R.I.P. Mirthful Marie and Groovy Gary

One of the great ladies of comics has left us, Groove-ophiles. Mirthful Marie Severin, by all accounts a wonderful person and of course an incredible artist (colorist, plotter, etc.) passed away yesterday at age 89 after complications due to strokes. She's best remembered as a colorist and for her humor work, as well as her King Kull comics (usually inked by her late brother, John Severin), but Marie was also an artist on strips like Dr. Strange, the Hulk, and the Sub-Mariner. She was also an art director at Marvel during the early 70s, doing cover layouts, touch-ups, coloring, and all kinds of things that helped put our fave Marvel mags on the spinner racks. She also produced many amazing covers for Marvel during the early 70s. These are some of Ol' Groove's faves...

Not long after learning of the passing of Marie Severin, Ol' Groove learned that Groovy Gary Friedrich, co-creator of the blazing-skulled, motorcycle-riding Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) and all-around brilliant comicbook writer, has also left us due to complications from Parkinsons. He was 75. Besides Ghost Rider, Friedrich wrote scores of Marvel comics like Sgt. Fury, Combat Kelly, the Western version of Ghost Rider, Son of Satan, and (best of all) Frankenstein's Monster/Monster of Frankenstein. He also wrote for Charlton (where he got his start on strips like Blue Beetle and The Sentinels), Skywald, Atlas/Seaboard, and more.  Here's Gary bringing us the (then) new (and still best) Blue Beetle...in tandem with Sturdy Steve Ditko, natch. From Captain Atom #83 (the 1977 Modern Comics reprint)...

Heartfelt condolences to the Severin and Friedrich families and circles of friends.