Sal Buscema, the veteran comic book artist known for his fan-favorite work on Marvel characters like the Hulk, Spider-Man, and Captain America, has died.
Videos by Suggest
Comic book creator Sterling Clark first shared the news of Buscema’s passing on Jan. 24. He noted that Jan. 26 would have been Buscema’s 90th birthday and that he learned of the death from Buscema’s widow, Joanna.
Clark wrote, “Sal’s name seems to have appeared in just about all of them,” referring to the comic books of his childhood. He added, “I didn’t just read the books that he illustrated, I studied them,” admiring every detail of Sal’s work. Clark described him as “one of the greats during those years at Marvel,” when artists often tackled more than three titles a month out of necessity.
Clark continued, noting that “Sal’s art had a direct impact on my own,” alongside legends like his brother John, Jack Kirby, and others. He credited Ron Frenz for their introduction, saying, “for that I’ll be forever grateful.” Clark described Sal as “a very nice, kind, and generous person” and mentioned how Sal “took note of my skills enough to mentor me.” He added that the “wonderful conversations we had will always be cherished.”
“My condolences to his wife Joan, the Buscema family and to all of us fans who grew up with and love his amazing art,” he concluded.
RIP Sal Buscema 1936-2026 pic.twitter.com/PHnZNXu8Zm
— Cool Comic Art (@CoolComicArt) January 26, 2026
Marvel also paid tribute to the legendary artist. “Buscema’s illustrious career spanned more than four decades, penciling and inking the Marvel Universe’s most iconic heroes and villains. Joining his brother, John Buscema, the pair formed an integral family legacy at Marvel Comics,” the company wrote in part.
“Sal Buscema left an indelible mark on Marvel and the comic book industry at large,” the company added.
Sal Buscema’s Prolific Comics Career Began in the 1950s
Silvio “Sal” Buscema, born on January 26, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, was the younger brother of renowned comic book artist John Buscema. Sal began his comics career in the 1950s, inking his brother’s work before moving into advertising and government illustration. In 1968, he joined Marvel full-time, where he earned the nickname “Our Pal Sal” in the Bullpen.
Buscema was renowned for his speed and reliability, notably illustrating The Incredible Hulk for a decade (1975–1985) during the height of the character’s television fame. He later completed a massive 100-issue run on The Spectacular Spider-Man spanning eight years. His prolific career included work on titles like Captain America, The Defenders, and Rom: Spaceknight. He also worked on The Avengers, where he often pulled double duty by inking his own pencils.
In the 2000s, he collaborated with writer Tom DeFalco on Amazing Spider-Girl. Throughout his career, Buscema co-created numerous iconic characters and groups, including the Defenders, the world of Rom: Spaceknight, Lady Deathstrike, Jean DeWolff, the U-Foes, Ursa Major, Diamondhead, the Squadron Sinister, Valkyrie, the Grandmaster, Hyperion, Starhawk, Sabra, Thunderball, and the Time Variance Authority.
Buscema received the Inkpot Award in 2003 and the Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. He also received the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award from the Inkwell Awards in 2021. TwoMorrows also published Sal Buscema: Comics’ Fast & Furious Artist.
More recently, he returned to the IDW Rom universe and contributed to Binge Books’ The Heroes Union and the Kickstarter project The R.I.G.H.T. Project.
He is survived by his wife, Joan, and their three sons: Joe, Tony, and Mike.