Tagged: Gene Colan

Gene Colan

Gene Colan: 1926-2011

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I regret to announce that my friend Gene Colan died at about 11 pm on June 23. Gene spent this last week in a quasi-coma state following a broken hip and complications from liver disease. He was 84.

I am terribly saddened to lose Gene. He was a gentle and deeply spiritual man, a bright light in every context, and those who knew him at any level were enriched by his warmth and generous nature. Below are some thoughts I cobbled together when he slipped from consciousness earlier this week.

I leave the historical perspective and details of Gene’s significant career to my friends Tom Spurgeon and Mark Evanier. For now, I mourn.

My Friend Gene Colan

When I was in Morristown, New Jersey, in the early 1990s, there was a girl of about 12 or 13 who lived around the corner. Every time I saw her, she was out walking a German Sheppard puppy. I’d see the pair every two weeks or so. But as the years passed, I realized the girl’s puppy didn’t seem to age. My young neighbor was blossoming into a young lady, but her little dog was like Peter Pan, or Jefty in Harlan Ellison’s story. Eventually, I inquired and learned that the young lady took her young dog from the Morristown Seeing Eye. After she had house-broken and bonded with the little dog, she returned it when it was ready to be further trained to help one of the blind. And then she’d get another puppy and start over again.

It must be heart-breaking, I thought, getting to love something the way only taking care of it will allow you to love, just to say goodbye so quickly.

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Gene Colan Moves to Rehab Facility

  • News
  • April 29, 2011

gene_colan_collage3-9058985Gene Colan has left the hospital and is now in rehab. But he will not be going home. He and his family are deciding on an appropriate place where he can live the rest of his life comfortably with proper care. Despite this, Gene remains positive. He would like to draw again but is too weak and the drugs that block his pain don’t make that possible now. Nevertheless he is determined not to be a financial burden on his children and wants to do what he can to pay his own way, so limited signings will continue. And we continue to sell his art and books. Click here to see what’s available.

At his family’s request, Gene’s whereabouts will remain private and everyone is asked to respect that. If you are an old friend, contact me and I’ll put you in touch with Gene… or you can send a letter to him through me.
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Gene Colan Retiring; Eisner-Winning Last Cover Up For Auction

  • News
  • September 7, 2010

After a 65 year career in comics, the legendary Gene Colan is retiring. The cover pencils from Gene’s final issue of Captain America #601, which won the Eisner Award this year for best single comic, is now up for auction, to help fund his retirement. The cover depects the classic Cap, Steve Rogers cradling a fallen man whilst war carries on behind his heroic shoulders. And for the lucky winner on ebay, this piece will be quite the collectible.

Gene Colan’s year has been tumultuous at best. We implore you to check out the Gene Colan Benefit Auction blog to learn more about him, and the cause.

Gene is a living legend, and his art is well placed in any collectors’ hands. Head over to the ebay auction now, and bid on a piece of history. The bidding is now just above $500, but it won’t stay there.

More Gene Colan Fundraisers and Announcements

Updating our earlier coverage of efforts to raise money for industry legend Gene Colan, Marvel and Hero Initiative recently announced plans for a series of limited print sales and auctions of Colan’s Iron Man art, among other offerings.

From the Hero Initiative announcement:

The Hero Initiative in conjunction with Marvel Comics is launching a series of Gene Colan-themed products, starting with a limited edition print of Gene’s cover art to Invincible Iron Man #1, available at Wizard World Philadelphia, May 30-June 1. Only 200 prints will be available at the show at a cost of $25 each. Net proceeds from sales of these prints by The Hero Initiative will benefit Gene Colan. Another 50 prints will be available at a later date, with plans to have them autographed by both Gene Colan and Stan Lee.

Also at Wizard World Philadelphia, guest writers and artists at the Marvel Comics booth will be signing and sketching two large poster-sized boards, which Hero will auction benefiting Gene at a later date.

And that’s just the start. Wizard World Chicago, June 26-29, will see the release of a second print featuring the cover art to Daredevil #47, the legendary “Brother, Take My Hand” story by Stan Lee and Gene Colan. A third print will be available later in the year, along with other products.

For August, a Gene Colan Tomb of Dracula poster will be available for order via Marvel Previews with proceeds routed to Gene; and in September, a special book reprinting some of Gene’s greatest stories will be made available. In addition to these items, The Hero Initiative will take additional steps to help Gene in his convalescence.

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Fundraiser Update: DC/Warner Bros. Cancer Charity Fiasco, Gene Colan News

It seems as if DC/Warner Bros. have relented a smidge in their decision to shut down a set of auctions benefitting a childhood cancer charity… but only a smidge. Actually, it’s more like a half-smidge. Or possibly a micro-smidge. Anyways…

Thomas Denton reported on his blog this week that DC/Warner Bros. has allowed him to reactivate one of the charity auctions the company had previously shut down. After noticing that the auction had been reinstated on eBay, Denton claims that he sent a letter to DC/Warner Bros. (which he’s posted on his site) asking if this meant he could reactivate all of the aborted auctions.

One of DC/WB’s anti-piracy department representatives responded, telling Denton, "We made a [sic] exemption for the item that was relisted."

Denton writes that he’s currently investigating whether it will be feasible/worthwhile to relist the piece, a Paul Salvi illustration pictured here, but reminds readers that he still has a number of impressive, non-DC properties available on eBay.

In other news, Cliff Meth recently reported on his website that he has spoken with unnamed "executives at Marvel" who "offered Adrienne [wife of suffering artist Gene Colan] and I some of the many things that they plan to do for the Colans to provide immediate and long-term relief." However, Meth offers no further details about the arrangement.

We reported earlier this week on the various ways the industry has rallied to support legendary illustrator Gene Colan as his family struggles to pay for mounting medical costs related to his kidney failure.

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