Today in Comics History, August 20: Happy birthday, George Roussos!

Happy birthday to the man born today in 1915: comics colorist (and penciller, and inker, and letterer!) George Roussos (aka George Bell)!. He's worked on so so many comics I can't list them all here, but (ahem) he inked early issues of (ahem) JACK KIRBY'S FANTASTIC FOUR.


from Marvel Age #32, 56, 92 and 104 (Marvel, November 1985, November 1987, September 1990, and September 1991); text by Jim Salicrup (#32), Mike Carlin (#56) and Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter (#92 and 104); pencils and inks by Ron Zalme; colors by Andy Yanchus (#32), Paul Becton (#56) and Renee Witterstaetter (#104)




What did George do? What has he worked on? Well, pretty much everything.





from 1: Marvel Age #13 (Marvel, April 1984),
2. Marvel Age #35 (February 1986),
3. Marvel Age #46 (January 1987).
4. Marvel/New Universe Comics cover-dated August 1987
You just never know where George will pop up!


from Ka-Zar the Savage #29 (December 1983), photograph by Mark Gruenwald
Here's a Golden Age adventure of "The Target." Bob Wood has written/drawn George into the strip as a cartoonist whose strips predict crimes:



from "The Case of the Cartoon Crimes" in Target Comics v.2 #4 [#16] (Novelty/Premium/Curtis, June 1941); script, pencils, inksand letters by Bob Wood
An interview with George by Tom DeFalco:


from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated December 1983
George passed away in 2000. Comics will always be a little less colorful without him.


from "Bullpen bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated May 2000
But let's remember George in his working days, at his desk in the Marvel Bullpen! Can YOU find him? (Frankly, he's a little tiny in this artwork to do him proper justice!)

from Marvel Age #120 (Marvel, January 1993), art by Rick Parker
(Click top picture to Bullpen-size)
Happy birthday, George Roussos!