Today in Comics History, January 27: Happy birthday, Werner Roth!

Born on this day in 1921: comics artist Werner Roth! (Also known at Marvel as Jay Gavin, mostly because he didn't want DC to find out he was working for their competitor!)


from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated September 1966
Roth is perhaps known for his pencil work on the [Original] X-Men, but don't forget that he also drew Lois Lane, Apache Kid (and other Western, war, and chiller titles for Atlas), and Heart Throbs, Girls' Love Stories (and even more romance titles for DC). He also and co-created the X-Men's Banshee, Mimic, Candy Southern, Factor Three, and, with Don Rico, Atlas's Lorna, the Jungle Girl!

Here's a fine apperciation of Roth by the scholar of all comics, Kurt Busiek:




from Marvel Age #47 (Marvel, February 1987), by Kurt Busiek
Happy birthday, Werner Roth!