Joe Rosen
Encyclopedia
Joe Rosen was an American
comic book
artist, primarily known for his work as a letterer
. Over the course of his career with Marvel Comics
and DC Comics
, Rosen lettered such titles as Captain America, Daredevil, Spider-Man, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Incredible Hulk, The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, and X-Factor. He also lettered the DC/Marvel intercompany crossover
book Superman and Spider-Man
.
, where he worked from 1940–1943. He then joined DC Comics
' production department, lettering at that publisher until the mid-1950s. By then he had established a prolific freelance career, including with Harvey Comics
, where he was known as speedy, professional, and a "quiet fellow." Rosen lettered almost exclusively for Harvey throughout the rest of the 1950s.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Rosen created pencil artwork for the DC Comics
romance title
Girls' Love Stories
. From 1969–1971 he also drew stories for DC's Secret Hearts. In the 1960s, while continuing to letter for DC and Harvey, Rosen also lettered for Marvel Comics, occasionally in 1968-69, and regularly from 1974 onward. Beginning in the 1980s, and throughout the rest of his career, Rosen worked almost exclusively for Marvel.
His brother was Sam Rosen
, also a long-time Marvel Comics letterer. Joe Rosen died October 12, 2009.
, the Comics Reporter:
Rick Parker, long-time letterer:
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
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 known for his work as a letterer
Letterer
A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. The letterer crafts the comic's "display lettering": the story title lettering and...
. Over the course of his career with 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...
and DC Comics
DC 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...
, Rosen lettered such titles as Captain America, Daredevil, Spider-Man, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Incredible Hulk, The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, and X-Factor. He also lettered the DC/Marvel intercompany crossover
Intercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
book Superman and Spider-Man
Superman and Spider-Man
Superman and Spider-Man is an intercompany comic book jointly published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics in July 1981. Number 28 in the Marvel Treasury Edition series, it is the "sequel" to 1976's Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man....
.
Biography
Rosen started his career in the production department of Fawcett ComicsFawcett Comics
Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s...
, where he worked from 1940–1943. He then joined DC Comics
DC 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...
' production department, lettering at that publisher until the mid-1950s. By then he had established a prolific freelance career, including with Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
, where he was known as speedy, professional, and a "quiet fellow." Rosen lettered almost exclusively for Harvey throughout the rest of the 1950s.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Rosen created pencil artwork for the DC Comics
DC 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...
romance title
Romance comics
Romance comics is a comics genre depicting romantic love and its attendant complications such as jealousy, marriage, divorce, betrayal, and heartache. The term is generally associated with an American comic books genre published through the first three decades of the Cold War...
Girls' Love Stories
Girls' Love Stories
Girls' Love Stories was a romance comic book published by DC Comics in the United States. Started in 1949 as DC's first romance title, it ran for 180 issues, ending with the Nov-Dec 1973 issue. The stories covered such topics as girls worrying about getting a man, or marrying out of pressure, not...
. From 1969–1971 he also drew stories for DC's Secret Hearts. In the 1960s, while continuing to letter for DC and Harvey, Rosen also lettered for Marvel Comics, occasionally in 1968-69, and regularly from 1974 onward. Beginning in the 1980s, and throughout the rest of his career, Rosen worked almost exclusively for Marvel.
His brother was Sam Rosen
Sam Rosen (comics)
Sam Rosen , often credited as S. Rosen, is an American calligrapher best known as a letterer for Marvel Comics during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of Comic Books...
, also a long-time Marvel Comics letterer. Joe Rosen died October 12, 2009.
Tributes
Tom SpurgeonTom Spurgeon
Tom Spurgeon is an American writer, historian and editor in the field of comics, notable for his five-year run as editor of The Comics Journal and his blog The Comics Reporter, which he launched in 2004 with site designer Jordan Raphael.-Books:...
, the Comics Reporter:
Rick Parker, long-time letterer: