He was a teenager in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City, when he began drawing professionally.

[6] After graduating from the school in 1940, he worked as an apprentice machinist and then enlisted in the Army, serving in the Pacific during World War II.

In late 1947, he recalled, the writer-artist-editor team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby at Crestwood Publications "gave us our first job.

"[8] Since it was not standard practice to credit comics creators during this era, a comprehensive list of his early work is difficult to compile.

Author and historian Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr., based on Severin's description of "a crime story about a boy and a girl who killed somebody ...

[10] Through 1955, Severin drew a large number of stories for the latter title and other Western series from Prize, and as penciler, he co-created with an unknown writer the long-running Native American feature "American Eagle" in Prize Comics Western vol.

When Kurtzman dropped the war comics to devote more time to Mad, Severin became sole artist on Two-Fisted Tales for four issues and scripted some stories.

He also illustrated stories written by his friend Colin Dawkins and future Mad art director John Putnam.

His ability to draw people of different nationalities convincingly was highly admired by his peers, as was his eye for authentic details.

[18]After Atlas transitioned to become Marvel Comics in the 1960s, Severin did extensive work as penciler, inker or both on such series as The Incredible Hulk, Conan the Barbarian, and Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders.

"[19] As inker, Severin teamed with penciler Dick Ayers on an acclaimed run of the World War II series Sgt.

In the 1970s, he collaborated with his sister, artist Marie Severin, on Marvel's sword and sorcery series, King Kull.

For Warren Publishing in the 1960s, he drew for the black-and-white comics magazines Blazing Combat and Creepy.

"I happened to pass by Scott's office as he hung up the phone, and he sounded kind of awestruck as he told me that John Severin wanted to do something with us.

I said something like, 'Gee, a Desperadoes story by Severin would be great,'" referring to Mariotte's Western miniseries for DC.

He illustrated the controversial 2003 Marvel limited series The Rawhide Kid,[25] a lighthearted parallel universe Western that reimagined the outlaw hero as a kitschy though still formidably gunslinging gay man.

Severin, who had drawn the character for Atlas in the 1950s, refuted rumors that he had not known of the subject matter, saying at the time of the premiere issue's release, "The Rawhide Kid is rather effeminate in this story.

His wife of 60 years, Michelina, survived him, as did his six children and comics artist sister Marie Severin.

[34] With writer Gary Friedrich and penciler Dick Ayers, Severin's inking contributed to Sgt.