Gene Colan
Eugene Jules Colan (/ˈkoʊlən/; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)[1] 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. He co-created the Falcon, the first African-American superhero in mainstream comics;[2][3] Carol Danvers, who would become Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel; and the non-costumed, supernatural vampire hunter Blade.
Gene Colan
June 23, 2011 (aged 84)
The Bronx, New York
American
Adam Austin
Eagle Award, 1977, 1979
Eisner Award, 2010
Sallee Greenberg (divorced)
Adrienne Colan (Brickman)
Colan was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2005.
Early life[edit]
Eugene Jules Colan[4] was born September 1, 1926, to Harold Colan, an insurance salesman, and Winifred Levy Colan, an antique dealer,[5] in The Bronx,[6] New York City.[7] His parents ran an antiques business on the Upper East Side.[4] His family was Jewish, and the family's surname had originally been "Cohen".[8] Colan began drawing at age three. "The first thing I ever drew was a lion. I must've absolutely copied it or something. But that's what my folks tell me. And from then on, I just drew everything in sight. My grandfather was my favorite subject".[7] Among his earliest influences, he said in 2001, were the Coulton Waugh adventure comic strip Dickie Dare "in The New York Sun. I was influenced by the style, or the story. Mostly the story. I took it very seriously."[9] He moved with his family "at about age 4" to Long Beach, New York, on Long Island.[9] Later, he would try to copy artist Norman Rockwell's covers to The Saturday Evening Post.[9] Other major art influences were comics artists Syd Shores and Milton Caniff.[7] 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.[4]
Personal life[edit]
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.[4][80] Adrienne Colan died on June 21, 2010.[81]
Colan died in the Bronx on June 23, 2011, aged 84, following complications of cancer and liver disease.[4] He lived in Brooklyn at the time of his death.[1][82]
Awards and honors[edit]
Colan's collaboration with Steve Gerber on Howard the Duck received the 1977[83] and 1978[84] Eagle Award for Favorite Comic Book (Humor) and was nominated for four Eagle Awards in 1978.[84] Colan received an Inkpot Award in 1978 as well.[85]
In 2005, Colan was inducted into the comics industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.[86] He subsequently won the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue (together with writer Ed Brubaker) for his work on Captain America #601 (Sept. 2009).[79]
The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco presented the retrospective "Colan: Visions of a Man without Fear" from November 15, 2008, to March 15, 2009.[73][87]
Colan was the recipient of the 2008 Sparky Award, presented December 4, 2008[88] and won the Comic Art Professional Society's Sergio Award on October 24, 2009.[89]