32 Facts About Gene Colan

Eugene Jules Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series.

Gene Colan co-created the Falcon, the first African-American superhero in mainstream comics; Carol Danvers, who would become Ms.

Eugene Jules Colan was born September 1,1926 to Harold Colan, an insurance salesman, and Winifred Levy Colan, an antique dealer, in The Bronx, New York City.

Gene Colan's parents ran an antiques business on the Upper East Side.

Gene Colan's family was Jewish, and the family's surname had originally been "Cohen".

Gene Colan attended George Washington High School in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, and went on to study at the Art Students League of New York.

Gene Colan began working in comics in 1944, doing illustrations for publisher Fiction House's aviation-adventure series Wings Comics.

Gene Colan's first comics story was a seven-page "Clipper Kirk" feature in the following month's issue.

Sometime after Gene Colan began this pseudonymous stint, Marvel editor Stan Lee made overtures to lure him from DC.

Under his own name, Gene Colan became one of the premier Silver Age Marvel artists, illustrating a host of such major characters as Captain America, Doctor Strange, and his signature character, Daredevil.

Gene Colan knew I meant it and that I couldn't do it and there was no point in trying to force me to do it.

Gene Colan left me pretty much alone because I was able to deliver pretty much what he was looking for, so we never had any trouble.

Gene Colan returned to draw ten issues sprinkled from 1974 to 1979, and an eight-issue run in 1997.

Gene Colan admitted relying upon amphetamines in order to make deadlines for illustrating the series Doctor Strange, for which he would personally visit the character's real-life Manhattan neighborhood, Greenwich Village, and shoot Polaroid photographs to use as location reference.

Gene Colan didn't give me too much trouble but, as it turned out, he took that promise away, saying he had promised it to Bill Everett.

In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Gene Colan's run on The Tomb of Dracula fifth on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels".

Gene Colan returned to DC in 1981, following a professional falling out with Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter.

Gene Colan brought his shadowy, moody textures to Batman, serving as the character's primary artist from 1981 to 1986, penciling most issues of Detective Comics and Batman during this time.

Steve Gerber and Gene Colan reunited at DC to produce The Phantom Zone limited series.

Gene Colan was one of the contributors to the DC Challenge limited series in 1985.

Additionally, Gene Colan worked with Cary Bates on the 12-issue run of Silverblade; with Greg Potter on the 12-issue run of Jemm, Son of Saturn; and drew the first six issues of Doug Moench's 1987 revival of The Spectre.

Gene Colan's style, characterized by fluid figure drawing and extensive use of shadow, was unusual among Silver Age comic artists, and became more pronounced as his career progressed.

Gene Colan usually worked as a penciller, with Frank Giacoia and Tom Palmer as his most frequent inkers.

Gene Colan contributed to Archie Comics in the late 1980s and early 1990s, drawing and occasionally writing a number of stories.

Colan did some insert artwork on Hellbilly Deluxe, the first solo album of Rob Zombie, credited as Gene "The Mean Machine" Colan.

Gene Colan had relocated to nearby Manchester Center, Vermont, from New York City in 1990 or 1991, and was living there as of 2001.

On May 11,2008, his family announced that Gene Colan, who had been hospitalized for liver failure, had suffered a sharp deterioration in his health.

Gene Colan was married twice: first to Sallee Greenberg, with whom he had children Valerie and Jill before the couple divorced, and Adrienne Brickman, with whom he had children Erik and Nanci.

Gene Colan died in the Bronx on June 23,2011, aged 84, following complications of cancer and liver disease.

Gene Colan lived in Brooklyn at the time of his death.

In 2005, Gene Colan was inducted into the comics industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

Gene Colan was the recipient of the 2008 Sparky Award, presented December 4,2008 and won the Comic Art Professional Society's Sergio Award on October 24,2009.