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Lee, Stan "the Man" Favorite Collaboration: Daredevil #47, "Brother Take My Hand" Other Collaborations: Astonishing #12,20; Captain America #116-137; Daredevil #20-49,53,annual #1; Gunsmoke Western #36; Kid Colt Outlaw #110,112,114; My Love #4-6,8-9,13,17,22; Our Love Story #3-4; Rawhide Kid #35,37-38; Tales to Astonish #73-74; Western Gunfighters #20; and many more... |
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Gene's style is different than anyone else's, which makes him great in my book, since so many artists draw like so many others. He's also one of the most cinematic artists I know. Nothing was difficult when working with Gene. He's one of the easiest guys I know to get along with. It was always a pleasure collaborating with him. I'll never forget one Captain America story Gene did where he had Cap just walking in the street for a lot of panels. No action. No stunts. Just walking. If most other artists had done that it would probably have looked dull-- but Gene managed to make those "walking" panels as compelling as possible. It was like watching a scene in a beautifully directed, beautifully lit movie. I also remember a time he just drew a hero's hand (I don't remember whose, it might have been Daredevil's) opening a door. That's all. Just a close-up of a hand clutching a doorknob, opening the door. It was as dramatic and eye-catching as any panel you could imagine. Not too many artists can make the simplest drawings so beautifully illustrative and memorable. I think my favorite Colan story was a Daredevil he did-- called "Brother, Take My Hand" or something similar, about a black veteran, an ex-cop, who was blinded in the war and later helped by DD. I thought I had written a fairly good story, but the way Gene drew it he made it look like a masterpiece! In case I haven't made myself clear, ain't nobody a bigger Colan fan than Stan Lee. |
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In
every profession, there are folks who become respected & admired
within their own profession. You sometimes hear phrases
like "he's a musician's musician" or "she's a singer's
singer". Sometimes these folks become popular with the public,
and sometimes they remain somewhat unknown outside their own professional
circles. Gene's been fortunate enough to attain a certain amount
of recognition & notoriety among the fans, but as you'll see below
in the comments from his colleagues, Gene is truly a writer's
& artist's artist! |
McGregor,
Don Favorite Collaboration: Ragamuffins Other Collaborations: Amazing Adventures #26 (Killraven); Detectives Inc. - A Terror of Dying Dreams; Eclipse #5 (Ragamuffins); Eclipse Monthly #3,4 (Ragamuffins); Marvel Comics Presents #13-37 (Black Panther); Nathaniel Dusk (Lovers Die at Dusk); Nathaniel Dusk (Apple Peddlers Die at Noon); and more... |
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One of the big Upsides of working in comics, if you grew up loving comics, is that sometimes you get to work with artists whose work you loved when you were growing up. Would the kid who lived in Rhode Island and loved Gene Colan's artwork ever believe that there would come a time when he would get the chance to have one of comics great artist's bring his stories to life. Not me. More than that incredible notion, that we would work together on many different projects over the succeeding years? I never would have thought it. Or that we would come to have a love and mutual respect for each other, but beyond that that my family and Gene and Adrienne would become friends, as well? It's one of the big Upsides to being in a business that is rife with its full share of Downsides. I've written or spoken about this before, but it's worth repeating here. When I was working on staff at Marvel comics around about 1973 and 1975, one of the first Upsides I experienced was the privilege of seeing Gene's original art arrive in the office, and have time to see and study the incredibly textured pencilled art before it was inked. I often thought it a shame that readers never had the chance to see Gene's art before it was interpreted into various inker's sensibilities, even though some, especially Tom Palmer, did a terrific job on the shadowy subtleties of Gene's art. It was that thought that led me to champion printing Gene's pencils directly for the series I'd created called RAGAMUFFINS. I'd held that series concept for years, waiting for Gene to become available to draw it. There were other big names mentioned as being approached, but somehow I knew Gene would understand what I needed for this series, the nuance of expression, the importance of slight body language, the embrace of the time period and of childhood. I was right. He captured it all. Dean Mullaney, Eclipse's publisher, was also a big fan of Gene's work. In the beginning, RAGAMUFFINS was printed in a B & W anthology magazine, so there weren't any technological difficulties to overcome to print pencils. When it was decided to print RAGAMUFFINS in color, it was another story entirely. It is, to my knowledge, the first time pencils and color had been printed. It wasn't enough that Dean and I wanted to print Gene's pencils in a color comic; we didn't know how to do it; we had to find someone who could pull it off. For years, I always thought that Steve Oliff alone found the way to do a splendid coloring job, capturing the approach I'd asked for on the strip, as well as figuring out how to do it. It wasn't until I was working with Sam Parsons on ZORRO: MATANZAS, which required a totally different coloring approach, that I learned that Sam had helped Steve on RAGAMUFFINS. And it wasn't until I was working with Tony Kelly on THE MASK OF ZORRO movie comic adaptation that I learned that Tony had worked on the technical ends with Steve. Often-times, the creator/writer in comics only learns everything that affected their book/work after years have passed. It is to this day, Dean's favorite book of all the books Eclipse published. And if you forced me, push come to shove, to pick one book as my favorite, it would probably be RAGAMUFFINS, because I know this industry, and know that it is a book that almost couldn't exist, that there was no one that would take a chance on it. I got lucky. I had Gene Colan and Dean Mullaney to give my ideas for it, that were only in my head for years, life and a chance for an audience to see it! I have said it in other places, I will end this, by saying it here. A writer can bleed onto the page. A writer can care what goes onto that blank sheet of paper. This is a colloborative medium. If you don't have an artist who can bring those characters, those scenes, those emotions, to life, you are dead in the water. I have been blessed to work with an incredible artist and human being named Gene Colan, who has helped me bring many of my stories to comic-life. Thank you, Gene, for your caring, for your talent, and for your friendship. Don McGregor |
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Palmer,
Tom Favorite Collaboration: Dr. Strange Other Collaborations: Astonishing Tales #8; Captain America #135; Daredevil #76-80,86-95,138(cover); Dr. Strange #172-178,180-183,(II)8,11-18; Dracula Lives #1; Goofy Adventures #17; Howard the Duck #24,annual 1,many covers; Marvel Comics Presents #13-37 (Black Panther); Marvel Comics Super Special #6,10,14; Savage Tales #1; Stewart the Rat (graphic novel); Tomb of Dracula #3-7,12-70; Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction #1; and more... |
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What makes Gene different? -- his approach to pencilling was illustrative rather than "comic book" -- his influences were cinema and illustrators of his day! What was difficult -- or easier with Gene? Neither! Nothing I thought difficult but always a challenge, but that was the fun of it all, not necessarily easier, but the "fun" was part of the challenge! Favorite projects
with Gene? Fond memory or
anecdote? |
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Wolfman,
Marv Favorite Collaboration: Tomb of Dracula, Night Force, Curse of Dracula Other Collaborations: Curse of Dracula #1-3; Daredevil #124; Goofy Adventures #17; Night Force #1-12; Tomb of Dracula #7-70; and more... |
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Gene's strength comes from his expressive faces and their innate humanity. He has the ability to make something look photographic and yet still illustrated with the power of both. What was difficult
-- or easier with Gene? Favorite projects
with Gene? Fond memory or
anecdote? |
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Simons, Dave Collaborations: Howard the Duck Magazine, Tomb of Dracula Magazine, Rampaging Hulk Magazine |
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My first encounter with Gene Colan's work was in Tales to Astonish #71 (a Marvel Pop Art production)! I continued to follow his work at Marvel thru Iron Man and Daredevil and especially his murkily brilliant Doctor Strange. I was still a kid learning to draw at the time and I copied a lot of artists' styles, principally Kirby and Steranko. I never tried to copy Colan's work when I was a kid, tho. Reason is the same as most and the reason you don't see any Colan imitators: Gene is unique, his universe is unique, and we've all been very priviliged to to be allowed a glimpse inside that shadowy, misty, mysterious realm. I long for another visit to it. For the rest of the article, navigate to Dave's site. | |