Marvel felt the character could support more than one title. This led the company in 1968 to...
. Unlike some fellow Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
artists, Buscema's style evolved to meet the grittier, sharper-edged look favored beginning in the 1990s.
Buscema usually inked his own work, starting in the late 1970s. In the late 1980s, he returned to inking others' work, again notably over his brother John Buscema's work on an Englehart-scripted run on Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
. His ability to meet quick deadlines and produce fast work has meant that in addition to his numerous regular titles, he has also pencilled or inked many emergency fill-in issues for Marvel.
Later career
From 1997 to 1999, Buscema did a small amount of work for rival DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, including penciling Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, and Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
stories, and inking Creeper
Creeper (comics)
The Creeper is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. Created by Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Showcase #73 .-Publication history:...
, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, Batman, Superman and other characters' stories. He recalled, "[T]he short time I worked for DC, they were giving me all these young guys that could hardly hold a pencil in their hands, and asking me to 'tweak it.' In cases like that I would definitely put a lot of myself into it and change whatever I felt needed to be changed."
Buscema returned to Marvel inking Pat Olliffe
Pat Olliffe
Patrick "Pat" Olliffe is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Olliffe is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on Untold Tales of Spider-Man and Spider-Girl ....
on Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
1999, the summer annual
Annual publication
An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. For example, a weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication....
of that series, and did work for both companies briefly before becoming regular inker on The Incredible Hulk vol. 3, #11-20 (Feb.-Nov. 2000) and inking a smattering of other titles. In 2003 he described himself as "retired for three years ... and I'm still inking jobs for Marvel!" That very year he returned to comics full-time inking Oliffe on Spider-Girl #55 (March 2003) and then launching into a long stint inking or doing finished over pencil layouts by Ron Frenz
Ron Frenz
Ronald Wade Frenz is an American comic book artist known for his work for Marvel Comics. He is well-known for his 1980s work on Amazing Spider-Man, and more recently, for his work on Spider-Girl...
from issues #59-100 (June 2003 - Sept. 2006). He continued to ink the series' full when it was relaunched as The Amazing Spider-Girl #1-30 (Dec. 2006 - May 2009). He then continued to ink Spider-Girl stories, over Frenz's pencils, in the omnibus title Web of Spider-Man vol. 2, #1-7 (Dec. 2009 - June 2010) and continuing in the four-issue miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
The Spectacular Spider-Girl vol. 2 (July-Oct. 2010) and the one-shot Spider-Girl: The End! #1 (Oct. 2010). As of 2011, he is regular inker, over Frenz, on the five-issue superhero miniseries Thunderstrike
Thunderstrike (Kevin Masterson)
Kevin Masterson, a fictional character that appeared in Marvel Comics. The character was first introduced as a supporting character in Thor and later in spin-off series Thunderstrike, as the son of Eric Masterson, the featured character of both series...
vol. 2.
Personal life
Buscema also acts in local community theater. He was recognized for his portrayal of Tevye in Fiddler on the RoofFiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, in which he appeared at the Little Theatre of Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, in 1998.
DC
- Batman ChroniclesBatman ChroniclesThe Batman Chronicles is a series of comics published by DC Comics from 1995 to 2001, which lasted 23 quarterly issues and a series of collections.-Publication history:...
#8, 13-14 (1997–98) - Creeper, vol. 3, #8 (1998)
- DC RetroactiveDC RetroactiveDC Retroactive was a one-shot line of comic book titles launched by DC Comics. It revisited the most important periods of the company’s main characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Justice League and the Flash. These comics were published with cover dates of September and...
: Flash - The '70s #1 (2011) - DC UniverseDC UniverseThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
Holiday Bash #1 (1997) - Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
Annual #10 (1997) - SuperboySuperboySuperboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
, vol. 3, #37, 42-44 (1997) - Superman: The Man of SteelSuperman: The Man of SteelSuperman: The Man of Steel is the title of a monthly American comic book series that ran 136 issues from 1991 to 2003. published by DC Comics, featuring Superman. As a consequence of introducing this series alongside its already existing titles, DC Comics was able to publish a new Superman comic...
#65 (1997)
Marvel
- Alpha FlightAlpha FlightAlpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
#33-34 (1986) - The Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#154-155, 198-199, 266, 272 (1976–86) - AvengersAvengers (comics)The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#68-72, 78, 86, 88-92, 127-134, 156, 158-159, 169, 172-173, 193, 227 (1969–83) - Balder the Brave, miniseries, #1-4 (1985)
- Battlestar Galactica #8-9, 18 (1979–80)
- Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
#114 (along with John Romita, Sr.John Romita, Sr.John V. Romita, Sr. is an Italian-American comic-book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man...
), 146-163, 165-181, 185, 188, 218-223, 225-237, 284-285 (1969–83) - Captain America, vol. 3, #50 (among other artists) (2002)
- Chamber of ChillsChamber of ChillsChamber of Chills is the name of two anthology horror comic books, one published by Harvey Publications in the early 1950s, the other by Marvel Comics in the 1970s.-Harvey Publications:...
#22 (1976) - Chamber of DarknessChamber of DarknessChamber of Darkness was a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published bi-monthly by Marvel Comics that under this and a subsequent name ran from 1969-1974...
#6 (1970) - Conan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian (comics)Conan the Barbarian was a Marvel Comics title starring the sword-and-sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard. It debuted in Oct. 1970 and ran for 275 issues until Dec...
#92 (1978) - DaredevilDaredevil (Marvel Comics)Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
#139-140, 218, 238, 356 (1976–96) - DefendersDefenders (comics)The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
#1-29, 31-41, 62-64, 119, 127, 148 (1973–85) - Doctor StrangeDoctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, vol. 2, #75 (1986) - EternalsEternals (comics)The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. They are described as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth. The original instigators of this process, the alien Celestials, intended the Eternals to be the defenders of Earth which...
#1-9 (1985–86) - Fantastic FourFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
#182-183, 190, 207-208, 299, 302, 313, Annual #13 (1977–88) - Fantastic Four Roast (among other artists) (1982)
- Ghost RiderGhost Rider (Johnny Blaze)Ghost Rider is a fictional character, an antihero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch.Johnny Blaze was portrayed both in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and...
#11 (1975) - HulkHulk (comics)The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
#5 (1989) - Incredible Hulk #194-203, 205-217, 219-221, 223-229, 231-243, 245-248, 250-278, 280-309, Annual #5, 8, 14-15 (1975–86)
- Incredible Hulk vs. QuasimodoQuasimodo (comics)Quasimodo , also known as the Living Computer, is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe...
, one-shot (1983) - Immortal Iron Fist #4 (among other artists) (2007)
- Iron ManIron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
#129, 198, Annual #3 (1979–85) - John Carter, Warlord of MarsJohn Carter (character)John Carter is a fictional character, created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who appears in the Barsoom series of novels. Though actually a Virginian from Earth and a visitor to Mars, he is often referred to as "John Carter of Mars" in reference to the general setting in which his deeds are recorded, in...
Annual #1 (1977) - Journey Into MysteryJourney into MysteryJourney into Mystery was an American comic book series published by Atlas Comics, and later its successor Marvel Comics. It featured horror, monster, and science fiction stories...
#512-513 (1997) - Kull the Conqueror, vol. 2, #8 (1985)
- Marvel Comics Super SpecialMarvel Comics Super SpecialMarvel Comics Super Special was a 41-issue series of one-shot comic-magazines published by Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1986. They were cover-priced $1.50 to $2.50, while regular color comics were priced 30 cents to 60 cents, Beginning with issue #5, the series' title in the its postal indicia was...
(KissKISS (band)Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
) #1 (among other artists) (1977) - Marvel Graphic NovelMarvel Graphic NovelMarvel Graphic Novel was a series of graphic novel trade paperbacks published from 1982 to 1993 by Marvel Comics. The books were published in oversized format, 8.5" x 11", similar to French albums...
: The Pitt (1988) - Marvel Holiday Special (ThorThor (Marvel Comics)Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
) #1 (1991); (X-MenX-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
) #1994 - Marvel PremiereMarvel PremiereMarvel Premiere is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It ran for 61 issues from April 1972 to August 1981....
(FalconFalcon (comics)The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
) #49 (1979) - Marvel PreviewMarvel PreviewMarvel Preview was a magazine-sized black-and-white showcase comic book published by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of Marvel....
(Kull the Conqueror) #19 (1979) - Marvel SpotlightMarvel SpotlightMarvel Spotlight is the name of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book for new characters. The first series ran for 33 issues from November 1971 to April 1977...
(Son of Satan) #20-24; (Spider-WomanSpider-WomanSpider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Marvel Comics' then-publisher Stan Lee, said in 1978, shortly after Spider-Woman's debut in Marvel Spotlight #32 Spider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters...
) #32 (1975–77) - Marvel Team-UpMarvel Team-UpMarvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
#20-22, 32-46, 48-52, 56-58, 82-85, 88, 130, 132-133, Annual #1-2 (1974–83) - Marvel Two-in-OneMarvel Two-in-OneMarvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
(ThingThing (comics)The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
team-ups) #3-5, 7-8, 17, 19-20, 24, 42, Annual #1, 3 (1974–78) - Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1 (among other artists) (1996)
- Master of Kung FuShang-ChiShang-Chi is a Marvel Comics character, often called the "Master of Kung Fu". He was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin....
#32, 41 (1975–76) - Ms. MarvelMs. MarvelMs. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a...
#10-12 (1977) - New Avengers #8 (along with Steve McNivenSteve McNivenSteven "Steve" McNiven is a Canadian comic book artist. He first gained prominence on CrossGen's Meridian, before moving onto books such as Ultimate Secret, New Avengers and Civil War.-Career:...
) (2005) - New MutantsNew MutantsThe New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
#4-17, 54 (1983–87) - NovaNova (comics)Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
#3-14 (1976–77) - Power ManLuke CageLuke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
#31, 53 (1976–78) - Rampaging HulkRampaging HulkThe Rampaging Hulk is a black-and-white magazine published by Curtis Magazines from 1977–1978. With issue #10, it changed its format to color, and title to The Hulk!, and ran another 17 issues before it folded in 1981...
#3, 9 (1977–78) - Red SonjaRed SonjaRed Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword, is a fictional character, a high fantasy sword and sorcery heroine created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith, and loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino in Robert E. Howard's 1934 short story "The Shadow of the Vulture"...
#14 (1979) - ROM #1-55, 57-58; Annual #2 (1979–84)
- Savage Sword of ConanSavage Sword of ConanThe Savage Sword of Conan was a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. Savage Sword of Conan starred Robert E...
#37, 39, 44, 116 (1979–85) - Skull the SlayerSkull the SlayerSkull the Slayer is a fictional Marvel Comics character that debuted in his own book in August, 1975.-Publication history:Skull the Slayer had his own ongoing series starting in August 1975, which ran for eight issues....
#4-8 (1976) - Spectacular Scarlet SpiderScarlet SpiderScarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. His costume was designed by Tom Lyle. The identity of the Scarlet Spider has been used by several characters: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker , Joe Wade , a group of three Michael Van Patrick clones working with...
#1 (1995) - Spectacular Spider-Man #1-5, 7-10, 12-20, 38, 134-212, 215-238, Annual #4, 14 (1976–96)
- Spider-GirlSpider-GirlSpider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
#74 (2004) - Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
Super Special #1 (1995) - Spider-Man: Funeral for an Octopus, miniseries, #3 (1995)
- Spider-Man Team-Up #7 (1997)
- Spider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man Unlimited was a short-lived animated series featuring the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man. The series was released in 1999, but, although it had fair ratings, was overshadowed by Pokémon, and was canceled after airing only a few episodes. Fox later resumed airing the show, airing...
#11 (1996) - Star WarsStar Wars (comics)Comic books based on Star Wars have been published by Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics.-Marvel:The Marvel published a series of Star Wars comic books from 1977 to 1986, lasting 107 issues and 3 annuals....
#93, 102 (1985) - Sub-Mariner #25-36 (1970–71)
- Super-Villain Team-UpSuper-Villain Team-UpSuper-Villain Team-Up is the name of two American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Both series featured supervillains as the protagonists.-Super-Villain Team-Up:...
#2 (1975) - TarzanTarzan (comics)Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in 23 sequels. The character proved immensely popular and quickly made the jump to other media, including comics.-Comic strips:...
#19-29, Annual #2-3 (1978–79) - ThorThor (Marvel Comics)Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
#214, 239-240, 355, 368-369, 371-379, 381-382, Annual #6 (1973–87) - Web of Spider-ManWeb of Spider-ManWeb of Spider-Man is the name of two different monthly comic book series starring Spider-Man that have been published by Marvel Comics since 1985, the first volume of which ran for 129 issues between 1985 and 1995, and the second of which ran for 12 issues between 2009 and 2010.-Volume 1:The first...
#7, 12, 34 (1985–88) - What If?What If (comics)What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
#12, 44 (1978–84) - X-FactorX-Factor (comics)X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
#22 (1987) - X-MenUncanny X-MenUncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#66 (1970)
Audio/video
- "Podcast 56: Honoring Sal Buscema with Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz", Spider-Man Crawl Space, January 15, 2009. WebCitation archive.
- Sal Buscema interview, Comic Zone Radio, June 14, 2004. WebCitation archive.
External links
- Sal Buscema at the Lambiek Comiclopedia