Richard Buckler (Spouse: Edythe Buckler) was a highly prolific American comic book artist and writer whose career spanned the Bronze Age of comic books. Best known for his dynamic work for both Marvel Comics and DC Comics, Buckler possessed a versatile, reliable, and cinematic art style that allowed him to seamlessly illustrate almost every major superhero character in the industry.
Buckler broke into the professional comic book industry in the late 1960s, quickly establishing himself at Marvel Comics in the early 1970s. His first major breakthrough came during his acclaimed run on Fantastic Four alongside writer Doug Moench. It was during this tenure, specifically in Fantastic Four #146 (1974), that Buckler created his most famous character: Deathlok (Luther Manning), a time-traveling cybernetic super-soldier. Deathlok’s dystopian sci-fi narrative and intricate mechanical design became a cult success and deeply influenced future cyberpunk concepts in comics.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Buckler became an industry mainstay, drawing flagship titles including The Avengers, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The X-Men, and Thor for Marvel. At DC Comics, he contributed heavily to Justice League of America, The Flash, and All-Star Squadron. Known for his lightning-fast drawing speed, Buckler was often brought in to illustrate high-profile covers or complete crucial issues on tight deadlines.
In addition to his pencils, Buckler was a passionate art instructor. He authored two instructional books, How to Become a Comic Book Artist (1986) and How to Draw Superheroes (2016), sharing his technical insights into dynamic anatomy, perspective, and visual storytelling with younger generations. He remained an active participant in the comic book community and continued to paint and take commissions until his death from cancer in 2017.
Active in others filds :
Author (Instructional Art Books), Painting (Fine Art Commissions), Comic Book Editing/Publishing (Solson Publications).
Rich Buckler Legacy :
Beyond creating the enduring anti-hero Deathlok, Rich Buckler left an indispensable mark on the industry through his role as a mentor and teacher. He was famous for discovering and nurturing young talent, most notably giving a teenage George Pérez his very first professional assignment as an assistant in his studio—a mentorship that launched one of the greatest comic art careers in history. While Buckler occasionally faced scrutiny from critics for his heavy use of photorealistic reference materials and “swiping” poses from older masters like Jack Kirby, his mastery of composition, speed, and pacing made him a foundational architect of the 1970s superhero aesthetic.
