Over the weekend news spread quickly that Gentleman Gene Colan is suffering from liver failure. Gene’s wife Adrienne sentr out a letter, reproduced here:
My darling, sweet, handsome and brilliantly gifted husband’s liver is failing. The complications are very nasty. This week it’s fluid retention and encephalitis. He’s on powerful meds now to diminish the symptoms. He sleeps a lot and has very little energy. He wants you all to know how badly he wanted to attend the convention. He so seriously wanted to see you all and shoot the breeze.
Not sure how long we have left together, but our family whole and we’ll be taking this sad journey together and nearby.
Clifford Meth has begun organizing a benefit to help with the medical bills. . Neal Adams, Norm Breyfogle, Adam-Troy Castro, Peter David, Tom DeFalco, Pat DiNizio, Harlan Ellison, Mark Evanier, Neil Gaiman, Joe Kubert, Jim Lee, Stan Lee, Leah Moore, Tom Palmer, Mike Pascale, Dave Simmons, Marv Wolfman and Ash Wood have all signed up.
Colan remains one of the greatest Marvel artists of all times. His 70 issue stint on Tomb of Dracula with Marv Wolfman remains a highlight, but his work on Howard the Duck, Dr. Strange and Daredevil are also notable. Colan is one of the few artists whose work always elevated his material, not with dynamics but characterization. His people are always completely realized characters; while Colan would never be called a humor artist, his mastery of expressions definitely helped Howard the Duck, in particular, become a benchmark.
There’s an address to send cards in the top link. Please don’t be shy with your gratitude, admiration and generosity.
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I dealt with Gene and Adrienne in my time with Wizard World. Both excellent people. This is very sad news. You are all in my prayers. God Bless!
A year or so ago, when I first got online, I sent an email to Gene Colan via his website. I had to tell him how much I appreciated his art and how I loved to read the stories he drew in Tomb of Dracula, Daredevil and Howard the Duck. To my surprise I got a reply. It is one of my most treasured posessions – ephemeral as an email is.
Get well, Gene. Please. There is no other artist like you.
I’m a huge Gene Colan fan. I pray for his recovery, and I’m sending as many positive thoughts his way. I also did something else for the family, as suggested on Journalista! and here. Didn’t Clifford Meth do something similar for Dave Cockrum?
I like this Meth guy!
This Guy is a True Master, I really hope the Man pulls through, His Art was one of the first that I looked at when I stumbled on to Comics when I was a mere 5 yrs old, I have always wanted for the Dean to return to DareDevil.
I still wait, I hope one Day we shall have the guy working on that bk again.
My prayers and hopes go to the man who sparked my own creativity when I read all those wonderful issues of Strange Tales (with Doctor Strange) and Doctor Strange. I still remember when I introduced you to my wife at Wonder Con 2007, and you then introduced you wife to mine. They talked. We, well you know, we talked shop
My prayers and hopes go to the man who sparked my own creativity when I read all those wonderful issues of Strange Tales (with Doctor Strange) and Doctor Strange. I still remember when I introduced you to my wife at Wonder Con 2007, and you then introduced you wife to mine. They talked. We, well you know, we talked shop
My thoughts are with Gene and all his family. He’s always been one of my favourite
artists and a true master whose work deserves to hang in any gallery. His Tomb of Dracula work had a profound affect on me as a kid. Best wishes.
My thoughts are with Gene and all his family. He’s always been one of my favourite
artists and a true master whose work deserves to hang in any gallery. His Tomb of Dracula work had a profound affect on me as a kid. Best wishes.