Mike Esposito (comics) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike Esposito (comics) |
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Esposito in 1977, from
Amazing World of DC Comics #15 |
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| Born | Michael Esposito July 14, 1927 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 24, 2010 (aged 83) Suffolk County, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor, Publisher |
| Pseudonym(s) | Mickey Demeo, Mickey Dee, Michael Dee, Joe Gaudioso |
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Notable works
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The Amazing Spider-Man The Flash Metal Men Wonder Woman |
Michael "Mike" Esposito (July 14, 1927 – October 24, 2010) was a famous American comic book artist. He worked on many popular comics for companies like DC Comics and Marvel Comics from the 1950s to the 2000s. Mike Esposito was known for being an inker, which means he added the final lines to drawings. He often worked with his childhood friend Ross Andru. Together, they helped create the look for major comic series like The Amazing Spider-Man and Wonder Woman. In fact, a drawing of Wonder Woman by Andru and Esposito even appeared on a U.S. stamp in 2006!
In 2007, Mike Esposito was honored by being added to the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame. This is a special award for people who have made a big impact on comic books.
Contents
Meet Mike Esposito, Comic Artist!
Early Life and Starting Out
Mike Esposito was born in New York City, New York. His father was a musician and later owned a grocery store. Mike went to The High School of Music & Art. There, he became friends with Ross Andru, who would also become a famous comic artist. They even worked together on flip-book animations.
Mike first dreamed of becoming an animator for Disney. But his father wanted him to stay in New York. After serving in the U.S. Army for a few years, Mike went to art school. His first published comic book work was for Fox Feature Syndicate. He worked as a penciler (drawing the first lines), an inker (adding the final lines), and sometimes a letterer (adding the words).
Mike and Ross Andru started working together in 1949. Their first confirmed comic book story was in Western Fighters in 1950. This began a partnership that lasted for over 40 years!
Teaming Up and New Heroes
In 1949, Mike also worked at Lev Gleason. Later, he went to Timely Comics, which would become Marvel Comics. He started there as a penciler. His first confirmed work for them was in a war comic called Men's Adventures in 1951.
After a short time at Marvel, Mike and Ross Andru decided to start their own comic book companies. They created MR Publications, which published a comic called Mister Universe. They also started Mikeross Publications, which made 3D romance comics and humor comics.
Soon, Mike and Ross became key artists for DC Comics. They drew many war comics stories for titles like All-American Men of War and Our Army at War. They drew hundreds of these action-packed tales. In 1959, they helped create the Suicide Squad in The Brave and the Bold #25. They also drew early issues of Rip Hunter, Time Master.
Drawing Superheroes: The Silver Age
The "Silver Age of Comic Books" began in 1956. During this time, DC Comics brought back classic superheroes like the Flash and Green Lantern with new stories. Mike Esposito and Ross Andru began a long run on DC's Wonder Woman. They drew her adventures from 1958 to 1967. Their art helped shape how Wonder Woman looked during this exciting time for comics.
They also worked with writer Robert Kanigher to create the robot superheroes, the Metal Men. This team first appeared in Showcase #37 in 1962. Mike and Ross drew the first 29 issues of the Metal Men series. Mike thought this was one of the best ideas they worked on.
Becoming a Marvel Comics Artist
Mike Esposito also started working for Marvel Comics. He began by inking Jack Kirby's cover for Fantastic Four Annual #3 in 1965. To keep his work for Marvel a secret from DC Comics, his main employer, he used different names. He often used the name Mickey Demeo. Sometimes he used Mickey Dee, Michael Dee, or Joe Gaudioso. He had used "Mickey Demeo" before for horror comics, which were not always seen as respectable.
When John Romita, Sr. took over as the artist for The Amazing Spider-Man in 1966, Mike Esposito was the first inker. He helped create the new look for Marvel's most famous hero. Mike continued to ink The Amazing Spider-Man for many issues, working with Romita to establish Spider-Man's new style. He used his real name for this work starting in 1968.
During this time, Mike and Ross Andru also worked on The Flash for DC Comics. Mike regularly inked other artists on Superman comics, including Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane and Superboy.
In 1970, Andru and Esposito formed their own publishing company called Klevart Enterprises. They published a humor magazine. After this, Mike took a staff job at Marvel for about a year and a half. He later went back to being a full-time freelance artist because he had so much work.
The Amazing Spider-Man Years
The Andru-Esposito team first drew Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up in 1972. This comic featured Spider-Man working with other heroes. Later, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito took over the main The Amazing Spider-Man comic book. Mike inked most of the issues from 1975 to 1979. He also inked several issues of The Spectacular Spider-Man and Spidey Super Stories, a comic for children.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Mike Esposito inked almost every major Marvel artist and title. This included comics like The Avengers and X-Men. His last Spider-Man story was also his last with Ross Andru, who passed away in 1993. This was the graphic novel Spider-Man: Fear Itself in 1992.
Later Career and Legacy
By the 1990s, Mike Esposito was working a lot for Archie Comics. He inked hundreds of stories about Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, and their friends. He often worked with artist Stan Goldberg. His final work for Archie Comics was in 1997. As he got older, he found the pace of comic book work challenging. After Ross Andru passed away, Mike decided to stop working for publishers. He then focused on creating new versions of his old comic book art for fans.
Mike Esposito passed away on October 24, 2010, at the age of 83. He had two children. His grandson, Tyler Esposito, created an online documentary that includes home videos of Mike.
Awards and Recognition
Mike Esposito was honored for his amazing work in comics.
- In 2007, he was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.
- In 2021, he received the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.
His Lasting Impact
Mike Esposito's work continues to be recognized. A drawing of Wonder Woman by him and Ross Andru was featured on one of the 10 character stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 2006. These stamps were part of a special series called "DC Comics Super Heroes." This shows how much his art meant to comic book fans and the wider world.
