Gene Colan

Gene Colan (1926-2011), born Eugene Jules Colan in the Bronx, New York, was an American comic book artist known for his atmospheric, shadow-heavy style. He began his career at Fiction House in 1944, served in the Air Force during World War II, and studied at the Art Students League.

Colan is best known for his work at Marvel Comics, where he drew definitive runs on Daredevil, Howard the Duck, and the complete 70-issue run of The Tomb of Dracula with writer Marv Wolfman, considered one of comics' classic horror series. He co-created several significant Marvel characters, including the Falcon (the first African-American superhero in mainstream comics), Carol Danvers (later Captain Marvel), and Blade the vampire hunter.

Colan's distinctive approach used heavy blacks and unconventional compositions that gave his pages a cinematic, painterly quality unlike any other artist of his era. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2005.