Rarely has an individual been known for two so distinctly different genres of work in the field of comic art, but John Severin is known equally for illustrating action-adventure tales and humorous stories. From his days as one of the original artists on EC's MAD (often with Will Elder providing the inking) to a lengthy run at Cracked, Severin became one of the prime send-up artists working in the business.

Due to the wider circulation of MAD and Cracked compared to many comic books, it’s safe to think that many know him for that work rather than the action-adventure genre, but comic book fans have had a deep appreciation for his westerns, war stories, horror, and other pieces in Two-Fisted Tales, Blazing Combat, Creepy, King Kull, The 'Nam, Sgt. Fury, and Conan, setting standards whether providing pencil art, inking, or supplying both. Most recently he illustrated Desperadoes: Quiet of the Grave and Bat Lash. He passed away on February 12, 2012 at the age of 90.