| Werner Roth | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1921-01-27)January 27, 1921 |
| Died | June 1973 (aged 52) |
| Area | Penciller |
| Pseudonym | Jay Gavin |
Notable works | The X-Men Lorna, the Jungle Girl |
Werner Roth (/rɒθ/; January 27, 1921 – June 1973[1][2]) was an Americancomic bookartist, perhaps best known for immediately succeedingJack Kirby onMarvel Comics'The X-Men.
Roth's work began appearing in Marvel Comics, then known asAtlas Comics, in 1953. Atlas editorStan Lee has described being impressed with Roth's portfolio, particularly his drawings of women, "So I took his samples to show [then-publisher]Martin Goodman. I suggested we should use Werner, even create a comic for him. Which we did, and that was howLorna, the Jungle Girl was born."[3] Roth drew the first dozen issues of Lorna. He drew a number of other features for Atlas, including most of the stories of theApache Kid. He later drew romance stories forDC Comics.
Roth returned to Marvel to work on theX-Men in 1966, initially using the pseudonymJay Gavin, taken from the names of his two sons, to conceal his Marvel work from his editors at DC.[4][5] His true name was revealed in the "Bullpen Bulletins" page ofFantastic Four #54 (Sept. 1966).X-Men series writerRoy Thomas later commented that Roth, though a talented artist, was a poor fit for theX-Men, being more oriented towards character interactions and relationships than action.[6] Roth pencilled the first appearances of theBanshee,[7] theCobalt Man,[8] andLorna Dane.[9]
Roth later drew moreWestern comics for Marvel, and penciled issues ofSuperman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane for DC Comics. His first issue of that series, #106 (Nov. 1970), featured the controversial story "I Am Curious (Black)!",[10] in which Lois Lane uses a machine that allows her toexperience racism firsthand as anAfrican American woman.[11]
Drawn by Werner Roth, Banshee was a former Irish Interpol agent who eventually joined the X-Men.
| Preceded by | Uncanny X-Men artist 1965–1969 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane artist 1970–1972 | Succeeded by |
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