Review: Comic Book Men 508 “Royal Romita”
On Royal Romita, the latest episode of AMC’s Comic Book Men, legendary artist, John Romita Jr. dropped by the Stash, a vintage toy transported Bryan to his wonder years and a Wonder Woman superfan stopped by to pick up some vintage merchandise.
When a customer brought in a 1973 vintage Evil Knievel stunt cycle Bryan’s eyes brightened immediately. As Bryan put it he “experienced his first nerdgasm” when the Evil Knievel stunt set arrived in the store and he reminisced fondly about his favorite childhood toy. The conversation soon shifts to Knievel’s exploits including his most famous stunt: jumping Snake River Canyon in a rocket.
Comic book legend John Romita Jr. dropped by the Stash to the delight of Mike, Ming and Walt, but the significance of the visit was lost on Bryan who was more familiar with stuntmen from the 70’s than comic book artists. To get Bryan up to speed John Romita Jr. recounted what it was like growing up around comic book legends like his father John Romita Sr., Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. While telling stories about what inspired him to become a comic book artist, Romita Jr. spies an original Jim Lee piece on the wall behind the counter. This gives him an idea to create one to go next to Lee’s.
While Romita Jr. works on his original piece for the Stash, a customer passes by to collect a 1975 treasury edition of Wonder Woman #1. During the podcast session of the show, Kevin fondly remembered the oversized treasury editions that were frequently published in the 70’s. The customer, who is a Wonder Woman superfan, begins to bargain with Walt and even threatens to use a lasso of truth to see if he’s being honest during the negotiations for the book. As the episode comes to a close, John Romita Jr. reveals his one of a kind drawing for the Stash and leaves everyone breathless.
Royal Romita was a real treat for comic book fans. It provided a glimpse of the life and times of one of the modern giants in the industry. John Romita Jr. is indeed comic book royalty and his impact on the industry will continue to be felt for years to come.
