I’ve not been writing because I’m away for a few days, but tonight I was saddened to learn that Gene Colan’s wife Adrienne has died.
My buddy Dennis and I first met Gene and Adrienne over ten years ago, when they made appearances at Paul Howley’s store, That’s Entertainment, in Worcester, MA. Those of us who know what’s been going on recently in the Colan family had been hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but it has.
The last time I spoke with Gene and Adrienne, I was calling to make sure they received a $2000 check I had sent to them. It was a straight gift. I asked for nothing in return, not even a sketch. I told Gene that it was my way of saying thanks for drawing so many great comic-books.
Adrienne was very appreciative, and she said the money would help pay for Gene’s medications. A few minutes before calling, I had told Steranko (who I first met in 1972) I would be speaking with Gene, and he said, with great intensity, “I want you to tell him that I am the world’s number one Gene Colan fan. Would you do that for me, please?” I promised I would, and when I told Gene, he said, “Jim Steranko said that? Oh my, that’s wonderful. What an honor that is.”
With the tremendous success of the first Iron Man movie, I was pleased that Marvel Comics did the right thing and kicked in with some substantial cash for Gene. It meant a lot to me to be able to help the Colan’s through one of their tougher times, and it hurts that the situation later became as bad as it did. Now is a time for peace, rest, and healing.
Gene Colan is one of the all-time great comic-book artists. There are many favorite stories that Gene illustrated, starting with the first I ever saw, Daredevil #20, in 1966. Another is the Iron Man story in Tales of Suspense #93.
Two years ago, Gene Colan was at death’s door. With a lot of medical care, and some financial help from his peers and fans (myself included), Gene made a miraculous recovery. Recently, Gene has had a tough time with some personal, as well as physical, setbacks. The Colan family is starting to recover from these latest difficulties, and I was surprised and pleased when Denro told me that Gene’s son Erik has posted some videos with his dad on YouTube.
On YouTube is a French documentary, in English, about comic books that’s from a 2002 UK DVD, when the first Spider-Man movie was released. It’s called Once Upon A Time The Superheroes, and I haven’t watched it yet, but from a quick scan it looks pretty good, although not in the league of Jonathan Ross’ In Search of Steve Ditko. I’ve put together a playlist that assembles the ten parts.
(Did you notice what’s strange about the opening moments?)
When I was in the 11th grade, for Christmas I wanted nothing but records, and one of those albums I wanted because of one song in particular…
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
… later, in 1975, Paul McCartney did this song:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Titanium Man and the Crimson Dynamo are Iron Man villains. The comic book stories I read forty years ago were wild and unbelievable, but today what’s even more unbelievable is those same super-hero stories are the basis for major high-budget movies. The Superman movie in 1978 I thought of as an exception to the rule. The Hulk TV show, a re-working of the The Fugitive, was more typical of what was being done with comic book material.
The previews for the new Iron Man movie look good, and it’s getting generally favorable reviews. Hey, it’s better than playing Grand Theft Auto 4. Now that’s trash!
I’m glad that the comics I loved as a kid are finally socially acceptable, because believe me it was tough remaining a comic book fan past junior high school. It’s beyond my comprehension how we got to this slick, crowd-pleasing, powerhouse movie from these humble, semi-animated beginnings that nobody over twelve dared admit to enjoying…
