Mike Esposito ,
[1] who sometimes used the
pseudonyms Mickey Demeo,
Mickey Dee,
Michael Dee, and
Joe Gaudioso, was an
American comic book artist whose work for
DC Comics,
Marvel Comics and others spanned the 1950s to the 2000s died he was , 83. As a
comic book inker teamed with his childhood friend
Ross Andru, he drew for such major titles as
The Amazing Spider-Man and
Wonder Woman. An Andru-Esposito drawing of Wonder Woman appears on a 2006 U.S. stamp.
Esposito was inducted into the
Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2005.
(July 14, 1927 – October 24, 2010)
Biography
Early life and career
Born in
New York City,
New York,
[1] Mike Esposito graduated from the
High School of Music and Art,
where one of his classmates was future comics artist
Ross Andru.
[2] Originally Esposito dreamed of becoming an
animator at
Disney. This ended when his father did not want him to leave New York for the West Coast.
[2]
Following his military service, Esposito entered the comic-book field drawing for the publisher
Fiction House and later for later for industry giant
DC Comics, then called
National Comics.
[3] Because writer and artist credits were not routinely given during that era of comic books, a comprehensive account of his work is difficult to ascertain. His first confirmed work is as
penciler and
inker of the
war comics story "Heat Of Battle" in
Men's Adventures #6 (Feb. 1951), from
Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of
Marvel Comics.
[4]
He and Andru co-founded the studio Mike/Ross Publications in the early 1950s.
[3] The two artists became longtime collaborators, working together on various projects over a span of four decades. Their first known credited collaboration was the cover and a 24-page story, "The Jungle That Time Forgot" in the whimsical adventure comic
Mister Universe #2 (1951; no month given, but published between the July and December issues).
[4] This five-issue series was the sole title from a
comic book company they founded, Mr. Publications.
[1] The two also co-founded Mikeross Publications in 1953, which through 1954 produced one issue each of the
3D romance comics 3-D Love and
3-D Romance, two issues of the romance comic
Heart and Soul, and three issue of the
satiric humor comic
Get Lost.
[5]
By this time, after having teamed for early work on
Key Publications'
Mister Mystery in 1951 and
Standard Comics'
The Unseen and
Joe Yank (the latter credited as "Mikeross"), the two began a long career as one of
DC Comics' primary
war story artists, alongside the likes of
Joe Kubert,
Russ Heath, and
Jerry Grandenetti. Beginning with a story each in
All-American Men of War #6,
Our Army at War #14, and
Star Spangled War Stories #13 (all Sept. 1953),
[4] For those titles as well as
G.I. Combat and
Our Fighting Forces, Andru and Esposito drew hundreds of tales of combat under editor and frequent writer
Robert Kanigher. With Kanigher, they co-created the non-superpowered adventurers the
Suicide Squad in
The Brave and the Bold #25 (Sept. 1959). They also drew early issues of
Rip Hunter, Time Master in 1961.
Silver Age
Shortly after
DC Comics ushered in the period fans and historians call the
Silver Age of Comic Books by reimagining such
Golden Age superheroes as the
Flash and
Green Lantern for modern audiences, Andru and Esposito began a long run on DC's
Wonder Woman, from issues #98–171 (May 1958 – August 1967), "defining her look during [this] boom period".
[1] As well, with writer-editor
Robert Kanigher, they co-created the
robot superheroes the
Metal Men in
Showcase #37 (April 1962), going on to draw the first 29 issues of the lighthearted series
Metal Men, from 1963 to 1968.
Esposito gradually began freelancing for
Marvel Comics, starting with his uncredited inking of industry giant
Jack Kirby's cover of
Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965).
[6] For his inking of
Bob Powell in the "
Human Torch and the
Thing" feature in
Strange Tales #132, and his inking of
Don Heck's "
Iron Man" in
Tales of Suspense #65 (both May 1965), he took the
pen name Mickey Demeo (occasionally given as
Mickey Dee or
Michael Dee) to conceal his Marvel work from his primary employer, DC.
[7][8] He also occasionally worked under the
pseudonym Joe Gaudioso for the same reason.
[8][9]
When
John Romita, Sr. succeeded artist co-creator
Steve Ditko on
The Amazing Spider-Man, beginning with issue 39 (Aug. 1966), Esposito, initially as Demeo, was the first inker on what would become Marvel's flagship series. After three issues, Romita inked himself for the next half-dozen before Esposito returned — uncredited for issue 49 (June 1967),
[10] then as Mickey Demeo until finally taking credit under his own name with issue #56 (Jan. 1968). Except for one issue (#65) inked by his successor,
Jim Mooney, the Romita-Esposito team continued through issue #66 (Nov. 1968),
[4] establishing the new look of Spider-Man. Esposito continued to use the "Demeo" creidt sporadically, including on the debut story "
Guardians of the Galaxy" in
Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (Jan. 1969), and on
The Amazing Spider-Man #83 (April 1970), his last recorded use of the pen name.
During this period as well, for DC, the Andru-Esposito team segued from
Wonder Woman to
The Flash, drawing the super-speedster superhero's adventures from issue #175–194 (Dec. 1967 – Feb. 1970). All the while, Esposito regularly inked such artists as
Irv Novick and
Curt Swan on the
Superman family of comics, including
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane,
Superboy, and
Superman, and numerous Superman-
Batman team-ups penciled by Andru in
World's Finest Comics. The Kanigher-Andru-Esposito trio introduced the Silver Age version of the split-personality superheroine feature "
Rose and Thorn" in
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #105 (Oct. 1970).
[4] For the
black-and-white comics-magazine publisher
Skywald in 1971, Andru & Esposito contributed many stories across the line, including to the
horror titles
Nightmare and
Psycho and the
Western titles
Wild Western Action,
The Bravados and
Butch Cassidy, and with writer
Gary Friedrich created the motorcycle-riding superhero
Hell-Rider.
[11]
Andru and Esposito formed the publishing company Klevart Enterprises in 1970.
[citation needed]
Spider-Man
The
Andru-Esposito team first drew the flagship
Marvel Comics character
Spider-Man in the premiere (March 1972) of that superhero's first spin-off comic book,
Marvel Team-Up, nearly every issue of which featured Spider-Man paired with another hero. While Andru did not remain on the series, Esposito would go on to ink several issues, often those penciled by
Gil Kane.
[12] He and Andru eventually took over the flagship title
The Amazing Spider-Man. Esposito inked the vast majority of a nearly four-year run on the title, encompassing issues #147-150, 152-171, 177, 179-182, 185-186, 188, and 191 (Aug. 1975 - April 1979), all penciled by Andru except for three issues
Sal Buscema and two by
Keith Pollard.
[13] He inked the feature stories in
The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4-5 (1967–1968), over
Larry Lieber's pencils, with the latter's issue introducing
Peter Parker's parents;
Annual #10 (Nov. 1976), over
Gil Kane; and
Annual #22, over
Mark Bagley. Esposito additionally inked several issues apiece of
The Spectacular Spider-Man; the children's comic
Spidey Super Stories; and a host of Spider-Man miscellanea, such as
Spider-Man Giveaway: AIM Toothpaste Exclusive Collectors' Edition (1980), and
Spider-Man Giveaway: National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse #1 (1984).
[4][14]
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Esposito inked virtually every major Marvel penciler on virtually every major Marvel title, from
The Avengers to
X-Men.
[4] 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
graphic novel Spider-Man: Fear Itself (Feb. 1992). Esposito's final Marvel tale was Last Marvel the 11-page
Darkhold story "Skin", penciled by Dan Lawlis, in the
horror comics title
Midnight Sons Unlimited #2 (July 1993).
[4]
Later life and career
By this time, however, Esposito was well-ensconced at
Archie Comics, inking hundreds of teenage-humor stories starring
Archie Andrews,
Betty Cooper and the other high-schoolers of Riverdale, U.S.A., generally over the pencils of fellow former longtime Marvel artist
Stan Goldberg. His final Archie work was inking four Goldberg stories in
Betty #56 (Dec. 1997).
[4]
Personal life
Esposito's first wife, Mary, died when he was in his 40s. He later married his second wife, Irene. Esposito had two children: Mark, who predeceased him, and Michelle.
[1] Esposito lived in
Lake Grove, New York, on
Long Island, in his later years, and died October 24, 2010, at age 83.
[1]
Awards
Esposito was inducted into the
Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2007.
Legacy
An Andru-Esposito drawing of Wonder Woman appears on one of the 10 character stamps issued in the
U.S. Postal Service's 2006
commemorative stamp series "DC Comics Super Heroes".
[15]
A
paparazzo character was named after him on the
Smallville episode "
Trespass."
In 2007 Esposito and Andru were the subjects of a biography titled
Andru and Esposito: Partners For Life, published by Hermes Press (
ISBN 978-1932563849).
To see more of who died in 2010
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Richard Thomas Gill was an American economist and opera singer. He held several teaching and administrative positions at Harvard University over a period of twenty-two years died from heart failure he was , 82. He was Assistant Dean of Harvard College, Allston Burr Senior Tutor (Dean) of Leverett House, and Teaching Fellow, Instructor, and Assistant Professor of Economics. In 1963, he received tenure as Lecturer on Economics and Master of Leverett House.
Gill was born on November 30, 1927, in Long Branch, New Jersey. Though he did not study voice formally, Richard was a boy soprano in his church choir and played the clarinet. At 16 he entered Harvard, where he sang in the glee club. Gill left Harvard to serve in the United States Army where he saw duty during the American Occupation of Japan. After completing his military service, he returned to Harvard, where he completed his undergraduate degree in 1948. He came back to Harvard after doing graduate work in philosophy at the University of Oxford and was named an assistant dean at Harvard at the age of 21. He earned a Ph.D. in economics from the university in 1956.[1]
